We are never sure how our embroidery skills are going to be used from day to day in the Studio.  The following Studio story relates to an interesting application of those skills, showing just how important it is for the RSN to keep the art of hand embroidery alive.

Sokol Books Ltd are antiquarian booksellers, specialising in printed books and manuscripts from the middle ages up to the mid 17th century, including English Bibles, Psalters and Prayer Books.  These often have the luxury of beautifully embroidered bindings, made to be displayed and admired by ladies, in and on, their way to church (some had matching gloves too!).  Unfortunately these bindings are often fragile, having been subject to wear and misuse over the centuries.

Recently Sokol Books acquired a beautiful Bible, with almost no visible fabric, the covers and spine being entirely covered in silver thread worked into intricate patterns and design ie.embroidered. However much of this was loose, lifting from the surface of the material and in danger of being lost.

Our skilled Studio stitchers secured the loose bullion on the front and back of the spine, couched the edge of the Bible and secured the gold, leaves and bird wing. They then reproduced one of the leaves, making it look old and applied it to the binding.

Sokol Books commented:  “The RSN Embroidery Studio has done a magnificent job of restoration and repair. The binding is now sound and safe, and looks exactly as it should be without any obvious signs of the considerable work that must have been done to achieve such a good result.”

For more information on our Embroidery Studio, please click here or call +44 (0)20 3166 6940.