They are self-sown and so of course are usually to be found in all the wrong places, in amongst the veggie patch, right at the front of the border, in the gravel path, you name it. I don’t have the heart to pull them out until after they’ve flowered though, they are so fantastic.
Linda used them as inspiration for her workshops Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies. I’ve popped a link to that just below if you’d like to check that out. You’ll see that the flowers she worked with had more of a cooler purple colour, this year in my garden they’ve all come up with this glow-in-the-dark pink, there’s not a purple one to be seen!
Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies
So you’ve been working in your sketchbook and are really happy with the pages, but how can you translate that to fabric? In this two-part workshop Linda will show you how she creates a painterly study of poppies in her sketchbook then takes those pages as inspiration to create a quilted panel.
Perhaps you have some in your garden that you can get out and draw from or photograph? If not, then you are welcome to click on any of the photos on this page to go to a slightly larger version that you can print out and use. I love the cool silvery-green foliage with the hot pink petals don’t you? What a great colour combination.
Linda and I often find inspiration in our gardens. Whatever the season there is usually something interesting to study and draw, whether it’s the bare branches of trees and hedges in winter or the glorious full blooms of summer. At the moment, these lovely poppies are coming into flower on a daily basis.
Sometimes they are single flowers, sometimes doubles with raggedy edges like this one.
Explore the sketchbook workshops...
Composing with Photos
Using photographs in design compositions can be exciting, but also tricky. Join Laura to see lots of examples and discover tips for success.
Tonal Tracing
Laura will show you how you can use a tracing method to quickly record a tonal study, both with crosshatching and wash. This is a great technique for developing a drawing as an end in itself, or as a preliminary study for something more.
Page to Stitch: Painterly Poppies
So you’ve been working in your sketchbook and are really happy with the pages, but how can you translate that to fabric? In this two-part workshop Linda will show you how she creates a painterly study of poppies in her sketchbook then takes those pages as inspiration to create a quilted panel.
Handpainted Collage Papers
Create your own handprinted collage papers, perfect for sketchbook and mixed media painting. Then explore how you can expand your collage and have fun playing with scale.
Sketchbook Samples
Don’t lose your stitched samples! Keep them safe and organised in your sketchbook. In this class Laura will show you how to add your stitched samples successfully into your sketchbook and build a lovely reference of technique.
Sketchbook to Textiles – Interpreting Marks
Join Linda for a look through one of her sketchbooks as she talks about mark making and then how it’s possible to interpret those marks into your textile work, in this case using dimensional fabric paint.
Mixed Media: Art Journal Pages
We always encourage you to save your scraps, but what to do with all those bits of paper? They are perfect for using in a mixed media art journal page. In this video workshop Laura will show you how to quickly colour your sketchbook page using scraped acrylic paint, create a frame, add collage elements and draw linear details. The pages you’ll make will make the perfect home for your art diary writing, photos and collected ephemera.