By Nancy Williams

It doesn’t seem that long ago when Nicola Jarvis convinced me to enrol for the Certificate Course at The Royal School of Needlework in London. While taking her class at the needlework convention ‘Beating Around the Bush’ in 2018, Nicola enthusiastically assured me it would be one of the best things I could do for my career, and more importantly, that I would absolutely love it. I got home that night, booked my place and started saving for the airfare. The months passed quickly and before long, June arrived and I was on my way.

Most readers will probably be familiar with the Royal School of Needlework, or RSN for short. It started life as The School of Art Needlework in 1872, being granted Royal patronage three years later. Right from its inception, its purpose was to revive the art of needlework and provide employment for educated women who might otherwise find themselves in poverty.

With such hallowed beginnings, I couldn’t help but be excited when I arrived at Hampton Court Palace in the UK on a beautiful summer’s day at the end of June. The students waiting with me were from every part of the globe, and we soon separated into groups and were introduced to our tutors.

I was under the expert guidance of Helen Jones and Chrissy Mann, the latter whom many of you will know as the winner of the Raised Embroidery section of the Stitch Your Heart Out needlework competition in 2018. After climbing a set of ancient stairs, we arrived at the room which would be our studio for the following two weeks, and our journey began.

Although I was confident with the techniques of crewel embroidery, there was a great deal to learn in the design and preparation process which was new to me. The first couple of days were filled with coloured pencils, stitch plans and learning the intricacies of lacing linen twill on to a slate frame and transferring our designs by the prick and pounce technique. It was only then that we picked up our needles to begin.

The stitching was intense – non-stop from 9.00 till 5.00 each day and then homework in the evening. We were instructed not to unpick, and with the time pressure it was good advice. There was a moment early in the second week when Helen looked at me seriously and asked if I had a back-up plan in case I didn’t finish. “I’ll finish” I said with determination, and I did. But I wasn’t the only student who had a lot of late nights.

When our stitching was finally complete, we learnt to mount our work and handed it in, bringing to an end my first ever visit to the RSN.

I was very sad to say goodbye to my tutors, classmates and the School itself. But already I’m excited about returning next year to do my next module. As for how I did? Well, I have to wait until September until I find out, but the truth is, I don’t really mind. I was thrilled with my piece, and I loved every second of the experience at the RSN. 2020, here I come.

If Nancy’s story about her RSN journey has inspired you, now is a great time to start your own RSN journey, and it may be easier than you think!

The Royal School of Needlework teaches across 5 locations in the UK, including the magnificent Hampton Court Palace and internationally in the USA and Japan.

Day Classes
A one-day class is the perfect way to start your journey with the Royal School of Needlework. They hold over 150 classes each year offering many different designs and for all levels from beginners to advanced. So, whether you’re a local or visiting from afar, clear a day in your calendar to stitch with the RSN.

Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery
For those looking to take their needlework journey to the next level, the RSN’s Certificate & Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery is for you. This a flexible course that enables students to reach the highest standards of this long-standing tradition. There are also Intensive Courses which are perfect for international students.

To learn more about learning more, check out the RSN website royal-needlework.org.uk or email them HERE

Bee’s are a hot topic of discussion right now as their numbers globally have diminished significantly in recent years. Where perhaps we once only thought of bees as something to avoid for fear of being stung, now there is a whole movement to save and replenish them due to the vital role they play in our food chain.

When fashion required them to wear long, heavy skirts, their essentials were carried in pockets hidden in the folds of their voluminous dresses.

This is how they mockingly became known as ‘ridicules’, a term Charles Dickens unashamedly used in Oliver Twist. Mock they might, but the practice of carrying that handy little bag didn’t go away and now remains an indispensable part of almost every woman’s wardrobe. The history of the reticule helps contextualise the delightful pouch designed by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #103. In Betsy’s characteristic fashion, this little purse is brimming with detail and delicate touches.

Created with the experienced counted embroiderer in mind, Betsy has modelled her design on an antique sampler from Pachuca, Mexico worked in 1844. By combining the colour and pattern of nineteenth century Mexico in an item synonymous with Victorian England, Betsy has created a wonderfully unique project which will bring hours of pleasure.

Betsy’s reticule could never receive Dickens’ mocking moniker as it is so delicate and just the right size to fit the handmade sewing accessories which accompany it. Betsy has included a ruler, a handmade bobbin to wrap your spare thread and a scissor fob, all in the same colour scheme and coordinating perfectly with sampler-like design.

It almost goes without saying but the secret to success in this project is count, count and count again. If you find yourself out by a thread or two, as hard as it might be, it is worth unpicking (or reverse stitching as we affectionately call it) and doing it again. Symmetry is so important in the final effect of this piece so take your time and enjoy every stitch.

‘Anne Shields is a member of our local Northumberland Hills Stitchery Guild here in Cobourg, Ontario and has done miles and miles of smocking! Her dresses, which are always accompanied by either petticoats, jackets or bloomers are just lovely.’

‘This is my Hardanger cloth in progress and it has a story and a half to it! It’s been on the go on and off for around four years. Although I had a pattern for it, the size of even weave fabric in the UK is smaller than in US, so I had to redraw the pattern to fit.

‘I was doing a lot of experimental needlepoint with different threads and stitches and as that is where my true love is, I eventually branched out into creating charted canvas work designs.