We have enjoyed celebrating all the RSN has achieved during our 150 year history, however, we are not an organisation to dwell on the past. Instead, we see many exciting opportunities for the future and are bringing together plans to create new programmes to meet the needs that you have requested.

As a charity and non- profit, we must raise funds to initiate these plans. We need to raise £150,000 so that we can make a start on the most urgent initiatives. Will you help us to build the RSN of the future by making a donation today?

You can read about and view all our ideas for the future in this 150 Forward Booklet. Please read it to see the breadth and variety of our ambitions.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the RSN writes,

“We have many exciting plans to take embroidery to new communities, to different age groups, to broaden participation and enable more people to enjoy the professional and therapeutic benefits of stitch. This is the biggest and potentially most far reaching campaign the RSN has ever launched, so may I ask you to join me in supporting the 150 Forward Campaign. With your help, we can create an exciting, relevant and dynamic future for hand embroidery in the 21st century at the RSN.”

Support the RSN’s 150 Forward Campaign. Click here.

If you are a US tax payer, click here to make your donation.

Every gift makes a difference, but if you can give £150 or £1500 or more, we have a special thank you gift in the form of copies of designs from the archives by Walter Crane and Edward Burne Jones respectively. See more information in the booklet.

The next 150 years of the RSN starts here, please support this important campaign today.

150 Forward Campaign

This September the RSN sees a change of Chairman. We say a huge thank you to outgoing Chairman, Andrew Palmer. Andrew has served the RSN as both Honorary Treasurer and, for the last five and a half years, as Chairman. In that time he has carefully overseen the RSN, in particular achieving more financial stability to build on for the future.

RSN Chief Executive, Dr Susan Kay-Williams comments: “Andrew has played a huge role in the development of the RSN. I have greatly valued his financial knowledge and wise counsel over the last 12 years.”

Replacing Andrew is Pip Wood. Pip joined the RSN Council in 2021 and brings a background of Chairmanship at one of the UK’s highest performing state secondary schools and a professional career of senior corporate and consumer communications roles in FTSE100 companies.

Pip regularly participates in RSN short courses and attended our 2022 International Summer School. She also spent time recently listening to feedback from customers, students, tutors and staff to help in planning our future development.

Pip Wood said:  “I discovered the RSN just before Lockdown in 2020 and welcomed the opportunity to become a trustee. Our activities during the pandemic have really extended our reach and given us even more ambition to look at how hand embroidery can enrich people’s lives.”

 

We will be returning to The Knitting and Stitching Show in London, 6 – 9 October. Visit our stand and view RSN Collection pieces alongside contemporary work, highlighting the organisation’s history, versatility and expertise. Also on the stand will be a special 150th anniversary design and everyone is invited to add some stitches.

As part of our anniversary celebrations, there will also be a quiz trail throughout the exhibition halls, challenging visitors to locate images of RSN students’ work, with a prize draw at the end.

For this special year, the RSN is teaching a striking black and gold design, inspired by an original hand drawn illustration by British artist and designer Selwyn Image (1849-1930) from our extensive Archive. During the 90 minute workshop taught every day, you will learn a variety of surface stitches and beginner Goldwork techniques. Goldwork is synonymous with both royalty and ecclesiastical vestments and is just one of the many techniques the RSN is famous for.

Book your place now on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

The show organisers are kindly offering a £2 discount code for standard advance tickets, so adults pay £16.50 and concessions pay £14. (Excludes Saturday 8 October and booking fees apply.) Code: WT22

For more information about the show and to book your tickets click here.

We will also be at The Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate from 17 – 20 November and bookings for those workshops will open soon. Find out more here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We were thrilled to welcome the 2022 graduates from our Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery and Future Tutors Programme to Hampton Court Palace for our annual prize giving ceremony.

We have included a gallery of some of their work for you to enjoy.

Congratulations to all our Certificate & Diploma graduates – 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 now teach online, so students can join from 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. And, as we teach this course online, you also have the flexibility to join wherever you live! View the C&D 2022 Graduate Gallery.

