Gold Work - Diploma Class at the RSN

I just returned home from San Francisco, California where I took my first Diploma Class as the Royal School of Needlework. My tutor was Elizabeth Elvin, you can read about her here http://www.royal-needlework.org.uk/Elizabeth_Elvin.html She is an excellent tutor and we had a wonderful group of ladies. Our class had four students, two taking the gold work Certificate Class and two taking the Diploma Class. The projects were all very different and all were lovely!


I usually post a picture of my finished projects, thought I would do something a little different this time.

This a is picture after a couple days of work, framing up on my slate frame, painting the design on the silk fabric and the beginning of the padding before adding the gold.

Have you ever seen the back of a gold work project? This is a mess, but I think it is interesting to see the mess and appreciate the front. All of the ends of the gold have to be plunged with a large needle, this can take hours.

The basket is padded with carpet felt, craft felt and string and then the gold is couched down on top. The edge of the basket is padded with soft string and satin stitch, cut work on top. The pea pod is kid leather. The pumpkin is Or Nue, Japanese gold couched down with different colors of floss, this took a day and half to complete. The leaf in the middle is stumpwork, silk fabric with a wire around the edge. The corn is beads with plate for the husk.

And finally the finished project all framed. I am very happy with my project. The tutors assessed it before I flew home so I could bring it home with me and not have to have it shipped, I haven't got my score yet!

If you are interested in taking classes at the Royal School of Needlework, check out their website for classes and dates: http://www.royal-needlework.org.uk/