A Whimsical Month at the RSN ✨

Another month has floated by at the RSN — a blur of stitches, sketchbooks, and the occasional bleary-eyed commute. With classes five days a week, one day reserved for homework, and weekends spent working full shifts, my “me time” has mostly been reduced to stolen cups of tea and sleepy bus rides. But honestly? When you adore your course as much as I do, it feels more like being swept up in a creative current than being overwhelmed. I wouldn’t trade it.

Christmas Baubles and a Window Into History

We kicked off the month by finishing up some of our little projects — and some even ventured into the world on display!

During our first few days at RSN, we were given a sweet little challenge: hand-embroider Christmas baubles for the window at the legendary Lock & Co. Hatters in St James.
Yes — that Lock & Co., the oldest hat shop in the world, tracing its roots all the way back to 1662.

The theme this year was simple: red and gold, but the creative freedom? Entirely ours. Knowing our work would twinkle in the window of such a storied, historical establishment felt like being entrusted with a tiny piece of magic. We all stitched our hearts out.

Postcards from Home

Alongside our festive baubles, we also displayed our summer projects. Before term began, we were asked to create a “postcard from home” on — wait for it — an embroidered baseball cap. A wearable love letter to wherever we come from.

Among the sea of British landscapes and symbols were a few caps proudly representing faraway roots: Canada, the US, and Australia (mine, of course). Seeing them all lined up felt like being part of a beautifully eclectic, embroidered atlas..

Ink to Thread: Drawing for Design

This month we also wrapped up a section of our Drawing for Design project. After freehanding monochrome ink sketches (some of which I shared in my last blog), our task was to translate those dreamy, inky forms into large embroidery hoops — no tracing allowed.

Armed with black threads, cottons, yarns, fibres, and even wires, we stitched as freely as we had drawn. Trying to match the looseness of ink with the precision of thread was equal parts challenging and enchanting.

We've been dabbling in all sorts of unexpected materials — from water-soluble felt tip markers, crayons, pencils, inks, more inks, to multimedia elements (including bleach and salt!). These sessions have really pushed me to loosen up, creatively speaking, and embrace the beautifully weird. It’s been challenging to shake off the “but-is-this-right?” mindset, but watching how wildly different each student's piece turns out has been the best kind of eye-opener. We're not just learning embroidery here — we're slowly discovering who we are as artists.

A Kaleidoscope of Paper Petals

Next up: colour! Based on last month’s multimedia pieces, we created colourful 3Dpaper collages inspired by a brand-new palette.

We spent an entire day hand-painting sheets of paper in all sorts of hues, textures, and odd little patterns. Then came the tearing, cutting, arranging…

Well — the others tore loosely.
I tore every single petal to the exact size I wanted. Every. Single. One.

Naturally, my perfectionism meant my collage came home with me for extra attention. After finishing the paper piece, we then embellished it with playful stitches, adding texture and sparkle. I loved this project, even if it tested (and exposed) my inner perfectionist.

Threads of Obedience

We also handed in our first contextual embroidery assignment. Given an era between 1500 and the present, we had to choose a subject and present a ten-minute, fully referenced talk.

My period: 1650–1675
My topic: embroidery samplers
My angle: a feminine, critical exploration titled “Threads of Obedience: The Making of Marriageable Women.”

It was as fascinating as it was sobering to research — and I genuinely loved diving into it.

The Palace Prepares

As for the palace itself, it’s gently settling into winter. Halloween has faded into memory, and now the courtyards shimmer with golden baubles. Christmas music drifts through the air, soft and nostalgic, as twinkling trees glow in corners and windows.

It feels like the whole place is exhaling into the season — and I’m stitching right along with it.