The garden is coming alive with promise! Today I found my favourites the first violets, growing in the cracks between the flagstones:
In the past, I embroidered this beloved scene with free motion embroidery and beading on a substrate that I first painted with my impressions of blue and lavender violets growing freely:
Beading and little painted cut outs were applied to the finished stitching. As a matter of fact, this was one of my fiirst free motion abtract art stitcheriea, completed in the spring of 2004.
This year, I am wondering how those violet leaves and flowers will look as eco prints…and maybe these plants, too:
This is the first dandelion in my garden (I love dandelions). I have read that dandelion roots can print red but have not heard of anyone who can actually prove that claim.
What about forsythia?
Bleeding Heart?
Korean Pear?
But for sure, this will print: a rusted iron Spring Flower sculpture my husband made :
Not sure how much time I will have before the wedding to eco print the above spring blooms and leaves..
My .last task is to make lots and lots of bunting to decorate the wedding venue!
Wendy
THREADBORNE 
The embroidery is stunning. The dimensional flowers look so real!
Thank you, Marie. FYI, re those green “flowers”: they are punched out of painted pellon with a paper punch, then secured to the work with beads. The green “flowers” recall violet leaves as well as buds and blooms as they emerge from between the cracks in the flagstones in early spring.The embroidery is one of my favourites and I do not think I can part with it as much for what it makes me think of…the return of spring after the long, long winter… the title of the work is Le Temps des Violettes- Violet Time
Wendy
Lovely work! I think I’m going to give the dandelion root extraction a try.
Hi Joanne,
Do let readers know if you manage to extract colour from the dandelion roots! If I remember aright, India Flint provides a link to an artist ( or two?) who works with “weeds” and/ or invasive plants…will check and post next time…
I am trying dandelion roots at present..will let you knowxxxlove your workxx
Look forward to seeing what happens! Thanks for the heads- up, Lynda
Wendy
Ahhhh…makes sense now about the foliage emerging from between flagstones. Great idea to use pellon, I never thought to try painting it! Must try that.