Serendipity Sunday–Mandarin

This picture is of a mandarin orange blossom.  However, the book’s author refers to Mandarin as blooming in late summer or fall.  I’m pretty sure all citrus trees bloom in the spring, so this is not the right flower.  My internet searches did not turn up any other option, however, so I’m going with this for my color guidance. 

The starting shape is an octagon and a piece of batting is basted to half the pieces before they are stitched together.

Fold the points to the center . . .

and some manipulating and stitching results in something I’ve encountered before in this series.  But, it’s not done yet!

By gathering the outer edge and adding some stuffing, these flowers are like little squished balls.  My versions don’t show as much of the center as the book samples, but they are pretty striking anyway.  The string of buds are simply pieces of gathered ribbon. 

The way the buds are lined up as if budding from a long branch also makes me think that this is not based on the mandarin orange tree.  If any of you out there have traveled in Japan during the autumn and know what a mandarin flower really looks like, I’d love to hear from you.

For now, though, the Autumn garden is beginning to take shape just a little.  And behind the scenes, I have decided on a general layout for the Summer piece.  I’ll be preparing leaves and background in the next few days.  There isn’t anything to show just yet, but I think I’m going to like it!