Royal School of Needlework - Certificate and Diploma
In January 2023 I decided to enrol at the Royal School of Needlework to study for their Certificate and then Diploma in technical hand embroidery. The Certificate includes 4 modules - Jacobean Crewelwork, Canvaswork, Silk Shading and Goldwork. Since the pandemic it has been possible to study by Zoom and that is what I am currently doing.
Module 1 - Jacobean Crewelwork
My first challenge was to come up with my own original design based on traditional Jacobean designs, which often include a Tree of Life and one or more animals or insects. Tendrils are also a common feature. The images do not have to be to scale and are often exaggerated for effect. Once my design had been agreed, I worked on stitch and colour plans before finally starting the actual embroidery, which is worked on linen twill with Appleton's crewel wools. The work was done on a slate frame. There are two main colourways in different shades, with a couple of accent shades (in my case red & pink). I have used over 20 stitches in this work (some are obligatory), including trellis work, block shading, burden stitch, raised stem band, padded satin stitch, satin stitch raised chain band, buttonhole stitch, long & short stitch, bullion knots, cretan stitch, fly stitch, feather stitch, vandyke stitch, laid work, French knots, seeding, feather stitch, whipped & woven wheels & stem stitch. Once stitched, I mounted the work onto a board before sending it to the RSN for assessment.
Module 2 - Canvas Stitches
I began this module in May 2023 with canvaswork being more or less a new technique for me, The first task was to choose an image (A5) to copy and I decided to use a painting by my late mother of Gothenburg harbour (the painting is much bigger!). It's then about putting together a stitch plan, which can be quite challenging if you don't know canvas stitches. So I set about working a sampler of 36 different stitches using a large variety of threads, also experimenting with shading. Unlike many other types of embroidery, the foreground is worked first so I started with the boats and then moved on to the water and the pier. After working the smaller boat, I stitched the water in the background using a variation of Florentine Stitch and after working on the buildings, I finished the sky in a Milanese stitch. The rigging on the boats was stitched in afterwards.
Module 3 - Silk Shading For this module, it is obligatory to choose either a flower head or fruit to embroider, and so I chose this pink magnolia as my subject. I started the module in January 2024 and after choosing my threads, I made colour and pencil drawings of the subject and also sampled the colour shades. I applied silk to a calico background and transferred the design to the silk using the prick & pounce method painted on with watercolour paint. I used one strand of DMC thread with a no. 12 crewel needle. The stitch is long and short stitch, except for the centre, where I have mainly used bullion knots. I have now completed the embroidery, mounted it and sent it off for assessment.
Module 4 - Goldwork The design for this module is based on a Wattled Crane that we observed in Africa with 'imagined' wings! I started the embroidery in September 2024 - again it is worked on silk with a calico background and watercolour paint is used to paint on the design. Layers of felt and soft string have been applied to selected areas. Japanese gold thread is stitched in pairs and this has been applied on some of the felted areas, as well as directly onto the fabric in one area. There are other areas of mixed couching - that means a combination of rococo, twist and Japanese threads. They are couched down in pairs in a 'brick' pattern. There are a number of outlines worked in couched pearl purl wire (which has to be very slightly stretched to allow the thread to go down in-between the 'pearls'), and some of these have been filled with 'chipping' - that is tiny pieces of bright check thread, which is hollow, and cut into square shapes, then applied in random directions. The next part will be to cover all the soft string and remaining felt areas with cut smooth pearl and bright check.