Prizes and awards
In the year 2000, the London-based hand embroidery company of Hand & Lock established a prize for embroidery. The prize was originally conceived by the chairman of the company, Alastair Macleod, as a way of encouraging the use of embroidery in the fashion and textile world and to allow young designers from around the world to showcase their finest creations.
The John Ruskin Prize was first announced in 2012 and is named after the nineteenth century art critic, John Ruskin. It is awarded each year to an artist (professional or amateur), who has produced a work on the theme of “Recording Britain Now: Fresh, contemporary visions of the UK's urban, rural or social environment.“
The Lily Yeats embroidery competition was started in 2013 as part of the annual Sligo Lily Lolly Craftfest, named after Lily and Elizabeth ('Lolly') Yeats. Lily Yeats (1866-1949) was a famous designer and embroiderer who worked in England and Ireland. The competition is open to students from Home Economic courses in colleges throughout Ireland and is organised by St. Angela’s College, Sligo.