I'm reconstructing the designs of nature in my embroidery

Dried flower embroiderer, Olga Prinku

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Olga Prinku has always been inquisitive. And it’s this curiosity, teamed with an eye for detail and a deep appreciation for nature, that set her on the path of dried flower embroidery.

One spring day, she had been pottering in her garden in North Yorkshire when the green shoots of an idea started to emerge. ‘I picked up a garden sieve and experimented with using it as a frame for a wreath, tucking the stems of foliage through the mesh. It crossed my mind that I could do the same thing with tulle fabric stretched across an embroidery hoop,’ she explains.

Olga began experimenting with fresh flowers, but soon noticed how the design changed as the flowers aged, so she switched to using dried flowers for her projects. ‘I branched into different natural materials, such as grasses, seedheads, berries and leaves. I experimented with different ways of attaching these onto tulle fabric, and with different designs,’ she says. ‘Using nature as her thread, and a huge amount of concentration, she now creates intricate tapestries from her home studio. Each one can take up to six weeks to complete. ‘I’m essentially deconstructing the designs of nature, and reconstructing them in new ways,’ says Olga. ‘Being a completely new craft, there was so much scope to explore and learn.’