Module 1005: Exploration of Embroidery & Embellishment for Interiors

Location: Via Zoom

Duration: Weekly 3 hour sessions 

Embroidery and embellishment, featuring techniques including Flocking, Foiling, and Silk Painting, transcend fabric to transform interiors into realms of unparalleled luxury. This intricate artistry adds a tactile and visual dimension, elevating a simple piece of fabric into a sumptuous masterpiece. Flocking introduces lush textures reminiscent of velvet, inviting touch and creating depth. Foiling introduces metallic accents that catch light, providing an opulent and dynamic shimmer. Meanwhile, silk painting imparts a delicate brushstroke of colour, bringing to life intricate designs inspired by the elegance of nature or cultural motifs. Together, these techniques harmonise to tell a story of sophistication, seamlessly blending the tactile and the visual.

This unit will teach you the art of traditional textile embellishment techniques including Flocking, Foiling and Silk Painting as you customise your own chosen piece of luxury interior embellishment. You will learn the qualities and characteristics of techniques required to produce luxury hard wearing interiors items. You will then work with our expert tutors to hand embellish your final piece inspired by the brief adding beautiful depth and dimension to your work. 

Entry Requirements:  No formal qualifications are required for joining the course, but those who have never embroidered before are encouraged to attend at least one Hand & Lock online course first.

Embarking on the Hand & Lock Diploma’s 'Embroidery and Embellishment' project for Interiors, invites you to immerse yourself in a realm of opulence inspired by the enchanting world of Impressionist Artists, such as Monet. This thematic exploration encourages you to intricately craft designs that seamlessly fuse the richness of interior embellishment with the evocative brushstrokes and colour palettes reminiscent of Monet's masterpieces.

At the core of this design brief lies the opportunity to channel your own creativity, allowing for the manifestation of personalised expressions within the realm of interior embroidery and embellishment. You are encouraged to delve into the distinctive visual elements of Impressionist art, drawing inspiration from the dreamlike landscapes, vibrant hues, and the play of light found in Monet's works while integrating the sumptuous techniques of Flocking, Foiling, and Silk Painting. You are encouraged to explore ‘en plein air’ mark making methods depicting scenes from the landscape around you to craft your final piece.

The design process should commence with a thoughtful exploration of the chosen elements from the "Impressionist Artists" theme. Consider incorporating motifs inspired by Monet's iconic water lilies, dappled sunlight, or the ethereal atmosphere of his garden scenes, capturing the essence of Impressionism's enchanting allure. Explore the magic of water in nature, noticing the depth of colour and light quality within the subject matter. Embroidery techniques should play a significant role in shaping the interior embellishment narrative, allowing for the creation of tactile elements that seamlessly bring the artistry of Monet into interior spaces.

The colour palette for this interior embroidery and embellishment piece should mirror the soft and harmonious hues prevalent in Monet's paintings. From the gentle pastels of his landscapes, to the vibrant bursts of colour in his floral depictions, participants are encouraged to experiment with a range of thread colours and embellishment materials to create a captivating and art-inspired atmosphere within interiors.

As artisans embark on this creative endeavour, they are urged to employ various embroidery techniques, integrating flocking for added texture, foiling for reflective accents reminiscent of sunlight on water, and silk painting strokes to capture the luminosity of Monet's palette. Explore the technique of Impasto painting to add texture and depth to your pieces. The chosen techniques should align with the overall design concept, ensuring a seamless integration of embellishments that celebrates the timeless beauty and artistic legacy of Impressionist Artists. In conclusion, the "Interior Embroidery and Embellishment" project with the theme of 'Impressionist Artists' beckons participants to explore, imagine, and translate the enchanting world of Monet into a unique fusion of embroidery and embellishment.

