The RSN Embroidery Studio is at last able to fully showcase the diverse range of commissions it can undertake.

The RSN Embroidery Studio is unique, as it offers Conservation, Restoration and Bespoke commissions for a wide range of customers. The new website and logo has been designed to reflect our diversity as well as introducing our talented core team who have vast experience between them.

The logo of two swans was originally designed by Selwyn Image for the first ever RSN Handbook of Embroidery, published by the school in 1880. Selwyn Image was part of the Arts and Crafts Movement and a strong supporter of the RSN, who would design for us and provide lectures and teaching sessions.

Swans are regal birds that frequent the grounds of Hampton Court Palace where the Embroidery Studio is based and have Royal protection, another lovely link back to the RSN and our Royal connection.

We do hope you like looking at our new website where you will find some lovely additions to explain the before and after of a process, along with some more recent case studies and of course, our involvement in the Coronation of King Charles III and our Patron Queen Camilla.

Explore the new website here

See behind the scenes of the RSN Embroidery Studio in our new YouTube video

The past few months have been an extremely busy time in our Studio, as our expert team embarked upon embroidering nine special projects for King Charles III’s Coronation.  In addition to these historic items, we were very fortunate to work on a variety of heirloom commissions including the restoration of a treasured hand embroidered canvas hanging.

We were first approached by our customer who had inherited the very special piece which was worked by his late mother in the early 1970s.  Measuring 48” wide by 42” high, this beautiful canvas hanging, depicting a mediaeval miracle play, was embroidered by Mrs Barbara Want over five years.

Barbara grew up in Hampton and moved to Sunbury-on-Thames in 1953 where she stayed until her death in 2022. She was a very keen embroiderer all her life and was an enthusiastic member of the Hampton School of Needlework for many years. Almost every wall in her house was adorned with examples of her work of which this embroidery was the pinnacle. It occupied pride of place hanging in the living room for nearly 50 years!

As is typical of woven and canvas hangings, after some time they require a little TLC and a freshen up.

The Studio team began the commission by deconstructing the hanging, firstly removing the wooden rings used as a hanging mechanism. Whilst removing the backing fabric we rather excitedly discovered a wonderful hand written note from Barbara detailing how long it had taken her to work the piece. After a gentle surface clean with our conservation vacuum, and on success of a wet test, we were able to delicately wet clean the canvas in part and restretch it.

Some minor repairs were undertaken to some broken wool threads and we stabilised the whole canvas before making it back up into a hanging. Two concealed slots replaced the wooden rings and a new fringe trim was added to the bottom edge of the hanging. Finally, we added one of our very special 150^th anniversary labels, which sat underneath Barbara’s as a continuation of the story of this precious keepsake before relining the back with a new linen fabric.

We were thrilled to invite Barbara’s son back into the RSN Studio to collect the hanging and we are so happy to see it back on display in his home where it will be admired for many more years to come. In addition to embroidering pictures, Barbara was also one of the embroiderers who created the Sunbury Millennium Embroidery which is on display at the embroidery gallery in Lower Sunbury.

It is always such a pleasure to work on pieces which hold such a sentimental attachment and we look forward to seeing what other exciting projects will come our way over the coming weeks and months.

New RSN Embroidery Studio Website

Get an inside glimpse into the RSN Embroidery Studio

The highly anticipated RSN International Summer School will be kicking off in just a few short weeks! People from all over the world will be joining us Onsite at Hampton Court Palace, London, and The Glasgow Art Club, Scotland, to take a class (or multiple classes!) taught by our expert RSN Tutors.

If you would like to sign up to one of our International Summer School classes, we still have some spaces for Onsite classes available at Hampton Court Palace and The Glasgow Art Club.

Upon signing up, you will receive a lovely welcome gift, as well as having access to a range of exclusive Online Talks.

For those joining a 4 – 6 day long course Hampton Court Palace, you will also have the opportunity to visit Buckingham Palace to view the Coronation Display.

We can’t wait to see you!

Browse our list of 2023 International Summer School classes here

In June, it was the 100 year anniversary of Princess Helena’s death, the first President of the RSN. We would like to honour her by sharing a little bit about her life, and her important contribution to the RSN.

Born in May 1846, Princess Helena, was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Princess Helena was one of the most active members of the royal family, being the patron of many charities and carrying out a huge number of royal engagements, with specific interests in hand embroidery and nursing.

She married Christian of Schleswig Holstein in 1866 after which she was formally  Princess Christian of Schleswig Holstein, but always known to the RSN as Princess Helena.

Princess Helena had been discussing the idea of the RSN, then called the School of Art Needlework, with Lady Victoria Welby and Lady Marion Alford, before Lady Welby got it started.  Princess Helena then came on board immediately, as the first President.

