The Narnia Tapestry: The Longest Embroidery You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
Quote: "Some stitch stories in words, others in thread. One is read, the other is felt" – Anonymous
The Narnia Tapestry: The Longest Embroidery You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
Embroidery has always been a way to tell stories, but few have taken it quite as literally as Margaret Stewart Pollard. While most of us might spend weeks (or months… or years) on a single piece, she dedicated a decade to stitching scenes from The Chronicles of Narnia into what became the longest embroidery ever created by one person.
Who Was Margaret Stewart Pollard?
Margaret Stewart Pollard (1903–1996) was a woman of many talents. She wasn’t just a skilled embroiderer, she was also the first woman at Cambridge University to achieve a double first in Oriental Languages, mastering Sanskrit and Pali. She played the harp and organ, helped preserve the Cornish coastline, and was even part of an anonymous group called “Ferguson’s Gang” that secretly donated money to the National Trust in delightfully eccentric ways. In short, she was anything but ordinary.
How Narnia Became Threaded into History
Despite exchanging letters with C.S. Lewis, Pollard hadn’t actually read The Chronicles of Narnia until the 1970s. It was a young chorister, Michael Maine, who introduced her to the books, and clearly, they made an impression. Inspired by the magic of Narnia, she set out to capture its world in embroidery.
For the next 8 to 10 years, she stitched every day, creating an incredible 1,600-foot-long tapestry (roughly 488 metres!). It’s about 13 times longer than the Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman Conquest. But instead of William the Conqueror, Pollard’s tapestry brings Aslan, the Pevensies, and the White Witch to life, one stitch at a time.
A Gift of Friendship
Pollard created this masterpiece as a gift for Michael Maine, who later became the Vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Cuckfield, West Sussex. Reflecting on her dedication, Maine once said:
“She would draw a picture a day. It took eight or ten years. She must have been well into her 80s when she finished it; it’s extraordinary.”
And that’s no exaggeration. Guinness World Records later recognised her work as the longest embroidery made by a single person, measuring 1,338 feet (407.8 metres) long and covering 937 square feet (87 square metres).
Where Is It Now?
Despite its record-breaking status, Pollard’s Narnia Tapestry isn’t on public display. It’s carefully stored away, a hidden treasure that only a few have had the privilege to see. But even if we can’t marvel at it in person, just knowing it exists is pretty inspiring.
Pollard’s dedication proves that embroidery isn’t just a craft, it’s an art form capable of telling epic stories, just like books or paintings. So, next time you’re working on a big project and feeling a bit overwhelmed, just remember: it could be worse. You could be stitching a half-a-mile-long Narnia masterpiece!
Happy Stitching!
