In this hands-on workshop, you'll gather blooms from the garden and transform them into beautiful botanical prints using the traditional technique of flower hammering. You'll then be invited to add simple hand embroidery, creating a unique textile piece inspired by your own memories, reflections and the person you are remembering.
Working alongside others, these individual pieces will become part of a collaborative textile artwork for permanent display in The Grief Garden, bringing together many stories of love, loss and remembrance. Through mindful making, conversation and time spent in the garden, we'll explore how creativity can help us honour the people we miss.
No experience of embroidery or textile making is needed. Elnaz will guide you through each step, and all materials will be provided. Whether you choose to chat as you work or quietly immerse yourself in the process, you'll be welcomed into a supportive environment where your experience of grief is held with care.
The workshop will take place from 10.00am–1.00pm at The Grief Garden, with a shared lunch included. If you'd like to spend more time in the garden afterwards, you're warmly invited to stay for our gardening session from 1.00–3.00pm.

Getting here
If driving: Please park at Wood Hall Hotel (LS22 4JA) and walk to the Walled Garden. The walk takes less than five minutes. At one point it may feel as though you're walking through private gardens, but please be assured this is a public footpath. Directions can be found here.
If using public transport: The closest bus stop is Harewood Road, served by the X99 bus from Leeds to Wetherby. From there it is a 15-20 minute walk - follow the path across the road from the bus stop through some fields, along and across the River Wharfe.
This event is part of our autumn programme, The Grief Garden: An Invitation to Artists, funded by Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the Seasons of Culture programme, supporting projects that encourage communities to connect with nature through creative practice. The programme explores themes of grief and loss through artist-led creative experiences in a supportive community setting. You're welcome to participate in whatever way feels comfortable, and you're free to step away at any time.

Artist Bio: Elnaz Yazdani is an embroidery artist, gardener and educator based in Yorkshire. Elnaz is dedicated to sharing her textile skills and promoting the importance of embroidery as an art form for the future and for community wellbeing.
Elnaz has taught embroidery throughout her community, within primary, secondary and higher education as well as community groups and organisations. In 2020 Elnaz was commended for the teaching excellence award in embroidery via the Embroiderers Guild and became an Embroiderers Guild Scholar after the successful launch of her virtual embroidery school ‘Embroider Your Future’.
In 2025 Elnaz was awarded a Master of Arts by Research in recognition of a programme of work entitled ‘Rethinking Embroidery: Connecting, Embellishing and Transforming Communities Through Embroidery. Her practice explores ways of transforming traditional embroidery techniques through her choice of unusual materials; she is inspired by industrial materials, nature and with the ways in which she can embellish, connect or transform these items through stitch to develop a surface or form.
Her unique embroidery style has allowed her to work across community groups and organisations exploring the use of embroidery and gardening as a tool for social prescribing. Elnaz is available for workshops, talks, embroidery commissions, exhibitions and collaborative projects.