Today marked the end of a two-session class with the Royal School of Needlework, taught by the talented Amanda Raymel. The project, A Wheel of Blue Leaves, combines goldwork and surface embroidery to form a radiant, mandala-inspired design.
As you can see from the photo, my piece isn’t finished yet, and I’m not quite sure when or where it will be. It’s much like the Blackwork Tulips class I took back in February, also with Amanda. Some pieces simply take their time.
I’ve always believed in trying something before forming an opinion, something I touched on in a recent post. Having now dipped my needle into goldwork and surface embroidery, I can say: I like it. But I prefer it on a smaller scale.
Earlier this month, I took another RSN class with Becky Hogg, stitching a charming Strawberry design inspired by William Morris’s Strawberry Thief. That project felt just right in size and scope, enough to challenge me, but not overwhelm.
Still, my heart belongs to wool. Spinning, weaving, and most of all, crewel embroidery, it’s where I feel most at home. When I started the RSN Certificate & Diploma course, my tutor mentioned that many students avoid working with wool. I understand why, but I’m not one of them. I fell in love with wool embroidery last September, and I haven’t looked back since.
Will I return to goldwork or blackwork in the future? Absolutely. I plan to keep practicing with smaller pieces as I prepare for the goldwork and blackwork modules later in the C&D program.
For now, you’ll find me at my embroidery station, stitching away on my Jacobean module design, one wool thread at a time.