International Summer School Classes

It’s not too late to book your class and Join us Online, or Onsite at Hampton Court Palace or Durham for an unforgettable summer of stitch.

Online

Silk Shaded Peacock: Weekly, from Wednesday 3 July – Wednesday 24 July

Tudor Sweete Bag: 15, 18, 22 & 25 July

Shadow Work: ‘Lily of the Valley’: Weekly, from Friday 19 June – Friday 9 August

Goldwork Nouveau Leaf: Saturday 27 June – Saturday 17 August

 

Hampton Court Palace

Darning Sampler: Wednesday 17 – Friday 19 July

Shadow Work: ‘Lily of the Valley: Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 July

Hampton Court The Tudor Palace: Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 June

Silk & Gold: ‘Ely Knot: Monday 29 June – Thursday 1 August

 

Durham

Creative Goldwork – ‘Breaking the Rules’: Monday 15 – Friday 19 July

 

Embroidery Exhibitions

Future Tutors and Certificate & Diploma Graduate Exhibition: Hampton Court Palace, 3 – 7 July, 11am – 3pm

Tales of Textiles: The RSN Collection in Focus: Hampton Court Palace, 25 September 2024 to June 2025

 

Course Information Days

Professional Embroidery Tutor Programme Online Information Session – Thursday 4 July, 2pm

Certificate & Diploma Online Information Session – Monday 22 July, 1pm

RSN Future Tutors Graduate Exhibition

Congratulations to our Future Tutors, Sue Kim and Kristina Clarke, who will graduate from the programme on Monday 1 July.

Sue and Kristina’s work will be on display at the Future Tutors Graduate Show from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 July, from 11am to 3pm, in the RSN Embroidery Studio; the work will be displayed alongside the RSN Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery Graduates’ work.

You can enter the exhibition  free of charge via the Palace gardens and through the RSN Shop located on the East Front Gardens. If you wish to tour the Palace during your visit, a ticket will need to be purchased separately.

You can watch the Graduation Ceremony and Awards by tuning in to our Instagram Livestream at 11am on Monday 1 July to see Sue and Kristina graduate.  Make sure to follow @royalneedlework on Instagram to watch live!

We are very proud of our Future Tutors on their graduation, and excited to see what they go on to achieve next!

Follow Sue Kim on Instagram

Follow Kristina Clarke on Instagram

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Professional Embroidery Tutor,  join our next Online Information Session on Thursday 4 July at 2pm (UK time).

Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery Graduate Exhibition

We would like to congratulate all of our Certificate & Diploma students who are graduating this summer!

To celebrate their beautiful work, we are thrilled to be holding an exhibition with a curated selection of their work, from Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 July at Hampton Court Palace, 11am to 3pm.  RSN Future Tutor Graduates, Kristina Clarke and Sue Kim, will also show their work.

You can enter the exhibition  free of charge via the Palace gardens and through the RSN Shop located on the East Front Gardens. If you wish to tour the Palace during your visit, a ticket will need to be purchased separately.

If you are unable to attend, we will be live streaming the Graduate Ceremony and Awards through Instagram on Monday 1 July at 11am UK time.  Make sure to follow @royalneedlework on Instagram so that you can watch the ceremony live!

We teach the Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery course (C&D) 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 learn from anywhere around the world, making friends with like-minded people who live on the other side of 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 next Online Information Session on Monday 22 July.  Book onto the info session here.

 

RSN Scotland invites you to a Stitch Social at the Glasgow Art Club on Saturday 22 June, 10am to 4pm.

Join the Royal School of Needlework Glasgow branch for a Stitch Social day of embroidery at the Glasgow Art Club, where the RSN teaches hand embroidery in Scotland.

This is a free drop in event so come with your friends or on your own, for five minutes or all day!  You can bring along any embroidery work with you, join others on a project at the venue, or simply socialise with fellow stitchers.

On the day, Stitch Social visitors will be invited to add more stitching to the ‘Processions’ banner which was created by RSN Scotland students for the march in 2018, in Edinburgh.  Processions was a mass participation artwork that took place across several British cities, celebrating 100 years of when British women won the vote.  Tens of thousands of women marched “forming a living portrait of women in the 21st century and a visual expression of equality, strength and cultural representation”.  Those marching wore the purple, green and white colours of the suffragette movement, with many holding banners which they had created, including RSN Scotland.

