We are never sure how our embroidery skills are going to be used from day to day in the Studio.  The following Studio story relates to an interesting application of those skills, showing just how important it is for the RSN to keep the art of hand embroidery alive.

Sokol Books Ltd are antiquarian booksellers, specialising in printed books and manuscripts from the middle ages up to the mid 17th century, including English Bibles, Psalters and Prayer Books.  These often have the luxury of beautifully embroidered bindings, made to be displayed and admired by ladies, in and on, their way to church (some had matching gloves too!).  Unfortunately these bindings are often fragile, having been subject to wear and misuse over the centuries.

Recently Sokol Books acquired a beautiful Bible, with almost no visible fabric, the covers and spine being entirely covered in silver thread worked into intricate patterns and design ie.embroidered. However much of this was loose, lifting from the surface of the material and in danger of being lost.

Our skilled Studio stitchers secured the loose bullion on the front and back of the spine, couched the edge of the Bible and secured the gold, leaves and bird wing. They then reproduced one of the leaves, making it look old and applied it to the binding.

Sokol Books commented:  “The RSN Embroidery Studio has done a magnificent job of restoration and repair. The binding is now sound and safe, and looks exactly as it should be without any obvious signs of the considerable work that must have been done to achieve such a good result.”

For more information on our Embroidery Studio, please click here or call +44 (0)20 3166 6940.

We are on a mission to cast aside the misconception that embroidery is only done by women to encourage more men to take up this traditional skill and art.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework said:

“The art of hand embroidery is for men, women, young and old.  It can appeal to so many people for different reasons.  Some of our students learn embroidery as a therapeutic hobby, whilst others are very much looking to enhance their skills for their career, in particular, with the resurgence of embroidery in fashion.

“The current Opus Anglicanum exhibition at London’s V&A Museum showcases magnificent craftsmanship of medieval embroidery which was very sought after in its time and interestingly, stitched by both men and women.  As always, fashion trends come and go, and we are delighted that hand embroidery is back in demand.  We want to encourage more people to take up this art as their new hobby and to ensure that these traditional skills continue to pass on to new generations.”

Meet some of our male students who featured in a recent photoshoot and find out why they have chosen to learn hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework.

Brian Hunt, aged 76 from Rugby said: “I really enjoy studying with the RSN. I’ve met so many good friends and learnt so much in the five years I’ve now been doing it.”  Brian studies the Advanced Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery at RSN in Rugby.

Devvrut Patel, aged 19 from Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London, studies the BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery for Fashion, Interiors, Textile Art at the RSN in Hampton Court Palace: “The best part of studying hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework is the atmosphere we are in.  As soon as you walk in to the Palace you just get inspiration from everywhere.”

RSN Tutor Owen Davies was the first male student to graduate from the RSN’s Apprenticeship and commented: “There has definitely been an increase with more men picking up a needle. Even though when I mention my profession I still see a few raised eyebrows, I no longer feel I have to justify what I’m doing and why.”

If you know anyone who would like to learn the art of hand embroidery, we have many different Introduction Classes in February and March.  Click on the link for more details.

RSN Midlands will be exhibiting a wide range of pieces from its Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery Course.

The exhibition will feature a variety of techniques including Jacobean Crewelwork, Silk Shading, Blackwork and Goldwork as well as sketchbooks and design drawings, giving visitors a unique insight into projects from beginning to end.

The RSN Midlands Exhibition is open to the public from Tuesday 25 – Friday 28 April and Tuesday 2 – Thursday 4 May, from 2pm – 5pm. The exhibition is at Rugby School’s Lewis Gallery, The Close, off Barby Road, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV22 5DP.  Entrance is free.

Royal School of Needlework Tutor for RSN Midlands, Nicola Jarvis says:

“We are delighted to showcase the stunning work from our students and very proud of what they have achieved.  The exhibition is an ideal opportunity for people to see our students’ work close up. Whether they are interested in hand embroidery, sewing, arts and crafts or just interested in what we do, we would be delighted to welcome them to the exhibition.”

We are delighted to announce that The Duchess of Cornwall will be the new Patron of the Royal School of Needlework.

At the end of 2016, Buckingham Palace announced that Her Majesty The Queen would be stepping down as Patron from a number of charities, including the RSN. The Queen became Patron of the RSN in 2002.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework said:

“We are extremely grateful to Her Majesty for her support and would like to say a huge thank you for being our Patron. The Royal Family has supported us from the beginning and we are delighted to continue this relationship with The Duchess of Cornwall as our new Patron. We very much look forward to working with The Duchess.  Her Royal Highness’s support will be invaluable in raising awareness of hand embroidery as both a traditional and dynamic contemporary art form.”

The RSN has had royal support from its foundation in 1872 through Queen Victoria’s third daughter, Princess Helena, and received its Royal status in 1875 when Queen Victoria became Patron.  The Queen Mother was initially President and then in 1937 became our Patron. When she died, Her Majesty the Queen became Patron. The Duchess of Gloucester is President of the RSN.

