Friday 27 July 2018

Pressed flowers and slow stitches .. perfection












“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” 
 
Gérad de Nerval




This perfect summer, all be it a dry one for our gardens still produces some gorgeous gifts of nature. I had a lovely hour opening all the little paper towel envelopes of flowers that I have picked from our garden and have pressed in my old books on the mantel.  

Each hand made envelope I opened had me delighted with the results and they will be used in some great mixed media pieces that I am going to be working on as well as popped into wax seals on letters yet to be written to friends.  Some of them will nestle contently in the pages of my journals for future generations to discover and wonder over, although if they read the journal their questions will be answered for them.

As you know I love our seasons here in England and everyone has a joy contained in it for me, I can help being over joyed at what each one brings to my life and my work in general.

Yesterday I also picked some more buds from our beautiful rose bush and there were some more buds on our hydrangeas as well so they are now in their own little paper towel envelopes and tucked into the books to press and dry and to be used through our Autumn and Winter months ahead. In the Autumn other flowers and leaves are about and that is when I am out hunting for acorns and their cups.  I like to use their cups for some of my works and the acorns, well they are not wasted as I put a bowl out for the squirrels who can not believe their eyes and scurry back and forth greedily to hoard them for the winter to come.  Although they do stand in the garden and have a feast first.. nothing is wasted.

“If you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for a moment.” 
 
 Georgia O'Keeffe 


Time for me that is spent with nature is not only good for my work and my thought patterns but also for my well being.  I love looking closely at a flower and its interrogate details that for the petals and leaves.  Getting up close to butterflies and bees and watching them dance from flower to flower.  It fills me head with ideas and my soul with happiness.

Whilst wandering around our garden snipping at some more little flowers I noticed that one of our pots of mints had got a bit seedy and had little flowers on the top so I cut them all off so that the mint can get back to feeding its precious mint leaves that taste so good in cold drinks this time of the year but they did not go in the compost they have been presses as well.  When I tucked them up in their little paper towel envelope they smelt divine!  and they will forever remind me of the summer of 2018 that has been so warm and allowed us to make plans for b b q's and picnics without worrying what the weather might be like in a few days or a weeks time.

I got a little haul of delicate flowers and I have taken a photo for you to see it so that when they are pressed I can show you the wonderful results ....  As long as you do it right you can get some beautiful flowers that keep their wonderful colours and hues.

You can see from the photo the mint stalks with little white flower heads on.  Having never pressed these before I am not sure what the result will be but what fun it will be to open the packages in a few weeks and see for myself what they look and smell like ....

I have started to catch up with my journaling on the personal side and also writing a couple of pages in my family history journal as well to get that up to date and complete.  There is so much to write up as well.  When I got my journals out the other day I had forgotten that I had picked some flowers in my friends garden in Devon and it was such a lovely surprise.  They had all pressed beautifully and are now with my growing collections that I have to use through the autumn and winter months .... I chose some beauties as well and ones that I do not have growing here in our garden.

Also yesterday I went to visit my mum with my sister and she was OK for a little while but we left when she got agitated.  We can tell because her hands start to shake a little and we had my niece with us so we got out of there fairly quickly. It is a shame but hoping she will calm again soon.  There seems to be no apparent reason for it unless the heat is getting to her as well.

So I was back here earlier than expected and was able to continue in the shade in the garden on a new
project.  The first few wonderful little stitches always is exciting for me.  It is like a adventure and adding to a piece of history on some gorgeous antique fabric.  I love the whole process of what I do so much and have missed it with my back issues and tiredness as well. 

I seem to be coping with the heat better as well and my body is not getting so warm, therefore my hands are not as hot and the needle seems to behave its self more and there is less of the pricking of my fingers...  Miss Muddy Beak is pleased I am back that is for sure.  She normally visits me closely in the morning but I was astonished that she came back to sit in the shade with me around 4pm and was there a good half hour.  I chat away to her and I often wonder exactly what she does think.  The thing is she seems happy and I am more than happy and privileged to have her company daily for a while.

It is Friday all ready and my working week is nearly over before it actually begun but next week is a full one for me apart from my visit to my mum on Thursday.  I have lots that I would like to achieve and it will be another few days of back healing under my belt as it were so I am hoping I can report it is much better.

This Sunday we are having lunch with great friends in there beautiful garden and I am looking forward to that and to catching up with them.  Also being able to sit and be comfortable which gets better each day thank goodness.

I am not sure what we are up to on Saturday but if my husband has bits to do then I will happily sit in the garden and continue my sewing, I know it is work but it never actually feels like it at all - unless I am late for a deadline then it gets a bit tricky and less enjoyable.

Next week also sees me have an appointment with the photographer for some photos of some pieces as well so I am looking forward to a professional shoot and quiet excited about the prospect.  I am not just there as a spectator but also to dress it how I think it should look for my work so it will be fun to work with someone and get their thoughts and ideas too.  Then there is a dress fitting I believe later in the week ... so it will be all go.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend yourselves and that you have enjoyed the two blogs this week ... next week full service will be activated.

Until then have a great few days and as always Happy Stitching! XX














4 comments:

  1. I do love the little vignette of the dried flowers and the book - just beautiful. It keep meaning to press flowers but forget... I collect old book and bought a good few at the auction recently. They are simply stunning, but what was lovely ( and made me think of you) was that in some of them, I found some dried flowers. It was a lovely surprise and made me wonder about the back story. I have of course left them there, but made a note to self to do the same. I do hope your mum's medications helps because it must be upsetting for you all to see such out of character behaviour in someone's so dear to you. I've been trying to stitch outside too when I have the opportunity and it is nice to be surrounded by nature whilst sewing - yesterday though I had a very attentive wasp who just would not leave me alone. I won't kill them, so I just had to move around the garden to try and evade him ! Take it easy over the weekend and hopefully your back will soon be recovered.
    Love, Mo xxx

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    1. Good Morning Mo

      Oh I adore finding things in books, dried flowers, feather and a letter once .. all stay with the book I can not think of them parting .. someone put it there and it has an untold story .. my imagination runs wild with it!!
      I am not keen on wasps but like you loathe to kill them but hate their attention! 🤣
      I love sewing outside in the shade watching nature .. I feel so lucky that I can.
      Thank you for your comments and care, Mum will be sorted soon as I asked they look into her meds.

      Take care
      Sarah xxx

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  2. Good morning Sarah...
    Love the pressed flowers....I have mostly pressed pansies but may try some others in the future. They are lovely.
    Our weather here has been overcast and rainy with next week promising to be the same. We did need the rain.
    Going with our daughter to a cabin at a state Park for a week and hoping to get reading and some sewing done.
    Have a wonderful weekend Sarah.

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    1. Hi Lora
      Oh how lovely I would love to go to a cabin in the woods .. how very lovely. Enjoy no coms and the peace and quiet .. reading and sewing sounds just perfect.
      Enjoy your week away.
      Take care.
      Sarah 🍃🌼🍃

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