About

Join the Royal School of Needlework at Sotheby’s for day of workshops and handling sessions on the 16th May.

Hand Embroidery Class

Saturday 16 May
10.30am-1pm

Spend your morning learning how to embroider with the Royal School of Needlework at Sotheby’s on New Bond Street. In this workshop, you will embroider a motif inspired by a stunning 20th-century suzani in the Royal School of Needlework’s Collection. A suzani is a decorative, embroidered textile that originated with nomadic tribes in Central Asia, and the word ‘suzani’ comes from the Persian word suzan, which means ‘needle’. In this workshop you will learn a variety of international embroidery stitches, such as Bokhara couching, originating from northern Germany, and Romanian couching, widely used in Central Europe. The design is edged with chain stitch, a versatile stitch used all over the world and found in ancient textiles from China to Egypt. The stitches all come together on the red shot silk to result in a vibrant motif. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced stitcher, this workshop provides a chance to learn from an expert RSN Tutor in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Handling Textiles with the Royal School of Needlework
Saturday 16 May
2pm-2.45pm and 3.30-4.15pm

In these sessions you will get up close and personal with a variety of historical textiles from the Royal School of Needlework’s Handling Collection. These embroideries, which span centuries and continents, are used by the RSN’s students to understand how embroidery is made and used. Session attendees will get to handle these textiles, learning how to study these objects and getting hands-on experience with textiles usually behind glass.