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RSN Update
Apr. 21st, 2010 08:18 amI came home to sleep in my own bed last night. And to do laundry and to snuggle family. Not in that order, but I needed to be home. I feel like the college student I never was (I lived at home while in college).
The Royal School of Needle work certificate course is an ass-kicker. The teacher totally rocks - she is the former Principal of the RSN (from 1968 through 2006-ish). I'm sure she's forgotten more needle knowledge in her lifetime than I've learned. I'm in awe of her. My fellow goldworkers (2 doing advanced work and another like myself doing the basic class) are wonderful, funny, and a joy to stitch with. The four of us are in a room together all day long and often break for meals together. I'm the youngest, but we've discovered that we have a ton in common and they have convinced me to take the "Silk Shading" class with them in a year. I will miss all of them when we are are done.
I'm working from 9-ish to anywhere from 6pm to 10 pm, depending on what I'm trying to get done. I've laid Japanese gold, twist and rococo. The purl pearl keeps putting me in a headlock. I've taken out and redone almost each piece of purl pearl (it looks like 1 mm tightly woven phone cord and you gently separate it and couch it done). The grading system is tough and if you can see any stitches they deduct points. I'm told the evaluators turn the project to examine it from all angles, even from the side. That's what I do now. And no stitch is forgiven - if I see it, it comes out.
Is it worth it? I will say that my understanding of "good goldwork" has been recalibrated and it's higher. Working on my own piece with the oversight of Liz Elvin and periodic feedback from my 3 compadres has helped me develop a keener eye for assessing gold work and understanding the technical requirements for execution. I make every stitch count and nothing is rushed. If I don't like it, it comes out. It's totally worth it and I recommend the experience to anyone who wants to swim in deeper waters with a more critical and educated audience than what's generally found in the SCA. I look forward to developing my skill and then teaching it. (Knowledge that is hoarded is a dead fruit tree.)
The Royal School of Needle work certificate course is an ass-kicker. The teacher totally rocks - she is the former Principal of the RSN (from 1968 through 2006-ish). I'm sure she's forgotten more needle knowledge in her lifetime than I've learned. I'm in awe of her. My fellow goldworkers (2 doing advanced work and another like myself doing the basic class) are wonderful, funny, and a joy to stitch with. The four of us are in a room together all day long and often break for meals together. I'm the youngest, but we've discovered that we have a ton in common and they have convinced me to take the "Silk Shading" class with them in a year. I will miss all of them when we are are done.
I'm working from 9-ish to anywhere from 6pm to 10 pm, depending on what I'm trying to get done. I've laid Japanese gold, twist and rococo. The purl pearl keeps putting me in a headlock. I've taken out and redone almost each piece of purl pearl (it looks like 1 mm tightly woven phone cord and you gently separate it and couch it done). The grading system is tough and if you can see any stitches they deduct points. I'm told the evaluators turn the project to examine it from all angles, even from the side. That's what I do now. And no stitch is forgiven - if I see it, it comes out.
Is it worth it? I will say that my understanding of "good goldwork" has been recalibrated and it's higher. Working on my own piece with the oversight of Liz Elvin and periodic feedback from my 3 compadres has helped me develop a keener eye for assessing gold work and understanding the technical requirements for execution. I make every stitch count and nothing is rushed. If I don't like it, it comes out. It's totally worth it and I recommend the experience to anyone who wants to swim in deeper waters with a more critical and educated audience than what's generally found in the SCA. I look forward to developing my skill and then teaching it. (Knowledge that is hoarded is a dead fruit tree.)
