For my bee book I’m trying to stitch bees using lots of different embroidery techniques, so I’ve a blackwork bee, a whitework bee, a collage bee, thread-painted bees as well as multiple cross-stitch bees. I was tempted by this goldwork bee as soon as I saw the advert on facebook, but being a goldwork kit, it wasn’t cheap. Of course in the end temptation got the better of me…

I’ve only tried goldwork a couple of times, once was a WI workshop about 25 years ago, and then a mini workshop at the Knitting and Stitching show a few years ago. It’s not my favourite type of embroidery, mainly because I don’t find it relaxing, it can be hard work pulling thick gold threads through fabric, I’m also not that much into bright sparkly things! Modern goldwork however is starting to appeal a bit more, you never know I might be tempted by a Jenny Adin Christie kit, especially having seen Debbie’s work (Sweet Fallen Angels ) over the last couple of years

The kit was from Crafty Heart, on line it says it’s reduced to £30, I’m pretty sure I paid about £25. I was a bit dubious about the quality it might be when I realised it was coming from China, however I have to say it was beautifully packaged and contained everything you would need, as well as the gold threads and fabric, there’s a hoop, two (very tiny!) needles, sewing thread and wax to condition the thread. Instructions are on line through a QR code, which worked better than I thought it might.

Step one was the padding, three layers of a firm felt to gently dome each body segment. Next was the outlining in pearl purl. Pearl purl is a coiled wire which is then stretched out and resembles lots of little gold pearls once stitched on. This is the only thing I’ve run out of and with hindsight, I think I didn’t stretch it enough, especially as I’ve a large surplus of everything else. The instructions said to double it’s length, I wonder if I did my maths wrong!! I’m sure Crafty Heart would have sent me some more but with the Knit and Stitch show last week, I was too impatient and bought some from Golden Hind.

Next was the thorax, this was covered with very short pieces of gold bright check, which is a sparkly coiled wire. I had to cut short pieces and then stitch them on by threading the piece onto the needle…that’s why the needle is so small! For any area so small, it took an awful lot of chips to cover it, I would estimate at getting on for 80 to 100!. I cut ten at a time and I seemed to do that lots of times!

The head is covered with smooth purl, laid like satin stitch, the tail is covered with tiny sequins…

That’s as far as I’ve got so far! Next is the legs, which look a bit complicated! The inside of the wings is the final bit which is just short lengths of pearl purl.

Once I’ve sussed out the legs, it shouldn’t take too long!