The organisers of the annual National Embroidery Awards have issued a call for entries, seeking work that showcases “passion, innovation and artistry”.
Covering digital embroidery as well as hand and free-machine embroidery, it is offering all kinds of prizes, including threads from sponsor Madeira UK, and exposure at exhibitions and in the media.
With no theme this year, entries need to have been created within the past 12 months and demonstrate “texture, originality, depth and that fearless spark that sets your work apart”. It can be 2D or 3D on a garment, a bag, furniture or an object.
It features categories for people who are at school, college and universities and doing apprenticeships but half the categories are for people not in education such as those working professionally in garment decoration.
The deadline for registration and submitting an image is 16 January 2026 via creativecraftshow.co.uk, followed by an entry deadline of 20 February by post and 10 March by hand delivery.
The winners will be announced on 12 March at the start of Fashion & Embroidery which runs as part of The Creative Craft Show at the NEC in Birmingham from 12 to 15 March.
As well as being displayed at Fashion & Embroidery, the winning pieces will feature in an exhibition at The Sunbury Embroidery Gallery in Surrey from 17 August to 11 October 2026.
The judges will include award-winning digital embroidery specialist David Morrish, founder of Kingfly Embroidery. He said: “Our aim is to keep the wonderful art of embroidery alive and strong and encourage everyone to have a go.”
The other judges include: free machine and textile artist Karen Nicol; digital embroiderer and costume maker Twan Lentjes; Anne Butcher, head of studio and standards at the Royal School of Needlework; Anthea Godfrey, artistic director of the Embroiderers’ Guild; and Angie Wyman, former undergraduate course leader at the Royal School of Needlework.
Winners in the 2025 National Embroidery Awards included Beth Wilson whose stunning dress, dubbed Love and Romance, won the trophy in the digital embroidery category for people not in education.
