Originally from North Wales, Kate studied costume at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, graduating in 2001 with a BA Hons in Theatre Design. She worked at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Welsh National Opera before joining the RSN’s Future Tutors Programme in 2013, graduating with distinction in 2016. During her training, she won The Elizabeth Elvin Goldwork Award, The Merchant Taylors Company Outstanding Achievement Award, and a Heritage Crafts Bursary. In 2015, her Advanced Silk Shaded budgie, Smuggler, was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. Kate teaches for the RSN both in person and online and was a member of the RSN Studio team until 2019, when she returned to North Wales to establish her embroidery studio. She has taught across the UK and US for the RSN, Crewelwork Company, Creative Experiences, Needlework Tours, the Embroiderers Association of Canada, and the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. In 2020, she became a Trade Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers and exhibited in their 400th anniversary exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery in 2023. In 2023, Kate was part of the RSN Embroidery Studio team that worked on items for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, including The Queen’s Robe of Estate, the Anointing Screen, Chairs of State, and the Stole Royal.

Kate was awarded first place in the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery 2021 for her whimsical timepiece Lockdown O’Clock, as well as the Worshipful Company of Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers Associate Award 2021 for the best use of the goldwork embroidery technique. Kate was also a Textile Art Open category finalist in 2023 for her embroidered goldfish “Fancy Free”.

Kate teaches in-person and online classes for the RSN including original kits, the Certificate & Diploma, Summer intensives and the Future Tutors. She also runs her own business teaching online, residential courses for embroidery groups, and commissions for individual clients.

In 2023, Kate was honoured to be part of the Embroidery Studio team at the Royal School of Needlework who worked on a number of items for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, including The Queen’s Robe of Estate and the Anointing Screen.

Kristina lives and works in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales town of Ilkley. She is a Registered Veterinary Nurse who has had an interest in embroidery since a youngster, and she has used home embroidery kits often during my career to switch off from what can be a stressful vocation. She came across the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) in 2017 and took a few modules of the Certificate Programme at the Durham studio. Inspired to take things that little bit further she found out more about the Future Tutor Programme (as was) and took the plunge to apply in 2021. She was accepted onto the course with the experience she had gained in the studio up in Durham, and underwent the rigorous training provided on the course over following 3 years. She graduated from the programme in 2024. Kristina loves combining animals and her local area with embroidery, and Ioves items that have a personal story to them. The stories surrounding them are often so interesting and tell us so much about the people who craft them, past and present.

Following an early interest in hand embroidery, Liz Tapper went on to study on the RSN Apprenticeship, graduating with a First Class qualification in 1998.

Since graduating, Liz has undertaken commissions from a number of high profile clients and organisations, for TV and from numerous private individuals, encompassing a wide range of hand embroidery techniques. These commissions range from new work to the conservation and/or restoration of antique embroideries and textiles.

Liz teaches for the RSN and for embroidery and textile groups around the UK. She also designs and sells her own line of embroidery kits, embroidered art, and a range of haberdashery through her company ‘Lenham Needlecraft & The Art of the Needle’

She is a member of the Society for Embroidered Work, the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and the Heritage Crafts Association.

After graduating from the apprenticeship program in 1996 Marg has filled many roles at the RSN including project manager, studio manager and day class tutor. Currently, she is a senior stitcher for the RSN commercial studio, moderator for assessments and tutor on the Future Tutor programme.

Within the RSN studio she has had the opportunity to stitch on pop stars’ shoes, a royal wedding dress, a Paul smith Suit covered with insects, Dover Castle replica hangings, silk wallpaper, and most recently the current King and Queen’s robes.

After winning the Hilda Watson prize for silk shading, Marg specialized in thread painting and subsequently published a best-selling book on the subject with Crowood Press. Marg’s embroidered jewellery was showcased by the BBC as part of their ‘Get Creative’ campaign and featured in Country Living magazine, as well as in various independent galleries

Matthew was a primary school teacher for nearly 20 years when, during recovery from a double hip replacement, he discovered the Royal School of Needlework (RSN). He attended day classes and completed his Certificate in hand embroidery before deciding to retrain as a professional embroiderer.

In 2020, Matthew graduated from the Future Tutors Programme and is now one of the tutors for the Certificate and Diploma course, as well as a core member of the RSN Studio team. He was honoured to have worked on several pieces for the Coronation of King Charles III.

Natalie graduated from Camberwell College of Arts with a first-class honours degree in illustration. She undertook further training at the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) and graduated from the RSN’s Future Tutor Programme with Distinction in 2022, receiving the RSN Broderers’ Award for Top Student.

During her training Natalie taught at the Knitting and Stitching Show, London and Hand and Lock exhibition. She has assisted on RSN International Summer School courses and family sessions at the Fashion and Textile Museum. Since graduating, Natalie has taught her own day classes and on the Certificate and Diploma programme.

She has exhibited work as part of RSN displays at Hampton Court Palace, Sunbury Embroidery Gallery and the Knitting and Stitching Show. Her work was chosen for the Broderers’ Exhibition in 2022.

In 2023, Natalie was part of the Embroidery Studio team at the RSN who worked on the Anointing Screen for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

After a long career as a community Pharmacist, Nicola graduated with Distinction from RSN’s Future Tutors programme in 2019. She was inspired to make this change in direction and turn her hobby into a new career after a series of RSN classes. During the Future Tutors course, she received the Elizabeth Elvin award for Goldwork and twice received the Award for top student on the course. She was also selected for the prestigious RSN-Lady Anne’s Needlework New Talent Programme sponsored by The Crewel Work Company.

She loves giving more people the opportunity to discover, learn and produce beautiful Hand Embroidery and to be able to introduce stitchers to some of the less commonly taught European embroidery techniques.

In 2023, Nicola was honoured to be part of the Embroidery Studio team at the Royal School of Needlework who worked on a number of items for the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, including the Anointing Screen and Chairs of State.