Welcome to the longest yarn.com
Welcome to The Longest Yarn — where history is stitched one meter at a time.
We are a global community of makers united in commemorating pivotal moments of World War II through large-scale, hand-crafted textile installations.
Our debut project, The Longest Day, was created to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2024. This extraordinary 3D artwork spans 80 meters, with each meter capturing a moment from one of the 80 days of the Battle of Normandy — from the storming of the beaches to the liberation of Paris.
Crafted entirely in knit and crochet, the piece was brought to life by volunteers from around the world. After touring the UK and Ireland — drawing more than 250,000 visitors — the work is now on display in the United States for a year-long exhibition.
And the journey continues.
Our second major project, Britain at War, is now on tour across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, running through to the end of 2027. This powerful 80-meter installation explores the social history of the Second World War — how ordinary people coped, endured, and adapted during years of wartime hardship and change.
The exhibition also features our life-sized, hand-crafted “Army of Duty Calls” figures, honoring those who served both at home and on the front lines.
The story continues to unfold — visit our Exhibition Schedule to see where we're heading next.
The Finances - we’re a non profit Association
We are a registered non profit Association here in France, totally self funding. Our crafters from all age groups and walks of life include retired and those in pressured careers that find crafting therapeutic, busy mums, our one man, is a stay at home dad, one lady who suffered a minor stroke using this as her therapy to get coordination back, we have carers for children with special needs, carers for elderly, ex teachers, lawyers, business owners and I think even the WI maybe involved too!
Everyone has contributed their yarn, their hours and creativity along with costs for posting things, collecting their empty boxes in readiness for shipping to France. We’ve developed a network of drop off points along with 2nd home owner's travelling across to France that has some room in the car to bring it over…however the time is starting to loom - we need money - unfortunately we need quite a bit!
The Longest Yarn is run by a small, passionate, self-funded non-profit association. We’ve brought this exhibition to life through determination, creativity, and the support of generous people like you.
Every contribution — big or small — makes a real impact. Your support helps us cover essential costs like travel, transportation, and protective display boxes, making it possible to share this work with communities across the UK, Ireland, and beyond.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Any surplus funds are donated to veteran charities, we're already helping FVA.org.uk refurbish a canal boat for a homeless veteran — ensuring your generosity continues to make a difference long after the exhibition moves on.
By supporting us, you’re not just funding an exhibition you’re joining a community that celebrates creativity, honours history, and believes in human connection.
Thank you for being part of the journey.