Snow Blossom

The dainty, white edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is strongly associated with the Swiss Alps but has its origins, in fact, in the Himalayas and Siberia. Each bloom consists of a number of long, velvety bracts surrounding a tight cluster of yellow flowers made up of hundreds of tiny florets. Captured here in a symphony of gentle shades, the smooth surface of the threadpainted bracts and leaves contrasts with the delicate flowers, worked in knotted stitches with stunning highlights of tropical blue and lavender.