If you are interested in joining the Certificate & Diploma, attend our Online Open Day at 1pm on Wednesday 24 August. Book onto the Open Day here.

Congratulations to our new Future Tutors – Amanda Rymel, Natalie Rowe, Nao Nagamura, Sally Randle and Sonia Lee. We can’t wait to see your new class designs and how your careers grow!

If you are passionate about hand embroidery and maintaining these traditional skills by teaching new generations, then the RSN’s Future Tutors Programme may be for you. It will give you a professional career in embroidery, not only teaching what you love, but also with the option to develop your expertise and technical skills in a commercial setting at the RSN’s very own specialist Embroidery Studio.

To find out more about our Future Tutors Programme, you can visit our website here or email [email protected]. Open Days for this course will be in 2023.

Watch our Future Tutors Programme video here to see where and what you will be studying.

Images

Future Tutors Graduates with their Certificates

Graduation Ceremony at Hampton Court Palace

Jacobean Crewelwork by Future Tutors Graduate Natalie Rowe

Stumpwork by Future Tutors Graduate Sally Randle

Canvas Shading by Future Tutors Graduate Amanda Rymel

Blackwork by Future Tutors Graduate Nao Nagamura

Silk Shading by Future Tutors Graduate Sonia Lee

Silk Shading by Certificate Graduate Christina MacDonald

Advanced Goldwork by Diploma Graduate Lianne Hart

Blackwork by Certificate Graduate Jo Taylor

Canvaswork by Certificate Graduate Chui (Joyce) Ping Wong

Silk Shading by Certificate Graduate Monica Dumitrescu

It was fantastic to see our graduates from 2020, 2021 and 2022 come together to attend their graduation ceremony, having been cancelled the past two years due to Covid. Congratulations to everyone and to our prize winning Third Year Students who were awarded on our exhibition stand at New Designers.

The award winning Third Year Degree Students for 2022 are:

• Sabina Lima for Best Final Major Project
• Linnea Lyndon for Best Overall Student sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Broderers
• Eliza Gomersall for Best Stitch Innovation, sponsored by the Needlemakers
• Daisy Streatfeild for Best Use of Metal Threads, sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Drawers
• Jasmine Hollowday for Best Contextual Essay, sponsored by the Arts Society Greater London

If you are interested in finding out more about the BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery, please visit our website for more information and book onto our forthcoming Open Day at Hampton Court Palace at 12pm on Saturday 17 September. Book here.

Visit our Degree website here.

BA (Hons) in Hand Embroidery is validated by Kingston University.

The doors are now open for our new exhibition, ‘A Girl’s Education in Stitch’. 

Taking place in our Embroidery Studio at Hampton Court Palace, the new display demonstrates the variety of work stitched by girls as part of their education and features fascinating objects from the RSN’s unique Collection & Archive.

In the early days of formal education, embroidery substituted for reading, writing and maths, using needlework samplers. The RSN’s new exhibition features a range of pieces across the 18th and 19th centuries, from band samplers to map and darning samplers.  

Moving through to the 1900s, the exhibition highlights dressmaking, which became part of the curriculum and features examples of miniature outfits, from knickers to pinafores. From the 20th century, the exhibition focuses on the Needlework Development Scheme and other ways in which children were taught to stitch, as well as examples of work from girls across the UK.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, RSN Chief Executive and Curator of the exhibition said,

“Our Collection houses a myriad of samplers sewn by children and young adults. The samplers in the exhibition date from the 1730s to the 20th century, including the use of Map Samplers in which girls learned writing and geography as well as embroidery.”

Visitors can book Curator Tours with Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Guided Tours and Talk & Tours. Please note that as the exhibition is in our working Embroidery Studio, it is only open on a limited number of set days, so pre-booking is essential. 

There are currently spaces available for the following sessions in August:

• Talk & Tour: 11am on Thursday 11 August
• Curator’s Tour: 10:30am on Saturday 13 August

Group Bookings

• Group Tour: 2pm on Thursday 11 August
• Group Curator’s Tour: 2pm on Saturday 13 August

Book your place now to avoid disappointment.

