Craft Focus - Apr/May (Issue 66)

Can you tell us a little about the school’s history? The Royal School of Needlework was founded in 1872 with two key principles: to revive a beautiful art form which had fallen into disuse and to provide employment for educated women who, without suitable livelihood, would otherwise find themselves compelled to live in poverty. The RSN began operating in a small room above a bonnet shop in Sloane Street. By 1903 we were able to open a purpose-built centre on Exhibition Road, employing around 150 workers. We moved to Hampton Court Palace in 1987 and now teach more than 1,500 students around the UK and internationally every year. What type of courses does the school offer? The RSN offers a range of courses from beginner through to advanced levels. Students can choose to study day classes, a Certificate and Diploma in Technical Hand Embroidery or BA (Hons) Hand Embroidery for Fashion, Interiors and Textile Art. This course is validated by the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) and is the only degree in hand embroidery in Europe. The programme features live projects with fashion houses, designers and galleries. There is also our Future Tutors programme, which trains teachers for the next generation. It is a three-year full-time course at Hampton Court Palace, and includes a City & Guilds Level 3 qualification. No previous experience is necessary; students just need creativity, application and plenty of enthusiasm! One of the most high-profile projects in recent years was the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge – it must have been an enormous honour. What challenges did the commission pose? It was a privilege to be asked to work on this unique and high profile royal commission. Due to the size of the project, we called upon our bank of highly-skilled embroiderers including RSN Studio stitchers, former staff, tutors, graduates and advanced students on both the diploma and degree courses. For any large commission, we have many people working at the same time, particularly if there is a deadline. One of the hallmarks of RSN is that our embroiderers can stitch collectively on a project yet it looks like the work of one person. All our stitchers are trained in the same way, so when one person gets up, another can take over and the work will look the same. We say ‘never shall a seat go cold’. As we were producing fine whitework, stitchers needed to wash their hands every 30 minutes to ensure the lace and threads remained pristine. Needles were renewed every three hours and only short lengths of thread were used, each no longer than 30cm. To maintain an even appearance, there were no securing knots; it was important that the back of the work looked as neat as the front. The school also worked on a project to mark the launch of Game of Thrones season five – what did this involve? The RSN helped to create an epic 6m x 4m depiction of one of the most intense battle scenes in TV history – the massacre at Hardhome. Working with a wide range of textile and mixed media materials, this unusual piece of art featured intricate skills including appliqué, raised embroidery and beading. We also used custom-made fabrics to add depth, texture and gravitas. The work was a collaborative project with The Dr Susan Kay-Williams, chief executive of the Royal School of Needlework, takes us behind the scenes at the historic college uncommon threads Hugo Burnand 76 craft focus