We would like to give a big congratulations to RSN 2013 Degree Graduate Hanny Newton who has won the QEST Rising Star Craft Award!
Over 180 craftspeople were nominated for the award, and Hanny was selected by a distinguished panel of judges for pioneering the use of straw for embroidery as a sustainable alternative to metal threads.
image credit: James Mason
Over the last two years, Hanny has become fascinated by the potential of a ‘natural gold’ after discovering that natural fibres such as wheat and rye straw have historically been used in place of gold in embroidery.
Fuelled by a passion to preserve and revitalise this near-extinct craft which dates to the 1700s, Hanny is the first person to commercially pursue the use of straw in lieu of metal threads.
image credit: Hanny Newton
Hanny says; ‘I am so thrilled to have won – and I wouldn’t be on this path without my time at the RSN from 2011 – 2013. It’s the foundation upon which my love of embroidery has grown over the last decade.’
Image credit: James Mason