Beehive

7 × 7 cm

Our much-loved Beehive has been a firm favourite since I first designed it back in 2019. A charming little celebration of the humble honeybee, with its beautifully traditional skep shape, golden tones and a gentle nod to the gardens, orchards and countryside that these industrious little creatures call home.

There's a little personal connection to the honeybee, too. A bee featured on my old school crest, embroidered onto the blazer I wore every day. I spent years carrying that little bee around without giving it much thought, only to find myself creating my own embroidered interpretation many years later. It's rather lovely how certain motifs seem to follow us through life, sometimes without us even realising.

Over the years, our Beehive has appeared in a wonderful assortment of limited-edition Irish Linens, from soft honey and golden mustard to deep, rich saffron tones, vintage white and even a batch of marshmallow pink.

In 2023, our little Beehive enjoyed a rather special outing as part of a collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It has since appeared in further colourways, including a collection of naturally dyed Irish Linens, lovingly hand-dyed by me in our workshop in Ireland using plant-based dyes.

There's something rather lovely about the traditional beehive, a universally recognised symbol of hard work, community and the sweetness of nature. Our little linen interpretation brings a touch of golden countryside charm to the Christmas tree, but is equally at home amongst spring branches or displayed throughout the year.

It makes a wonderful pairing with our limited-edition Winnie the Pooh—who would surely appreciate being kept close to the honey! For a more sophisticated duo, try it with our Oak Leaf.

A friend sent me this photograph over the weekend of our little hive on display in the National Trust gift shop at the Giant’s Causeway, alongside our Shells and Puffins. They’ve been such a supportive stockist over the last few years, so a little shout-out to the team there, with my thanks.

Our Irish Linen

Our luxury artisan decorations are handcrafted from beautiful Irish Linen, thoughtfully sourced from a mixture of vintage fabrics, local mill deadstock, repurposed antique tablecloths and offcuts from our own cushion making. We also work with a small number of wonderful Irish linen mills, including one of the last remaining linen mills still active in Ireland today, carefully selecting fabrics for their colour, texture and character.