We first started teaching Day Classes at the Glasgow Art Club in 2011 followed by the RSN Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery in 2012.  RSN Scotland is keen to promote and extend the art of hand embroidery, which has long been key to Scottish culture and trade and welcomes students from all over Scotland.

The Glasgow Art Club, founded in 1867, is a private members club for artists and non-artists interested in the creation and enjoyment of art – all illustrative arts, sculptures, poetry, prose, plays, music, song, choreography and dance.  The Club’s mission is to advance, promote and encourage the arts in all forms.  Each year, it has a range of exhibitions, events and concerts open to the public for their enjoyment, such as RSN Scotland’s Stitch Social.

Entry to the event is free, just ring the Glasgow Art Club doorbell on arrival; refreshments will be available for purchase at the venue.

Please share the invite with friends and family – everyone is welcome.

This will be a wonderful social event with RSN Scotland and we really look forward to seeing you there!

We would like to share more of our Third Year Degree students’ Major Projects, which will be on display at Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers in London this month!

Missed last month’s Third Year students’ Major Projects? See them here.

Amy Turner

Morbidly curious, jarringly beautiful, fantastical and theatrical.

The hand embroidery of Amy Turner captures the fragility of health and exploration of the grotesque through her use of beautiful and delicate materials. Amy takes inspiration from history; it has proved to be a key influence for most of her work.

‘Pestilence’ explores disease and the physical effects it has on the human body. Amy’s collection shows gradual decay.

Follow Amy on Instagram

 

Cecily Winter

Using ideas of memory and narrative, Cecily Winter aims for her work to evoke an emotional response in the viewer. She combines her hand embroidery skills with up-cycled garments to create personal pieces inspired by familial themes.

‘Forget me not’, her recent body of work, is a celebration in memory of her late grandma and grandfather. A pair of garments representing these two important family members, are hand embroidered with motifs and found objects that reflect her memories.

Follow Cecily on Instagram

 

Christina Chung

Christina Chung uses the experiences of her training in both hand embroidery and landscape architecture as constant inspiration. By exploring the uniqueness and commonality of both fields, her works includes three-dimensional and structural designs with the use of both traditional and innovative embroidery techniques and materials.

‘The Botanic City’ explores how landscape architecture can provide a sustainable living environment and promote biodiversity within the city; provide a balance of nature and the modern world. This collection demonstrates the collaboration of textiles and architecture though different elements of the city, which are interpreted in structural and detailed embroidery designs.

Follow Christina on Instagram

 

Connie Williams

Connie Williams is a hand embroidery artist based in London whose work explores how experiences of life can be captured emotively through needlework. By delving into themes such as Surrealism and Impressionism, Connie aims to create timeless haute-couture designs that resonate with people at a deeply emotional level, regardless of age or background.

‘Dreams in Nature’ is Connie’s latest collection and is an ode to some of the core memories she has with her closest family members. The collection explores how sourcing materials found in nature, and embroidering them in intricately traditional techniques can present everyday experiences in a fantasy-like manner.

Follow Connie on Instagram

 

Isabella Rabasse

Isabella Rabasse is a hand embroidery practitioner based in London. Her main inspiration comes from nature, particularly florals and organic structures. Using a variety of different embellishments, including beads, sequins and unusual found objects she translates natural imagery into hand embroidery.

‘Geodes,’ explores these fascinating natural forms transforming their textures and shapes into hand embroidered designs for menswear. Isabella firmly believes that decorative embroidery for men should equal the status and beauty of that in womenswear.

Follow Isabella on Instagram

 

Megan Ellis

The world can often feel overwhelming due to constant interactions with people and objects that make up daily life. Megan Ellis uses a contemporary and naïve twist on hand embroidery to help her process and translate these and all their complexities into self-expressive artworks.

‘The Everyday’ is a collection based on personal experiences that encourage the viewer to think and talk about how they interact with the world around them.

