Serendipity Sunday–A New Book

Since I finished the last book, that means I have a new book starting today.  I think I am going to like this book much better.

Ms. Sudo introduces this book by explaining the close relationship between flowers and the seasons and the importance they hold in Japanese culture.  The flowers in the book are based on origami techniques and grouped by season, with two projects per month. 

Since I don’t especially want to do twenty-four wall hangings, I’ve decided to make one wall hanging for each season. 

The first season is Spring and is introduced with a haiku poem – too bad I don’t read Japanese!  It makes for a lovely picture, though.

The first flower is Melaleuca or tea tree  It starts with a two-sided circle.  I made three.

I had a little trouble with forming the calyx on the first one.  The directions say to gather about an inch below the point that is formed by folding.  However, I have no idea how one is supposed to “gather” through twelve layers of fabric!  I finally settled for sort of pleating/scrunching and running the needle back and forth a few times.  The stem covers up the details, anyway, and these look more or less like the photos in the book.

So I think I’m off to a good start and I’m liking these better than some of the other techniques I’ve tried.  We’ll see if I can continue in this manner.

Oh yeah . . . about last week.  I knew I wasn’t going to be home and had planned to post a warning at the end of the last Serendipity post.  Forgot.  Plan B was to add something to Wednesday WOW.  Um, forgot that too.  Okay – on to Plan C.  Schedule a short explanatory post to go live on Sunday.  Well, that didn’t work!  Sheesh!  I had good intentions, but you know what they say about good intentions and the road to . . . . . . .