Goldwork

Description

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) teaches hand embroidery to the highest standard and is well respected all over the world. It not only upholds the traditions of English embroidery that go back many hundreds of years, but is constantly taking embroidery forward in new and innovative ways. This series of Essential Stitch Guides has been produced in close collaboration with the RSN with the aim of providing a set of definitive works on traditional embroidery techniques. All of the authors were chosen by the RSN and all are graduate apprentices of the Royal School. Goldwork is all about the interplay of colour, texture and light, and it is this quality that is at the heart of Helen McCook's work. The book starts with a historical account of goldwork, then moves on to the materials and equipment required, framing up, how to transfer a design on to fabric and how to start and finish a thread. The main section of the book then covers all of the essential stitches and techniques through clear, step-by-step diagrams and photographs, coupled with beautiful, close-up photographs showing how then can be used in a finished piece. These include couching, bricking, basketweave, cutwork, spangles, s-ing, pearl purl, plate and kid. The book ends with a section in which the techniques described in the previous section are combined to create finished pieces, all beautifully and exquisitely worked by the author.

Author description

Having graduated from University of Central England in 2000 with a BA (Hons) in Printed and Dyed Textiles with Art History, and from the Royal School of Needlework apprenticeship in 2003, Helen went freelance for a year before taking up the post of Head of Textiles and Costume for Bonhams Auction House. Having handled a very exciting record-breaking sale of an 18th century court mantua dress, she decided to leave the post after three and a half years to become Atelier/Production Manager for Hand & Lock in central London, running their fashion and interiors embroidery workrooms, working with clients such as Swarovski, Kate Moss, Topshop, Vintage Topshop, Gucci, Asprey, John Stefanidis, Tom Ford, The Royal Opera House, Burberry, Bamfords, Adidas and Ben de Lisi. Images of garments displaying her work for fashion companies have been used in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle Collections and Hello Magazine. Helen went freelance in April 2008 and has been working on a range of projects including teaching, lecturing, designing, making, exhibiting and consultancy work on valuing, handling and displaying antique textiles. She also still teaches and lectures for the Royal school of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace on the Foundation Degree, Certificated courses and day classes and has also taught in San Francisco for the RSN and travels Britain extensively teaching and lecturing to adult education groups such as the Embroiderers Guild and private textile art groups. She also teaches for the National Gallery in Edinburgh and the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh. Helen has displayed work in the Kitagawa Gallery in Tokyo, Japan as part of the British/Japanese Council celebration of 150 years trade. Her work has also been exhibited at Alexandra Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Shugborough Hall and Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park. She has also had solo exhibitions at The Old Friary (Lichfield) and The Old High House (Stafford). Her work is in private collections worldwide. Helen had a very productive and exciting year in 2011 which included opening a Glasgow branch of the Royal School of Needlework to teach both day classes and the Certificate and Diploma Courses, being commissioned to design and work three hangings for Hampton Court Palace, designing a set of hassocks and overseeing the work for a prestigious private chapel and having the honour of working as part of the Royal School of Needlework team to embellish the wedding dress and shoes and create the veil for Katherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.