Lady Victoria went off to do other things after a few years, and Lady Marion died shortly after the publication of her magnum opus, Needlework as Art, but Princess Helena stayed at the helm for 51 years and truly laid down the spirit of the RSN. It was she who said the RSN would make her mother Queen Victoria’s funeral pall, even when all commercial companies had turned it down, and it was she who persuaded her brother to allow the RSN to embroider the insignia on his coronation mantle.

In commemoration of Princess Helena, the RSN commissioned a marble plaque, the size of a grave stone. So precious was this that, though originally mounted on the wall at the 1903 building, it was taken down and has been taken with us every time we have moved. It was last out for exhibition in 2012.

If you would like to hear more about the remarkable life of Princess Helena and her work at the RSN, an exclusive Online Talk, given by Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay-Williams, will be available on demand to those taking a class at our International Summer School.

To celebrate all the wonderful work of our 2023 Degree Graduates over the last three years, we would like to share with you a little more about them, as well as a look at their stunning Final Major Projects, which have recently been on display at our Hampton Court Palace Graduate Degree Show and is on display at New Designers in London until tomorrow.

Alivia Lloyd

Alivia is inspired by the natural world, primarily floras due to their delicacy and beauty. Her working practice consists of layering three dimensional elements in order to form texture and tactile intricate areas.

Follow Alivia on Instagram

 

Anfaal Hussain

Anfaal finds endless inspiration for his embroidery practice within the world of myth, metaphor and symbolism. These inspirations combined with a strong passion for poetry has helped to develop his signature style of embroidery and design.

Follow Anfaal on Instagram

 

Ellie Payne

Ellie’s hand embroidery is a playfully curated collection of objects, thoughts and responses. She works with selected palettes of materials and techniques before she moves on to another technique, material or colour. This creates within her work an accurate representation of how her brain works whilst she is embroidering.

Follow Ellie on Instagram

 

Fiza Shahid

Fiza is particularly interested in depicting her work in a way that is not only a source of comfort and healing for her, but for her audience as well. Her artist voice is influenced by her set beliefs on the fundamental teachings of Islam that create a sense of unity and universal strength.

Follow Fiza on Instagram

 

Freya Stanford

With the belief that embroidery is transforming, Freya is excited to express her creativity and step into the embroidery sector pursuing both her interest in costume as well as art pieces that investigate the natural world. Freya has begun to explore this narrative through expressive and textural embroidery.

Follow Freya on Instagram

 

Imogen Marmont

Imogen is a designer based in London. She works with an innovative range of mixed media, driven by the texture and pattern, which she replicates into hand embroidery.

Follow Imogen on Instagram

 

Jessica Wilkinson

Jessica is a hand embroiderer originally from the Lake District. Her practice strives to bring traditional techniques into the twenty first century, and she values keeping old crafts alive and educating new audiences.

Follow Jessica on Instagram

 

Leah Dunham

Led by her own innate romantic and whimsical style, Leah is an embroiderer who translates the beauty of flora and fauna into intricate stitch and embellishment. She seeks to create lasting pieces that maintain value throughout time, regarded as collectible, wearable art or bespoke future heirlooms. 

Follow Leah on Instagram

 

Rebecca Ash

Rebecca strives to push the boundaries of embroidery by utilising more modern fabrics and threads. She is always looking for new ways of using traditional techniques and materials, and her aim is to create high quality embroidery with a strong narrative.

 

Follow Rebecca on Instagram

Are you interested in joining our BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery Degree Course? Join us on our next open day in September to find out more.

C&D Graduates

We would like to congratulate all our Certificate & Diploma students who will be graduating with us this summer. An exhibition showcasing our Graduates’ work will run from 4 to 9 July at Hampton Court Palace. Opening hours will be 11am to 4pm.

 

Anyone wishing to visit the Exhibition must tell security that they are visiting the RSN Shop and Exhibition.

We teach the C&D course onsite in Bristol, Rugby, Durham and Glasgow, internationally in Japan and North America, and at our base at Hampton Court Palace, south west London.

We also teach online, so students can join from anywhere around the world. It is the most flexible course you will find – you can start your RSN Certificate journey at any time during the academic year, choosing when to take your classes.

If you are interested in joining the Certificate & Diploma, attend our Online Open Day on  25 July. Book onto the Open Day here.

Future Tutor Graduates

Congratulations to our Future Tutors Caroline Lee and Abbie Carter who will graduate on 3  July. Caroline is now in Australia and Abbie’s work will be on display at the Future Tutors Graduate Show from 4 to 9 July. Caroline and Abbie’s work will both be displayed in the next Friends’ Newsletter.

We are excited to see the new class designs from Caroline and Abbie and their future career progression.

