The RSN Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery (C&D) has gone through a transformation over the last 12 months starting in April 2020 with online, one-to-one lessons, delivered by a small pool of RSN Tutors.  We did a number of trials, including a group of Australian students who tried an Online Intensive as they were not able to come to the UK for our Summer Intensives last year. Two of these students had already completed the Jacobean Crewelwork module and the other was studying the RSN Diploma. All went well and we learnt a huge amount about online teaching, which we have used to develop and tweak as we have continued to deliver.

The first module on the Certificate is Jacobean Crewelwork and teaching it online initially presented a challenge.  This module does not only cover many stitches but also framing up, design, the pricking and pouncing technique and then mounting the finished piece.  When teaching these techniques onsite, the RSN Tutors are able to feel the fabric tension and test the consistency of the paint for the design. Instead, they have had to think about descriptions and other ways of testing, such as comparing the tension to the sound of a tight drum.

These challenges meant that we had to really think about the techniques, how to deliver and assess, allowing more time for each of the new processes. The scheme of work was rewritten to allow more time making the module more structured and slightly longer than the onsite version. Once completed the students can return to the more flexible approach booking an online lesson when they need one.

At the end of January, we were delighted to virtually welcome three new groups to the C&D Jacobean Crewelwork module.  We taught the sessions across three different time zones, with students far and wide. We started each group with a welcome session with the RSN Tutor, Head of Education Anne Butcher and our Chief Executive Dr Susan Kay Williams, who had the challenge to give the history of the RSN, all 149 years in 15 minutes!  We have all watched the progress of these students with great interest. We have seen the end of the UK/Europe group followed by USA and Australia, and we are really looking forward to seeing the finished pieces arriving here at Hampton Court Palace for assessment.

The response for this module has been excellent and the students have all worked hard to achieve their pieces. Our Tutors have thought up different ways to deliver the necessary information, as well as assessing that the students are working correctly. The mobile phone app, WhatsApp, has proved to be an essential tool and there is no hiding any errors in the photos that can be sent this way!  In fact, we sometimes have to use an indicator of scale to help assess whether the gap that can be seen close up can be seen via the naked eye!

We are about to start six more groups at the beginning of May and have been packing up starter packs for the students.  These include frame, fabric and all necessary equipment needed for this technique and those that follow. We are offering the Jacobean Crewelwork module in two time zones and we have different Tutors who are all working closely with our trail blazers.

Already some of our completing students from the first groups are looking to book on to the C&D Online Summer Intensive 2021 in either Canvaswork or Blackwork.  One student is planning to attend our Summer Intensive at Hampton Court Palace in August.

We are really pleased that we have been able to offer our Certificate & Diploma course, giving students from all over the UK, and indeed the world, the chance to attend an RSN course without the expense of travel and accommodation.

To find out more, book onto our next C&D Virtual Open Day scheduled for Wednesday 2 June, 2021 at 5:30pm UK BST.

Images show set up of RSN Tutor and C&D Students; embroidery as seen on WhatsApp.