On Sunday, December 17, 2023 1PM Eastern, Lynn Hulse will be joining us for a virtual lecture on Reviving the art of embroidery: Lady Victoria Welby and the founding of the Royal School of Needlework, 1872-1881.
Registration for this live lecture is now open to EGA members and closes on December 15, 2023 at 1PM Eastern. This registration period is only to attend the live virtual lecture on Sunday, December 17, 2023 1PM Eastern as there will not be a recording of this lecture.
Lynn Hulse explores the early history of the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) through the lens of its founder, Lady Victoria Welby (1837-1912). Welby is better known today as a philosopher of language, but during her lifetime she was credited with reviving the art of embroidery, brought into disrepute by the ‘uselessness and ugliness’ of Berlin work, the most popular type of fancy work in the early Victorian period. Founded in 1872, the RSN, or School of Art Needlework as it was originally named, set about restoring embroidery for house decoration to the level of the other decorative arts, and through its revival, provided suitable employment for distressed gentlewomen in reduced circumstances. Within a decade, the School was hailed by the press as ‘the headquarters of decorative stitchery in Great Britain’ and had established its reputation on the international stage through its ground-breaking display at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition (1876). Lynn will discuss some of the highlights of the School’s early history under Welby’s stewardship.
Click here to register!
In Case You Missed It: This year we announced changes to our Virtual Lecture Series process, which among other things includes an exciting update allowing up to 500 members to participate and access to some recordings of our virtual lectures!
Virtual lectures Coming Soon
Coming Soon: EGA history from 1960 to 1980 with Ann Strite-Kurz — Join Anne Strite-Kurz as she shares a look at the beginnings of EGA! Margaret Parshall founded a needlework school in Millbrook, NY and recruited Erica Wilson in 1954 to be the first teacher followed by two other Royal School of Needlework graduates along with Olga Hansen from Denmark. In 1958 Mrs.Parshall became the nucleus in establishing a branch of The Embroiderers’ Guild of London (founded in 1906) in New York. In 1970 EGA withdrew from the London Guild and The Embroiderers’ Guild of America came into being with headquarters on Lexington Ave. Live Lecture Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: December 18, 2023 – January 12, 2024 1PM Eastern Get a reminder!
Coming Soon: Samplers of the Netherlands – or not! with Susan Greening Davis — Habsburg Netherlands, Dutch Republic, Batavian Republic, Kingdom of Holland, The Netherlands……so many names AND SO much needlework! From The Isle of Marken, Amsterdam, Black Samplers, and Friesland/Leeuwarden, to name a few. Darning, Stoplappen, Merklappen, and Stickmustertucher – Souvenir Sewing Rolls – such a wealth of samplers! The Dutch had very specific meanings for their motifs and what type of work was done in what region. Susan looks forward to sharing this with you. Live Lecture Date: Saturday February 10, 2024 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: January 22 – February 8, 2024 1PM Eastern Get a reminder!
Coming Soon: Curiously Wrought – A Closer Look at Needleworked Buttons with Gina Barrett —Using thread to create and decorate buttons has a long history. This talk will look at the types of needlework found on buttons, with a focus on those found during the 19th century. We’ll take a look at examples in Gina Barrett’s collection, and discuss the people who made these little works of art. Live Lecture Date: Saturday April 13, 2024 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: March 25 – April 11, 2024 1PM Eastern Get a reminder!
Coming Soon: Measuring Millimeters on a Napoleonic-Era Dress Coat with Liz Tapper – Liz Tapper was commissioned in 2021 to recreate the embroidery for a military dress coat. The coat was to be a replica of that worn by one of Napoleon I’s aide de camps in the early 1800s in France – the original now held in a museum. It was to be worked in goldwork using a variety of metal threads and to very exacting dimensions. This is the story behind the process. Live Lecture Date: Saturday September 14, 2024 1PM Eastern Live Lecture Registration: August 19 – September 12, 2024 1PM Eastern Get a reminder!
Virtual Lecture Recordings Available
Recording Now Available: How to Research an Antique Sampler with Cindy Steinhoff — An antique sampler reveals some of its physical characteristics and often some information about the girl who stitched it, but what else can it tell us? Cynthia Shank Steinhoff will discuss how she learns more about the samplers she collects and researches. The result is a full documentation of a sampler’s appearance and history. Many of the characteristics that she identifies for older samplers can be used to provide a full description of a needlework piece made today. Get access to the recording!
Recording Now Available: Linen: The Journey From Seed to Cloth with Ellen Phelps — What do you really know about the linen cloth you stitch on or linen thread that you stitch with? In order to gain an appreciation of the linen thread that we use in our weaving, the Frances Irwin Handweavers Guild set out on a 2-year journey to learn about linen. From preparing the garden and growing, reaping, and preparing flax to be spun into linen thread and woven into cloth, guild members experienced these processes literally from the ground up! Come along with us on this journey as we share our experiences with you so that you, too, can learn more about the linen you hold in your hands. Get access to the recording!
Recording Now Available: The Plymouth Tapestry with Donna Curtin — Museum Director Donna Curtin describes how the Plymouth Tapestry project came to be, how the Tapestry is being made, and shares images and film clips of this remarkable masterwork-in-the-making, including the ten six-ft. long embroidered panels completed to date. Get access to the recording!
Recording Now Available: Stitches in Time: Textile Conservation for the Needleworker with Newbie Richardson — Stitches in Time: Textile Conservation for the Needleworker will focus on the unique needs of needlework, quilts, and embroidery in terms of preventive conservation, stabilization, display, and repair. I’ll provide information on hydrating, mounting, framing, wet and dry cleaning, and some repair techniques you can do at home. I will show some real-world examples of damage and solutions with common sense explanations for what you can do to save your precious family heirlooms for the generations going forward. Remember, if we hide our textile heritage away in hopes of keeping it safe, then our children and grandchildren will not know it exists and it will be lost forever. There are ways to safe guard our textiles and enjoy them as well. Get access to the recording!
