Obsessions of a natural kind..........

Linen....
I am sure I am not alone in my obsessive collecting of antique and vintage textiles that may (or may not!) be incorporated into my work.  Linen, lace, buttons, threads and yarns seem to find their way into my possession without me realising it.  Friends give me lots of things, charity shops are searched, flea markets perused on a regular basis to feed my obsession.   As a student for four years, I did not spend a lot of money.  People are very kind and if an exquisite piece of lace or fabric is damaged or torn it can be purchased for a very reasonable price.  I only use natural fabrics and yarns such as linen, silk and cotton in my work.  Linen has to be my all time favourite.  I love to print, dye, hand embroider, embellish, and wear it.  There is nothing like the feel of it, I just love the way its beauty increases with age.  Here is a beautiful old french postal sack .....

 showing its age beautifully, worn and darned

now living on the bottom rung of a bamboo ladder in my sitting room

the top half of the ladder

small corsages, dyed and frayed, embellished with crochet pansies made from old linen

Seaweed.....

I live five minutes away from the coast, I often beachcomb and pick up some incredible organic pieces with fascinating structures and textures.  Here is a piece of dried seaweed which is now on a shelf in my garden.....

knarled and twisted

a tangled web of organic shapes

Physalis....

Sometimes you find something so breathtakingly fragile and beautiful it takes your breath away.

I was tidying my front garden when I came across two physalis skeletons.  I used to have a plant but lost it a few years ago.  I do love these little lanterns, they dry beautifully and keep their hot-orange colour.  A mystery then how two came to rest under my laurel shrub.

a tiny individual hydrangea petal accompanies the lanterns

a delicate filigree structure

has this been spun in gold?

More of my obsessions to come.... the list is endless.   Hope the weather is kind to you and the sun continues to shine. 

p.s. In a charity shop today I bought a bag of doilleys, tablecloths and a lovely darned very tatty linen embroidered sheet, tell you about them next time, they are soaking as we speak.

p.p.s. linen postal sack courtesy of Julie from The Cloth Shed, thanks Julie!

Jayne x