Katerina Knight: Lavender lace

English textile artist, writer and educator Katerina Knight shares how she grows, forages and dries the flowers she stitches into delicate, lace-like works, threading each lavender seed and dahlia petal by hand. Speaking with host Sophie Edward, she reflects on leaving luxury fashion, finding healing on her allotment, embracing impermanence, and her new book, Stitching with Nature.

Show Notes

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Slowness is a creative choice. Katerina never rushes her process, from air-drying flowers to threading petals one by one, showing how slowness can protect the heart of your work.

• Close attention leads to discovery. Katerina only found the tiny hole in a lavender seed, perfect for a needle, because she stopped to study it. Give your materials your full attention.

• Making can be a form of healing. Tending a neglected allotment while unwell reconnected Katerina with textiles, showing how repetitive, hands-on work can restore both maker and place.

• Impermanence can deepen meaning. Working with organic materials, Katerina embraces change and decay, inviting you to ask whether something becomes more precious when it won’t last forever.

• Tradition is something to build on. Her time at the Lace Guild shows how historic needle lace techniques and tools can be reimagined in your own way.

During the live interview, we shared some images of Katerina artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below. 

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