BOTANICAL STUDIES IN NEEDLE & THREAD
A five-day, creative experience exploring the beauty and form of antique botanicals through needle and thread.
THE STITCHED HERBARIUM
August 31 - September 4
Some of the most beautiful botanical studies begin with a flower, a needle, and a few simple stitches.
Hand-stitched botanicals can appear wonderfully intricate, but you don’t need years of embroidery experience to create them. Much like drawing or painting, it begins with learning to observe—the curve of a stem, the shape of a leaf, the way a petal opens—and discovering how those details can be translated into thread.
Throughout our five days together, we’ll take inspiration from antique French herbariums and use simple hand-stitching techniques to create botanical studies of our own. Rather than relying on complicated embroidery patterns, you’ll learn to look closely at a specimen and make thoughtful choices about how to record what you see.
By the end of the week, you’ll have a small collection of stitched botanicals, greater confidence working with needle and thread, and a beautiful new way to preserve a record of the flowers, gardens, and places you want to remember.
The STITCHED herbarium
Create botanical studies in thread, inspired by antique herbariums from Provence.
Work from antique French herbarium specimens, studying the preserved stems, leaves, flowers, and handwritten details as inspiration for your own stitched botanical studies.
Learn how to translate these historic specimens into needle and thread using simple, expressive hand stitches—without relying on complicated embroidery patterns or traditional embroidery techniques.
Spend five days stitching alongside a supportive, faith-rooted community, with thoughtful instruction that encourages you to look closely, experiment with thread, and develop confidence in your own hand.
By the end of The Stitched Herbarium, you’ll have created a small collection of stitched botanical studies inspired by herbariums from Provence, learned a beautiful new way of working with needle and thread, and begun a handiwork practice you can continue long after our week together.
YOUR HOST
Meet Gabi
Working with textiles and stitch is a natural extension of my botanical work. I’m drawn to the simplicity of needle and thread and to the way a few carefully placed stitches can interpret the line, movement, and character of a botanical specimen.
During The Stitched Herbarium, I’ll guide you in creating stitched botanical studies inspired by antique herbarium specimens from my personal collection in Provence. We’ll look closely at these preserved plants—the curve of a stem, the shape of a leaf, the small details that make each specimen distinct—and explore how to translate what we see into thread.
This isn’t traditional embroidery or an exercise in perfectly reproducing a flower. Instead, we’ll use the herbarium as our starting point, allowing observation, simple stitches, and our own individual hand to shape the work.
My hope is that you’ll leave our week together more confident with needle and thread, with a collection of botanical studies of your own and a new way to bring stitch into your creative practice.
~Gabi
ACCOMPANYING RESOURCES
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A Provençal Color Palette
A thoughtfully curated collection of embroidery thread colors inspired by the faded, timeworn tones found within antique herbarium sheets from Provence. You’ll receive a ready-to-use palette of thread colors to help you choose beautiful, restrained combinations for your stitched botanical studies.
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The Provençal Herbarium Collection
These historic botanical sheets offer beautiful reference material for studying line, form, and the imperfect details of preserved plants—and plenty of inspiration for creating stitched specimens of your own.
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The Makers: A CONNECTED COMMUNITY
Step into a warm circle of fellow creatives who understand the joy—and the vulnerability—of making art. Gain access to our private community space where you can share your work, celebrate small victories, and ask questions along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. The Stitched Herbarium is designed to be approachable even if you have very little experience with needle and thread. We’ll work with a small vocabulary of simple stitches and focus on using them to interpret botanical forms rather than learning complicated embroidery techniques.
If you’re completely new to hand stitching, you can also add Premiers Points, my foundational hand-stitching mini course, for $37 when you register. It will walk you through the basics and help you feel comfortable with needle and thread before our week begins.
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Our studies will be inspired by antique herbarium specimens from Provence.
We’ll look closely at the preserved botanical forms—their stems, leaves, flowers, and small irregularities—and learn how to translate those details into thread.
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No. This is not a drawing course, and you don’t need to consider yourself an artist to participate. I’ll guide you through the process of observing the botanical specimens and simplifying their forms before we begin stitching.
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You’ll need a few simple hand-stitching supplies, including linen or another suitable fabric, embroidery needles, thread, a hoop, and scissors. A complete supply list with my recommendations will be provided when you register, and you may already have many of the materials at home.
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A new lesson will be available each day, giving you a botanical study and techniques to explore at your own pace. We’ll also gather live during the week for studio time together, where you can stitch alongside me, ask questions, and share what you’re working on.
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Premiers Points is a self-paced introduction to hand stitching, created especially for anyone who would like a little more instruction before beginning The Stitched Herbarium. Through short lessons, a stitched sampler, and a downloadable reference guide, you’ll learn the foundational stitches you’ll use again and again.
Premiers Points is $79 on its own, but you can add it to The Stitched Herbarium for $37 when you register.
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Have questions about the workshop? Can’t find your confirmation email? Reach out to the team at connect@gabibrownart.com and we’re happy to help.
A STUDY IN NEEDLE & THREADDiscover the timeless beauty of botanical stitching during this five-day creative experience.
Create delicate stitched botanicals inspired by antique herbarium collections from Provence.