As you may know, the RSN has been working on a new professional embroidery programme to replace the Future Tutors Course. This new course will continue to train students in the traditional techniques which have been taught since the school was founded, while encouraging them to be creative and explore the possibilities of how these techniques can be used in the 21st century.

With a strong emphasis on Art and Design, Teaching Practice and Business Skills, the course will equip our students with the knowledge required to succeed as freelance embroiderers and as Tutors.

Work on this new programme is almost complete, and we look forward to being able to share further details with you very soon. Subscribe to our eNews for future details.

Are you looking to start the New Year with a fulfilling, creative hobby? The RSN Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery Course is an excellent and flexible way to elevate your hand embroidery skills and can be learned from wherever you are in the world.

Meet Jodi Cheng, an RSN Rugby Certificate student from Hong Kong!

‘My journey into hand embroidery began nearly ten years ago. At that time, I was struggling with increasing pressure from my job in Hong Kong as a digital marketer. To find relief from my stressful life, I decided to seek solace in a hobby. Given my fascination with handicraft art, I decided to enroll in an embroidery class, marking the beginning of my embroidery exploration.

During my first embroidery class in Hong Kong, I met my Tutor, who had graduated from the RSN C&D course. Her passion for embroidery skills ignited my curiosity, showing me that embroidery could be something more than a hobby and leading me to further explore the RSN. From the subsequent research I conducted, I began to understand the RSN’s rich heritage. This exploration solidified my aspiration to become a part of the RSN community.

Prior to enrolling in the RSN C&D course, I did not have the chance to take any classes with RSN, as it was not possible to take a class before RSN introduced its online embroidery courses. However, two years ago, my husband and I planned to relocate from Hong Kong to the UK. This move, being one of the biggest decisions in my life, provided me with the opportunity to pursue my dream. To further my embroidery journey, I enrolled in the C&D course at RSN Rugby in September 2022 after attending the C&D open day earlier that year.

My experience with the RSN C&D course is truly fulfilling. Beyond acquiring the art of hand embroidery, I appreciate the warm and inviting atmosphere at RSN Rugby. The professionalism, patience, and passion of my Tutors has been invaluable in creating a conducive learning environment. Interacting with kind and supportive classmates has not only made the journey enjoyable but has also fostered a sense of camaraderie. Making friends and sharing ideas has added significant meaning to my journey.

I am eagerly anticipating learning the Goldwork technique in my current module. Inspired by the Chinese wedding gown, I see similarities between embroidery in Asia and the UK. I am planning to apply the techniques that I have learned from RSN to create a work featuring phoenixes, which are mascots commonly seen in Chinese wedding gowns. I am excited about this project because it is likely to be an interesting fusion of British and Asian culture, aligning with my most cherished memories of my home country, Hong Kong.

Some people say that a piece of embroidery work has its own life and can convey a message. I am deeply touched by such an idea and am learning to share my story with others through my work. During the preparation of my projects in the RSN programme, I attempt to find inspiration from the memories and connections to my hometown.

In the Blackwork project, I chose the image of a young protester as a theme, aiming to convey the courage and determination of Hong Kong people during the social movement of 2019. For the Silk Shading project, I portrayed a Bombay Ceiba flower, reminiscent of the nostalgic view of my old home’s garden in Hong Kong. My use of a sunflower in the Jacobean work project represents my desire for a better future for humanity, as sunflowers symbolise change and hope in the democratic movements in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Through my embroidery, I wish to share my unique narrative, making each piece a personal and meaningful expression of my experiences.

I strongly recommend the RSN C&D course to those who love embroidery. The entire journey is enjoyable. The course is well structured and organised. While some advanced techniques covered in the course may pose challenges, the professional Tutors offer unwavering support to guide a learner through the progress. The detailed marking scheme also serves as motivation for improvement. Give it a try, and you’ll find the experience to be both rewarding and enjoyable.’

Inspired by Jodi’s story?

Make the first step in your hand embroidery journey, and join one of our upcoming Online Open Days.