Week 1:

Meet & Greet: Students meet each other and are introduced to tutors 

Course overview (mark schemes, submitting work, deadlines, how the course will run)

Brief Overview (review of the content of the brief for the Module)

Research and Design (design techniques, creating moodboards, using resources, Hand & Lock resources, guidelines for research and design)

Explanation of ‘En Plein Air’ Painting

Students to select an item of soft furnishing they will be designing and creating embroidery samples for

Guidelines of work that need to be produced for week 3 

Week 2:

Silk Painting Presentation 

Silk Painting Demonstrations with pre - provided kit.

Students are able to show tutors their designs from week 1 to get some initial feedback if there is time during the session

Students to explore this over the course of the Diploma Unit 

Week 3:

Silk Painting (final steps)

Flocking and Foiling presentation

Foiling Demonstrations with pre - provided kit (with Flocking at the end of the session- painting your own Flock and applying the glue ready for flocking application in the next session. If you would like to experiment with pastel tones please bring watercolour paints to this session)

Students are able to show tutors their designs from week 1 to get some initial feedback if there is time during the session

Submission of 3 Designs and 1 Final Design proposal

Tutors Feedback on Submissions before the start of week 4 

Week 4: 

Review of Feedback - any questions students have about the feedback offered by tutors

Taught content: Flocking application

Embroidery sampling: Felt Padding, Padded Satin Stitch, Silk thread satin stitch work, Apply beads, mark making with threads (using different thread densities, layering seeding stitches, using different intensities of textures) 

Week 5: 

Embroidery Sampling: Crushed bullions, goldwork loops, overstretched bullions, French knots, chipping, couching down bullion, blending threads, applying beads, applying crystals, pearl purl & overstretched pearl purl

Outlines of the submission guidelines for week 6

Week 6: 

Students to present their final designs and talk about their designs to students and tutors

Transferring and painting designs onto fabric (this must be completed by week 7) 

Week 7: 

How to create a Stitch Plan (using stitch directions, relief plans, colour plans etc)

Tailored help and advice sessions for students as they realise their final designs tweaking stitching and plans week by week. From week 7, the content of the weeks is created and adapted for each student's project within the course allowing tutors to create beautifully interesting technique tuition. Other techniques include: Applying beads beneath sheer fabrics, applying coloured passing, painting embroidery threads, whipped and woven wheels, Turkey rug stitch, couching over threads, heavy chain stitch, 

Week 8: 

Tailored help and advice sessions for students as they realise their final designs tweaking stitching and plans week by week

Week 9: 

Tailored help and advice sessions for students as they realise their final designs tweaking stitching and plans

Discussion of the format for the submissions for the final week 

Week 10: 

Final session with the tutor, help and advice on designs, submission guidelines etc.

How to take designs further and how to create a finalised Diploma Module Submission

A discussion about the self evaluation 200 words that is required alongside the final submission 

After the live taught teaching session (optional)

Week 17: Final Submission (all students to submit their work for initial marking by tutors)

Week 19: Assessment Marks Given

Students can then resubmit their work for marking up to two years after the Final Initial Submission date. 

Kit List

Included within this course is a generous kit of basic materials for you to produce the fundamental technique samples within this unit of the Diploma.

Your kit for this unit will include: Paintbrush, Foil, Flock, Paint (Various Colours), Wax, Needles, Dye, Calico, Machine Cotton, Crystals, Felt, Passing, Anchor Thread, Seed Beads, Coloured Metal Bullions, Pearl Purl, Irish Linen, Heavy Weight Irish Linen, Linene Sheer, Silk and more!

We encourage you to be as creative as possible and we would love for you to source your own original materials to add to the final piece you create with us. When you sign up to the course we will share our comprehensive list of suppliers for any materials you would like to purchase additionally. This is not mandatory but it is encouraged as you will be able to explore individual design creativity. Students will also receive 10% off the Hand & Lock shop online and in person for the duration of their course.

You will need to source a slate frame for working each unit (this frame can then be used across all of your units). If you require information on sourcing a slate frame please contact us via email on school@handembroidery.com. Students will also need to have drawing and designing implements for the design elements of the course. Please ensure you have pens, pencils, coloured pencils, paints and any additional materials you would like to design with. 

