Future Tutor Student, Eve Commander, originally from Birmingham, started the course in September 2022 and moved from Manchester. The RSN’s Future Tutors Programme is a three year full time course specifically designed for those wanting a career in teaching hand embroidery to the highest technical level, and based at Hampton Court Palace.

Eve says, “I’ve had a few job changes, but it was when I was working for the Police that I decided to enrol on the RSN Certificate in Technical Hand Embroidery Course, which fed my creative passion and kept me busy. I’ve always enjoyed embroidery and throughout my life, I have stitched things for friends and family. I like crafting and have spent most of my spare time on art courses, from painting, to glass fusing and printmaking!

When I saw the RSN Future Tutors Programme, I thought it would be an amazing chance to do something I enjoy and to share this with other people. In our first term of the Future Tutors Programme, we covered Jacobean Crewelwork, Canvaswork and Silk Shading. I’ve enjoyed the variety of stitches involved in Crewelwork, which makes it a good technique for learning, as well as being able to generate my own design for it. As a History Graduate, I also like learning about the history surrounding the different techniques, the traditional motifs and their origins from a range of cultural backgrounds.

I really enjoyed assisting at The Knitting & Stitching Show, London, helping with the workshop and encouraging visitors to get involved with stitching a motif celebrating the RSN’s 150th anniversary. I look forward to being involved in more projects, particularly looking at historical objects as well as new commissions.

When I graduate, I would like to teach classes, to encourage a wider range of people to take up stitching…but I’m keeping an open mind! I would like to design kits and I’m also interested in conservation and restoration work.

My Top Tip to readers would be to wear (some form of) thimble and to use hand cream! I didn’t do either at the beginning of the course and my hands were the worse for wear after the first month or so of intensive stitching on the Future Tutors Programme!”

We wish Eve the best of luck with her studies and look forward to sharing more of her work with you.

You can follow Eve on Instagram.