Follow Megan on Instagram

 

Megan Neville

Combining her hand embroidery skills with colour, texture and the use of unconventional materials, Megan Neville creates work about uneasy topics in her life such as type one diabetes. Her aim is to bring awareness of these to a greater audience.

‘Ordinary Oddness’ is a collection of accessible bags designed for those with diabetes to carry equipment. They are fun, colourful and celebrate the everydayness of the condition.

Follow Megan on Instagram

 

Millie Darnell-Hayes

Taking inspiration from organic forms and textures, Millie Darnell-Hayes uses hand embroidery to identify specific details and stories inspired by nature and wild spaces. A childhood surrounded by art and nature motivated her to combine the two, which are explored through costume, led by her passion for performance.

Combining her passions, her latest work is ‘Mischievous Deceptions – Reimagining Shakespeare’s Puck’. Puck’s costume references contemporary fashion, embellished with her interpretation of details found in woodlands through stitch.

Follow Millie on Instagram

 

Molly Murfin

Embroidery artist and nature enthusiast, Molly Murfin takes her inspiration from the patterns found in her surrounding environment. Landscapes, natural forms, and colours inspire her artistic interpretations of the everyday world. Her work is playful and experimental as she redesigns the traditional techniques of embroidery.

‘Reflections’ is a collection of fashion pieces inspired by floral patterns seen through a kaleidoscope. Fabric manipulation and raised work techniques are used to create these symmetrical designs, which bring balance to an unbalanced world.

Follow Molly on Instagram

 

Rebecca Rowan

Rebecca Rowan’s hand embroidery is driven by her insatiable curiosity and love of research. Colour and sculptural qualities are vitally important to convey narrative and expression.

‘Pure Opulence’ is a personal response to when Rebecca allowed herself the precious commodity of time during her experience at the Royal School of Needlework.

The use of midnight blue enhances the richness of her work and showcases its sculptural qualities. Inspiration is drawn from 18th century decorative design detail, Fabergé eggs and Rebecca’s love of flora.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram

 

 

Rosie Sykes

Drawing with thread is at the heart of Rosie Sykes’ hand embroidery practice and her work is rooted in drawing and illustration. She is compelled by narrative; creating a web that ties together all aspects of her current process of devising a story and character for each project.

‘Camera Obscura’ depicts the extended life of a woman, whose degraded mental capacity is depicted through hand embroidered imagery of vintage cameras, telling a story of immortality, madness, and obsession. Captivated by narrative, Rosie depicts this story using vintage garments and artifacts, enhancing them through hand embroidered motifs.

Follow Rosie on Instagram

 

Sophia Radovic-Sclater

Cultural identity holds immense significance for Sophia Radovic-Sclater, prompting her to infuse her collections with elements of her own identity. Drawing inspiration from her Spanish heritage and the environments that shaped her upbringing, Sophia reflects on how these influences have shaped her as a practitioner.

‘Mon Soleil Nostalgia’ is a series of three embroidered fans inspired by nostalgic memories of family parties and dressed up glamour growing up in Andalucian culture. Sophia delves into themes of diversity, cultural identity, and appreciation in her visual storytelling, yet the core essence of this narrative revolves around the cherished nostalgia of bygone memories.

Follow Sophia on Instagram

 

Sophie Dinning

Sophie Dinning uses hand embroidery to create work utilising skilled techniques but with confident colour choices and an experimental approach particularly in three-dimensional embellishment. Her pieces are contemporary but showcasing an acute attention to detail.

‘Apricity’ (a word used to describe that feeling of the warmth of the Sun in Winter), is a collection of textile jewellery pieces based on the concept of lockets, taking visual inspiration from wrought iron and autumnal imagery. The pieces are hand embroidered, primarily using goldwork and raised work techniques.

Follow Sophie on Instagram

 

Interested in seeing the beautiful students’ work in person? Come along to Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers in June to see the Major Projects in details, and to chat to our Degree Students about their work.

Follow the RSN Degree on Instagram

We are thrilled to be exhibiting the wonderful work of our BA (Hons) Third Year Hand Embroidery Degree students this year at Graduate Fashion Week, at the Truman Brewery, and New Designers, at the Business Design Centre.

