In this second graduate showcase post from those I saw at the Harrogate Knit & Stitch show, I’m sharing the work of Kiara Johnson who was inspired by her great granny Edna and a box of vintage treasures found in the loft. The box contained bird guides and intricate embroidery patterns and Kiara said she wanted to use her great granny’s lens to explore both craft and nature but with her own modern twist using machine embroidery and beading. And the results are stunning.

On the right is a long panel in purples with an embroidered bird on the lower branches, alongside on the left are embroidered flowers and another bird in flight - both framed

Kiara said ‘birds stand out in her collections and symbolise freedom, connection and fleeting beauty’ but can also evoke unease and signal loss, which are ‘elements that echo the love and loss of my granny’s life.’

But her work also draws attention to the reduction of birds in our gardens, and so she wants to observe the uniqueness and beauty of all British birds ‘from the pigeon to the lesser spotted woodpecker’.

One page of a book with embroidery stuck in - on the part page on the left is the vintage pattern for the embroidery

Two pieces hanging - on the left an embroidered bird on a gold textured background; on the right there's flowers which look like lace covering the whole panel

Three panels (one only part visible); from left - an embroidered flower on a plain background, an embroidered bird on a grey/black textured cloth and a yellow panel with branches embroidered

I wish I’d got more photos, and clearer ones at that, but trust me the detail on each of these pieces is absolutely amazing.