Sunflowers, fuschia, coneflowers, black-eyes susans, painted daisies, tulips, lilies, zinnias and pansies are some examples of fabric flowers I have created, as well as tended in my gardens over the years. Fabric flowers offer a fabulous opportunity to play with color and textures to create a single bloom or a bouquet in a realistic or whimsical style.

Gardening and flowers have been a big part of my life for over 45 years now. The gardens on the estate we lived/worked on and our own land reconnected me to the earth through growing our food. My first ever-expanding perennial garden grew and grew because I didn’t want to mow the lawn at my house.

Two of the perennial beds at my current home.

Here in Vermont I have slowly converted a chunk of my lawn to perennial beds, a “foster garden” and a row of elderberries. Most of the FLOWER POWER collection is inspired from photographs of my own flowers.

Sometimes I have to chuckle at how that young city girl who rode her bike in the alley, played stoop ball off the building steps into the street, and lived in apartments ended up with her soul and feet deeply connected to the earth.

Fabric Flowers

Early on in my fabric art journey I took an online FLOWER POWER class from Quilt University. I learned how to make flowers in different ways: “the free form collage method, quick and easy fusible applique, the complexity of freezer paper and upside down applique.” I created a tulip, black eyed susans, a coneflower, and an abstract flower in that class. Then, just like my in-the-soil flower garden, the flower art grew and grew.

From an exhibit in Manchester, Vermont

I found the “sandwich” method (below) to be one of my favorite techniques. After cutting out the petals and leaves, a piece of tulle is placed over the whole piece. The leaves are sewn using the blanket stitch while either free-motion quilting or zig-zag stitch holds the “flower sandwich” together. Thread painting (free motion quilting) provides texture to the stems or petals.

What I enjoy about this way of creating flowers is that it brings one back to drawing as a child. The petals are misshapen, the width of the stems uneven, and the leaves look like a triangle with curved edges. And best of all, there is no way to make a mistake. It WILL look like a flower.

Painted daisies with batik material for leaves, the simulate the fern-like texture of the leaves

Sunflowers are a staple at Evening Song Farm. Besides being Kara’s favorite flower, they tower above the perennial garden as well as frame the borders of the CSA Pick-Your-Own garden.

The fabric sunflowers require just some in-and-out cuts to create the petals, semi-circular inner petals, thin strips for the stems and a shrub shape for the leaves. Free-motion quilting holds the flowers down; my “staple” blanket stitch anchors the leaves and stems. You could also use a zig-zag or satin stitch.

Sometimes the fabric I have guides me in the direction of a creation. Below, the background fabric called for a hanging plant. Fuschias used to be one of my mother’s favorites, plus I had this amazing piece of fabric with pinks, magenta, and purples splotched here and there.

Fuschias at the exhibit in Manchester, Vermont

Can you believe that, besides the background, only two other materials were used? Again, that is one of the special benefits of using batik fabric. There always are so many colors and/or hues in one piece you pick up. A simple zig-zag stitch created the stems. A while after the piece was finished, I felt the leaves were too flat, so out came the fabric paint sticks to create veins.

Flowers Through the Seasons – A WIP (work in progress)

This basket of flowers began years ago. At some point, I put it aside as it just wasn’t “grabbing” me. Recently, it emerged and is in the queue of bigger works to finish in 2022/ early 2023.

Starting with the early spring flowers of daffodils and pansies, this piece moves into the warmth of the later spring/ early summer blossoms. The lilies have thread painted pistils and stamens; the irises are awaiting theirs. The approaching autumn air leaves behind summer’s black-eyed susans and coneflowers. The long lasting sunflowers (top right- just the tips shown in this photo) transition well through the waning warmth of summer to those crisp autumn mornings. These are followed by the brilliance of the winter poinsettia.

Some of the stems have fallen off, more leaves need to be added and a lot of thread painting is still on the horizon. I can once again see the potential in this piece. Hopefully, I will finish it sometime this summer …. or fall … and there’s always winter.

Summer Reflections

While living in Vermont somewhat limits the growing season, I treasure those moments of gardening, either for myself or others. There’s something about just watching the bees light on the catmint after a rain or see a butterfly light on the Joe Pye Weed that warms my heart.