Come and find us to chat with our students, get a close up view of their work and have a go at stitching on one of our frames!

Stitch a Star at New Designers

Stitch a Star for 2024! Thread your needle and join the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) Graduates of 2024 to embroider around a communal hand embroidery frame. Come and find us adjacent to our graduate show stand T32, in the Textile Zone.

The RSN’s mission is to ensure the future of hand embroidery, so why not pick up some top tips from our Stars of 2024.

The Worshipful Company of Broderers, a City of London Livery Company, takes great pleasure in supporting this exciting community event.

Reserve your space on the workshop here

Book tickets

Graduate Fashion Week, Truman Brewery, London, 10 – 13 June

New Designers, Business Design Centre, London, 26 – 29 June

If you are unable to visit to visit the Degree Shows, get a glimpse of the students’ work here and here, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Find out more about our BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery programme validated by Kingston University here

We are very proud to have Sue Kim who is in her final year of our Future Tutor Programme.

Read on to hear more about Sue’s experience over the last three years on the programme:

“Three years ago, I was incredibly excited to begin the RSN Future Tutor’s Programme, marking a significant turning point in my life. Coming from South Korea in 2002, and having lived within the Korean community bubble for a long time, this was a substantial change, and I was both anticipating and preparing for it.

Over the past three years at the RSN, I have had an invaluable and enjoyable experience, thanks to the support of my colleagues and teachers. Embroidery had always been a serious hobby for me, but the comprehensive and professional training I received here elevated my skills to a new level. With guidance from the course Tutors, I have gained the skills and confidence needed to become a professional embroiderer. I had the privilege of learning essential techniques from the best teachers, participating in various events, and assisting other Tutors to prepare myself for the future.

The RSN has provided me with the opportunity to fully immerse myself in embroidery, offering art classes, business skills, various masterclasses, and more. I was also personally honoured and proud to contribute to the embroidery for His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation.

This unique education is unparalleled, and I am incredibly fortunate and grateful to have had this opportunity. With just one month until graduation, I am now planning exciting projects that I couldn’t have imagined three years ago. After graduation, I intend to work on a variety of projects as a professional and qualified Tutor, sharing the pure joy of the beautiful craft of embroidery with others.’

We will be broadcasting the Future Tutor’s Graduation Ceremony ‘Live’ on Instagram on 1 July, which will be alongside our Certificate & Diploma Graduation Ceremony, so make sure to follow  @royalneedlework to watch.

If you are interested in learning where a career in hand embroidery can lead you, read about the Professional Embroidery Tutor programme here.

From Degree work exhibitions to Online Talks, June is set to be an exciting month at the RSN!  Read on to see what we have coming up.

Day & Evening Classes

Designing for Embroidery: Jacobean Crewelwork: Online, Monday 24 June – 2 spaces left

 

Events & Exhibitions

NEW EXHIBITION – Tales of Textiles: The RSN Collection in Focus: Hampton Court Palace, 25 September 2024 to June 2025

RSN Scotland Stitch Social – Glasgow Art Club, Scotland, Saturday 22 June

New Designers – Business Design Centre, London, 26 – 29 June

 

Online Talks

Development of Dye Colours in the 18th century: with Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Wednesday 19 June, 7pm – *RSN Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay-Williams’ last Live Online Talk*

 

Online Information Sessions

Certificate & Diploma Online Information Session: Online via zoom, Monday 22 July

 

Future dates for your diary

Make Do and Mend Embroidery Techniques at the D-Day Story: Portsmouth, Saturday 20 July

Future Tutor Graduate Show: Hampton Court Palace, 3-7 July

Certificate & Diploma Graduate Show: Hampton Court Palace, 3-7 July

Following a major review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages and charity Presidencies, and marking the first anniversary of Their Majesties’ Coronation, we are extremely proud and honoured to announce that Her Majesty The Queen will retain her Patronage of the Royal School of Needlework.

