On Demand: Guild Event: Members' Challenge: the 2025 Winners and 2026 Theme

Come along to this free online event hosted by our Artistic Director, Anthea Godfrey and Deborah Shepherd, Creative Director from Janome. We will be discussing how the 2025 theme "Colour Rhythms " was interpreted, celebrating all the entries. We will also be unveiling the theme for our 2026 Members Challenge!

We are delighted that the Members Challenge for 2025 is being sponsored by JANOME​ and we have added a new award The JANOME award for inspired use of machine embroidery stitches​ to reflect JANOME’s involvement and their passion for machine embroidery​.

Our annual Members’ Challenge is open to all Guild members. We offer a creative theme and invite members to submit an original piece of work which fits that brief. Once members have submitted their entries, a selected panel of experienced textile artists assess the work against specific criteria.

Awards are given in a number of design and technique categories as follows:

• Constance Howard for the most outstanding piece
• Janome for Inspired use of machine stitching

• Julia Caprara for best use of colour

• Beryl Dean for best hand-stitching

• Val Campbell-Harding for best machine-stitching

• Margaret Nicholson for best composition

• Jane Lemon for drama and creativity

• Artistic Director for innovation

If you're interested in joining our Members Challenge, we welcome you to join us at this Free Event.

If you are not yet a Guild member but would like to find out more about the Members’ Project and all the other member benefits, visit our website to discover more. Alternatively, please contact us with any questions on receptionist@embroiderersguild.com. Guild membership is £42 per annum or 12 monthly payments of £3.95.

Anthea is currently Artistic Director of The Embroiderers’ Guild and has led many fantastic projects, often on an epic scale, not only for the Guild, but also for organisations and for public arts projects.

She is a passionate supporter of creativity in all its forms, and in keeping our skills alive and relevant to the next generations.

Deborah Shepherd, Creative Director for JANOME, will be joining our panel of Judges and co-hosting this event​. Deborah said “It’s all very exciting, we are delighted to be joining the Guild for the 2025 Challenge. JANOME are often asked by their customers “Why would I need all of those stitches.” Deborah loves to think JANOME machines have inspired some creative use of these stitches and hopes to inspire others to experiment and be bold!​

“For the Janome category we wanted to encourage the use of all types of machine embroidery stitches and therefore the JANOME award is focused a little differently from the Val Campbell-Harding Award for best machine stitching”.​

For more about JANOME please have a look at www.janome.co.uk

Please note that this ticket is for a recording of the live event on 10 April. Tickets for the live event are available here. You will be emailed access details to the recording by 24 April.

Joint winner of 2023-24 Challenge Opposites Attract: Judith Castle's Romeo and Juliet

Joint winner of 2023-24 Challenge Opposites Attract: Alyssa Robinson's You're the Yin to my Yang