We’re lucky enough to live close to Normanby Hall. Even when the Farming Museum and House are closed in the winter, the park and playground are a favourite place to run off steam with my youngest.
This autumn we had some real golden days.
One Sunday morning we were one of the earliest visitors in the park and were rewarded with the first pick of the day’s conkers.
I’ve always adored conkers: the silky linings of the cases and the rich leathery brown of the freshly fallen seeds. I spent my childhood autumns with pockets stuffed with them; gathered glossy bowls full from the massive trees on the front lawns of the teacher training college where I spent four years and I still can’t resist them. But now the ones I find are claimed by the children…and I had to be content with acorn cups.
But such unusual ones. Flat, like buttons, or tiny frames…
…and they gave me an idea, which I was finally able to get underway this weekend. Each of these tiny pieces is about 1.5cm or just over half an inch in diameter.
Crinkled green chiffon with seeding in pale brown silk thread.
Green rusted silk with a chain stitch spiral in variegated rayon thread.
Couched thick rayon thread. I think it looks like straw.
The needle at the bottom helps give an idea of scale.
I picked up five acorn cups; two still fixed back to back to the same stem.
Three fragments stitched, two to go.
What a lovely idea! Looking forward to seeing these in their next stages!
I thought I was the only big kid still picking up conkers! Deb