Read more about the Certificate & Diploma Course here

Follow Jodi on Instagram here

The RSN  BA (Hons) Degree Programme provides a great way into many industries. From fashion to teaching to textiles, there is a wealth of opportunity available to anyone who is considering joining the course.

Meet our newest member of the RSN Degree team, Fashion Technician Zoe Crush! Read more about her below.

“I am a womenswear designer and pattern cutter. I create collections from a combination of contemporary concept ideas and different time periods to create form-fitting, structured looks through the use of intricate pattern cutting.

I’ve always had an interest in sewing, and that was bolstered through textiles in secondary school, where I first learnt how to use a sewing machine and patterns to turn a flat piece of fabric into something functional. I’ve always been passionate about sharing my knowledge with others, which is why I was a Class Assistant at a local haberdashery for 7 years, starting out as a shop assistant and then moving into helping in both children’s and adult sewing classes and eventually designing and delivering my own classes.

Image Credit: AELTC/Thomas  Lovelock.

My time at university at UCA Epsom was where I fell in love with pattern making and construction, which meant I was able to adapt block patterns to achieve my creative ideas. My graduate collection (completed at home in the first lockdown) was based around tennis, in particular Wimbledon, where I was a ball girl for 2 years. I was lucky enough to be a winner of the ‘A Wimbledon Wish’ competition, where I got to conduct a photoshoot of my graduate collection and have two pieces on isplay in the museum.

Image Credit:  AELTC/Thomas  Lovelock.

I have also worked in the costume industry for a year as a wardrobe assistant. Here I learnt about clothing from different time periods, how to maintain and repair the clothing, along with assisting customers in collating costumes for their productions. Being at the RSN, I am surrounded by creativity that is inspired by traditional techniques that align with my creative process, and I can’t wait to assist the students with their creative ideas.”

If you are interested in learning more about the BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery Degree course, attend an Open Day

Follow Zoe on Instagram

Start the New Year off right and join one of our hand embroidery Day & Evening classes, come along to an Open Day, visit our Special Display, or sign up for an Online Talk this month!

Degree Open Days:

Hampton Court Palace

Wednesday 17 January 2024 (2pm)

Saturday 20 January 2024 (11am)

Wednesday 24 January 2024 (2pm)

 

Online Open Days via Zoom (UK Time)

Friday 12 January 2024 (4pm)

Wednesday 17 January 2024 (6pm)

Friday 26 January 2024 (2pm)

 

Certificate & Diploma Open Days:

Thursday 25 January, Online Via Zoom (1pm)

 

Online Talks:

Whitework: The Versatile Enhancement: Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Wednesday 17 January

RSN Stitch Bank: Exploring the World Directory of Stitches – FREE – Dr Susan Kay-Williams and special guests, Wednesday 24 January

 

Exhibitions:

The Royal School of Needlework & Five Coronations 1902 – 2023 – Special Display: RSN Embroidery Studio, Hampton Court Palace – * EXTENDED until May 2024*

Spaces available:

Talk and Private view:

Wednesday 24 January – 11am

Group Talk and Private view:

Wednesday 24 January – 2pm

Thursday 25 January – 2pm

 

Day & Evening Classes:

Drawing Basics for Beginners: Online, Weekly – from Tuesday 9 January

Technical Tuesday Crewelwork Progression -Term 1: Online, Weekly – from Tuesday 16 January to Tuesday 26 March

Whitework Lovebirds: Online, Weekly – from Wednesday 17 January to Wednesday 7 February

Whitework Wednesdays: Online, Weekly – from Wednesday 17 January to Wednesday 10 April

Colour Theory in Practice: Online, Wednesday 24 January

Introduction to Blackwork: ’Winter Leaf’: Weekly, from Thursday 25 January to Thursday 8 February

Share your passion for stitch and give the gift of needlework this Christmas. We are delighted to announce the launch of a brand new Self-Paced Video Online Course, Introduction to Embroidery – Tulip, which is perfect for beginners to embroidery.

