Join us for an exciting new addition to our SNAD program! Online lectures will now be offered monthly through Webinar, featuring experienced stitchers and historians on the subjects of embroidery and other fiber arts. Each month SNAD will have available two separate special guest events for registration; where our speakers will give an insight into their favorite subjects on a fascinating fiber topic.
April 17, 2021: Dr. Christine Millar, who is better known by the handle of Sewstine on social media, is a costume maker who focuses on creating historically inspired garments. Christine plans out her elaborate gowns and jackets with a particularly exquisite attention to detail. Primarily by examining extant garments in museum collections from the 18th and 19th century, Christine then creates digital patterns using modern embroidery machine technology, along with sampling her materials. From there the final garment can be fully realized. Register here.
April 28, 2021: Lynn Hulse. Former Archivist at the Royal School of Needlework and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Lynn Hulse is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. She is also co-founder of Ornamental Embroidery, which specializes in the teaching and designing of historic hand stitch, and runs workshops in museums, art galleries and historic houses. Register here.
May 15, 2021: K. Andrea Rusnock, professor of art history, will discuss Russian embroidery at the end of the Imperial period, when middle-class women increasingly created their own needlework, aided by a proliferation in pattern books, and, at the same time, there was a renewed interest in folk embroidery. Register here.
May 26, 2021: Shannon Downey, also known as Badass Cross Stitch is an artist, activist, craftivist, community builder, and general instigator. She blends her politics, activism, and art into projects that are designed to inspire others to take action, think, discuss, engage with democracy and their community, and find some digital/analog balance. She uses art as a vehicle for positive change through creative interventions whether that be through open-source street art campaigns or global craftivism projects. Register here.
June 9th, 2021: Kate Cross, is the author of “RSN Appliqué” – a techniques manual, and also the author of “Projects and Pure Inspiration” (2016). She completed her RSN Apprenticeship with Distinction after gaining a degree in Art for Public Space where she specialized in Stained Glass. As part of her passion for teaching she also went on to complete a PGCE in education. Register here.
June 23, 2021: Elizabeth Elvin, former principal of the Royal School of Needlework, began her career with them in 1961, starting in the Kensington workrooms for hands on training. It was also during this time that Elizabeth attended Goldsmiths College, studying under the famed embroiderer Constance Howard and going on to study with another renowned embroiderer Beryl Dean at Hammersmith College of Art. Register here.
August 4, 2021: The Bargello Sisters. Laura Angell is a Visual Artist born in England and based in Galway Ireland. She has a first class honors degree in Fine Art. Her work has been exhibited in the UK , Ireland and across Europe and several of her works are held in both government collections and private collections. Lynsey Angell, the second half of the Bargello Sisters is a crafter, maker, writer and textile artist based in the north of England. From a cross section of skills Lynsey has concentrated on Bargello for the last 3 years always with the ambition of making bigger, brighter and more dramatic pieces. Register here.
August 18, 2021: Duwenavue Santé Johnson, is a Philadelphia and San Francisco based artist. Through a long art journey, she has become an accomplished hand embroider and contemporary artist while not limiting herself to any one medium in her growth. She is a self-starter with a passion for learning, travel and nature. Her work is influenced by world travels and draws from the colors, patterns and textures of nature. She incorporates many styles of painting and textile work from formal education guidance to being influenced by Southeast Asian, African, European and American arts. Most of her time has been spent absorbing history and all forms of art and textiles which energizes creativity. Register here.
September 18, 2021: Liz Trenow, is the author of eight best-selling novels, several of which have been inspired by her silk heritage, including The Forgotten Seamstress a NY Times and USA Today best seller, The Hidden Thread and The Last Telegram. Her work has been translated into many languages. She lives in Essex, England, with her artist husband, and has two daughters and three grandchildren. Register here.
September 22, 2021: Mary Corbet, owner and operator of the wonderful online resource: Needle 'n Thread will dive into the creation of this incredible website and brand. When Mary finished her BA, she began teaching high school English. Eventually, Mary picked up her post graduate studies again, and finished her post grad work, she then became a college professor, teaching teachers how to teach. After 18 years in the academic world, five of which were simultaneously spent building Needle ‘n Thread, it became clear that Mary could not give 100% to her professional career and to Needle ‘n Thread. Register Here
October 6, 2021: Jenny Aidn-Christie, originally from Derbyshire, England has been practicing her love of embroidery since childhood. She learned from her family an inherent passion for a broad range of craft skills. For her career Jenny trained as a professional embroiderer on the prestigious three year Apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, at Hampton Court Palace. She graduated with distinction in 1999, winning the school’s prizes for silk shading and Coronation Gold work. Following this intensive training, Jenny remained at the RSN to work full time for a further ten years, as a member of the teaching team and commercial Studio staff, and became Assistant Head of Studio. Register here.
November 10, 2021: Hugh Belsey, a graduate of the Universities of Manchester and Birmingham, is an experienced lecturer in Europe, Australia and the United States. For twenty-three years he curated Gainsborough’s House in the UK where he formed one of the largest collections of the artist’s work. He has taught at the Universities of Melbourne and Buckingham and curated many exhibitions. Register here.
December 1, 2021: Dr. Jessica Grimm studied archaeology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework. Combining her academic and hands-on skills, she researches and recreates medieval gold work embroidery. Currently, Jessica compiles a database of all medieval gold work embroidery from Europe. Register here.
December 15, 2021: Jen Goodwin Graduated from the Royal School of Needlework's apprenticeship scheme in 2003 after 3 years of intensive training in all aspects of traditional hand embroidery. In the years to follow, starting with a small range of embroidery kits alongside occasional workshop tuition. Jen Goodwin Embroidery was born. After spending time in the RSN studio working on the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge, Jen found herself wanting to get back into stitching more ambitious projects. From there, thinking of stitching everyday was just the last push Jen needed to begin working in embroidery full time. Register here.
January 8, 2022: For Pleasure and Ornament- A Retrospective of the Career of Nicola Jarvis
Embroidery artist Nicola Jarvis is widely known in the global stitching community for her beautiful embroidery kit projects. She operates her art practice, embroidery design and teaching business from her studio space on the outskirts of Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. Register here.
February 16, 2022: UK based textile artist Anne Kelly is an award-winning artist, author and tutor. Her multi-layered and densely stitched textiles have been described as ‘small worlds’. Anne was Trained in Canada and at Goldsmiths College in London, and creates wall hangings and objects using a mixture of mixed media collage and hand and machine embroidery. Her inspirations are taken from travel, memory, nature and especially folk art. Anne will present her "Well Traveled " Exhibition and discuss her creative process, and insights, along with the inspirations of this show.
Register here.
March 2, 2022: Tanya Bentham on Medieval Embroidery and the Creation of Opus Anglicanum.
Tanya Bentham was born and brought up in the north east of England. Tanya is a self taught embroidery artist who focuses her interest on historical works, and the author of Opus Anglicanum. Tanya first picked up a needle to decorate a reenactment costume, and began blogging the process of making. Tanya’s obsession revolves around medieval marginalia as well as the Luttrell psalter. Tanya is currently working on a series of wall hangings based on it and has progressed to the 4th in the series.
Register here.
April 20, 2022: Barbara Hutson is an independent needlework researcher, author, and owner of Queenstown Sampler Designs. She has published articles about historic samplers in Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly and The Gift of Stitching. Barbara is the co-author of the section on Chester County Connections in the 2014 catalog Wrought with Careful Hand: Ties of Kinship on Delaware Samplers, Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, Delaware. Barbara has worked with numerous American museums and sampler scholars, helping them identify samplers in their collections. Register here.