A Royal Chou tutor demonstrating silk-shading embroidery to guests around a studio table
Royal Chou

Silk Embroidery Workshops

Learn Su silk embroidery in person — from your first double-sided bookmark in an afternoon with the Royal Chou studio, to the 2027 master courses with the Royal School of Needlework and the British Library, taught by master embroiderer Joni Zhou.

Three-hour beginners’ sessions · £45 · immersive master courses in 2027

Double-sided silk shading — a technique seldom taught in the UK

Book now · Wed 14 Oct · £45 Master courses with the RSN & British Library ↓
Next beginners’ workshop · booking open Wednesday 14 October 2026 · 2–5pm · Ealing W5 £45 all-in — silk materials, tuition and a take-home kit. Small group, no experience needed.
Book on Eventbrite
“Best part? All of it.” — recent workshop guest
Scored 9/10 by our most recent cohort
Small groups · places limited
Master workshops

With the Royal School of Needlework and the British Library

Immersive courses developed with the Royal School of Needlework — inspired by the roses of the Hampton Court Palace Rose Garden — and a workshop at the British Library, all taught by master embroiderer Joni Zhou. Dates and booking open to registered guests first.

Joni Zhou demonstrating imperial goldwork embroidery to workshop guests
Joni Zhou demonstrating imperial goldwork
Guests at a Royal Chou embroidery workshop stitching at a shared frame
A Royal Chou embroidery workshop in session
Royal School of Needlework

Su embroidery · with the Royal School of Needlework

The Double-Sided Art: Chinese Silk Shading

Silk shading in the Su tradition, worked with threads split as fine as one-sixteenth of a strand, towards a botanical rose design. The distinctive double-sided finish leaves your work flawless from both faces.

  • Five-day immersion — beginner-friendly
  • Taught by Joni Zhou, four-time gold medallist of the Hundred Flowers Craft Award
  • All materials provided — hand-dyed silks, needles, printed natural silk

8 & 15 March 2027 · booking opens September — registered guests first.

Register interest
Royal School of Needlework

Ronghua · with the Royal School of Needlework

Silk into Bloom: The Art of Ronghua

The centuries-old Chinese craft of velvet flowers — silk worked so precisely the result is almost indistinguishable from a living bloom. Shape, layer and assemble your own velvet rose, from silk strip to finished flower.

  • Three-day course — no experience needed
  • Taught by Joni Zhou, master embroiderer and professor
  • Complete Ronghua toolkit and materials provided

Spring 2027 · full programme and dates shared with registered guests first.

Register interest
The British Library

Co-branded · at the British Library

Silk Embroidery at the British Library

A Royal Chou workshop inside the national library, alongside our co-branded silk collection. Hand-embroidery in the Su tradition, taught by our studio in a setting that belongs to the story.

  • March 2027 — date to be confirmed
  • London, St Pancras
  • All materials provided

Details are announced to registered guests first.

Register interest
Regular sessions · book on Eventbrite

Book your beginners’ workshop in London

3 hours · £45 · all silk materials + take-home kit

One unhurried session, no experience needed: learn the foundations of silk shading and finish your own double-sided silk bookmark. Regular dates in West London, booked through Eventbrite. Places are capped at every venue.

  • Wednesday 14 October 2026 · 2–5pm
    Silk Embroidery Workshop for BeginnersWestmont Enterprise Hub, Ealing W5
    Book on Eventbrite
  • 8–11 October 2026
    Workshops at Knit + Stitch LondonAlexandra Palace, London
    Sold out
  • November 2026
    Workshop series with Arbeit StudiosLondon
    Dates being finalised
  • July 2026
    Beginners' silk-shading workshopWestmont Enterprise Hub, University of West London
    Completed · scored 9/10

Register your interest in future workshops

Booked your beginners’ session, or want something more advanced? Leave your details and you’ll be the first to hear when the 2027 master courses open for booking, when higher-level sessions and new London dates are added, and when kits and scarves launch. No payment now.

Not booked yet? Book the 14 October beginners' workshop on Eventbrite — no registration needed.

By signing up you agree to receive occasional emails from Royal Chou. We'll never share your details, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

An afternoon of silk

Silk shading is the technique behind China's finest embroidery — colour blended stitch by stitch until thread reads like paint. In one session you'll learn its foundations, complete your own piece, and take the craft home with you.

  • 3 hoursOne unhurried session — afternoon or evening.
  • £45 per personEverything included, nothing to buy on the day.
  • A silk bookmarkHand-embroidered by you in the Su silk-shading tradition.
  • Real silk throughoutFine silk threads and gauze — plus a take-home kit to finish and frame.
  • Double-sided silk shadingWorked on sheer silk, so the piece reads from both faces — the hallmark of fine Su embroidery.
  • Beginner-friendly, small groupsNo experience needed — threading aids, guidance at every seat, and places capped so everyone gets the tutor's attention.
Two finished silk bookmarks with tassels beside the embroidery motif sheet
What you make: a silk bookmark, finished with a tassel.
The Royal Chou take-home embroidery kit presented in its gift box
What you take home: a complete kit to keep stitching.
What makes it rare

No wrong side

Most embroidery has a front and a back. Double-sided Su embroidery has neither: worked on sheer silk with every thread end hidden inside the stitch, the piece reads perfectly from both faces. Hold your bookmark to the light and it is finished whichever way it turns.

It is the supreme test of the Suzhou tradition — and the technique at the heart of everything Royal Chou makes.

A finished silk bookmark on sheer silk, showing the embroidery reading cleanly from both faces

Craft with credentials

Royal School of NeedleworkOur embroidery kits are RSN-endorsed
The British LibraryRoyal Chou partner
Westmont Enterprise HubUniversity of West London — our workshop home
The London Stitch ShowWorkshops · November 2026

“Best part? All of it.”

— recent workshop guest, July 2026

Scored 9/10 by our most recent cohort — and every guest kept stitching after the session ended.

Guests at a Royal Chou workshop leaning in to watch a silk-shading demonstration
For teams & institutions

Bring the atelier to your people

A wellbeing session your team will actually remember: three hours of quiet focus, real silk, and something beautiful to keep. We run private sessions for universities, councils, cultural venues and workplaces across London.

  • Team sessions from £950
  • Up to 12 guests
  • All materials and take-home kits included
  • West London studio, or we come to your office
Enquire about a team session

Or write to us directly: team@royalchou.com

Questions? team@royalchou.com