Her Majesty first became Patron in 2017 and we are very grateful for the continued Patronage of the RSN. We are also very honoured that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester is our president. Her Royal Highness has supported the RSN since the 1990s.

Queen Camilla has visited us on three occasions to date. Her Majesty first visited the RSN in November 2017 with The Duchess of Gloucester. Her Majesty received a short tutorial in hand embroidery learning the traditional technique of Jacobean Crewelwork. The royal visitors met with staff, students and volunteers, and enjoyed a tour of the RSN’s Education Department, Embroidery Studio and the exhibition, ‘Embellishment in Fashion’.

We were delighted to welcome our Patron again in September 2019 and show a very special Blackwork portrait of Her Majesty. The embroidery was created by experts in our Embroidery Studio and took centre stage in a new exhibition at the time called ‘Faces & Figures in Stitch’. Her Majesty met with the expert RSN Studio embroiderers who created her portrait and students whose work was also on display.

The most recent visit was when Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the RSN in early 2023 to view the work the RSN was completing for the Coronation. The RSN worked on nine pieces for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, including the Robe of Estate for Her Majesty.

Read more about our work on the Coronation for King Charles and Queen Camilla

Watch an interview with RSN Head of Studio & Standards, Anne Butcher and RSN Studio Manager, Gemma Murray, about our work on Her Majesty’s Robe of Estate. 

The Royal School of Needlework was founded in 1872 and, persuaded by her daughter Princess Helena who was our first president, Queen Victoria became our first royal patron in 1875.

This time last year, the RSN’s Embroidery Studio had the honour of working on nine different pieces for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. We were also very privileged to welcome Their Majesties to the RSN to show many of the pieces being worked on and meet with our talented embroiderers and team of staff.

You can read about all the work we did in the newly added chapter of the updated ‘An Unbroken Thread: Celebrating 150 Years of the Royal School of Needlework,’ written by RSN Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay-Williams.

The book was first published to coincide with the RSN’s 150th anniversary, and this revised edition details the 2023 Coronation projects worked by the RSN – The King’s Robe of State, The Queen’s Robe of Estate, The Anointing Screen, The Stole Royal and Girdle, The Chairs of Estate and The Chairs of State.

The book also includes a foreword from our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Camilla, who wrote,

“…It is quite astonishing what can be achieved, and expressed, through the medium of hand sewing.

“I saw this for myself in May 2023, when a brilliant team of members did so much for the Coronation: conserving The King’s Robe of Estate, sewing the Anointing Screen and designing and hand embroidering my magnificent Robe of Estate, which features bees, butterflies, a beetle, a caterpillar and twenty-four different plants (including, appropriately for the RSN, Scabiosa – pincushion flowers).”

We are also now sharing a special video with Anne Butcher, RSN Head of Studio & Standards and Gemma Murray, RSN Studio Manager, who take you behind the scenes to talk about our work on this special robe. Watch the video.

Susan Kay-Williams comments:

“The RSN has a fascinating and turbulent history. Today it is stronger than ever with its broad teaching programmes from short courses to Degree level, an international reach and a wealth of highly trained professional embroiderers and tutors who can share their skills. Whether through teaching or working on a variety of projects from hangings featuring extinct flowers for an exhibition to coronation robes, the RSN team can always rise to the challenge.”

If you would like a copy of the updated book, please visit our website. The first 100 orders will receive a signed copy by the author, Dr Susan Kay-Williams.

Buy the Book

Watch the behind the scenes video about our work on Queen Camilla’s Robe of Estate.

Listen to the FiberTalk Podcast with Anne, Gemma and Susan, about the RSN Embroidery Studio coronation work.

 

If you are interested in the history of the RSN and its collection of commissions that span over 150 years, then you will be as excited as we are for the launch of a series of 15 kits created by the RSN Embroidery Studio.

The first four kits are available to purchase now from the RSN shop, and the remaining kits will be released during the next few months.

Each kit marks a decade since the founding of the Royal School of Needlework in 1872. The kit designs are inspired from pieces from the archives and have been developed in a range of techniques and levels for embroiderers to enjoy and learn.

