Above: ‘Toon Time’ by Kate McAlpine and embroidered interpretation of ‘Subtle Natives’ by Diane Harries

Explore the beauty, diversity, and detail of Aotearoa’s plant life through an extraordinary collaboration between ecologist and artist Kate McAlpine and members of the Wellington Embroiderers’ Guild.

19-28 Sept 2025, Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St, Wellington, New Zealand

Petals and Threads features 44 original works: Kate’s nature-based art, created using found materials such as leaves, flowers, and insect wings, paired with unique hand-stitched interpretations by over 20 Guild members. Each embroidery reimagines the original artwork, using a variety of techniques and creative approaches to bring patterns in nature to life through needle and thread.

Alongside the exhibition:

Online Auction: Bid on all 44 artworks during the exhibition period: http://ptpnn.betterworld.org/auctions/petals-and-threads

Workshops at Te Auaha: Hands-on plant art (1pm 27 Sept) and embroidery (1pm 20 Sept) workshops (beginners welcome).

Calendar: A 2026 calendar featuring 12 pairs of original and embroidered artworks will be available for purchase from www.weg.org.nz from 17 Sept.

Any questions email PetalsAndThreads2025@gmail.com

The exhibition is part of a fundraising project supporting the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/ and the Wellington Embroiderers’ Guild https://weg.org.nz/.

Above: Embroidered interpretation of ‘Albatross Skull with Wildflowers’ by Jo Dixey

Above: Embroidered interpretation of ‘Pesky but Pretty’ by Judy Wright