News

Dutch national newspaper Trouw published a review by Els de Baan of the Dutch edition of the Atlas of Embroidery / Atlas van de Borduurkunst, written by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood and published last week by Princeton University Press and (in Dutch) by WBooks.

You can read the review (in Dutch) by clicking here.

Today, Friday 16th January, we finished the first stage of the TRC move to other premises. We started off today with a traditional meal prepared by Herra, our Indonesian volunteer. The meal included rice, salt and boiled eggs. Such food, accompanied with shrimps, is associated with the blessings for a move and good luck with all that will happen in the future. How appropriate. And how kind of her to prepare and bring the meal. 

For three days the removal people have been busy loading the c. 4,000 boxes of the textiles and dress collection, plus furniture and whatever else that has to be shifted, into twelve containers. These will be stored and be taken to the Boerhaavelaan in Leiden in early March.

The removal team and TRC staff posing in front of the rapidly emptying former premises of the TRC along the Hogewoerd.

The last few days were very exciting, and the removal lads were absolutely great. They worked very hard, perhaps stimulated by the coffee and biscuits that we provided. We are looking forward to seeing them during the second stage of the move, and we are sure that they won't mind helping us again.

Indonesian meal, prepared by one of the TRC volunteers, to guarantee good fortune with the move. Friday morning, 16th January.

It is very empty!

 The last act: Removing the TRC sign board. We will stick it up in the new building.

Two TRC colleagues helping to move the c. 4,000 boxes with the TRC collection. Thursday, 15th January 2026.Today, Thursday 15th, the move of the Textile Research Centre from the Hogewoerd to the beautiful urban villa along the Boerhaavelaan, just behind the railway station, went on with the help of the removal team and a group of TRC volunteers.

Tomorrow we carry on, and yes, by the end of the afternoon we expect to leave the Hogewoerd for the last time and lock the doors. We have been working there since September 2009. Mixed feelings!

The 'old' TRC is rapidly getting empty. Thursday, 15th January 2026.

This morning, 13 January, the first container is being filled with part of the TRC collection and other materials. More containers will follow the next few days. We can only move into our new premises (Boerhaavelaan) by the end of February/early March, but the containers and their contents will be safely stored by the removal firm (wonderful people!).

However, we have already stored still-to-be catalogued textiles and teaching materials for the upcoming Five-Day Intensive Textile Course (23-27 February; and yes, this will be the first major teaching 'event' in our new home) at another place, and so has our computer system, so we can continue our work in the next few weeks, mostly from home, but also from suitable meeting places in Leiden.

The TRC is moving

First and foremost, may this year be a peaceful and successful year for everyone.

As you probably know by now, the TRC is moving, within two months, to new premises and we soon hope to attract more fellows, interns and volunteers, to help the existing core of indefatigable supporters who have helped the TRC to prepare the institute for its new and exciting next phase. Many thanks to all of you!

The first additions to the TRC Collection in 2026: Two hand-woven Guatemalan ikats decorated with large pom-poms and tassels. Guatemala, late 20th century (TRC 2026.0001 and TRC 2026.0002).

For the next few weeks, until mid-February 2026, we will be busy with the Herculean (or so it feels) physical move of the TRC (and its collection and library!) from the Hogewoerd to our new premises on the Boerhaavelaan (No. 6), just behind the Leiden Central Railway Station.

After the move (well, there may still be some painters wandering around), we will be presenting the next session of the renowned TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course. There is still one place left for the course should anyone be interested! The next edition of the Intensive Course will be organised in April, and there are currently still some places available.

But the series of Intensive Courses is only one of the many activities we are organising at our new home. The period from March to September 2026 includes a diverse programme with many workshops, lectures and courses, which will be complemented by a series of large and small exhibitions that reflect the TRC’s amazing collection.

Please come and join us, and at the same time have a look at, and enjoy, our new premises. The programme of activities can be seen, and/or downloaded here. Please feel free to register (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for one or more of the events, and don’t forget to keep an eye on the agenda. We are planning many more activities!

Gillian Vogelsang, Director TRC, 2 January 2026

Some time ago the TRC published  a blog about a visit to Estonia by Gillian and Willem Vogelsang. They wrote about the local production of camouflage netting for Ukraine. Last week the TRC IT-consultant, Jonathan Visser, who currently carries out volunteer work in Ukraine for several local organisations, sent us the following appeal for support:

Kitty Pechersk (Печерські котики, 'Kittens from Pechersk') is a volunteer community based in Kyiv, Ukraine, which plays a significant role in the provision of vital fabric-based items to the Ukrainian military. This collective has been producing, by hand, camouflage nets, ghillie suits, helmets, and paraffin trench-candles since the start of the Russian invasion in early 2022.

Group of volunteers of Kitty Pechersk.

For the next three years, the Textile Research Centre, Leidden, the Netherlands, is offering a total of seven junior and four senior fellowships for up to six months each. The fellowships are being sponsored by the Gieskes-Strijbis Foundation, Amsterdam. Fellows are invited to carry out research based on the TRC’s extensive textiles and dress collection. The junior fellows will be supervised and assisted by TRC staff; senior fellows will carry out independent research.

The first of the fellowships is a junior position starting in the spring (March/April) of 2026, depending on the fellow’s and TRC’s agenda. Applications for this position should be submitted to the TRC by 16 January 2026 (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with the reference: ‘Fellowship programme’. The TRC will advertise for other fellowships in March 2026. Fellows are selected by a special committee of TRC staff and/or Board members after, if appropriate, the advice of external specialists.

(Leiden, 6 Nov. 2025) Kirkus Review is a book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The publisher, Kirkus Media, has its headquarters in New York. Its online version has just published a review of Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood's latest book: The Atlas of World Embroidery. A Global exploration of Heritage and Styles and awarded it with the coveted 'star'. For more information about the book, see an earlier blog.

The review can be read and downloaded here. The Atlas will be published by Princeton University Press on 17 February 2026. A Dutch version will be published at the same time by WBooks. A book launch of both the English and Dutch versions will take place on Friday, 20 February 2026, in the new 'home' of the TRC at the Boerhaavelaan 6, Leiden.