My friend has written another article for the American Needlepoint Guild magazine, "Needle Pointers." This time she included six students from the Royal School of Needlework. The article is wonderful. She ask each of us questions about our projects, what was your challenge, what we learned, why we choose the picture.
My challenge was to make a round waterwheel on square needlepoint canvas. My tutor suggested queen stitch, my favorite stitch, so it was easy to remove parts of the stitch to make the curves. I learned two things that I could make a circle on canvas and make a reflection in the water. I choose the picture because it is the perfect picture to stitch for a memory of one of our favorite places.
Mine is the canvaswork project I did for my Certificate course at the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court Palace. The others were done in England and/or San Francisco, California. The courses are offered in San Francisco in the spring and the fall.
The waterwheel is located in Bayeux France near the Bayeux Tapestry. We visited France in the summer of 2008 when I was taking classes.
There are four Certificate courses Jacobean Crewel, Canvaswork or Blackwork, Silk Shading and Goldwork. Each course is 8 days of instruction and 3 days working our your own. The tutors are all trained at the Royal School of Needlework in England. When your project is completed the tutors do an assessment so you know how well you have done.
I am not an employee of the Royal School of Needlework and do not benefit from the school, but I do love taking the courses and learning.