Using only one kind of material - Umbrella grass, Cyperus Alternifolius

Hello all,

Well, we're all learning to adjust to the new, stage 4 restrictions. Knowing that it is important to follow all the guidelines doesn't make it any easier. Missing the grandchildren is the greatest hardship of all. We are lucky, however, that today's technology allows some contact.

I'm grateful that I have a number of interests that keep me almost as busy now as I've ever been. Ikebana, dressmaking and gardening are my passions and then there are the thankless, repetitive tasks of running a household.

So I made some masks putting my sewing skills to use:

Swallows

Sashiko embroidery

Lace

And here are some ikebana arrangements, which have kept me interested and challenged and have prevented me from getting bored.

This first one is quite interesting. I have this piece of dry bamboo which I've used as a container whilst it was fresh and green. It has now dried and lost its lovely green colour, so I sprayed it, lightly with brown. I drilled two holes in the back and attached wire so that I can hang it on the wall. All of this was simple enough. The problem I was facing was something I experienced in the past when I've used dry bamboo as a container, into which I put water. The bamboo absorbed the water, expanded and split. So, I experimented - I kept the bamboo next to the sink and, several times a day, I poured water into it, swirled it around and poured it out. I did this for about a week, as the bamboo absorbed the water more slowly and became noticeably heavier. It is now full of water and hanging on the wall without any sign of splitting.

With camellias

Persimmon tree prunings and arum lilies

In a suiban without a kenzan. Cotoneaster berries and
jonquils. (Although not clear in the photo, none of the
stems are resting against the sides)

Arum lily, green goddess lily and hellibores

Loquat leaves and arum lily

We often make arrangements that, seeing them afterwards, we are not quite happy. This was a case in point.

I made this arrangement about three weeks ago but decided, afterwards, that it needed more lilies. Admittedly, at the time, I only had three. I later added more lilies and was happier.

The revised version.

And this, boys and girls, is what happens when you
forget to put water in your container!

Stay safe and bye for now,

Emily

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