RSN Tutor Sarah de Rousset-Hall gives step by step tuition to create this stunning Tulip design, inspired by a much treasured piece in the RSN’s Collection & Archive. Beginners can complete the course at their own pace and learn a range of essential embroidery stitches, including Stem Stitch, Seeding and French Knots.

Introduce the wonderful world of stitch to a loved one with the Introduction to Embroidery – Tulip. The course costs £55.

Watch the trailer

View all RSN Self-Paced Online Video Courses

We have two very exciting Partnership Classes happening at the RSN in the New Year, at The Holburne Museum, Bath, and at The Cortauld Building, London.

Join RSN Tutor Deborah Wilding at The Holburne Museum, Bath on 6 April for an exciting Partnership Class inspired by a 17th Century Raised Embroidery Panel. The panel is on permanent display at the museum and you will have an opportunity to view this embroidery and many of the museum’s magnificent objects during the day.

Book Here

Also in the New Year, we will be teaching a Canvaswork hand embroidery class evocative of a stunning Floral Back Chair from The Courtauld Gallery’s Bloomsbury Room. The one-day class will be held at the gallery on Friday 1 March, and during the day, students will also be treated to an expert-led view of the Bloomsbury Chair.

Book Here

We are thrilled to launch another 25 stitches on RSN Stitch Bank this December, with an exciting lead up to Christmas that will see one stitch being released every day up to 25 December!

This winter’s release of stitches for RSN Stitch Bank will look back exclusively to the embroidery of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

For this, the RSN Stitch Bank team has been working with author Jacqui Carey. Her research into the stitches of this period has brought to light stitches that have fallen out of use, as well as different ways of working familiar stitches.

RSN Stitch Bank is the world directory of stitches, and an incredible resource, featuring videos, written instructions, illustrations, and photographs for each stitch. It also includes a history of its use and images of them on items from the RSN Textile Collection.

RSN Stitch Bank is available online via the website rsnstitchbank.org and is a unique resource for all stitchers, teachers, curators, historians, researchers, and students.

RSN Stitch Bank has been made possible thanks to several charitable trusts and many individual donors who have ‘Adopted a Stitch’ for themselves, a friend, group, or in memoriam of a loved one. If you would like to support the project and ‘Adopt a Stitch’, visit RSN Stitch Bank for more information.

Browse all of the stitches on RSN Stitch Bank

We are incredibly proud of our three RSN Degree Graduates winners, as well as several other RSN alumni who were finalists in the International Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery 2023.

The Winners⁠:
⁠
Lizzie Gray

RSN 2023 Graduate Lizzie Gray took first place in the Student Textile Art Category for her piece ‘Inside Out’.

‘Inside and Out’ is a series of five embroidered neck pieces exploring the human condition through the use of anatomical imagery, putting a microscope on the mind, body, and soul connection.

Follow Lizzie on Instagram here.
⁠

Chloe Rogers

RSN 2023 Graduate Chloe Rogers took third place in the Student Fashion Category with her piece ‘Purifying Graffiti’.

Using text as a powerful, unfiltered tool to address social and political issues, ‘Purifying Graffiti’ invites you to take a moment to reflect on your own responsibility towards the climate crisis.

This showstopping full-white look unites craft and sustainability through a contemporary window. Purity achieved through precision.

Follow Chloe on Instagram here

 

Emily Barnett
⁠
RSN 2023 Graduate Emily Barnett was the winner of the Worshipful Company of Broderers Associate Award⁠ for her piece ‘The Chawton House Project’.

The Chawton House Project consists of three hand-embroidered wall panels inspired by the grounds of Chawton House, Hampshire. These embroideries were created in response to the colours and beauty discovered on the grounds by Emily.

Follow Emily on Instagram here

 

Naomi Aindow Clarke

RSN 2020 Degree Graduate Naomi Aindow Clarke was the winner of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers Associate Award.

Naomi’s piece ‘Grounded’ embodies her experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Reflecting on her distorted reality, Naomi uses repetitive, slow-process crafts to enter a flow state.

