Nature as my Thread – the Evolution of Dried Flower Embroidery

Olga Prinku initiated the idea of embroidering with dried flowers in 2016, and has since developed a variety of techniques for combining tulle fabric with a wide range of dried and preserved organic materials, from flowers to foliage, grasses, berries, seedheads, and twigs. In this illustrated talk, Olga looks back on the evolution of her practice over the last decade, from small embroidery hoops to large-scale bio-tapestries, exploring the boundaries of what can be achieved using real organic material as her metaphorical “thread”.

Olga's creative journey began with an experiment inspired by her hobby of wreath-making. Using the wire mesh of a garden sieve as a frame to hold the stems of foliage in place, she wondered if the same principle could work with flowers and tulle fabric. Over the following years she has experimented with over 50 types of plant, and various techniques for attaching them to tulle fabric.

In this talk, Olga reflects on the creative possibilities and practical challenges of embroidering with fragile organic materials – including the tools she uses, the materials she selects, and the way she approaches each composition.

The presentation includes an in-depth look at the stories behind selected pieces, tracing the steps from ideation and preparation through work-in-progress images to show how each work develops through a mixture of planning and improvisation. Olga explores a wide range of ideas she’s developed in her work – from folkloric bird shapes with feathers made from feathergrass, to the “Woven Landscape” series inspired by wildflower meadows, to the “Graft” series exploring the branching patterns of trees through arrangements of twigs.

By deconstructing and reconstructing organic shapes and patterns, Olga’s intricate work invites reflection on how beauty can be found in parts of the natural world that are often overlooked, such as seedheads in winter or plants widely considered as weeds. Through this talk, Olga hopes to inspire listeners with the creative possibilities of combining the familiar techniques of traditional embroidery with materials that can be foraged on walks or grown in a garden – shining a fresh light on both the possibilities of embroidery and the beauty of the natural world around us.