We are holding a number of Family Drop-in Sessions at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London over the summer holidays. Book your ticket to our Anniversary Exhibition and join us for a fun embroidery workshop during your visit.

Families will have the opportunity to try their hand at needlework while visiting ‘150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk’. Children will be able to experiment and learn some basic hand embroidery stitches to decorate a printed word design.

The Family Drop-in Sessions take place from 11.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm on the following days:

• Thursday 4 August
• Thursday 11 August
• Thursday 18 August
• Thursday 25 August
• Thursday 1 September

Thank you to all the schools that came to the museum over the summer term. We really enjoyed showing the children around the exhibition and teaching them hand embroidery. Thank you also to The Worshipful Company of Broderers who have generously sponsored both the Family Drop-in workshops and School Sessions.

Book your ticket to the exhibition here 

Read more about our Anniversary Activities here 

The RSN Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery grows from strength to strength with Tutors now teaching online to students across the globe.

Meet a group of Online Certificate students, from three different time zones, who met on the course and have decided to continue their tuition together. Mikiko Ando in Tokyo, Japan, Deb Bryan in North Carolina, USA and Bev Pearson in Lancashire, UK, are all learning together at the same time!

Mikiko started to learn needlework from her aunt when she was 6 years old.

“After I got married, I lived in London for over ten years, and discovered how beautiful and fun Cross Stitch was and my passion for embroidery was ignited! At the time, I knew that the RSN taught classes, but I was unable to attend them as I was raising my three children.

Last year, I learnt that the RSN had started to teach online and I jumped at the chance straight away! As classes are well structured and my Tutor is so patient, I was able to give myself deadlines. Then in 2021, I attended the RSN’s Online International Summer School so I have been kept busy! Currently, I am working on my Silk Shading piece and will continue to complete the Certificate from September.”

Deb has been stitching for most of her life primarily focusing on Needlepoint and Cross Stitch.

“I discovered the RSN four years ago and was immediately intrigued by the variety of embroidery techniques. Shortly thereafter, I signed up for my first class, an in-person Pulled Thread class at RSN Scotland in Glasgow. I loved it!

When the RSN started Online teaching I was thrilled! For me, this meant endless opportunities for learning new techniques with the most premier teachers in the world.

After taking more Online Day Classes, I made the decision to take the Online Certificate course. Our group, representing Japan, England, Scotland, and the USA, quickly bonded. We have continued our Certificate journey together with RSN Tutor Pippa Foulds.

I share my story in hope of inspiring others to embark on your very own RSN journey. May your experience with the RSN enrichen and delight you as much as it has for me. Happy stitching!”

Bev started her embroidery journey many years ago when she was at school and, prior to starting the Certificate, she mostly stitched from kits.

“I wanted to develop my embroidery skills and started by attending some RSN Day Classes. While attending a Silk Shading class in Lancaster, I found out about the RSN’s plans to start teaching the Certificate online and decided to book a place.

Our group is truly international and I have new sewing friends in America, the UK and Japan. We enjoy being together so much that we asked if we could continue to study together and are now about to embark on our fourth module as a group!

Learning online is a very positive experience with the opportunity to listen to the advice given to others in the group and to learn from each other. Most importantly though, is the moral support and encouragement everyone gives each other. I have enjoyed every module so far and learned so many new skills. I’m very much looking forward to the Goldwork module and then starting the Diploma.”

So, why not start on your RSN Certificate journey with us whether Onsite or Online, whether it’s for your career, you have always wanted to learn and now have the time, or simply want to do something for yourself.

Watch our Certificate & Diploma programme video here.

Our autumn term start dates are:

Hampton Court Palace: 17 September
Bristol: 1 September
Rugby: 17 September
Durham: 12 September
Glasgow: 24 August & 21 September
Online: 31 August

Read more about the Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery here. 

Book on an Open Day here. 