Images:

Blackwork by C&D Graduate Kirsten Doogue 

Canvaswork by C&D Student Joanne Bentley

Jacobean Crewelwork by C&D Graduate Ruth Sumner 

Canvaswork by Future Tutor Graduate Abbie Carter

Featured Image: Blackwork Gorilla by Future Tutor Graduate Abbie Carter

June Events

Online C&D Open Day – 6 June

RSN Graduate Degree Show Exhibition, Hampton Court Palace- 8, 9, 13, 14, 16 June

Graduate Fashion Week, The Truman Brewery – 12-15 June

Thamesmead Hot Air Balloon Launch – 17 June  (Worked on by Degree students last year)

Degree Open Day, Hampton Court Palace – 17 June

New Designers, Business Design Centre, London – 28 June – 1 July

 

Online Talks

Textile Collections of Canterbury Cathedral – Wednesday 14 June

Embroidered Flowers – Wednesday 28 June

 

Future Dates For Your Diary

RSN Scotland C&D Open Day – 21 July

RSN Scotland C&D Exhibition – 20 July – 28 July

C&D Open Day – 25 July

Join us for a Day Class over the summer.  Whether you choose Online, at Hampton Court Palace or at one of our partner venues,  we have a wide variety of designs to choose from.

Day Classes

A Sicilian Key – Hampton Court Palace – 10 & 11 June

Mounting Mondays – Online – Weekly – 12 June – 26 June

Visible Mending – Hampton Court Palace – 25 June

Drawing Day: Folds and the Figure in the Hampton Court Palace Art Collection – Hampton Court Palace – 28 June

Blackwork Box – Hampton Court  Palace – 3-5 July

Experimental Beading – Hampton Court Palace – 9 July

Introduction to or Nué: ‘Scallop Shell‘ – Online – 9 and 12 July

Introduction to Hardanger: ‘A Sample of Stitches‘ – Hampton Court Palace – 14 – 16 July

 

Partnership Classes

Coronation Gold Shamrock and Acorn inspired by The Queen Mother’s Coronation Robe: D-Day Story Partnership Class – 15 July

Student, Sue Kim originally from Seoul, South Korea, is currently in her second year on the Future Tutor Programme and shares her journey from being an RSN Certificate Student to learning to become an RSN Tutor.

“After graduating with my BA in metal craft and textile in Seoul, South Korea, I moved to London in 2001 to further study footwear design at the London College of Fashion (LCF). After my LCF studies, I set up a handmade jewellery brand, but paused it for maternity leave. I started sewing as a hobby during my maternity leave, and ended up falling in love with stitching.

After running an embroidery class for many years, I realised that I needed to improve the depth of my embroidery knowledge. I then found the Royal School of Needlework and took the Certificate course first, before joining the Future Tutors Programme. I have been living in Surrey since 2009 and luckily, it takes only 30 minutes to drive from my home to RSN.

I am over halfway through the three year course, and so far it has been an amazing experience. I have learnt so many new techniques under the talented RSN Tutors, and have enjoyed learning with my lovely classmates.

What’s extra special about the FTP course for me is not only learning new techniques, but also gaining hands-on teaching experience. Recently, I ran ? was this really one three-day class or three one day classes? a 3 day long class at the Knitting and Stitching show on behalf of RSN, and felt much more confident in teaching by interacting with real people from outside the classroom.

Among the many techniques I have learnt so far, I particularly love Whitework and Coronation Gold techniques because I can create my own design instead of simply reproducing an existing one. My future goal is to combine traditional embroidery techniques with my own contemporary design.

I hope my contemporary embroidery design will appeal to more people in this lovely craft and broaden stitching audiences. I believe that stitching makes our life richer and brings people together under this amazing craft, especially in today’s busy modern lifestyle. My future goal is to be a Tutor at the RSN and teach embroidery classes. That would be my dream come true.”

Follow Sue’s journey to becoming an RSN Tutor on her Instagram

To celebrate the work that the RSN Embroidery Studio carried out for the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, RSN Tutor, Sarah de Rousset-Hall will be teaching this Introduction to Coronation Gold class at The D-Day Story Portsmouth on Saturday 15 July. This class is part of the long-standing partnership between The D-Day Story and the RSN who stitched the Overlord Embroidery from 1968 to 1974.

The stunning Shamrock & Acorn design for this class is inspired by the embroidery on the 1937 Coronation Robe of Estate worn by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, consort of King George VI and stitched by the RSN.

Your design will be worked on purple silk dupion using gilt and metallic threads, echoing the RSN’s embroidery on both her coronation dress and robe.

This unique class covers many of the embroidery techniques used on these garments including Trellis, Chipping, Couching and Appliqué. You will also add felt padding to the acorn to give it extra dimension and sparkle. The finished design measures approximately 5cm by 5cm and is photographed here in a 4” hoop.

The RSN’s link to Coronation Robes goes back to the 1902 Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, after which the School has been commissioned to work on all Coronations.

