Winners!!!

Before I'll announce the winners of this month's selection of embroidery threads, I'll give you a short impression of my teaching for the Needlework Spring Retreat at Stratford-upon-Avon organised by the Crewelwork Company. Below you see me in front of my fellow teachers (Jenny Adin-Christie, Kate Barlow, Nicola Jarvis and Mandy Ewing) as well as Phillipa Turnbull and her daughter Laura. The reason I look so happy: I just rescued some fabulous creme brulee the staff at the hotel were about to take away :).

It was great to catch up with my former colleagues from the Royal School of Needlework. Who knew that Kate Barlow used to work on the costumes of the Chippendales? It apparently involves tiny pieces of flesh-coloured lycra held together with fishing wire... Mandy innocently asking what these pieces were for, made everyone's evening :).

During the retreat, I was teaching the Gothic Poppy piece to students from Australia, South-Africa, the UK and the USA. We had great fun and a special thanks to Daniel and Susan for the great conversations we had! And on a lighter note: Thanks to Dorothy, couching stitches forming a bricking pattern will forever have a whole different meaning :). And Susan suggesting that I should recreate the beautifully embroidered codpiece worn by Archduke Maximillian of Habsburg for my husband was truly priceless :). I am looking forward to seeing many of you either at my studio here in Bavaria or at the Lady Anne's Needlework Festival in 2021!

And now without further ado: This month's winners of the selection of embroidery threads are: Mieke van der Maaten and Linda de Boey. Both have been contacted and will receive their threads shortly.

That's it. Can't do any serious writing after yesterday's 15-hour train trip back home.