In this virtual workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of botanical embroidery, exploring how shape, form, and color come together to create floral designs. Guided by Arounna’s favorite floral motifs from her book Botanical Embroidery, students will learn basic embroidery stitches, including stem stitch, picot, French knot, and chain stitch, and practice using them to bring botanical forms to life. With step-by-step guidance and a provided floral design to work from, students will develop the skills and confidence to create their own stitched botanicals. No prior embroidery experience is required.
Date
Wednesday, December 9th, 2026
Time
12:00-3:00 pm ET
Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class
Cost
$65
Class Materials
- Embroidery needles size #5 embroidery needle, a milliner needle #3
- Neutral colour fabric to work on – muslin is a good fabric to stitch on or a linen/cotton fabric like essex by robert kaufman. Try not to choose a fabric that has an open weave, and size it so that it is a few inches larger than the hoop you will be using.
- Embroidery hoop (5 -6 inches is a good size). If you like your fabric taught try a hoop from ‘no slip’ hoops (they are Arounna’s favourite to use)
- A variety of colours of cotton embroidery floss – Arounna likes using DMC or Tatter (try to have a minimum 6 colours to choose from)
- Small snips to cut your threads
- Water soluble marker or a heat pen like frixion, if you don’t care about seeing the drawing lines a regular HB pencil will work
- Print out of template that will be emailed prior to the workshop
Our Teacher
Arounna Khounnoraj is a Canadian artist and maker working in Toronto where she immigrated with her family from Laos at the age of four. While her education includes a master’s degree in fine arts in sculpture and ceramics, it was through subsequent residencies that she found her current focus in fibre arts. In 2002 she started bookhou, a multi-disciplinary studio with her husband John Booth, where Arounna explores screen printing and a variety of textile techniques such as embroidery and punch needle. She creates objects such as bags, home goods and textile art.
Arounna has explored a wide range of techniques, methods, and materials that express a passion for everyday creativity and the importance of the handmade in everyone’s life. Her work emphasizes slow design, intuitive thinking, and the importance of handwork. She teaches workshops on a variety of fibre arts and crafts, both in Canada and internationally. She also collaborates with magazines, blogs, and artists in creating social media and DIY projects. Arounna has previously published Punch Needle, (2019) and Visible Mending (2020), and Embroidery (2022).