How Does My Garden Grow?

       

                               

As I was on a creative high after completing my hand painted dupatta, I was feverishly trying designs for another fabric painting project. Somehow, flowers always come up as a favourite topic when it comes to fabric painting. So I was trying on various flowers in different colour combinations, thinking about how they will look on the actual fabric that I had in mind, nervous that if do not arrive at the right colour and design, I might just ruin my fabric.

                                          

                                         

                                          

Somewhere in this painting spree, I realized I should take a peek at the various flowers which had been duly planted in time to give flowers during the spring time. African daisies, Hollyhocks, Dahlias and Bachelors Buttons, along with the four adorable wild rose bushes that were giving buds for nearly a month now.  I just might get better ideas for painting flowers. 

As I came out and looked around, I was saddened at the state of it all. Almost no flowers, emaciated plants, drying grass, all the signs of an abandoned garden. It was as if no one lived there. What? I was so busy in my bean-bag-projects in the garden, that I never paid attention to how the plants were being taken care of, and simply waited for them to give flowers, wasting all the valuable time when I should have taken good care of my plants. I was on the verge of tears.   

Whatever little colour was there was either of the wild yellow flowers or these radish plants growing in the dilapidated kitchen garden. I kicked myself. What is the use of all my love for flowers and gardening, if there are no flowers, that too in spring? What am I getting out of having an open area available if lovely flowers are not to be seen surrounding my house? 

                                            

Last year, you were moving homes and could not do anything about flowers. What Is your excuse this season, lady?

I was after my husband to appoint a gardener since we moved in here. But somehow the matter kept getting ignored as more important issues kept us busy. The local garden section provided plants and they were duly planted, not by me, and the wait began. But obviously the results were nowhere to be seen. I had to drop my laziness then and there and take the matter in my own hands before it was too late.

That evening, I picked up the car, rushed to the nearest nursery and bought ready to flower plants, as many as could be accommodated in the boot, and promised them to come back for more! By hook or by crook, I had to have flowers in my garden. 

 So, my first trip purchases were Pansies, Petunias, Dianthus, Dogflowers, and a single Tulip.

 In my second trip to the nursery, I bought Dahlias, Ranunculus and Cineraria, and was now quite satisfied that at least I would be able to see some colour this flower season.

The next morning, as I took my usual place in the bean bag, I was the proud woman who had everything, a steaming cup of tea, an awesome book in my hands and lovely colourful flowers surrounding the lawn. Ah! Life is nothing without these colours, I thought as I took a deep breath of satisfaction.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Paint Me A Leaf

While I always talk about sipping tea in the garden and knitting, here is what I absolutely love doing. It is something that I have always done, and have always loved. Though I love all sorts of handicrafts and have dozens of half-pursued hobbies, what really appeals to me is painting. Painting of any sort, on anything, with any type of colours. Of late, this love of painting has mostly concentrated itself of painting on fabrics.

I wonder, how I never mentioned that I love sarees. If there is anything else that I love more than a saree, it is a hand-painted saree. One can easily guess that is because it combines two things that I adore: painting and sarees. I recently could manage to somewhat sort out my craft almira (That is what I call it, because of it's contents.) and found out my forgotten swatches of hand painted fabrics, that I made during a week long fabric painting course a couple of years ago, after I got fascinated with lovely hand-painted chiffon sarees that I saw army ladies wearing at parties.

No, no, we are not painting a saree here. That is still a long way ahead. With so much inspiration lying around, my fingers got itchy to paint on fabric. I decided to start small and bought a couple of dupattas, those that you buy and get dyed to match your salwar-suits. So, while I was posting about all the flowers and knitting and leopards and what-not, i was also going into the kitchen, and doing a couple of brush strokes here and there, when you were not looking. I am not showing you those dupattas, not now. 

Now, as the suspense is darkening, and you are about to leave this page, here, let me tell you that I had this old unused cotton dupatta, and when I bought a kurta, I thought of using the dupatta, but did not like the idea of a plain dupatta. Nowadays, I am also found frequenting the crafty alleys of Pinterest, pinning images like this one or this one. So this new habit came handy as I painted the pattern on my sketchbook to get the feel of colour and design. Ah, long lost love!

And then, began the real painting on dupatta. I really did not like the effect, since what looked good painted on paper was not quite the same on a different texture. This cloth is also hole-y and the paint job did not give the smooth effect that it gives on a fabric like chiffon.

I cut up the outer rim of the leaf on a potato so that the leaf size stays uniform. But once, as I wiped paint off the stamp enthusiastically, one side broke off. Nothing a little brush stroke cannot fix! 

So, here we are, ready with the dupatta, three potatoes and 10 odd days later. Hey, I am not that lazy, I have a toddler who tugs at my kurta, right when I am at the most crucial moment of creating something, like when I have perfectly mixed a lot of paint which will dry on the mixing plate, and ruin the brush too, or the cake batter is half mixed...you get the drift, right!

So, this one is finished, and only time will tell whether I will ever wear it or not. Meanwhile I am going through various ideas for yet another painting project. Thanks for bearing with me!

An evolving crafter!

A peacefully sleeping baby, a few hours ahead with nothing to do. Catch some sleep? Read a book? watch a movie?? Well.... mulling..

Often, I feel an itchy urge in my hands to create something beautiful. With the baby around, though I hardly get any free time, I try to sneak a few crafty strokes here and there, even if that means sacrificing sleep by this lazy lazy woman in those sleepy summer afternoons.

Ready for my latest enterprise? Here goes:

Its a pleasure seeing the mental picture of those blossoms shaping up.

More angles, loving them!

Mmm.. closer..

Wow, the sheet has finally found its way on my Ma-in-law's divan, blossoming prettily!

About March in Delhi

Remembering a lovely and cool March in Delhi as the temperatures have started soaring. Oh, those beautiful colours!

That first burst of green...

Having some crafty fun in those cool and lazy afternoons...

 The satisfaction of a peaceful domestic life...

That colourful Holi preparation, making Kanji and feasting on vibrant hues!

Addition of more colours to Kanji..

And marvelling on my own arty creation...

Ooh that lovely red!

And look at that green...

Green, green , green...

And red again!

My happy heart knows no boundaries for splashing colours..

And relishing the fruit of my imagination and labour..

Signing off from Delhi, will meet at a new destination!