city & guilds course information

STITCHBUSINESS is continuing to enrol students on City & Guilds courses until June 2017, and we will continue to teach the seven City & Guilds courses listed here until June 2020.  After June 2017 we will no longer be able to enrol students for these accredited courses as City & Guilds is ceasing to offer them, so hurry up and enrol whilst you still have the chance!  News of alternative courses on offer at STITCHBUSINESS will be announced soon.

There are two elements for all City & Guilds courses – the first element is design, the second element is stitch. There are briefs to complete for each element, as well as course work samples and experiments. The design unit is a 'common unit', so if you have already completed this element for another City & Guilds course at the same level, you do not have to repeat this unit.  See below for further details about each certificated course:

7716-06 – Level 1 Certificate in Hand Embroidery

This course is the shortest course we offer and is ideal for complete beginners, giving a comprehensive introduction to the hand embroidery.  Most students take between 6-12 months to complete this course, which is about 30 hours 'taught' time, plus homework and project time.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• practical exercises on Colour schemes
• demonstrations of types of Line
• work with contrasts in Texture

you will present these exercises and your findings in a sketchbook

For the Embroidery Unit you will complete the following:

• a small portfolio of work, showing samples and knowledge of 10 embroidery techniques
• one sample of Line stitches
• one sample of Isolated stitches
• one sample of Texture stitches
• one sample of Composite stitches
• one sample of a Counted Thread technique
• a sampler based on a simple design or a colour exercise

throughout the course you are expected to show that you have experimented with a range of stitches, threads, needles and fabrics

7716-18 – Level 1 Certificate in Machine Embroidery

This course is the shortest course we offer and is ideal for complete beginners, giving a comprehensive introduction to machine embroidery. Most students take between 6-12 months to complete this course, which is about 30 hours 'taught' time, plus homework and project time.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• practical exercises on Colour schemes
• demonstrations of types of Line
• work with contrasts in Texture

you will present these exercises and your findings in a sketchbook

For the Machine Embroidery Unit you will complete the following:

• a small portfolio of work, showing samples and knowledge of free machine embroidery techniques
• samples of surface decoration with free machine stitching on a variety of fabrics
• samples of appliqué, demonstrating hard and soft edges
• samples of quilting
• samples of cut through effects
• samples of constructed surfaces
• samples using dissolvable fabrics

throughout the course you are expected to show that you have experimented with a range of stitches, tensions, threads, needles and fabrics

7716-19 – Level 1 Certificate in Goldwork

This course is the shortest course we offer and is ideal for complete beginners, or to learn new traditional and contemporary skills, giving a comprehensive introduction to goldwork.  Most students take between 6-12 months to complete this course, which is about 30 hours 'taught' time, plus homework and project time.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• practical exercises on Colour schemes
• demonstrations of types of Line
• work with contrasts in Texture

you will present these exercises and your findings in a sketchbook, and as a sampler of ideas

For the Goldwork Unit you will complete the following:

• a sampler portfolio of work, showing knowledge of methods of framing, specialist equipment, transferring designs, and goldwork techniques
• several small experiments will be completed with traditional and contemporary techniques to show use of metal threads and stitch methods including types of padding, laid work couching, cut purl work, chip work, stretching, coiling, seeding and looping
• one experimental sample incorporating a variety of the techniques

throughout the course you are expected to show that you have experimented with a range of techniques, specialist metal threads and relevant equipment

7716-39 – Level 2 Certificate in Stitched Textiles

This course is taught over three terms and is ideal for those with some basic experience of working with embroidery and textiles, offering a good foundation of skill level.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• practical exercises on Colour
• exploratory exercises of Line and Mark-making techniques
• investigations into the relationships between Shape and Form
• experiments on Surface Texture

you will present these exercises, experiments, drawings and your findings in a sketchbook

For the Embroidery Unit you will complete the following:

• a portfolio of traditional and contemporary stitch samples, experiments and techniques
• a set of 10 resolved samples developed from the design unit
• a completed item of embroidery using innovative techniques, also developed from the design units
• a completed item of embroidery to show only hand embroidery techniques

throughout the course you are expected to show use of a wide variety of threads and fabrics, experiment with a range of traditional and contemporary embroidery techniques and demonstrate different methods of presentation and finishing

7716-45 – Level 2 Certificate in Machine Embroidery

This course is taught over three terms and is ideal for those with some basic experience of machine work, offering a good foundation of skill level.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• practical exercises on Colour
• exploratory exercises of Line and Mark-making techniques
• investigations into the relationships between Shape and Form
• experiments on Surface Texture

you will present these exercises, experiments, drawings and your findings in a sketchbook

For the Machine Embroidery Unit you will complete the following:

• a portfolio of machined (conventional and free motion) stitch samples and techniques
• a set of 10 resolved samples developed from the design unit
• a completed item of machine embroidery using straight and zig zag stitches, also developed from the design units
• a completed item of machine embroidery to show innovative techniques

throughout the course you are expected to show use of a wide variety of threads and fabrics that are used for machine embroidery, experiment with a range of conventional and free motion embroidery techniques, and demonstrate different methods of presentation and finishing

7716-61 – Level 3 Certificate in Design and Stitched Textiles

This course is taught over six terms, over two academic years, and is ideal for those with a fair experience of working with embroidery and textiles, who want to push their design and embroidery skills further. The course provides a solid grounding to a very wide range of hand, machine, traditional and contemporary stitched textile techniques.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• a practical and theoretical study of Colour
• a practical and theoretical study of Line
• a practical and theoretical study of Shape
• a practical and theoretical study of Form
• a practical and theoretical study of Texture

you will present these practical exercises, investigations, experiments, drawings and your findings in a sketchbook, and create a 'resolved' piece for each of the design elements

For the Stitched Textiles Unit you will complete the following:

• a portfolio of traditional and contemporary stitch samples and techniques by hand and machine
• an embroidered panel
• an accessory/set of accessories
• a functional 3d item
• a wallhanging
• 3 experimental samples

throughout the course you are expected to show use of a wide variety of threads and fabrics, experiment with a range of traditional and contemporary embroidery techniques and demonstrate different methods of presentation and finishing

in addition you are to use your inspirational source material to design your items and develop innovative ideas or practice traditional techniques and acquire complex practical skills supported by a thorough knowledge of materials processes and techniques

7716-64 – Level 3 Diploma in Design and Stitched Textiles

This course is taught over six terms, over two academic years, and is ideal for those who have already gained a Level 3 certificate, or equivalent, in stitched textiles, and want to advance their skills in the craft of design and embroidery. The course provides an opportunity to expand and advance skills in hand, machine, traditional and contemporary stitched textile techniques and contextual studies.

For the Design Unit you will complete the following:

• research for design project – a visual body of work based on a personally selected theme

For the Stitched Textiles Unit you will complete the following:

• a large scale item
• a functional 3d item
• a panel or hanging
• an item incorporating the use of metallic threads
• a collection of 8 samples of constructed fabrics
• a portfolio of traditional and contemporary stitch samples and techniques by hand and machine
• an illustrated study investigating the history of British embroidery, the work of three contemporary artists, and a study of embroidery techniques in three foreign countries

throughout the course you are expected to show advanced use of a wide variety of threads and fabrics, experiment with a range of traditional and contemporary embroidery techniques and demonstrate different methods of presentation and finishing

in addition you are to use your research for design project to design at least one of your items and show evidence of previously learned skills being extended and applied through innovative ideas and practice, and show an advanced, thorough knowledge of materials processes and techniques