Follow Naomi on Instagram⁠
⁠

The Finalists:

⁠Fiza Shahid

RSN 2023 Graduate Fiza Shadid was a finalist in the Student Textile Art Category with her piece ‘Hidden Beauty’.

 

Hidden beauty is a depiction of Fiza’s understanding of the Muslim religious garment, the Hijab. This work aims to convey meaning through emotions, emphasising the exploration of spirituality and subconscious through the design, hand embroidery techniques and colour.

Follow Fiza on Instagram

 

Kate Pankhurst

RSN Tutor and former Hand & Lock Prize winner Kate Pankhurst was a finalist in the Open Textile Category for her piece ‘Fancy Free.’

‘Fancy Free’ embodies a symbol ubiquitous throughout religion and spiritual practice. The piece stands for creativity, fertility, good fortune, wisdom, and most of all, freedom.

 

Free of restraint, he swims transcendently through the elements of fire, water, earth, and air. The piece is mostly goldwork, including the rare technique ‘underside couching’, which pays homage to the great ecclesiastic embroiderers in Opus Anglicanum of medieval times.

Follow Kate on Instagram here

 

Chloe Angrave

RSN 2023 Degree Graduate Chloe Angrave was also a finalist in the Student Fashion Category.

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

 

This body of work presents through embroidery how climate change is affecting the ocean, using new innovative materials as well as repurposed collected ones to create a luxurious, bespoke garment.

Follow Chloe on Instagram here⁠
⁠⁠
Congratulations to everyone on their fantastic achievements, and we can’t wait to see what each and every finalist does next!
⁠
Come along to the next RSN Degree Open Day to see what opportunities could be in store for you. Book here

Want to learn more about RSN Stitch Bank and how it can help you?

Following our hugely successful RSN Sip & Stitch fundraising events at the beginning of November, we would like to invite you to a FREE live RSN Online Talk.

RSN Stitch Bank, which launched in September 2021, now features 350 stitches. The RSN’s amazing world directory of stitches is a free resource, and has been used by researchers, curators, historians, teachers and students all around the world.

During this round table discussion, RSN Chief Executive, Dr Susan Kay-Williams, will welcome a panel of experts and users of RSN Stitch Bank who refer to it to inform their work.  You will have the opportunity to pose questions to the panel and to learn how this wonderful free resource is able to contribute to your own world of stitch.

We look forward to welcoming you all to this FREE online event on Wednesday 24 January at 7pm.  Please sign up here to register.

As an extra special bonus, we are adding one new stitch to RSN Stitch Bank from 1 December which will bring it to 375 stitches on 25 December…what a wonderful festive treat!

After what has been a very busy year, keep up to date with the RSN Embroidery Studio and see what they have been up to in recent months.

Decorex International 2023

In October the RSN Embroidery Studio team were once again in attendance at Decorex International, held at London Olympia.

This was the team’s fifth outing to the show, and it was lovely to meet so many different designers and artists from a wide range of creative industries, including Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen.

Our theme for the stand this year was inspired by the work the RSN Embroidery Studio had recently undertaken for Their Majesties Coronation.  A particular highlight for visitors to the show was being able to see up close our part-worked coronation sampler inspired by Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s Robe of Estate. The piece encapsulates all the flowers featured on Her Majesty’s robe and will be a valuable contribution to our archive and teaching resource for future generations here at the RSN.

In addition, there was a very special collaborative piece on display that was worked on in partnership with Nick Gutfreund, whom the RSN Embroidery Studio team had worked with earlier this year on the Anointing Screen for the Coronation. Designed and worked especially for the show, the embroidered canvas chair back was inspired by a piece from our design archive and was set onto a bespoke chair frame created by Nick. The top of the chair represented a roll of fabric and was the perfect match to the embroidery.

Drapers Hall event

At the end of October, the RSN Studio team were thrilled to host a special event in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Drapers in their livery hall in London.

The day began with a bespoke embroidery class led by RSN Tutor Sarah de Rousset-Hall. The students worked on a design of a dove created especially for the event, inspired by the symbolic motif on the Anointing Screen which the RSN Studio had produced earlier this year.

