New book exploring some of the highlights of the Prestonpans tapestries due to launch this month!

What better way to start 2015, we thought, than to bring you a new guide to some of the most charming details in both the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and the Prestonpans Tapestry.


This collection of highlights has been specially selected by stitchers Rosemary Farmer in Australia and Maggie Ferguson in Edinburgh. They’ve arranged their choices thematically so that you can browse all the best and most interesting examples of, for example, landscapes, clothing and wigs, animals, and so on. Naturally, the book also identifies the stitches used for each example – making it a great guide to how the many wonderful textures were created.

“How do you stitch a mountain, a tartan kilt, a tweed jacket, a ship, castle, or an explorer? Many of the visitors to The Battle of Prestonpans and The Scottish Diaspora Tapestries have asked these questions, and within this book, we hope you will find inspiring answers.The images have been chosen to highlight the way in which the embroiderers have brought these unique stories to life with simple stitches – one stitch at a time. These tapestries with their human stories, stitched as community projects, have created two wonderful narrative embroideries, telling tales often hitherto untold.The task given to the volunteer embroiderers in many communities worldwide was to create their panels using stitches which would best convey the story being told. Many had years of experience, but many were stitching for the very first time! They have clearly done extraordinarily well. And they have again and again demonstrated great initiative.”

The Art of Narrative Embroidery will launch on 24th January 2015 at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg, after which it will be available for purchase at exhibitions and via our online shop.

By Admin