We are thrilled to be launching the second of a series of needlework kits in collaboration with the Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth Textile Collection, founded by The Honourable Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth (1886-1967), an English textile collector, teacher and philanthropist.
A unique collection of over 30,000 historic textiles, the Rachel Kay Shuttleworth Textile Collection is one of the largest in the UK and the only one of its kind in Lancashire.
Now, with special permission from the charitable trust set up by Rachel in 1959, we are thrilled to be releasing our second kit, the Gawthorpe Ponegranates, which is based on the pelmet from the jewel in the crown of the collection - a set of incredible bed hangings researched, designed, and embroidered by Rachel herself between 1908 and 1918.
The kit accompanies our first in this series, The Gawthorpe Cherry Tree, which was released in Autumn 2023.
The tester bed (below), which Rachel designed the pelmet to hang around, was gifted to Rachel by her much-loved parents on her 21st birthday. The bed remains to this day in the Huntroyde bedroom at Gawthorpe, with its full set of bed hangings still in place.
We are delighted to be supporting the Gawthorpe Textile Collection with each sale of this kit and course.
The Gawthorpe Textile Collection is a registered charity Founded by The Honourable Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth to teach, to support creativity and wellbeing, to support employability, to preserve traditional craft skills and to share knowledge, skills and expertise across cultures.
10% of the proceeds of each sale is donated to the Trust to directly benefit the original needlework and support the wonderful work the team at Gawthorpe Hall do to protect and promote the collection.