All the stitches covered in this class and more can be found on the RSN Stitch Bank.

Sign up here to book your place here

Our Third Year Degree Students will be showcasing their exciting Final Major Projects in an exhibition at Hampton Court Palace.

The exhibition will run on 8, 9, 13, 14 and 16 June, with visiting times at 11am and 2pm. The Graduates will be on hand to discuss their projects and to inspire the next generation of hand embroiderers.

To celebrate all they have achieved, read on to meet some of the 2023 Graduates behind the beautiful work, and the inspiration and story behind their final Major Projects.

 

Chloe Angrave, ‘Oceanic Decay’

RSN Degree Graduate 2023, Chloe Angrave is a textile embroiderer.

Chloe’s Final Major Project entitled ‘Oceanic Decay’ examines her fascination with sea life. She believes it is important that the fashion industry becomes more sustainable.  

“This piece aims to bring awareness to global warming in a sustainable, nuanced way by using new and old materials to create a luxurious bespoke garment.”

Follow Chloe on Instagram

 

Chloe Rogers, ‘Purifying Graffiti’

Chloe’s Final Major Project, titled ‘Purifying Graffiti’, explores her personal relationship with her urban life origins blended with a societal connection with an overarching environmental issue to create an artistic intervention.

“My collection displays graphic embroidered text including referencing the European Green Capital, an award that Bristol, my place of inspiration and innovation, gained recognition for in 2015 in celebration of its ambitious sustainable action.”

Follow Chloe on Instagram

 

Emily Barnett, ‘The Chawton House Project’

Emily’s work explores her connection with Chawton House. She became an assistant in the tearoom at the age of eighteen and spent her tea breaks exploring and photographing the extensive grounds.

“In this piece, the central panel celebrates The Rose Garden, combining the ‘Pride and Prejudice’ roses from the Rose Walk, details from the ornate garden gates and text from the title page of Elizabeth Blackwell’s ‘A Curious Herbal’ (1735)”.

Follow Emily on Instagram

 

Jenna Riddell, ‘Waste to Art’

Hand embroiderer Jenna Riddell’s purpose is to create conversation about climate change and consumerism through embroidered protest placards.

“The context for my work is a fine art textile collection that consists of multiple embroidered placards using waste as my only material. My work is to be seen in exhibition spaces and galleries but primarily in urban protest settings.”

Follow Jenna on Instagram

 

Kirsty Farrar, ‘A Lost Expression’ 

‘A Lost Expression’ – explores the idea of articulating personal mental health through a process which was not previously consciously linked.

“Within my work, I have examined my own emotions and thoughts constructed from my mental health. Mental health is an underlying subject within ‘a lost expression’ and was chosen due to a want and a need to create a body of work which was highly personal.”

Follow Kirsty on Instagram

 

Lizzie Gray, ‘Inside and Out’

‘Inside and Out’ is a series of five embroidered neck pieces exploring the human body. These pieces focus on selected anatomical imagery; the hands, heart, eyes, veins, and teeth which Lizzie has chosen for their diversity in colour and texture.

“I want to celebrate the beauty of anatomy, while reimagining various elements using embroidery.”

Follow Lizzie on Instagram

 

Tomas Asmelash, ‘Snowdrops’

Tomas’ most recent piece has been inspired from his faith and culture. He uses traditional hand embroidery techniques, learnt during his time studying at the RSN.

“My aim is to introduce my own religion, culture, and homeland of Eritrea to the viewer by bringing the aesthetic and traditions of the church and the wedding ceremony into my work.”

Follow Tomas on Instagram

 

The exhibition will run on 8,9,13, 14 and 16 June, with visiting times at 11am and 2pm.

The exhibition is free of charge to visit, but you must pre-book your place.

Click here to register

 

Our selection of beautiful books not only offer the best of Embroidery, but also books that are guaranteed to inspire. Our range has books on subjects as diverse as textiles and fashion, design and the decorative art of pattern, craft and fine art and history.

The RSN Essential Stitch Guides are a rich source of embroidery techniques, stitches and projects, covering all the key subjects in detail, Crewelwork, Bead Embroidery, Stumpwork, Canvaswork, Goldwork, Whitework, Blackwork and Silk Shading.

Each book written by RSN tutors, feature practical, instructional guides that offer a complete grounding in the techniques you need, including comprehensive stitch guides that lead the reader through each technique using clear step by step photography and easy to follow expert guidance. Many of the books contain stunning projects that put these techniques into practice and showcase additional advanced techniques.

For pure creative inspiration, The Royal School of Needlework Book of Inspiration features many unseen images from the RSN Archive Collection, with a page on each double-page spread for your own ideas, sketches and thoughts. The images have been selected by Author, Curator and CE of the RSN Dr Susan Kay-Williams and date from the early 17th Century to the present day.

Shop our full range of Embroidery books here