Tales of Textiles Exhibition Opening Soon
29th August, 2024
‘Tales of Textiles: The RSN Collection in Focus’ highlights the life of key pieces from the RSN Collection & Archive featuring many of the first 100 objects to be digitised and catalogued. Objects on display span three centuries and tell a story of wear and use, protection and care, tradition and innovation, and stitchers domestic and professional.
The exhibition runs from 25 September to 14 June 2025. Due to popular demand, all of our tour dates have now been released. Our Talks with a Private View are held on selected days each month and provide an opportunity to see rare objects up close and hear their stories. For groups we offer one exclusive Group Talk & Private View each month, so book now!
Tales of Textiles Experience Class
Join us for one of three RSN exclusive historical stitch hand embroidery classes inspired by a 1650s silk panel on display at our new Tales of Textiles exhibition. Your day will include a private highlights tour of the exhibition with RSN Curator, Dr Isabella Rosner.
The silk panel which inspired this class would have originally belonged to a small casket. Embroidered casket panels were often made by teenaged girls as part of their education in mid to late seventeenth-century England.
RSN Tutor, Helen Jones, will teach you how to stitch this beautiful motif using a range of historical stitches. The delicate flower motif is worked in 17th century style Long and Short Stitch which is less structured than today’s version. Other stitches include Laid work, French Knots, Stem, Fly and Feather. It also incorporates silk wrapped purls.
