The RSN Studio has the privilege of working on a great variety of projects; large, small, old or new there is always something fascinating to see. Our Embroidery Studio recently restored an altar frontal from St Mary’s Church in Oatlands, Weybridge. The piece was in remarkably good condition but sadly, despite careful storage and handling over the years, there was deterioration in some areas.

The beautiful design of wandering vines is worked in gold and silk threads with areas of applied fabrics. The gold is couched with a brightly coloured silk thread, which contrasts with the gold to create a stunning effect. As the stitches stand out against the gold they can be used to create a pattern that adds texture to the piece, this is called a Diaper pattern. This Or Nué technique has been used throughout the piece and it was these stitches that disintegrated leaving the gold unsecured in places. This is a common problem with pieces worked in silk.

When the altar frontal arrived in the Studio the first task was to identify areas that required attention. The fabric was quite stable, so we decided to dismantle the altar frontal as little as possible. The lining was removed and work commenced on re-securing the g old.

Image on left shows before work commenced. Image on right shows afterwards.

Next, we assembled materials, threads and equipment that were sympathetic to the piece, but would allow the repairs to be worked without distracting from the overall design or further damage to the piece.

Our Studio space has always needed to be dynamic in order for us to work jobs of various sizes, so the next step was to create space and a suitable working environment to accommodate the size and weight of the piece.  In order to maintain the integrity of the design it was important to work stitches carefully and accurately to secure the lifting threads. Often, with projects like this, it transpires that there is more deterioration than is initially identified.

During the project, members of the St Mary’s congregation joined us on a Stories in Stitch Talk & Tour and were able to witness the work for themselves. They were delighted to see part of the process and the piece being restored to its former glory.

Towards the end of November, the piece was returned to the church and on 1 January 2017 the altar frontal was rededicated in a special service which RSN Studio stitcher, Masako Newton, attended.

For more information on the RSN Embroidery Studio, click here or call +44(0)20 3166 6940.