Our next exhibition, Stitch is International, will open at Hampton Court Palace on 29 April.   Celebrating stitch around the world, this latest display will feature pieces from the RSN’s unique Textiles Collection.

Showcasing a rich range of embellished objects, the exhibition includes textiles from Europe, Turkey, the Arab world, Indian sub-continent, China, Japan, North and South America.  Embroidery is an art form which has been used by people from different times and in many different places, including as expressions of high art, folk art and cultural identity.  From Guatemalan Huipil designs and a Japanese kimono to Turkish towels and Indian Goldwork, Stitch is International will be a diverse display of stitches, colours, textures and fashions.

Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework said: “This exhibition will demonstrate the shared aspects of embroidery: the same stitches worked in different countries and in different patterns, but all part of a shared experience of embellishment. It may also help us highlight stitches which have become lost or forgotten when they fall out of use.  Teaching the diversity of needlework to new generations is at the heart of our core purpose.  We hope that the exhibition may even trigger the introduction of forgotten stitches to the RSN Stitch Bank – the new world directory resource of stitch we are currently compiling online.  The RSN Stitch Bank will include video, written instructions, illustrations and photographs of each stitch, making it an invaluable source of information for all stitchers across the continents.”

Tours start from £16 per person.  There are different Tour options including, Talk & Tour, Curator’s Tour, Tour & Taster embroidery workshop and Family Stitch Workshop.  Group Tours are also available.  To book visit the website or email: [email protected].  The exhibition is in the RSN’s Embroidery Studios at Hampton Court Palace and only open on set days, so pre-booking is essential.  The exhibition runs until 2 December 2020.

If you can’t wait to visit us, book onto our current exhibition ‘Faces & Figures in Stitch’ which includes a Blackwork portrait of our patron, The Duchess of Cornwall.