Using the finest materials, the kits have been created and assembled by the RSN Studio at Hampton Court Palace, UK

RSN Studio: Plum Blossom Branch Silk Shading Embroidery Kit 1880’s

This beautiful design has been taken from an RSN archive piece, which would have originally been a four-panel screen. It is inspired by the Japonisme Revival that took place in the 1870s. Japonisme is a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art following the forced reopening of foreign trade with Japan in 1858.

Shop here

 

RSN Studio: Jacobean Crewelwork Kit 1930’s

This kit is inspired by a curtain or screen design that was originally produced during the 1930’s by the Royal School of Needlework Design Room. During this period there was a huge resurgence of interest in Jacobean. The design elements have been rearranged to fill a generous space which could be made into a cushion or mounted and framed as a picture.

Shop here

 

RSN Studio: Nature’s Bounty Embroidered Apron Kit 1960’s

This charming design of fruit and foliage was created by the Royal School of Needlework Paint Room in the 1960s for a handbag.

Reimagined by the Royal School of Needlework Studio, this is a perfect design for an apron, worked in a range of surface stitches.

Shop here

 

RSN Studio: The Nation’s Garden – Flower Emblems from the United Kingdom 1970’s

Inspired by a painted canvas designed to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 and originally produced by the Royal School of Needlework Paint Room. Hand painted canvases were very popular for many years and the RSN Embroidery Studio still produces them on commission. Most painted canvases would have been completed entirely in Tent Stitch.

In this kit, elements from the original design have been reworked into a combination of counted patterns and surface stitches, adding insects reminiscent of those included in the 2023 Coronation Robe of Her Majesty Queen Camilla.

Shop here

Shop the full range of RSN Embroidery kits here

To celebrate all the wonderful work that our Third Year Degree students have accomplished over the last three years, we would like to share with you some information, and a glimpse of their Major Projects, which will be on display at Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers in London in June.

Amelia Merrick

Amelia Merrick’s hand embroidery uses many illustrative qualities, which result in bold and impactful patterns. The stitches and techniques used for each piece are informed through in-depth research.

Her couture fashion collection, ‘Fragmented’, is influenced by the beauty and chaos of broken pottery, combined with the reviving and enhancing Japanese Kintsugi technique.

Follow Amelia on Instagram

 

Cathy MacDonald

Cathy MacDonald’s embroidery work focusses on the creation of calm and serene pieces that are inspired by architecture.  She takes the forms, shapes and textures of buildings and interprets them into understated, but luxurious art works for public and domestic interior spaces.

Her current work, ‘Calm Relief’ is an embroidered wall hanging inspired by the carvings of natural forms often found on 1930’s architecture.

Follow Cathy on Instagram

 

Denisa Manoila

Hand embroiderer Denisa Manoila is driven by her belief in female empowerment and passion for elegance. Her Romanian heritage is embedded within her designs.

‘Reflections of Vanity’, her current collection of body adornment pieces, explores such ideals through a luxurious composition of geometric mirror fragments surrounded by delicate silk shading and needle lace elements.

Follow Denisa on Instagram

 

Elissa Handbury-Madin

Elissa Handbury-Madin’s practice is centred around historical interest and antiques. Her embroidery often includes narrative that links to history whether it be social or family history.

Her current body of work, ‘The Knot Unites’, is inspired by one of her ancestors, Rupert Sims (1793-1856), who was a boxer in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Follow Elissa on Instagram

 

Elizabeth Connolly

Elizabeth Connolly’s hand embroidery uses recycled, plant based and renewable materials, including spinning her own threads.

‘Warwickshire Tales’ explores the use of natural threads and fibres influenced by the folklore and stories within her home county of Warwickshire.

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram

 

Fleur Webb

For as long as mixed media hand embroidery artist Fleur Webb can remember, her practice has had underlying elements of beauty, femininity and vulgarity. She delves into the contemporary and controversial with keen interest often conducting social commentary through her stitching.

The ‘Midnight Zone’, her most recent collection, reflects these ideals through exploring the unknown, fear and beauty of the deep-sea.

