RSN unsolicited mail

To: All Regional Chairs

Please forward this email to all Branch Chairs with the request that they, in turn, forward it to branch members and make this information available to members who do not have an email address... perhaps making a brief announcement at the next meeting.

In recent days a number of members informed Guild Head Office that they had received what they considered to be an unsolicited postal mailing from the RSN. This mailing was seeking a financial contribution to creating a searchable database of the RSN collection.... not be confused with the Guild's collection appeal! Many Guild members did not consider that they had given any contact information to the RSN and assumed that Guild Head Office had either sold or given away their details to the RSN.

On Sunday, CEO Terry Murphy, wrote to Susan Kay-Williams, CEO of the RSN, seeking confirmation that the RSN had not bought or been given any member information by the Embroiderers' Guild. Susan's answer, received this morning, is reproduced in full below.

Once again, we can assure members that the Guild has not and would not give away or sell member data to any third party.

Terry Murphy - CEO

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Susan Kay-Williams <susan.kay-williams@royal-needlework.org.uk>

Mon 26/06/2017 08:17

You replied on 26/06/2017 20:18.Dear Terry

I can completely confirm that the Royal School of Needlework has used only its own data for the current mailing. We do NOT purchase data from anyone (EG, Upper Street Events) or anyone else. If we have this data then (without looking at every record) the most likely source is that they have completed a competition form at the Knitting and Stitching events over the past several years in which they gave their name and address and ticked a box to allow us to use this information. The point of the current exercise is to check that they still wish to receive information from the RSN. If they do not, we are removing them from our list.

(In fact this response indicates how little we use this information if they feel this is the first time we have contacted them.)

I trust that will clear up the matter for EG members ,your members have given us their name and address directly, even if they do not remember it.

Susan

Royal School of Needlework, Apt 12a, Hampton Court Palace, Surrey KT8 9AU, UK

General Enquiries: +44 (0)20 3166 6932
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Priscilla Jones Part 2

Never has so much fun been had with a pair of pliers and a wax pot! Wax wasn't the only thing melting at our meeting and workshop today - the weather was so hot. Despite the heat we had a fabulous time at the the much anticipated workshop with Priscilla Jones making waxed fabric spoons.
We made wire spoon armatures and then, using her lovely collection of silks, applied small pieces to our spoons with wax. The results were all beautiful and all so different. Some chose to make birds and fish too. Highly recommended and very therapeutic. Our pieces pictured below still need some stitch adding and some embellishments but even unfinished we thought they were great.

First some of Priscilla's work to inspire us.

(Photos taken and reproduced with the permission of Priscilla Jones. Images are the property of Skipton Branch of The Embroiderers' Guild)

Our armatures and getting going!

A bit of stitch and paint on some pieces.

And some after the waxing.

(Images are the property of Skipton Branch of The Embroiderers' Guild)

Secrets and....

Here's a fun idea! This group of stitchers in Whitstable are making a quilt from people's secrets.... stitch your secret, send it to them (anonymously) and they will incorporate it into a quilt to be entered into the National Quilt exhibition 2018; entries by December 2017.
We have done our own community based projects but this is slightly different. The finished quilt should look amazing and it would be really interesting to read all those secrets! There is a link on our Facebook page but you can also access information here. Might have a go myself - my secret isn't online dating though!

Hand & Lock

Hand & Lock is celebrating 250 years of embroidery, by hosting a unique exhibition in London displaying both technically outstanding and beautiful pieces from around the world. This exhibition is a rare and exciting opportunity to see some of the finest embroideries in the world. It runs from 12th July to 13th July! 
You can access the Hand & Lock website here, for further details.
You can also try their  Facebook page.
Even if you don't plan on going to the exhibition, their website is worth a look anyway.