Rare Butterfly in Contemporary Embroidery

Explore the beauty and fragility of the natural world with this special four-day Fragile Threads course at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, inspired by rare butterflies and the growing threat of species loss.

Worked on a soft cream ground, the butterfly combines rich rust-coloured threads with copper goldwork, surface stitching and hand beading to capture the intricate pattern and structure of its wings. You will explore how contrasting materials can be layered to create delicate lines, areas of colour and intricate details, while metallic threads and beads introduce light and texture across the design. Natural raffia is also incorporated into the piece, introducing an unexpected material and a sustainable element to the embroidery.

Through four days of detailed stitching, you will create a contemporary interpretation of a rare butterfly while exploring the themes of biodiversity and conservation at the heart of the Fragile Threads project. Set within the surroundings of Kew, the course brings together embroidery, nature and craftsmanship to celebrate the beauty of species that are increasingly at risk.

About Fragile Threads

Fragile Threads is a pioneering project from the Royal School of Needlework (RSN), exploring how embroidery can be used to engage with some of the most important issues facing our world today.

The project reconnects the historic practice of embroidery with contemporary conversations, bringing together artists, embroiderers, designers, communities and partner organisations to explore how making can encourage reflection, connection and positive change.

The current focus of Fragile Threads is biodiversity and our relationship with the natural world. Through embroidery, the project explores the beauty, complexity and fragility of the ecosystems around us, translating conversations around biodiversity and species loss into creative experiences that feel personal, tangible and hopeful.

Working with organisations and communities from grassroots groups to major cultural and environmental partners, Fragile Threads combines heritage, contemporary practice, education and collaboration. At its heart is the idea that embroidery can do more than decorate: it can tell stories, preserve experiences, connect people and provide a powerful way of responding to the world around us.

The project will culminate in Nature’s Fragile Threads, a major exhibition at Bankside Gallery in London from 23 February to 7 March 2027. The exhibition will bring together historic works and designs from the RSN Collection and Archive with contemporary embroidery from within and beyond the RSN community, exploring how nature has inspired embroiderers across generations and how stitch can bear witness to biodiversity and species loss.

Fragile Threads is made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Royal School of Needlework Fragile Threads Courses

As part of Fragile Threads, the Royal School of Needlework has created a special collection of five Short Courses exploring biodiversity, the natural world and our relationship with nature through hand embroidery.

The collection includes two online courses and three special in-person courses hosted at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Inspired by the themes of Fragile Threads, participants will explore colour, texture and three-dimensional embroidery techniques while taking inspiration from the extraordinary diversity of the natural world.

Through these creative experiences, participants will discover how embroidery can encourage closer observation of nature and provide a powerful way to celebrate its beauty, complexity and fragility.