Search Press is proud to enjoy a long-standing and highly successful collaboration with the Royal School of Needlework (RSN), an organisation recognised worldwide as the authority on the art of hand embroidery. Together, we have worked to bring the RSN’s unrivalled expertise, heritage and teaching excellence to a new audience through an ever-expanding and much-loved publishing programme.
Since the publication of our first collaborative title in 2018, books created with the RSN have sold over 110,000 copies, a testament to the enduring appeal of embroidery and the appetite among makers for carefully researched, clearly taught and beautifully presented resources. Each title represents a shared commitment to preserving traditional techniques while making them accessible and relevant to today’s stitchers.
Sharing embroidery excellence through books
Our collaboration began with The RSN Book of Embroidery in May of 2018, an authoritative and wide-ranging introduction to hand embroidery that drew directly on the RSN’s teaching traditions. The book established a strong foundation for the partnership, setting the tone for future publications: expert guidance, meticulous technique and a deep respect for the craft’s history.
This was followed by RSN Embroidered Boxes by Heather Lewis in January 2020, a beautifully focused title that combined refined embroidery skills with functional, decorative projects. The book demonstrated how traditional techniques can be applied in fresh and creative ways, appealing to both experienced embroiderers and ambitious learners.
One of the most significant outcomes of the collaboration has been the development of the RSN Essential Stitch Guides series. Launched in 2021, the series offers in-depth exploration of individual embroidery disciplines, written by RSN tutors and specialists. Titles include:
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Crewelwork by Jacqui McDonald (January 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Whitework by Lizzie Pye (January 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Stumpwork by Kate Sinton (January 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Canvaswork by Rachel Doyle (August 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Blackwork by Becky Hogg (August 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Bead Embroidery by Shelley Cox (August 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Goldwork by Helen McCook (October 2021)
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RSN Essential Stitch Guides: Silk Shading by Sarah Homfray (April 2022)
Alongside the Essential Stitch Guides, the list has continued to grow with specialist titles including:
Conserving stitches for future generations
A particularly meaningful development within the collaboration has been the evolution of the RSN Stitch Bank, an ambitious and forward-thinking project that aligns closely with Search Press’s values around education and preservation.
Originally launched in September 2021 as part of the RSN’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the RSN Stitch Bank set out to digitally conserve and document embroidery stitches from around the world. Since its launch, the project has continued to grow as more stitches are researched, catalogued and shared.
This important resource has been brought into print through the RSN Stitch Bank: 200 Essential Embroidery Stitches, published in December 2024, offering readers a comprehensive and carefully curated reference drawn from the wider digital project. The concept expanded beyond book-form to Search Press’s innovative card deck series with RSN Stitch Bank: The Embroidery Stitches Card Deck in November 2025, introducing a flexible, hands-on way to explore and practise stitches – a format designed to suit modern learning styles while retaining academic rigour.
About the Royal School of Needlework
Founded in 1872, the Royal School of Needlework is the international centre of excellence for hand embroidery. Based at the historic Hampton Court Palace in south-west London, the RSN offers a rich programme of education for stitchers at every stage, from absolute beginners to advanced practitioners undertaking degree-level study.
Teaching takes place not only at Hampton Court but across the UK, internationally in North America and Japan, and online, opening access to the RSN’s expertise for stitch lovers around the world. In addition to education, the RSN’s expert studio team undertakes prestigious Embroidery Services, creating bespoke commissions and carrying out the conservation and restoration of historic and heirloom textiles.
The organisation also hosts talks, exhibitions and online events, ensuring that embroidery remains a living, evolving craft with relevance far beyond the studio.
A collaboration built on shared values
What makes the partnership between Search Press and the RSN so successful is a shared belief in the importance of quality, clarity and craft heritage. Every book is developed with care, respecting traditional practice while presenting it in a form that today’s readers can engage with confidently and creatively.
Through this collaboration, Search Press is honoured to play a part in supporting the RSN’s mission: to teach, preserve and advance the art of hand embroidery for future generations. Together, we continue to explore new formats, new subjects and new ways of sharing this remarkable body of knowledge with the global stitch community.
We are immensely proud of what has been achieved so far and look forward to many more chapters in this ongoing and inspiring partnership.
