Couching is laying a decorative thread along the surface of the fabric and attaching or oversewing with small stitches at regular intervals. Traditional couching techniques will be learnt first including turns, curves, corners and spirals, along with plunging of ends. The module will also include couching with alternative threads involving metal, plastic, and organic thread types from nature. International couching including Chinese embroidery with a continual couched thread, and a Celtic woven knot pattern. Ecclesiastical underside couching, basket weave over string padding, and Or Nué involving colour shading and blending, will also be featured.

‘Hand Embroidery: Skills and Studies’, is an e-certificated sampler-based course exploring, learning and developing stitch and embroidery techniques, whilst studying and researching traditional, historical, domestic, international and contemporary embroideries and textiles. The course was developed and taught by Tracy A Franklin, and piloted onsite from September 2024.

This is a visual, practical and modular based course, where each module is themed on technique, subject or design, and taught over 6 lessons either onsite, online, or as an intensive course. It is a sampler-based course where four, 2-inch or 5-centimetre squares will be worked each lesson, based on traditional, historical, domestic, international and contemporary study.

Each module has a similar format, and will produce 24 samples in total, which includes learning traditional methods and techniques, and experimenting with new approaches.  The outcome for each student is a personal body of work which can be used as an archive and reference, made into a cloth book, or mount into a body of work.

For more information on the Skills & Studies programme please click here.

You can explore many more stitches in the RSN Stitch Bank.