The Royal School of Needlework : taking a Goldwork course

Earlier this year I celebrated a special birthday and my kids bought me the most fabulous gift - a day course at the Royal School of Needlework. I was thrilled to bits and very excited as it was an ‘Introduction to Goldwork’. This is something I had long been wanting to do and especially after watching the Coronation and seen all the incredible gold embroidery that the RSN had stitched for the new King and Queen. In all the pageantry and excitement of the day, it was easy to miss, but seriously the amount of work that was done by the RSN seemed staggering. A couple of weeks ago I had listened to an online talk all about it and was so impressed with not just the volume and quality of what was achieved but the teamwork and modesty of those involved. The cloak that Queen Camilla wore as she left Westminster Abbey was just so beautiful and we only caught a glimpse of it. Laden with floral motifs worked in gold threads it was spectacular.

Anyhow, I was thrilled (and a little nervous) to be going on this course. First of all, the Royal School of Needlework is in part of the splendid Hampton Court Palace situated on the River Thames, just outside London. Last Saturday, I headed to the palace on a late May day in the sunshine and there is no better place to put you in the right frame of mind for working with gold, it is just a theatrical masterpiece of majesty. You do sort of expect Henry VIII to wander around the corner at any moment. Although it hasn’t been used by the Royal Family for many years, if you watched Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, you will have seen many views of this wonderful palace. The RSN has occupied rooms there since 1987 and I had been once before, about 18 years ago to do a short course in whitework embroidery. The rooms evoke a sense of faded splendour which is just perfect for inspiring traditional and historical stitching.

There was no need didn’t to bring anything (except a picnic lunch), everything was prepared for the class of 12. A hoop on a stand (this was new to me and might have to be a purchase soon) with a square of grey shot silk backed with calico was already framed up with the motif outlined in gold gel pen. There was a kit box with all the supplies and instructions for embroidering the piece. It looks simple doesn’t it?….

Well, all I have to say is that I think I am reasonably good at embroidery, but I am awfully glad that I was on the beginners course. Goldwork is quite a different form of embroidery to anything I had every done before. The threads are expensive and delicate and the design largely involved ‘couching’ the layers of these different threads on the silk. With names like ‘Japanese’, ‘Rococo’, ‘Gilt Twist’, ‘Pearl Purl’ and ‘Gilt Bright’ there was quite a variety of these beautiful threads to work with and they are as exotic as they sound. You use fine Gutermann thread to hold these in place and you do need nimble fingers that are able to cope with tiny stitches. I did use a magnifying glass in places but I was amazed at how delicate and striking the little paisley motif looked as we added the rings of different golden threads around it.

It was so much fun to learn about this technique and the ‘plunging’ of the gold threads was especially satisfying. Adding the spangles and teeny tiny rings cut from the ‘Gilt bright’ was interesting too as whenever I have stitched sequins on things before I have had had 3 threads showing around the ring, here there were none.

The class was relaxed and fun and the ladies participating had come from all over the world. The tutor and assistant tutor were patient and precise and on hand constantly to help with issues and questions. It wasn’t intimidating at all, even if it was a little challenging for me (which is a good thing) and actually I would love to take further classes to work on some more Goldwork projects. In the lunch hour, we were able to visit the RSN shop, which was a real treat. I came away laden with goodies….

It is a wonderful little haven of all things embroidery, and although it is all available on line - there is nothing like being there to explore all the wonderful publications and kits. When we returned to class, we continued with the lesson and the time just flew by. We weren’t able to complete the motif in the class but acquired enough knowledge from the tutor to be able to finish it up at home and that is exactly what I did. I have never been one to have a lot of UFO’s lying around, but in this case especially I wanted to be sure I could remember the processes. Once it was finished I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it.

During the class I had noticed that the tutor had a fabric needle book loaded with different types of needles. I have never been very well informed about needles and tend to just pick up whatever looks appropriate from my pincushions - here I understood that this most important tool (only tool really) in fine needlework should be treated with respect and knowledge.

So I thought I would use my completed panel of Goldwork to make up into a needle book. First of all I added a few words for the cover. You can do this very effectively by printing off the words you want in a clear font (I always use ‘american typewriter). Trace them on to some Solvy dissolvable plastic film with a biro and pin to the fabric. Stitch through the film and the fabric to embroider the letters. Trim away as much excess film as you can and then simply run it under the tap and the remaining film will dissolve. It works so well and makes the process a lot less daunting. I chose to embroider my words in gold thread, which makes it a little difficult to see in the photos, but in reality it is subtle and a pretty top and tail to the gold in the paisley motif.

To make up the book, I rummaged around in my stash and found a piece of red shot silk for the back cover and a perfect piece of paisley for the lining. Using felt for the needle pages and it was easy enough to construct.

I know this embroidery is a bit delicate to use for a utility project, but I figure that I can sit happily on my sewing table with no need to travel and look very splendid indeed. A daily reminder of a birthday gift from my kids and a fantastic day at the Royal School of Needlework and now something useful too.

The silk and gold thread give it a luxurious feel and maybe a very Victorian look - I could imagine a lady at court having such a needle book beside her work box! It will also serve as a daily reminder that embroidery is a slow art to be carefully considered, planned and worked so that it can bring joy for many years to come.

I have already read quite a lot of the book I bought ‘An Unbroken Thread’ which is a history of the Royal School of Needlework. It is a fascinating story and at times, over it’s 150 year history, the thread has been very frayed indeed. Even though it was founded with the patronage of Princess Helena - Queen Victoria's daughter and has had continued Royal support ever since, it has often been threatened with homelessness and lack of funds. I am amazed at how hard it has been to keep it afloat, given that the work they do for events like the Coronation, or for example the fine embroidered curtains at the Royal Opera House seem to give it ‘national treasure status’. We were also shown samples from the other classes that they offer and I have to say that they all look amazing. This is valuable craft, taught and practiced by dedicated staff and I hope it will long continue to be there as a resource for everyone to use. Do follow the link at the end of this post to visit their website and read more about the magical world of stitching that goes on at Hampton Court.

Meanwhile, I am thrilled with my needle book and did you know that Hans Christian Andersen wrote a charming little story about a darning needle…..?

I am thinking that my darning needles think themselves very fine indeed tucked up in this glorious gold work needle book….

To go to the RSN website, click here. They have a fantastic range of online courses and talks, day courses and a link to the RSN shop.