Fig. 1. Postage stamp issued in Cyprus in 1981 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the visit of Leonardo da Vinci to Cyprus. Above: The Duomo in Milan. Below: A piece of Lefkara lace.The TRC Leiden is very pleased to announce a special workshop on Lefkara or Lefkarika lace, scheduled for 21 May, and repeated on 22 May. The workshops are given by Eleni Anemomilou, who is coming especially to The Netherlands to give these and other workshops. Her trip is organised by the Cyprus Handicraft Service. 

Lefkara lace or whitework is one of the embroidery techniques that were traditionally practised in Cyprus. It is a form of cutwork with satin stitch details. It is often classed as a form of embroidered lace. Nelleke Ganzevoort wrote a detailed blog about this fascinating technique five years ago, which the TRC published on 21 December 2021. In 2009, the Lefkara lace technique was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Lefkara lace is said to originate from the village of (Pano or Kato) Lefkara, Cyprus, and is locally called tayiadha (compare the Italian term punto tagliato, for cutwork ). Lefkara lace is said to have been developed in the time of the Venetian occupation of Cyprus (1489-1571), when reticella work was introduced to the island and local women copied the whitework's appearance, but using a different technique.

The move to Boerhaavelaan 6 is nearly finished, just a few more weeks and all the rebuilding, painting, furnishing, packing and putting away of boxes will be over! A great relief to all.

I would just like to extend a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who has made a donation to the TRC moving fund. It made such a difference to have your support, best wishes and interest in what we are doing and plan to do. Please feel free to come and see what you have helped to create - the new and improved TRC is an elegant, early 20th century town villa!

Inevitably, we continue looking for help with different projects, and any further financial assistance will be greatly appreciated.

The TRC will open again to the public on Monday 11th May, but in the meantime, workshops, study days and lectures are already being presented. And I can assure you, there is lots more to come!.

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC, 4 April 2026.

The new home of the TRC, from the garden. Photograph: Willem Vogelsang.From April 1st, we are officially the proud tenants of the urban villa Boerhaavelaan 6, Leiden. The house is located some 200 metres from the Central Leiden Railway Station, Oegstgeest exit.

Please have a look at the list of activities below (you can find the provisional list of activities for 2026 here), and let us know which ones you would like to attend. Please register in advance at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken..

1 April. Workshop Irish crochet lace

3 April. Study day: Khayamiya appliqué panels from Cairo, Egypt

8 April. Beginners course: Bobbin lace (3)

15 April. Workshop: Basics of band weaving

19 April. Sunday lecture: The history of the paisley motif

20-24 April. TRC Five-Day Intensive Textile Course

29 April. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (4) 

Moroccan kaftan for a woman, made from a Japanese kimono sash (obi), 1950s (TRC 2001.0074).

3 May. Sunday lecture: Sustainability and WWII textiles

6 May. Workshop: Basics of felt making

8 May. Study day: What is embroidery?

13 May. Workshop: Historical handsewing techniques

13 May. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (5)

20 May. Workshop: Palestinian embroidery

27 May. Advanced course: Bobbin lace (6)

31 May. Sunday lecture: Tutankhamun's wardrobe

Yesterday, Friday 20th March, the rental contract for Boerhaavelaan 6 was signed between the owners, the Stichting Monumentenbezit, and the TRC! This may be one small step for mankind, but it is one large step for TRC’s plans for becoming the international hub for textile and dress studies and for making Leiden into the ‘City of Textile Knowledge’ a reality! 

Photograph, from left to right: Mark van den Bos, Director Monumentenbezit, Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC and Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny, Chair of the TRC Board.

An extensive programme of research, events, and textile outreach is being organised for this year and indeed for the years to come. And the signing of the contract is a very significant moment for us all.