Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Pleated Pleasure
- 10 August 2011
- click to send Christine a smile
A Floral Trends Design Group Assignment
Pleats are accordion like folds of equal width in alternating opposite directions in any kind of fabric.
Pleated Pleasure
I wound my basket bowl shape out of an Aspidistra leaf garland made up of small accordion pleats similar to those used when folding a fan.
Nestled low in the pleat basket,just off center, is a single yellowish-green phalaenopsis orchid and shadowing it, three tight buds of Allium flower heads. The pleasure part of my design is the Alliums. They are fascinating beyond believe as they twist and turn while they follow the sunlight in the room creating an ever changing design.
Lastly, I draped a knot made of a ripped Aspidistra leaf over the design to break up the tension created by the pleat pattern.
I used test tubes filled with water to keep my flowers fresh but I could also stand the design in a shallow tray filled with water- it is the basket frame that suspend and balance the design.
When your design is balanced on twigs or legs, like this one, place one of the legs facing forward.
Visually this creates balance but it will also stop the basket from toppling forward once you add the flowers.
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