News

American quilt from the 1840s (TRC 2018.3119), displayed at the exhibition The American Quilt, at the TRC. 5 Febr. - 28 May 2020. For more information, please click on the illustration.A quintessential feature of many American homes is a bed covering, more generally known as a quilt. It has featured in many films, books and stories about rural and urban life in the USA. As part of the Mayflower 400 Year, commemorating the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers in America in 1620, having lived in Leiden for some ten years previously, the TRC Leiden is presenting an exhibition that explores the history, meaning and making of these colourful objects over the last 200 years.

The exhibition includes examples from before the American Civil War (1861-1865), the late Victorian era, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the Revival of the quilt craft in the 1970s.

There is a Crazy Quilt from Minnesota made in 1890s (TRC 2019.2925), and another quilt from the late nineteenth century that contains an even older example. There is also a Native American Indian quilt (early twentieth century; TRC 2019.2041), an African-American example (1930s) and a glorious appliqué quilt from a grand house in the USA (1860s; TRC 2019.2402).

For a photographic impression, please click here.

A length of modern velvet from Italy with a classic flower design (TRC 2018.2510).Velvet is a rich, varied and versatile type of cloth that can be used in many different and at times surprising ways. Velvet is used for garments, covering the body literally from head to foot, and worn by men, women and children. Houses are also decorated with velvets and the material has been used for soft-furnishings as well as upholstery.

The TRC exhibition Velvet!, which was on display at the TRC from January to June 2019, included examples of velvet dating from the late fifteenth century to the present day. There were over 100 garments and textiles, ranging from samples of cotton, linen, mohair, silk and wool velvet (some of which visitors can touch), velveteens, kuba velvets, to children’s velvet garments, wedding dresses, not to mention a wide range of velvet hats! A real feast for the senses.

Postcard and stamp of a 19th century painting depicting a lady in a velvet jacket, Hungary (TRC 2018.2544).

The luxurious character of velvet was made clear by a length of so-called Utrecht velvet (made from mohair), and also by an example of a pressed velvet that is used in the Tweede Kamer, The Hague, for a wall hanging. There was even a sample of the velvet used to decorate the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain.

The TRC exhibition VELVET! was officially opened on the 22nd January 2019 by the Wethouder for Cultural Affairs (Leiden), Ms. Yvonne van Delft.

For a brief introduction to the subject of velvet, please click here. For the complete list of objects that were being displayed, with direct references to the TRC online catalogue, click here.

The exhibition was made possible with the help of Lunsingh Meubelstoffering en Zitmeubelrestauratie, Leiden.

• 20-24 April. TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course
• 29 April. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (4) 
• 3 May. Sustainability and WWII textiles
• 6 May. Basics of felt making
• 8 May. What is embroidery?
• 13 May. Historical handsewing techniques
• 13 May. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (5)
• 20 May. Palestinian embroidery
• 21 May. Lefkara lace
• 22 May. Lefkara lace (repeat).
• 27 May. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (6)
• 31 May. Sunday lecture: Tutankhamun's wardrobe
• 3 June. Workshop: Orenburg knitted lace
• 10 June. Workshop: Prehistoric plaiting techniques with vegetable fibres
• 12 June. Study day: Middle Eastern embroidery
• 13 June: TRC Book market
• 17 June. Workshop: Kumihimo braiding
• 21 June. Sunday lecture: Fashion of the 1920s
• 22-26 June. TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course
• 1 July.  Shetland lace knitting
• 8 July.  Basics of sprang making
• 19 July. Sunday lecture: Khayamiya appliqué panels from Cairo, Egypt
• 10-14 Aug. TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course
• 19 August. Workshop aglets.
• 26 August. Beginners course: Hand spinning (1)
• 2 September: Band weaving with pick-up patterns
• 9 September. Beginners course: Hand spinning (2)
• 12-13 Sept: Open Monuments Days: TRC open to the public
• 16 September: Fingerloop braiding
• 23 September. Beginners course: Hand spinning (3)
• 7 October: Cardweaving with prehistorical patterns
• 12-16 Oct. TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course
• 21 October: Kilim weaving
• 28 October: Jordanian embroidery
• 11 November: Needlebinding basics
• 18 November: Tarz embroidery
• 9 December: Needlebinding over the thumb

7000 years of hand woven textiles in one exhibition!