Whether you find joy from flowers through plants grown by you or a neighbor or through ones you create from fabric, I hope that inspires you to take a step in caring for our planet.

The Farm

You often hear me mention “the farm” on my Instagram or Facebook accounts or in these posts. The farm is Evening Song Farm, an organic vegetable CSA, owned by Kara and Ryan Fitzbeauchamp, my daughter-in-law and son. It is located in Shrewsbury, Vermont and is in its second location; the fields were completely washed away during Hurricane Irene in 2011.

Kara and Ryan have inspired me in so many ways over the years. Their initial business plan blew my socks off. I remember thinking “These two are only one year out of college and wow, this is what they envision for their business/ lives.” 

One influence, in particular, came from their business postcard.  It was a photograph of different varieties of carrots heaped high at their  market.  I looked at this and said 1) I need to put pictures of my work on a business postcard, and 2) I want to create those bunches of delicious carrots in fabric.

While this isn’t the original inspiration, here are bunches of carrots washed and ready for CSA members.

The First Evening Song Carrots

When I went to create my first Evening Song Carrots piece, I pulled out all my yellows and oranges and even some purples from the fabric totes. The piece was to be on a 16×20 inch canvas. Once I free cut some carrots, I quickly realized that there was no way bunches and bunches of carrots would fit on this size. Each carrot deserved to stand out, not look like a smush of orange.

Because these were farm carrots, the carrot greens had to be part of the artwork. After ironing on a two-sided adhesive onto the fabric, I drew squiggly fronds and cut them out. Next was to carefully arrange the bunch while considering color and carrot shape. I ironed down the greens and sewed the individual carrots, making it a point to add root hairs at tips. The tops were then free motion quilted to prevent them flopping around if the adhesive became loose in the future. 

Evening Song carrots grew into other designs such as Carrots Dining

I have created eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and corn so far, with peas and broccoli cut out waiting to be sewn.

Not the inspirational photo, but just a reminder about how many colors an eggplant has on its skin

And the peppers… there are so many varieties of peppers grown at Evening Song Farm. There are habanero and serrano and poblano and jalapeno and rainbow and carmen and…

And Then Came the Farm Animals

It was an easy transition from pet portraits to farm animal portraits. Bella and Zia grace the farm with their presence and serve a critical role in the health of the farm ecosystem. Over the years there have also been chickens, pigs, and Mr. Nelson and LMNO (both goats).

Zia with her baby, and Bella in the background with one of hers

Bella has been my featured farm lady as Zia tends to hide when I’m looking to take a photo. The first goat portrait I did, I did just for the joy of it, not really thinking it would sell. I wanted to make it extra whimsical so I added knobby tan yarn for hay.  My explanation to viewers was that whenever I walk by her, Bella lets me know she wants some hay and isn’t happy when she  doesn’t get it.

Little did I know that finding a unique gift for someone who adores goats is not that easy. My goat art has gone to a piano teacher who “LOOOOVES her goat more than she loves piano” as an end of year thank you, a best friend’s birthday present, as well as for a child’s farm nursery.     

Two different variations of Bella. Note her flakes of hay to keep her quiet and well-fed

And there are other animals I have made.  Shiloh is in the living room of her owner. Piggie now patiently awaits dinner at the house of the grandchild of a customer.  My chickens…  well they are still wondering when someone will take them home to roost.

Interesting facts: Shiloh’s top part of the barn door is 3D. Piggy won a 2nd place ribbon at an art show.

What’s Next?

I’ll continue my (mostly) weekly farm visits and instead of weeding, my Grandma B task is to play with  my younger two grandchildren.Together we are making memories for us all.  

There’s another pig on my design wall.  I’m definitely open to ideas for new farm animals and veggies. The farm is adding a pick-your-own flower option for their CSA members so I anticipate that I will be adding some new  flower art to my upcoming collection, Flower Power.  

Let me leave you with this picture of the tomatoes growing in the high tunnel … rows and rows, reaching up at least 15 feet high.

