This pattern has been following me. I own 3 versions of it across the Lady’s Magazine and New Lady’s Magazine (all 1790s). Then one day I found some cards and a plain cotton handkerchief. And voila. Well, not quite voila. It took a while not least because my unladylike hands and silk are not pals

I am beyond thrilled that Miss Lambe, the stunning portrait of Jane Austen’s only character of African descent, by the brilliant Lela Harris has found a permanent home at Harewood Hpuse. Miss Lambe was created for Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter in 2025: harewood.org/stories/a-ye... 1/

A Year On, Harewood Acquires Lela Harris's Portrait of Miss Lambe - Harewood House

harewood.org

For #WorldEmbroideryDay a few things from the last year. I will forever be grateful that my Nan taught me to sew as a child and that decades later my love of the Lady’s Magazine (1770-1832) and years searching for its 100s of embroidery patterns got me to pick up my needle again. 1/

I preface this by saying this is a lovely farm and museum but this sight literally gave me nightmares….

For a few weeks now I can’t upload any images from my phone to BlueSky? I haven’t had a problem before. Is it just he? Am I doing something wrong?

We're running a short online survey to inform development of the Curran Index. If you're interested in Victorian periodicals, whether or not you've used the Curran recently, please complete the survey! Survey closes 10th August. Please retweet. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Curran Index User Survey

Thanks for being willing to complete this short survey. Whether or not you have used the Curran Index recently (or at all) we are looking for opinions on how the Curran can best be improved and develo...

docs.google.com

I’ve just finished Alice Hattrick’s Fancy Work, a gift from a colleague. A book about embroidery and identity, about May Morris and her partner, MF, about work, domesticity, play and illness, about the archive and our future, it is an enthralling read. I have also been sewing. Not fancy but working.

Congratulations to Stephen Donovan and Matthew Rubery on their riveting and rigorously researched page turner of a book, Undercover: Victorian Investigative Journalism in Fact and Fiction (CUP) which has won the RSVP 2026 Colby Scholarly Book Prize, for which I had the privilege to serve as Chair 1/

Research Society for Victorian Periodicals@rs4vp.org · 2w ago

Announced at today's AGM: Huge congratulations to Stephen Donovan & Matthew Rubery, winners of the 2026 Colby Prize for Undercover: Victorian Investigative Journalism in Fact and Fiction! 🏆#RSVP2026 #PrintInMotion

The single issue #C18 periodicals I shared on my @rarebookschool.bsky.social course were highlights for the majority who had never seen one before. I couldn’t use this May 1763 London Magazine as it arrived today, but the Magazine and its rivalry with the Gentleman’s got many mentions. Next time.

It's a @bsecs.bsky.social take over at the York Georgian Festival this year, with events featuring @historymatt.bsky.social & @brycchancarey.bsky.social 🎉 Book your tickets: www.mansionhouseyork.com/york-georgia... #18C #18thC #18thCentury #YorkGeorgianFest

🧵The class of 2026 for H-210: The Rise of Periodical Print Culture, 1700-1830 at the University of #York for #rarebookschool. Our final day was at the Minster Library at the Old Palace, looking at the York Press (Credit: RBS/Stephanie Gross) 1/

So happy to share the wonderful news that Elizabeth Tyler (Professor of Medieval Literature and Deputy Head: Research of English and Related Literature) has been made Fellow of the British Academy!

Dept of English and Related Literature at Uni of York@uoyenglishrl.bsky.social · 2w ago

Huge congratulations to Elizabeth Tyler (Professor of Medieval Literature) is one of 92 distinguished scholars have been elected to the The British Academy's Fellowship this year in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences. www.york.ac.uk/english/peop...

Microsoft is planning to build three massive AI data centres in Leeds. It’ll drain thousands of litres of water from the River Aire & be the city's biggest carbon emitter. We can still stop the council's final sign-off, but we need more voices. Add your name: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pr...

Stop the Microsoft AI megasite in Leeds!

Microsoft wants to build three huge AI data centres at Skelton Grange. It would drain the River Aire and become the city's biggest carbon emitter. We can still stop it - add your name to the petition.

you.38degrees.org.uk

*** Lectureship in Creative Writing *** School of English, University of Leeds Salary £41,064 to £59,966 p.a. jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Today, a friend sent me a photo of an anthology of work on Jane Austen for which I was invited to write the introduction on the shelves of Toppings in York (my favourite bookshop). What a thrill! Also today, in 1817, #JaneAusten died aged 41.