Follow Fleur on Instagram

 

Grace Richardson

Highlighting the reoccurring theme of humanity and the passing of time, Grace Richardson uses contemporary hand embroidery to interpret her own personal experiences. Human connection is an essential element of her practice, and her pieces aim to showcase the beauty of everyday life.

‘Vessels of Resurgence’ is a series of woven willow sculptures that celebrate the perseverance of life even after death and loss.

Follow Grace on Instagram

 

Ibtisam Echchafiki

Ibtisam Echchafiki’s creative direction is heavily inspired by her culture as a Moroccan living in London. She expresses her identity through abstract hand embroidery designs, which are embedded with meaning, memory and personal narrative.

Her collection ‘Mofitti’ is inspired by these two identities, taking the Mosaic tiles from Morocco and Graffiti from London.

Follow Ibtisam on Instagram

 

Imogen Campbell

Whilst music takes precedence in Imogen Campbell’s practice, hand embroidery is the means of expression. Imogen directs her emotions through a multi-sensory creative process caused by listening to music into drawings and embroidered art works as a method of non-verbal communication.

Her ‘Ground-Breaking Debut Album’ textile art pieces and guitar strap collection translate music into illustrative, rhythmic and colourful hand embroidery.

Follow Imogen on Instagram

 

 

Isabelle Rose Langton-Davies

Isabelle Rose Langton-Davies is a Welsh artist with a strong desire to explore her sense of place and, by extension, her sense of self throughout her hand embroidery.

‘Daughters of Flora’ is a collection that tells the story of the Witches of Wales through the lens of herbology, which evoke the memory of the Welsh women who came before her.

Follow Isabelle on Instagram

 

Kim Cotton

Using hand embroidery to challenge opinions and stimulate discussion, Kim Cotton creates art with purposefully integrated messages.

‘The Invisible Woman’ is inspired by society’s lack of recognition and support for female personnel in the modern UK Armed Forces and female veterans.

Follow Kim on Instagram

 

Maddie Smith

Maddie Smith is passionate about bringing hand embroidery to current society and for it to be recognised and respected as a contemporary craft.

‘Trance’ is a collection of club wear, inspired by her love for music, dance, raves and the culture surrounding it, exploring lighting, visual effects, music and dance through traditional hand embroidery techniques.

Follow Maddie on Instagram

 

Marceli Klimek

Marceli Klimek deconstructs cultural symbols and media through hand embroidery. Always researching alternative ways of conceptualising meaning within embroidery, he values the diverse experiences the craft has the potential to provide through interaction with music, cinema, and psychology.

‘Cuh Opilamonnia Rs’ is an exploration of interpersonal relationships through embroidery. Through this new piece, Marceli aims to demonstrate embroidery as a fine art, as well as its potential purpose within craft and society.

Follow Marceli on Instagram

 

Interested in seeing the beautiful graduate work in person? Come along to Graduate Fashion Week and New Designers in June to see the Major Projects up close, and to chat to our Degree Graduate Students about their work.

Follow the RSN Degree on Instagram

We are delighted to share that RSN Hand Embroidery Degree first year student Amelia Legg has won The Worshipful Company of Glovers annual student design glove competition, in the ‘Glasto Glove’ Category, with the brief to design a Glastonbury themed Glove for any music artist of their choice who has ever played at Glastonbury.

We would also like to congratulate the RSN Degree team, for winning the highest accolade, ‘The Silver Salver for the college making the greatest contribution to the competition’.

Amelia explains her work:

“My design is made of metallic leather, hand embroidery and beading; inspired by Lady Gaga’s performance of ‘Paparazzi’ at the Glastonbury Festival in 2009.

The sample consists of hand embroidery techniques, such as French knots, satin stitch, couching and turkey rug stitch.

The thinking behind beading was to create volume, composition and texture to uplift the sample and create a design which would initially indicate shards of mirror and glass.

I have upcycled a range of beads, which are divergent in size. I believe this sample represents Gaga’s personality.”

Follow Amelia on Instagram here

Interested in the exciting opportunities that a career in hand embroidery can lead to?

Learn more about the BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery Degree course taught at the Royal School of Needlework here and come along to one of our Onsite or Online Open Days soon.