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National Needlework Archive
For day to day, special, and up to date information, such as closures due to bad weather etc., please click here to go onto our Facebook page.
The Old Chapel Textile Centre in Newbury, home of the National Needlework Archive, offer courses, workshops and exhibitions in sewing, haberdashery, needlecraft, textiles, embroidery, cross stitch, quilting and textile art. Our shop carries an extensive range of all needlework and sewing products including fabric, threads, wool, zips and patterns. We have an archive of historic textiles and patterns and are home to The Country Wife mural.
Archives and Study Collection
The NNA specialises in community textiles. We keep records of textiles, an extensive reference library and a textile collection
Conservation of the Country Wife Mural -
Designed by Constance Howard, and made by her and some of her students at Goldsmiths College, the mural now resides at the National Needlework Archive
The Conservation Room is now open. Talks about The Country Wife take place at
11am and 2.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at 11am only on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The Old Chapel Textile Centre is a voluntary community project providing space for needlework and textile courses, workshops, exhibitions, conferences and events and is the home of the National Needlework Archive and the 'Country Wife' mural circa 1951.
The National Needlework Archive (NNA) was founded in 1998 as a charity and moved to The Old Chapel, Greenham Business Park, Newbury, in 2010. The chapel offers a great work space,educational space, as well as housing a growing collection of historical needlecraft items and database.
We aim to include all areas of the community in education and promotion of all aspects of needlecraft and textile art.
The Old Chapel Textile Centre is now closed for the winter. We look forward to welcoming visitors back on Tuesday 1st March 2022. In the meantime we have a great range of sewing/knitting & craft items that customers can buy at our 'pop-
Poetry in Stitches 2021
‘LOCKDOWN’
Click here to see the Gallery
The NNA is opening a ‘pop up’ shop in Northbrook Street, Newbury to sell recycled needlecraft items and books. The shop will be open five days a week being Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 4pm each day.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS to help us in this venture and if you are interested in giving us a few hours a week to work in a cheerful, creative environment, we would love to hear from you. Call 01635 38740 or email us on octc@live.com
Volunteers may assist with -
Saturday 2nd October: We are returning to our First Saturday of the Month opening times therefore The Old Chapel Textile Centre will be open from 10am to 4pm.
Saturday 9th October: OCTC will be open from 10am to 1pm.
After that date The Old Chapel Textile Centre will be open on the first Saturday of each month when there will be a full programme of events including free demonstrations in the mornings at 10:30am.
Tuesdays and Thursdays remain as is: Open 10.00am to 4.00pm and Wednesdays from 10.00am to 1.00pm
From Saturday 16th October shoppers will find a great range of our donated needlecraft items for sale at The Green Sewing Shop located at 21 Northbrook Street, Newbury RG 14 1DJ.
The Rag Rug Christmas Wreath Workshop on Saturday 20th November will now take place at The Green Sewing Shop.
