Needlework Development Scheme

The organisation was primarily responsible for developing collections of foreign and British embroidery, that could be loaned to training colleges, Women's Institutes, and schools.

It provided teachers and students with opportunities to study directly from high-quality examples carefully selected from leading designers across the United Kingdom and Europe.

[5] As the nation began to recover from wartime shortages, new educators brought renewed enthusiasm and innovative techniques improving the standards of the needlework.

This period saw an increase in publications by talented designers, featuring rich illustrations that highlighted their unique approaches to embroidery challenges.

[5] British artists, including the painter and illustrator Mary Kessell were speciality commissioned to create experimental designs for the scheme which could then be reinterpreted in embroidery.