Embroiderer Hanny Newton Wins the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award
10th October 2024

Embroiderer Hanny Newton has been named the winner of the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award, following a ceremony held at Voysey House. Hanny, a pioneer in the use of straw as a natural and sustainable alternative to gold thread, was awarded the prestigious prize in recognition of her innovative approach to reviving this endangered 18th-century craft. In 2023, Hanny received the QEST Broderers’ Company Scholarship to deepen her knowledge in this area.
Hanny, the first to commercially explore the use of straw in embroidery, is on a mission to preserve and modernise this historic technique. The award, presented by QEST in partnership with Sanderson Design Group, comes with a £25,000 cash prize, which Hanny plans to use to expand her practice and build a body of work that showcases her unique use of straw embroidery. The award trophy was made by Thomas Fattorini, the 6th generation, family run and owned manufacturing business specialising in the creation of insignia, awards and medals.
Over 180 craftspeople were nominated for the award. Hanny was chosen as the winner of the award following an interview process with the five other finalists – Barnaby Ash, William Efe-Laborde, Bobby Knight-Mills, Olga Prinku, and Laura Quinn. This shortlist was selected by a distinguished panel of judges, including interior designer Benedict Foley, World of Interiors editor Emily Tobin, Crafts Magazine editor Debika Ray, QEST CEO Deborah Pocock, and Sanderson Design Group PLC CEO Lisa Montague.



I am delighted and incredibly excited to have the honour of winning the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award! The competition was really tough, with five inspiring and exceptionally talented other finalists.
Hanny Newton
Since being introduced to straw thread two years ago, I have been passionate and driven to champion straw embroidery as an exquisite, sustainable ‘natural gold’, and the honour and significant boost of this award at this formative time in my career allows me to dream big as I innovate with historical craft techniques. This really is a dream come true!
It will allow me to study rare collections and make important contributions to the scarce knowledge and tools of straw embroidery so they can be carried forward for future generations. I will then build on this period of study by using it as a foundation for pushing my art practice, creating new works for exhibition that innovate with sustainable materials. It is my hope that these new works will stimulate and inform debate around the sustainability and value of materials.
Deborah Pocock, CEO of QEST, says:
“We are delighted that Hanny has won the QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award. Her work demonstrates an exceptional understanding of the historical use of straw, whilst also taking an innovative and sustainable approach to technique.
Hanny’s passion for preserving the art of straw embroidery deeply impressed us, and we hope this recognition will support her on her journey. QEST awarded Hanny with a Scholarship in 2023 and we’re proud to see her continuing to flourish. We greatly value our partnership with Sanderson whose commitment to craftsmanship in all its many forms continues to inspire and make a lasting impact.”


Lisa Montague, CEO of Sanderson Design Group PLC, says:
“We are delighted to recognise Hanny in an impressive group of outstanding talent presented as finalists. Hanny’s ambition to bring back a precious and ancient artform that reflects our interest in sustainability of materials and literally weaving nature into art, is the unique opportunity that we support and celebrate with this award. We wish Hanny great future success in building the foundations of her business and recognition of her craft.”
The QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award highlights Sanderson’s ongoing commitment to supporting craftsmanship, with this year’s award underscoring the importance of sustainability and innovation in craft.
For more information on Hanny Newton’s work, visit hannynewton.co.uk.
To learn more about the other finalists and their exceptional work, explore our story on the 2024 QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award finalists here.


Photography by James Mason Photography, Hanny Newton and Joshua James.