The RSN has worked on every British Coronation of the 20th century including designing and making the Robe of State for Her Majesty the Queen in 1953 using 18 varieties of gold thread. We also created the balcony hanging at Buckingham Palace for The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

The RSN Studio has the privilege of working on a great variety of projects; large, small, old or new there is always something fascinating to see. Our Embroidery Studio recently restored an altar frontal from St Mary’s Church in Oatlands, Weybridge. The piece was in remarkably good condition but sadly, despite careful storage and handling over the years, there was deterioration in some areas.

The beautiful design of wandering vines is worked in gold and silk threads with areas of applied fabrics. The gold is couched with a brightly coloured silk thread, which contrasts with the gold to create a stunning effect. As the stitches stand out against the gold they can be used to create a pattern that adds texture to the piece, this is called a Diaper pattern. This Or Nué technique has been used throughout the piece and it was these stitches that disintegrated leaving the gold unsecured in places. This is a common problem with pieces worked in silk.

When the altar frontal arrived in the Studio the first task was to identify areas that required attention. The fabric was quite stable, so we decided to dismantle the altar frontal as little as possible. The lining was removed and work commenced on re-securing the g old.

Image on left shows before work commenced. Image on right shows afterwards.

Next, we assembled materials, threads and equipment that were sympathetic to the piece, but would allow the repairs to be worked without distracting from the overall design or further damage to the piece.

Our Studio space has always needed to be dynamic in order for us to work jobs of various sizes, so the next step was to create space and a suitable working environment to accommodate the size and weight of the piece.  In order to maintain the integrity of the design it was important to work stitches carefully and accurately to secure the lifting threads. Often, with projects like this, it transpires that there is more deterioration than is initially identified.

During the project, members of the St Mary’s congregation joined us on a Stories in Stitch Talk & Tour and were able to witness the work for themselves. They were delighted to see part of the process and the piece being restored to its former glory.

Towards the end of November, the piece was returned to the church and on 1 January 2017 the altar frontal was rededicated in a special service which RSN Studio stitcher, Masako Newton, attended.

For more information on the RSN Embroidery Studio, click here or call +44(0)20 3166 6940.

The Royal School of Needlework is delighted to be part of a collaboration between the British Fashion Council and Google.  Unveiled at The Fashion Awards 2016, the project is an exciting digital educational platform that brings to life the creativity, heritage and craftsmanship of British fashion.

The new platform g.co/britishfashion features content from fashion icons – brands, designers, makers and craftspeople, creatives, photographers, stylists and models – and uses technology to tell their stories. It is a single destination that educates and inspires future generations of young fashion creatives, designers and students.

Visitors can watch giants of the industry – from Burberry to Vivienne Westwood – in specially curated digital exhibits through innovative and immersive digital experiences.    They will also be able to go behind-the-scenes of top craftspeople and producers of British fashion, including the Royal School of Needlework.

Click here to view the RSN’s exhibit.

There are over 1,000 assets to explore, including over twenty multimedia exhibits, twenty-five videos and three virtual reality experiences, all accessible from anywhere in the world, on desktop, laptop or mobile. Visitors can explore rich, archival materials from top British fashion houses, sorting their searches by colour and chronology.  They will be able to get close to British Fashion’s biggest characters and moments, reliving Kate Moss’s first runway show at London Fashion Week and exploring profiles of the fashion industry’s key players – from Naomi Campbell to Christopher Bailey.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework said: “We are delighted to be part this unique project and to help educate and inspire audiences around the world.  Traditional crafts such as the art of hand embroidery are part of our heritage and it is fantastic to see this tradition so current again in today’s fashion, whether on denim or silk.  The RSN is the only place that teaches traditional hand embroidery skills to the highest level and we are very proud to be teaching these skills to future generations.”

Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council said: “The internet has been an incredible resource for opening up the fashion industry to a new audience, giving young people access to information not previously available. This collaboration represents a new step, bringing together diverse information into one, engaging place. We hope this legacy project will not only inspire but also educate – allowing young people wanting to get into fashion to see the breadth of individuals, skills and careers that make up this multifaceted industry.”

Amit Sood, Director of Google’s Cultural Institute said: “British Fashion has such a unique and revered place within the international fashion industry, and is hugely rich in content, characters, icons and stories. It’s been a joy to work on this project and bring its distinct textures and tales to life through technology – so that now even more people around the world can enjoy it.”

Highlights of the digital collection also include:
•    A super high resolution capture of a couture dress from Alexander McQueen’s SS17 collection, allowing people to zoom in and see its threadwork in never-before-seen detail; and a 360 video featuring the inspiration behind top couture dresses
•    Manolo Blahnik at work in virtual-reality at his London atelier
•    Curated exhibits from and about fashion legends and brands including Burberry, David Bailey, Edward Enninful, i-D magazine, J.W.Anderson, Michael Howells, Naomi Campbell, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood
•    Decades of British craftsmanship from the houses of Harris Tweed, John Lobb shoes, Lochcarron Tartan and the Royal School of Needlework

The exhibition is available for free online and through the new Google Arts & Culture mobile app on iOS and Android. You can watch all the 360 degree videos on YouTube.