All photos of animals and vegetables are by Adam Ford of Adam Ford Photography.  He is an amazing photographer who captures the essence of the farm through all the seasons. There are so many that would just make wonderful gifts for anyone who loves vegetables, gardening, farm animals, or just plain nature in all her glory.  

Back when my daughter was expecting their child, needless to say we all were excited. Kara Fizbeauchamp, my daughter-in-law, wrote “When Your First Grandchild is a Farm” for me and framed it within one of her paintings of garlic growing. I wanted to share it with you as the farm has always been a centering place and creative signpost for me.

When Your First Grandchild Is a Farm

by Kara Fitzbeauchamp

A grandparent is intimately involved in the birthing of a farm baby. It’s unclear how long a typical birth takes, but you’re on call or active duty for the duration of the pushing, screaming, crying, and cursing. Unlike the human birth, you will find yourself sharing in the physical exertion, exhaustion, fatigue, and dehydration of transitioning the grandchild from gestation to breathing on its own. But like a human grandchild, once the birth has been crystallized, the adventure has just begun.

Perhaps with the human baby, the grandmother is exempt from the primary duties of general care-taking – being free to focus on spoiling, baking for, playing with, adventuring with, singing to, reading to, and primarily having a wonderful time with the new being while mom and dad nap between feedings, cleaning, diapers, tantrums and vomit.

Three of my favorite photos of my two farm (human) grandchildren

Well not so when your first grandchild is a farm: When it’s hungry for transplants, you’ll be spending hours bent over with your hands in the dirt, plunking one optimistic seedling at a time. When parents have neglected daily hygiene routines, you’ll be out there weeding like there’s no tomorrow. You will find yourself shoveling a much larger volume of feces than a human baby could ever cumulatively collect in diapers. It’ll expect you to build, make, and sew it all sorts of toys, like wash stations, harvest bags, compost bins and flower beds.

Old wash station with harvest bags, and planting onions in the snow with Kara at the old farm.

On top of all this, the farm grandchild is oblivious to the weather, so you’ll have to do these things in the rain, snow, wind, heat, sun and maybe once a hurricane.

Winter at the farm, and the damage from Hurricane Irene at the old farm (photo by Adam Ford).

Yes, you will have more work with a farm grandchild because the farm parents cannot do it all themselves – it’s simply too big. (If someone alerted farm parents to this phenomenon, they may have used better farm birth control).

But just like human grandchildren, the joy it provides melts the burdens of raising it: Weekends outside reveling in the blessings of the earth; reconnecting with dirt, that essential medium transporting us to childhood where life is a series of sandcastles to build and cookies to eat; impressing yourself with your body’s ability to physically toil the way it did when you started a family of human babies; watching the farm grandchild grow and mature into a beautiful, abundant, resilient multi-species system that may one day inspire other farm baby births.

Carrots recently washed waiting to be packed for the cooler. Photo by Adam Ford.

And you’ll eat!! You’ll eat the most rewarding, colorful nourishment because that needy, demanding, high-maintenance grandchild gives back delicious gifts. (This is an advantage of a farm grandchild because you would be in serious trouble for eating a human grandchild.)

Rows and rows of tomatoes growing in one of the long high tunnels. Photo by Adam Ford.

The magic of being a grandparent is that you don’t know who that being will be, but you will love the hell out of it. And lucky you – not everyone gets to grandparent an ecosystem.

The glorious ecosystem that is Evening Song Farm, CSA. Photo by Adam Ford.

 As I mentioned earlier, the farm has been a centering place and creative signpost for me throughout the years. When my job consumed  too many weekends, I would head up there and just weed and weed and weed. Their business card of carrots stacked high at farmers market was my inspiration for the first carrot fabric picture. To this day, the carrot art pieces are my top seller in the On the Farm Veggie Collection.

Interested in purchasing carrots (or another vegetable) for your home or as a gift? Contact me.

Thank you to Adam Ford, an amazing photographer and author. He has captured those littlest details of both the big events and day-to-day doings of the farm over the years. Choosing which photos of his to purchase was so challenging.

And a special thank you to Kara, for the wonderful gift of her art, seen below, and this written piece.