Later in the day, livery members from 88 different livery companies attended a presentation showcasing the various processes that went into producing this monumental piece. Guest speakers included Aidan Hart, who designed the screen; Pete Tarrant from Digitex, who machine-embroidered the main tree; Nick Gutfreund, the project lead and creator of the wooden framework; Tim Royall, who created the gold eagles which sat atop the screen; and David Roper from the Grenadier Guards, who coordinated the deployment of the screen. Our Head of Studio, Anne Butcher, and Studio Manager, Gemma Murray, represented the RSN Embroidery Studio team.

Following the presentation, Anne and Gemma, along with Masako Newton and Sarah, were able to meet with the members of each company and talk through their experience of working on the screen.

It was a wonderful event and a great opportunity to share some behind the scenes facts and figures.

Visit the RSN Embroidery Studio’s website to find out more about their work, from restoration and conservations to new bespoke commissions to be admired by generations to come.

Thinking of taking up a new hobby in 2024? Why not start the New Year by learning something beautiful and join our Certificate & Diploma course!

If you are going back to work in January and looking for a flexible new hobby that you can fit around your busy schedule, our Certificate & Diploma Course in Technical Hand Embroidery is the one for you.

The RSN Certificate & Diploma course is an excellent and flexible way to elevate your hand embroidery skills and can be learned from wherever you are in the world.

Meet Magdalena, who shares her story of moving to the UK from Poland to take the Certificate Course.

“I started practicing hand embroidery when I was 10 and I was inspired by my mum.

I learned a lot, but as an adult I was looking for more techniques to expand my knowledge, and then I discovered the Royal School of Needlework on the internet. I decided to join a Day Class and travelled all the way from Poland to the UK just to attend this class.

Everything was mysterious: the palace itself, the school, the hidden staircase, the interior, the equipment (in Poland the sitting frame is not widely used).I fell in love with the place and was so desperate to learn more that I decided to move from Poland to London to live and attend classes at the RSN.

While living in London, I immediately decided to take the Certificate course, which I have now completed. During the course, I learned a lot of new stitches and techniques we don’t know and don’t use in Poland. In the meantime, I have since started teaching hand embroidery at the Royal Wilanów Palace in Warsaw.

I love all the techniques that I have learnt on the Certificate course, and I inspire my students with the love I have learned at the Royal School of Needlework.”

If you are interested in joining our Certificate & Diploma Online Course, join one of our upcoming Open Days and learn more about what the course has to offer.

Read more about the Certificate & Diploma Course here

Get into the festive spirit and see our packed full schedule of festive treats this December, with lovely Day & Evening Classes, events and Online Talks to give you that hint of Christmas magic.

Day & Evening Classes

Festive Wreath Brooch: Hampton Court Palace, Sunday 3 December

From Drawing to Design: Online, Wednesday 6 December – 4 SPACES LEFT

Metalwork Gingerbread House: Online, Friday 15 December – 3 SPACES LEFT

 

Events & Exhibitions

The Royal School of Needlework & Five Coronations 1902 – 2023 – Special Display: RSN Embroidery Studio, Hampton Court Palace – * Due to this event being a sellout, we have extended the run until May 2024*

The Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers 400th Anniversary Exhibition: Guildhall Art Gallery, London – EXTENDED until 31 December

 

Online Talks

“The Wardrobes of King Henry VIII’s Wives” Live Online Talk – (With Fashion Historian Eleri Lynn), Wednesday 6 December

 

2024 dates for your diary:

FREE Online Talk – ‘Stitch Bank: Exploring the World Directory of Stitches’, Wednesday 24 January

 

Degree Open Days

Hampton Court Palace:

Wednesday 17 January 2024 (2pm)

Saturday 20 January 2024 (11am)

Wednesday 24 January 2024 (2pm)

 

Online Via Zoom:

Friday 12 January 2024 (4pm, UK GMT)

Wednesday 17 January 2024 (6pm, UK GMT)

Friday 26 January 2024 (2pm, UK GMT)