Award-winning Hardanger review

A long, long time ago, way back in 2000, I entered a hardanger I had designed and stitched in the Nordic Needle Hardanger Design Contest. At the time, I was working as a book designer for an international publishing company.

I sent off a photo of my embroidery and was delighted when it was selected to be shortlisted. That meant that I had to send the actual embroidery to the US for judging. With great trepidation, I sent my embroidery off by courier to America. I really hoped that it would get there safely, and then get back again safely too!

The risk paid off, because my design was one of the six winners chosen that year. I was thrilled! In time, the design was published in the annual Nordic Needle publication showcasing the winners. (Mine is the one shown top right on the cover.)

Because I won that competition, I sent out press releases to local publishers of needlework books, informing them of my win. I thought that I might be able to contribute a project to a book they were working on. They had other ideas, suggestion that I might write a book for them on Hardanger embroidery. And so began my publishing career!

Yesterday I received an email from Antonia, one of my long time readers, letting me know that she had found a review of that Hardanger design on a French website. I had not seen this review before, so was very pleased that she let me know about it.

Thank you to Antonia for alerting me to the review, and thank you to Yolande, the author of the review. You have both been very kind!