Description
This bundle only includes registration to participate in the live lectures. Recordings for the lectures are not included in this bundle and may be registered for separately as they become available after each lecture.
January – The Black Gold Tapestry with Sandra Sawatsky – Live Lecture Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026 1PM Eastern
Artist Sandra Sawatzky will tell her story of why and how she came to make The Black Gold Tapestry, her 220-foot-long hand-embroidered illustrative narrative that chronicles the history of oil over 220 million years. Taking nine years to research, design, illustrate, and hand-embroider the Tapestry, it’s an homage to the 1000-year-old Bayeux Tapestry (Normandy France) in its design and materials. Sawatzky completed the work in nine years, taking over 17,000 hours to complete it.
February – Caskets and 17th Century Needlework Education with Katie Strachan – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026 1PM Eastern
Katie Strachan will talk about her work as a contemporary embroiderer that has been informed by the needlework of 17th century schoolgirls in England. She will examine the historic context of the amazing range of pieces 17th century girls produced, and then Katie’s own variations on each of the forms: casket, mirror, beadwork basket, small toys, band sampler, and more. Please note that this lecture is a 90-minute lecture.
March – A Timeline of British Crewel Work with Phillipa Turnbull – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026 1PM Eastern
Starting from the early 17th Century up to the present day, this timeline lecture will demonstrate the changes in crewel work design styles, materials, and stitches, influenced and enhanced by the lives of the people of Britain. From the death of Queen Elizabeth I, through James VI and I, Charles I, the middle years of Civil Wars, the Georgians, the Victorians and the Arts and Crafts era, touching on design during the 20th Century, the evolution of British crewel work has remained a reflection of the British culture.
April – A Talk with Mary Corbet on all things Needle ‘n Thread – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026 1PM Eastern
You have read her blog, Needle ‘n Thread, and heard her on podcasts. Now is your chance to see and hear Mary in a round table discussion with the Virtual Lecture Team! Questions will be submitted by YOU, the Virtual Lecture attendee, via a form that will be emailed out to all those registered for the lecture by April 1, 2026. The VLS Team has questions, but what do YOU want to ask of Mary?
May – The Exquisite Embroidered Book Bindings of Oxford with Relics in Situ – Live Lecture Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026 1PM Eastern
Oxford’s historic libraries hold some of the most breathtaking treasures of book history: embroidered bindings made for royalty, scholars, and the elite of early modern England. In this exclusive one-hour on-line lecture, we share rare examples from the Bodleian Library and Christ Church (with a quick side trip to St. John’s College in Cambridge as well!). Discover the stitches, symbolism, and stories behind these exquisite works of needlecraft—brought to life through detailed images and expert insight. A must for historians, needleworkers, and lovers of the past.
June – Patterns and Pieces: Whitework Samplers of the 17th Century with Tricia Wilson Nguyen – Live Lecture Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026 1PM Eastern
By the close of the 17th century, patterns for various types of needlework had been published and circulated for over a century. These early pattern books were passed down through generations, reproduced in multiple editions, and—perhaps unsurprisingly—frequently plagiarized. A detailed examination of the patterns and samplers from the latter half of the century can yield valuable insights into the workings of popular cut whitework techniques. Through careful analysis of front-pieces, pattern names, and subtle hints in the woodcuts, we can distinguish between patterns that were practical and instructive, and those that were opportunistic prints by less-experienced artists—often too flawed to be actually worked. Join Tricia Wilson Nguyen as she discusses how she groups samplers according to their techniques and patterns, and uncovers a wealth of information, unravelling the many secrets these pieces hold.
July – Embroidery in Times of Chaos with Isabella Rosner – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 1PM Eastern
Needlework is a time-honored artistic outlet practiced in the face of adversity, a way to find control, express emotions, and distract oneself. Isabella will explore the parallels of needlework during times of chaos throughout history and today, moving from the 17th century to the 21st.
August – ‘For her much respected parents:’ Samplers by Black Girls in Philadelphia with Dr. Lynne Anderson – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, August 16, 2026 1PM Eastern
Through the lens of schoolgirl samplers, the Dr. Anderson will explore the educational options that emerged in 18th and 19th century Philadelphia for free and enslaved black girls. Of particular note are samplers by black activists in Pennsylvania’s anti-slavery movement; samplers by members of the underground railroad; and a recently uncovered group of samplers dedicated to the makers’“much respected parents.”
September – “Nature as my Thread”: The Evolution of Dried Flower Embroidery with Olga Prinku – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026 1PM Eastern
Olga Prinku initiated the idea of embroidering with dried flowers in 2016, and has since developed a variety of techniques for combining tulle fabric with a wide range of dried and preserved organic materials, from flowers to foliage, grasses, berries, seedheads, and twigs. In this lecture she looks back on the evolution of her practice over the last ten years, from small embroidery hoops to large-scale bio-tapestries, exploring the boundaries of what can be achieved using real organic material as her metaphorical “thread.”
October – Natural Dyeing for Embroidery with Tanya Bentham – Live Lecture Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026 1PM Eastern
Tanya will talk about and show, in a multimedia lecture, her process of natural dyeing using organic-based dyes.
November – The Threads that Speaks Louder Than Words: The Untold Embroidered Histories of Women in Morocco with Elya Rachel Assayag – Live Lecture Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026 1PM Eastern
Elya Rachel Assayag’s lecture will open with an overview of the different types of Moroccan embroidery and the threads that link them to different times and places. Those types range from the unique floral patterns of the Ottoman Empire, to Andalusian geometric shapes, to bizarre creatures from Italy and Spain. Since textile embroidery in Morocco was uniquely a women’s craft, studying the different embroideries in Morocco tells a larger social story about knowledge and aesthetic trends.
December – The Marghab Linens with Taylor McKeown, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions, South Dakota Art Museum – Live Lecture Date: Saturday, December 13, 2026 1PM Eastern
The South Dakota Art Museum is home to the most comprehensive collection of Marghab Linens in the world. Produced on the Portuguese island of Madeira from 1932 to 1978, Marghab Linens became internationally renowned for their uncompromising standards of design and craftsmanship.
&url=https://egausa.org/product/2026-virtual-lecture-bundle/&media=https://egausa.org/app/uploads/2025/10/EGAVL_Bundle.jpg){kind=link}
