Binswood Honey Bee by Nicola Jarvis

The humble bee belies its position in society. While we go about our busy days frantically scurrying from one place to the next, our small industrious neighbour is doing much the same - only its contribution to the world around us is far greater than we often acknowledge.

Perhaps due to the vital pollination role it plays, it’s iconic colour scheme or maybe the adorable fluffy outfit it wears, the bee holds the distinguished honour of being one of the most stitched insects in needlework.

So, while it's not surprising that Nicola Jarvis dedicated a project to our busy, buzzy friend, what is surprising is the level of research she committed to before commencing.

Nicola's inspiration for her piece Binswood Honey Bee from Life in Seasons 2 | Summer & Autumn, begins, as so many of her projects from this book do, on an early morning walk with Quince, only this time through the Binswood Allotment gardens.

Alive in summer with flowers, fruit and vegetables, it's a place buzzing quite literally with the insects that make it all possible. Watching the bees work their way through the blossoms, listening to their low, gentle hum beneath a robin's song - it's the kind of scene that has a way of staying with you.

But Nicola didn't stop at observation. When the time came to design this project, she wanted to truly understand her subject matter at its heart. So she turned to her neighbour, Jane Traynor - a beekeeper of over eleven years - who very generously opened up her garden and her hives.

What followed was a masterclass in the labour of liquid gold.

Jane tends five hives on the west side of her garden, collecting and processing around 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of honey each season between July and September.

Nicola was invited to participate in every aspect of beekeeping alongside Jane, gaining a first-hand appreciation for how the hives work and just how much effort goes into extracting each drop of that golden nectar.

It's the kind of research that finds its way into every stitch - and in Binswood Honey Bee, you can feel it.

Framed within a beautifully composed oval, Nicola's hand-painted background provides the foundation on which the embroidery sits. At its centre, a magnificent honey bee commands the space with quiet authority, its body richly worked in warm amber, burnt orange and deep brown, the fur of its thorax captured in seed stitch that practically bristles from the surface.

Surrounding our bee, a delicate circlet of cherry blossom and rosemary frames the composition.

One of the most charming details in the design is the lettering. Worked directly into the composition in split stitch, the letters curve around the bee in a way that feels both intimate and celebratory as though Nicola is quietly dedicating the piece to the creature that inspired it.

Measuring 16.5cm x 21.5cm (6¼" x 8¼"), this is a project with real presence, detailed enough to reward close attention, warm enough to feel at home in any setting.

Ready-to-Stitch Kit Kits for Binswood Honey Bee are now available to purchase using the link below and include everything you need to re-create the embroidered panel excluding the pouch itself, giving you the freedom to finish and display the piece however you prefer.

Instructions Please note that instructions are not included in this kit. Complete, step-by-step instructions for stitching Binswood Honey Bee are provided in the book Life in Seasons 2, sold separately.