Prior to the course starting please prepare:

An area that is heat proof (ironing board or other).

You will need a no steam iron or a normal iron with the steam setting turned off.

You will also need a scrap piece of natural material ie. calico, cotton or linen. This fabric will protect your work as you are ironing (old bed sheets/pillow cases etc are perfect for this.

Water in two pot (this is for washing your brushes - one pot for paint and one for glue)

Kitchen roll/tissue that you can dry your brushes on as you work

A paint palette or palate to mix your paints

You will also need your own materials for mark making. Please bring along your favourite brushes, mark making tools, pencils, masking tape to pin your pieces. If you have any fabrics you would like to work on please bring these along. Natural fibres work best. For week 3 you might like to also bring watercolour paints if you would like to work with very pale pastel colours. 

Shipping Details

Included within this course is a kit of basic materials for you to produce the fundamental technique samples within this unit of the Diploma. To complete your final piece with your own design you will be encouraged to curate your own stock of materials to use in a contemporary way. Your kits will be shipped out from Hand & Lock as part of the booking of this course. All International Parcels will be shipped via express courier at least two weeks before this class is due to start. Please do not book onto this course if you are within the two week window before the course starts and you live outside of the UK. UK parcels will be shipped at least three days before the course is due to start. UK parcels will be shipped express via Royal Mail.

Please note that the address that you book the course with will be the address that the kit is sent out to, so please double check your address before booking. Shipping cost is included in the cost of the course, if the kit needs to be resent an additional cost will need to be paid.

Please do not place orders to PO boxes or third party shipping companies, Hand & Lock are not responsible for any additional costs or the replacement of kits if any issues occur.

Technical Information

Our online courses are delivered via Zoom using a high quality visualiser. Please download Zoom before the course begins (we will send a guide on how to do this when the course is booked). We also have an accompanying WhatsApp group for each of our courses. This group enables you to connect with other students and the tutor by sharing photos of your progress. Please download WhatsApp before the course starts (we will also send a guide on how to do this when the course is booked). All of our online course sessions and recorded and sent out after the class for you to keep forever! They are sent on a link for you to download after the class so please don't worry if you miss a session of tutoring, you can always catch up using the recording.

Embroidery Design Elements

Each unit of the Diploma includes an element of hand embroidery design. This can often be seen as intimidating but we encourage you to see it as the most exciting aspect of the course as you can craft your own pieces. Our tutors will guide you through the design process from creating moodboards and researching your designs to creating your final stitch and padding plans. No prior design or drawing experience is required for the course.

Assessment Information

Assessment of work is completely optional, students will be awarded with a Certificate of Completion if they choose not to submit their work for marking and a Certificate of Achievement if they do. The Certificate of Achievement will detail the level achieved through the assessment process. There are three submission points. The first two submissions occur as you are completing each unit to provide you with detailed feedback as you work through the unit to give you a clear direction and understanding of improvements and developments. The final submission is then used to determine your final assessment mark. 

Tutor Profiles

Our bespoke online classes are taught by expert hand embroiderers who have worked in the couture industry for brands such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Schiaparelli, Lanvin and Burberry to name a few. The classes will cover the basics, insider tips and practical application making sure students are fully equipped to go on and apply what they have learned to their own garments and develop their own unique styles. Our tutors are work embroiderers first and tutors second which means they are able to give you a unique insight into the magical world of couture hand embroidery.

Here at Hand & Lock we pride ourselves on teaching couture hand embroidery in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Students are encouraged to chat with tutors and other students on their course. We have often found our courses lead to friendships from around the world. Immerse yourself in a 10 week course with like minded students and attentive tutors who are with you every step of the way.

Read more about our amazing tutors here

Testimonials

If you would like to hear feedback from some of our past course students you can read our testimonials here.

More About the Diploma

If you would like to read more about The Hand & Lock Diploma in Creative Embroidery please see more here

Please note the Diploma is not eligible as part of the Hand & Lock Reward Scheme, so points cannot be earned or spent on the Diploma.