Cushion Covers
Cushion Covers
Friends suggested cushion covers as a way to showcase the images; so throw yourself onto a pile of Australian flora (or flora living happily in Australia) or drop it on your lap. The only thing missing is the smell but for those who suffer allergies, you are probably very grateful. However, I love the perfume of the plants as I cajole them into shapes and patterns they wouldn’t dream of!
Printed on Belgian Cotton Linen or Cotton Drill, these Cushions Covers are 45cm square and have an invisible zip.
Banksia
Gifts from my Coast Banksia. Loved by the cockatoos and I love their colours against the mauve background.
Ball of Wattle
A heady gathering of Golden Wattle, Paperbark blossom and flowers from the Snow Flake bush (Euphorbia leucocephala).
Ixora/IvoryCurl
Ivory Curl (Buckinghamia celcissima) leaves and seed pods surrounded by Ixora (West Indian jasmine) petals, sprigs of Rhodes Grass, Melaleuca seed capsules, Rose natal grass seed and dried Callistemon blossom. Framed by Golden Rain (Koelreuteria elegans) seed pods or lanterns interspersed with LillyPilly (Syzygium smithii) berries in the front row.
Ixora Bubble
Ixora (West Indian jasmine) flowers photographed on bubble wrap then solarised.
Wreath2Tails
A circle of Blue Quandong (Elaeocarpus angustifolius)leaves in the autumn of their lives, decorated with Yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum) flowers, Geisha Girl (Duranta repens) flowers and Ixora (Ixora rubiaceae) petals.
Punk Moth
Fishtail oxalis or Oxalis latifolia is a perennial herb originating in parts of Central and South America. Another plant that loves it here in northern NSW where it is apparently considered a major invasive weed. It was in fact when I was weeding it out of the garden that I became enamoured of its shape which I likened to a Moth, hence the name I gave this piece. The leaves are almost as delicate as a moth wing but there is something punk about some of the shapes!
IxoIvoCurl3
A scattering of Ivory Curl (Buckinghamia celcissima) leaves and seed pods both green and black, Ixora (West Indian jasmine) petals and Golden Rain (Koelreuteria elegans) seed pods or lanterns.
Dragon Eyes
The Dragon Tree (dracaena draco), a sub tropical plant native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira and Western Morocco, lives very happily in SE Queensland and northern NSW. After 10 to 15 years it starts to produce flower spikes with panicles of greenish white, fragrant flowers. The spike is enormous so I broke the panicles down in order to photograph them against black satin.
Compass2
2 Blue Quandong leaves (the Red Flash), 8 Paperbark leaves with Foambark seeds between them form the stars at the centre of each arm. Melaleuca seed pods and Lavender flowers extend either side. At their extremities are 3 Alternanthera leaves, common name Joseph’s Coat, I believe. Nests of dried Melaleuca blossom try to hatch Euphorbia flowers (Snow Flake bush) with the help of She Oak nuts around the outside. As for the name of the wee red leaves at the edges of the nest, I don’t know.
WattleonWhite While collecting wattle to use, I came across several of the 1,220 species in Australia. The glorious Golden Wattle (Acacia pyncnantha) apparently became the official floral emblem of this country in 1988. I made this fabric to use as wedding banners and then had cushions made as a wedding present.