We had a great week on The Rise of Periodical Print Culture for @rarebookschool.bsky.social at the University of York. I have 300 photos to sort through, but for now, I am thinking about all I have learned from the booksellers, librarians and cataloguers, academic and grad students on this course.

Great session looking at periodical serialisations of Cook’s Voyages yesterday, including their illustrations, for H-210 The Rise of Periodical Print Culture for @rarebookschool.bsky.social here in York.

Huge thanks to recently completed @cecs-york.bsky.social PhD, Rachel Feldberg) for her brilliant walking tour of Georgian York, following in the steps of Jane Ewbank, for @rarebookschool.bsky.social here in York.

A busy day on my @rarebookschool.bsky.social course “The Rise of Periodical Print Culture, 1700-1830” yesterday in York, including sessions on topics including illustrations and reading practices. We also enjoyed typesetting and printing a charade at Thin Ice Press with @wordsmith.bsky.social

Day 2 of The Rise of Periodical Print Culture, 1700-1830 for @rarebookschool.bsky.social is a wrap. We had sessions on who's who in the periodical trade, on seriality and dedicated sessions on both the reading of periodicals in the eighteenth century and on reading periodicals in digital formats.

Was doing prep for my RBS coursewhen I realised I have a bunch of embroidery patterns in my New Lady's Magazine collection (this from Sept 1788) that I haven't digitised. Isn't it lovely? When things quieten down I will upload it to Patterns of Perfection. #needlepainting

We're pleased to offer courses in York, UK, for the first time, including @jenniebatchelor.bsky.social's The Rise of Periodical Print Culture, 1700–1830! There's still space in our other York course, The Culture & Craft of Wood Type w/ Nick Gill & Helen Smith: rarebookschool.org/courses/details/t65

Jennie Batchelor@jenniebatchelor.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Thrilled to be putting the final touches on the course work book for my @rarebookschool.bsky.social course. It’s going to be a full and I hope fabulous week at the @uoyborthwick.bsky.social and York Minster. 1/2

Thrilled to be putting the final touches on the course work book for my @rarebookschool.bsky.social course. It’s going to be a full and I hope fabulous week at the @uoyborthwick.bsky.social and York Minster. 1/2

It was so great to be part of this. My own contributions were talking about Jane Austen, Her Writing and Her Craft and co-running this craft workshop with @chloewigstonsmith.bsky.social

Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies at York@cecs-york.bsky.social · 2mo ago

On Saturday CECS staff (inc Jennie Batchelor Emma Major, Alison O'Byrne, Chloe Wigston Smith, Lizzy Spencer, Will Tullett & Jim Watt) were thrilled to support a weekend of #heritage talks & a crafting workshop with @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social Credit: York Festival of Ideas/Bec Hudson Smith

Huge congratulations to Lauren Working whose fascinating, important and beautiful book, A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Renaissance England (Faber), was launched a week ago at Daunt Books in Holland Park.

Brill time today at York Festival of Ideas where I talked abtJane Austen, Her Writing and her Craft to a lovely audience before co-running with @chloewigstonsmith.bsky.social an 18th century craft workshop (embroidery, shell work etc.) An incredible day with incredible bibliophiles and crafters.

What a privilege it was to hear the fabulous @katewilliamsme.bsky.social talk about her new book #Regina at #YorkFestivalofIdeas tonight!

Absolutely thrilled that English and Related Literature at York has been ranked 6th in the Complete University Guide for 2026. The ranking speaks to the strength and depth of our vibrant, diverse and inclusive curriculum, our research expertise and ambition and our wonderful community of students.

Lace from the Shaldon Lace School, established by Flora Lancaster Lucas around 1905 to give work to experienced lace makers and pass on their skills to local girls after school. On display at Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum. #TextileTuesday #lacemaking #lace

Thrilled to be one of the four authors of “Eighteenth-Century Embroidery”, module 4 of the Royal School of Needlework’s online course on the history of embroidery. My focus is on domestic women makers and the everyday labour and creativity of needlework in the home.