Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Still Hanging On

In amongst the seed heads of autumn

Hydrangea Annabelle

  












and the turning autumn leaves

Euphorbia Fireglow

I found these flowers today who haven't realised that summer is over:

Cosmos Purity
Leucanthemum


Verbena Bonariensis

Rosa Christopher Marlow

Fushia Hawkshead














Some I'm not really surprised at, but a delphinium?  In November?  That's odd isn't it?

Delphinium - can't remember the name!

I wonder what flowers you have flowering at the moment?

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Of Mad Women and Bumps!

If you happened to be driving through Elvedon Forest in north Suffolk last Monday and saw a "mad woman" standing in the middle of the road with her camera, then it was probably me!  This avenue of trees is delightful at all stages of the year, and my photo doesn't really do it justice as it was such a gloomy day, but it's like driving through an autumn tunnel.

Elvedon Forest

Now for the bumps - when I visited the 'Out of the Fold' Exhibition in Bury last month I saw a small textile piece that involved shibori felt.  It fascinated me so I've had a go myself.  I dyed some wool prefelt in the microwave (don't worry I have a separate bowl from the food bowls!) and embellished it a little with silk fibres.  Then I made silver foil bobbles, wrapped the fabric round them with elastic bands and felted it in the washing machine.


Then I added threads, french knots and beads.  It's all stitched onto some Indian rag paper.  The whole thing, including the paper is only about 21cm x 15cm (it shrank loads in the machine).  If I'd thought it through I would have done the french knots and beads before I couched it onto the paper, but I didn't, so it was a bit fiddly.

From this angle it looks a bit like an alien landscape!

 
What will I do with it?  No idea, but it was fun making it!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Autumn Jewels

When I was teaching we used to sing a song in assembly that started "Autumn days when the grass is jewelled", and my garden is definitely jewelled at the moment.

My beautiful snake-bark maple tree's leaves are turning glorious colours,


they lie in piles covering the paths and beds,


and sometimes rest for a while on other shrubs,


a tiny respite in their final journey.