TRC Gallery exhibition, 26 May – 23 September 2014

Woman in Lima, Peru, with backstrap loom. Photograph: Jefke van ItersonThe Gallery exhibition at the Textile Research Centre, Leiden, is a must for textile lovers.

The exhibition includes some of the oldest textiles in the world. They come from Çatal Hüyük (Turkey). These tiny fragments are about 7000 years old, and what a story they tell about the long history of hand weaving! Other unusual items on display include textiles that were originally wrapped around the Dead Sea Scrolls, examples of Coptic tapestries from Egypt, as well as medieval and Renaissance velvets and silk woven textiles. All of them are hand woven!

Following an article about the TRC in a national Dutch newspaper (Trouw, 22 October 2011), the TRC was approached about the potential donation of a collection of European textiles from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth centuries. These pieces formed part of the collection of the Van Gerwen-Lemmens Museum, Valkenswaard, which was forced to close down in 2008. After a visit by TRC staff to Valkenswaard on November 12, Mrs. Van Gerwen very kindly donated 101 textiles to the TRC.

Most of the textiles date to the 18^thcentury and include velvets, brocades and damasks. In addition, there are a few printed and embroidered pieces. There were also several, very rare ‘Coptic’ silk embroideries dating from the sixth to the seventh centuries AD. These include scenes depicting what appears to be Christ and various saints.

The acquisition of these pieces means that the TRC’s collection will take on a greater depth with respect to quality and range of subjects. The textiles will be on display at the TRC Gallery as part of a special exhibition, from June to September 2012.

The TRC works on a project basis and on financial donations from official, commercial and private sources. The funding is used for special projects, maintaining the collection, setting up costs of exhibitions and general running costs. Through the years we have had many Friends support the work of the TRC with donations, both financial and material for the collection.

Over the last 30 years, the TRC collection has grown from forty items to over 42,000 catalogued items. Since 2009, the collection has been housed at Hogewoerd 164 in Leiden. The opening of this site also allowed the expansion of educational activities and exhibitions of the growing collection . We are again at a critical moment in our growth. We are running out of space, for the collection, work space and classroom space. We need our friends even more. We are, simultaneously, trying to accommodate the growing collection and educational program in our current space AND on the lookout for a new space. We are being cautious during these difficult economic times, yet hopeful knowing that a new space will increase our ability to be more self-sustaining as we are able to provide more workshops and work more efficiently.

Become a part of our future and join our support network by becoming a Friend of the TRC. To show our appreciation you will receive a 10% discount on items in our shop, lectures, courses (excluding intensive 5-day courses) and workshops. In addition, four times per year all members will have the chance to win a raffle prize. Annual or Life time memberships.

Annual membership fee is €75; lifetime membership fee is €500

To become a member, please send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line 'Friends of the TRC membership'.

Tax benefits of donating to TRC Leiden

Stichting Textile Research Centre is officially recognised as a non-profit organisation, a "Culturele ANBI" (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) whereby donations are not subject to donation or succession taxes and are tax deductible. Your financial contribution to the TRC as a Friend is deductible for the annual tax return, up to 125% of the amount for private individuals and up to 150% for companies. To this end, you will receive a confirmation of receipt of your contribution to the TRC. After that, you only need to state the amount of your gift in your annual tax return and tick the box “Cultural ANBI”.

Contact and Information

The Stichting will be happy to answer any questions that readers may have about our work. In addition, gifts of clothing, books and visual material are always welcome! If you want to be informed regularly of all TRC activities, by email, please contact us by email and provide us with your name, address, telephone number (optional) and email address. Your personal details will of course remain confidential and will not be passed on to a third party.

• Address: Stichting Textile Research Centre, Boerhaavelaan 6, 2334 EN,  Leiden, The Netherlands
• Tel:  +31 (0)71-5134144
• Mobile: +31 (0)6-28830428
• Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Opening times: Currently closed. We will be reopening in the new building in March.

For exact location of TRC Leiden, see Google maps (Dutch).