Images

Jacobean Crewelwork by Mikiko Ando

Jacobean Crewelwork by Deborah Bryan

Jacobean Crewelwork by Beverly Pearson

We have a number of events taking place over the summer and hope you can join us.

RSN Sip & Stitch – Saturday 30 July

Host your own event and have fun with stitch with friends, family and neighbours. Share your passion for needlework and celebrate World Embroidery Day with RSN Sip & Stitch.

A Girl’s Education in Stitch – New Exhibition at Hampton Court Palace

• Talk & Tour: 11am on Thursday 11 August
• Group Tour: 2pm on Thursday 11 August
• Curator’s Tour: 10.30am on Saturday 13 August
• Group Curator’s Tour: 2pm on Saturday 13 August

Fashion and Textile Museum Exhibition – Family Drop-in Sessions

• Thursday 4 August
• Thursday 11 August
• Thursday 18 August
• Thursday 25 August
• Thursday 1 September

Family Drop-in Sessions take place from 11.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm. To take part, simply book tickets to see our 150 Anniversary Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, ‘150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework: Crown to Catwalk.’

Online C&D Open Day

• 1pm on Wednesday 24 August

View all RSN Events here. 

In July, we will be staging our first exhibition at Hampton Court Palace in three years, ‘A Girl’s Education in Stitch’. The exhibition will demonstrate the variety of work stitched by girls as part of their education and will feature fascinating objects from the RSN Collection and Archive.

In the early days of formal education, embroidery substituted for reading, writing and maths, so we see the use of Map Samplers in which girls learned writing and geography as well as embroidery. Moving through to the 1900s, we see the start of dressmaking as part of the curriculum through miniature outfits from knickers to pinafores.

Objects on display will include notebooks from students as they learn their dressmaking, some with fine penmanship, and samplers from the early days ranging from band samplers to map and darning samplers, including items from across the 18^th and 19^th centuries. From the 20^th century we will focus on the Needlework Development Scheme and other ways in which children were taught to stitch along with examples of work from girls across the UK.

We are offering Curator Tours with RSN Chief Executive and Curator Dr Susan Kay-Williams; Guided Tours and Talk & Tours. The exhibition opens 20 July and runs until March 2023.  Book your place now to avoid disappointment. Click here.

We will be teaching at the Holburne Museum in Bath on Friday 3 September.

This exclusive partnership class is inspired by the museum’s exhibition ‘Marvellous Makers, Wondrous Worlds; Raised Embroidery from the 17th Century’ which runs until 11 September.

Students will learn how to create a beautiful motif based upon the Esther and Ahaseurus Raised Embroidery panel stitched in approximately 1640. The RSN design is based on a section of the intricate panel showing a bird flying around a tree under sun rays and beautiful sparkling cloud. You will have a chance to view and learn about the history of this panel and many other wonderful objects during the day from the museum’s unique collection and exhibition.

To find out more about the class and to book your place, click here.  

To find out more about the Holburne museum, click here. 

Come and see work from this year’s Graduates of our Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery course and Future Tutors Programme.

Their wonderful work will be on display in our Embroidery Studio at Hampton Court Palace from Wednesday 6 – Saturday 9 July. The exhibition will be open from 10am – 4pm each day and is free to enter. To access the exhibition, please enter through the RSN Shop, located at the East Front gates.

If you are interested in joining the Certificate & Diploma course, please book onto the C&D Online Open Day at 1pm on 24 August to find out more and meet the Education Team.

Information on our Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery here Information on our Future Tutors Programme here 

Images, clockwise left to right:  Silk Shading by Future Tutor Graduate, Amanda Rymel;  Pulled and Drawn Work by Future Tutor Graduate Nao Nagamura;  Stumpwork by Future Tutor Graduate Sally Randle;  Appliqué by Future Tutor Graduate Sonia Lee;  Jacobean Crewelwork by Future Tutor Graduate Natalie Rowe;  Blackwork by Diploma Graduate Susan Leve Ghosh;  Silk Shading by Certificate Graduate Rachel Carey