After what has been a very busy year, keep up to date with the RSN Embroidery Studio and see what they have been up to in recent months.

Decorex International 2023

In October the RSN Embroidery Studio team were once again in attendance at Decorex International, held at London Olympia.

This was the team’s fifth outing to the show, and it was lovely to meet so many different designers and artists from a wide range of creative industries, including Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen.

Our theme for the stand this year was inspired by the work the RSN Embroidery Studio had recently undertaken for Their Majesties Coronation.  A particular highlight for visitors to the show was being able to see up close our part-worked coronation sampler inspired by Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s Robe of Estate. The piece encapsulates all the flowers featured on Her Majesty’s robe and will be a valuable contribution to our archive and teaching resource for future generations here at the RSN.

In addition, there was a very special collaborative piece on display that was worked on in partnership with Nick Gutfreund, whom the RSN Embroidery Studio team had worked with earlier this year on the Anointing Screen for the Coronation. Designed and worked especially for the show, the embroidered canvas chair back was inspired by a piece from our design archive and was set onto a bespoke chair frame created by Nick. The top of the chair represented a roll of fabric and was the perfect match to the embroidery.

Drapers Hall event

At the end of October, the RSN Studio team were thrilled to host a special event in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Drapers in their livery hall in London.

The day began with a bespoke embroidery class led by RSN Tutor Sarah de Rousset-Hall. The students worked on a design of a dove created especially for the event, inspired by the symbolic motif on the Anointing Screen which the RSN Studio had produced earlier this year.

Later in the day, livery members from 88 different livery companies attended a presentation showcasing the various processes that went into producing this monumental piece. Guest speakers included Aidan Hart, who designed the screen; Pete Tarrant from Digitex, who machine-embroidered the main tree; Nick Gutfreund, the project lead and creator of the wooden framework; Tim Royall, who created the gold eagles which sat atop the screen; and David Roper from the Grenadier Guards, who coordinated the deployment of the screen. Our Head of Studio, Anne Butcher, and Studio Manager, Gemma Murray, represented the RSN Embroidery Studio team.

Following the presentation, Anne and Gemma, along with Masako Newton and Sarah, were able to meet with the members of each company and talk through their experience of working on the screen.

It was a wonderful event and a great opportunity to share some behind the scenes facts and figures.

Visit the RSN Embroidery Studio’s website to find out more about their work, from restoration and conservations to new bespoke commissions to be admired by generations to come.