EMBROIDERERS are marking the centenary year of women’s suffrage in a new exhibition.

Soldiers in Petticoats will be the latest exhibition to be displayed at Andover Museum from Saturday, August 25.

In its artistic showcase, Andover Embroiderers’ Guild celebrate the ordinary women who fought to gain the vote, often at a huge personal cost – shunned by husbands and families, brutalised, imprisoned and force fed.

Also immortalised in thread are other women who have fought inequality and changed the world for the better.

Sarah Maddison, who has helped to coordinate the exhibition for the guild, said: “In this, the centenary year of women’s suffrage, local embroiderers really wanted to pay tribute to the suffragettes who fought to give us the vote and other women who continue to fight inequality around the world - they are always so brave.

“Suffragettes faced terrible hardship and even force feeding in jail and today campaigners are working tirelessly to stop child labour, child marriage, poverty and to simply be able to educate their daughters. “

The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a display of work created on vintage and antique handkerchiefs. They tell the stories of Suffragettes alongside modern campaigners such as author Maya Angelou and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai in intricately stitched detail.

Sarah added: “Embroidery was perhaps once seen as a bit old fashioned but there has been a huge wave of interest in craft recently and we want to show that embroidery can be a really vibrant, exciting art form - not just decorative, it tackles more controversial subjects too”

The exhibition will be officially opened by local textile artist and founding member of the guild, Margaret Beal, who is a tutor and the author of two books on embroidery techniques.

The group is celebrating 20 years of stitching together and hope this latest exhibition will encourage new members to join the guild, which meets once a month, has a programme of guest speakers and workshops throughout the year. No previous knowledge or experience of embroidery is needed.

To find out more about Andover Embroiderers’ Guild, go to andoverembroiderersguild.co.uk.