Seed Head Inspiration (1)

Back in the summer Gina posted a series of blogs about a Sketchbook project (click here to see them all), and I had a go at doing alot of her ideas,  (I loved painting with ink and uncooked spaghetti!).  A few weeks ago I decided to experiment further with the stencil I'd made of a poppy seedhead, and stencilled with extra heavy gesso onto tyvek paper.  When it was dry I free-motion embroidered around the gesso and randomly across the tyvek.  Then I blasted it all with a heat gun, painted it with black writing ink, bleached it, and painted over the gessoed area with a gold markal paint stick.  Finally I highlighted areas with treasure gold (a purchase from the Knitting and Stitching Show last month) and mounted it on painted pelmet vilene.

 (To see the detail you'll need to click on the image to enlarge it)

I love how tyvek does its own thing, and how the gesso and stitching goes someway to controlling it, but not totally.  (I'll let you see how I used the same stencil with garden fleece another time!)

Seed Heads

It's most definitely autumn now.  The leaves are turning lovely colours and falling to the ground, we had our first frost which has blackened the dahlias, and the flowers of the summer have given way to sculptural seed heads.  I must admit to having a real fascination with these this year:

Bergamot

Eryngium

Stipa Gigantea

Clematis

Chive

Opium Poppy

I think my fascination is because of their textures and shapes, which slowly emerge after the flowers fade.  I love the hidden seeds in the paper thin casings in the chive and the solid shell of the poppy.  Maybe it's also because I look at them now as inspiration for creating something in textiles and paint, but that's another post (or maybe even another blog to separate my new love of textile art from my old faithful friend of the garden?).

My Little Helper?

This throw had been washed and was hanging over the banisters drying (it was damp and drizzling outside).  I think Dylan was fed up with waiting for me to put it back on "his" chair, so he decided to take it down himself!  Needless to say that the moment I photographed him he went off in search of more mischief and I am now left waiting for the next crash or thud!

Better Late than Never

This year my friend and I grew Cobeas from seed.  She sowed white ones, and I sowed blue ones.  Mine were problematic from the start, and the first packet failed to germinate at all.  Eventually though they grew and we swapped plants.  I planted four in all, 2 white and 2 blue.  The white one  that I planted in full sun, where it was supposed to thrive, has just about hung onto life but hasn't done anything else. The other ones I planted over a pergola and they have eventually produced buds.  Two days ago I was thrilled to see that one had opened - isn't it just gorgeous!

It would have been nice if they'd flowered during the summer when I could have sat outside and enjoyed them, but it's better late than never!

Autumn Confusion?

Most plants in the garden are doing what they should be doing at this time of year.  The sedums have started to flower,

 

the roses are still in bloom and are deliciously scented,

the clematis and eryngium have got beautiful seed heads,

but this primrose is obviously confused and thinks it's spring,

 and my poor cobea doesn't realise that it's autumn and is finally producing buds! 

I'm hoping that a few might open, but it needs to get its skates on!