Introducing Meander Designs

Wishing you all a lovely festive season - it has been quite a while between posts here in 2015!

In between freelance design projects I have been working towards the launch of a collection of homeware products inspired by Australia's unique flora and fauna, featuring my hand painted watercolour designs.
First to launch in the Meander collection are four tea towel designs, printed locally in Melbourne using non-toxic eco friendly inks.
Printed on 75% linen / 25% cotton tea towels, these designs are an easy-to-post gift to friends and family near and far.
For more info and details, take a look at my new website: www.meanderdesigns.com.au

Eucalyptus Leaves Tea Towel

Indigo Garden Tea Towel

Lucindale Tea Towel

Nardoo Tea Towel

Coming soon - giclee prints and greetings cards.

Colour inspiration from the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show

I have well and truly stocked up on spring bulbs after visiting the very busy Flower & Garden Show, now I just need a few spare moments to get them planted into the garden! 

This pretty palette of colours might be something to consider for next summer / autumn plantings.

 
The Yates Garden stand featured an impressive mix of native and exotic plantings. Another great colour palette to consider too....

A beautiful patch of meadow blooms grown from seed.

The 5000 Poppies project

And yet another stunning palette featuring plantings of deep burgundy, berry red, black and creamy white grasses and flowers.

From the garden - a bunch of floral fabrics

 The sun is blaring down outside - a good excuse for a little internet browsing with the air con on! Here is a selection of colourful and painterly garden inspired florals that have caught my eye over the Christmas break.

Archipelago Tana Lawn from Liberty Art Fabrics. 

This design was inspired by the tropical gardens of Abbey Garden, Tresco. 

Tresco is one of the Scilly Isles, located south of Cornwall.

 Melbourne based printing duo Bonnie and Neil's beautiful homewares are printed on crunchy linen fabrics. I love how they have incorporated the begonia leaf in their designs - I have noticed a 

resurgence of this somewhat forgotten plant in a few Melbourne nurseries lately.

Hermosa is a vibrant and painterly floral design from Harlequin.

Fairfield by Nina Campbell is a loosely painted design of Lupins, reminiscent of 1950's summer dress fabrics.

Xanthe is another Liberty Art Fabric design inspired by the Tresco Abbey Gardens (with a sprinkling of sunny 1950's hand drawn style).

Zamera from Romo fabrics features painterly meadow flowers on a linen ground.

And last but not least....

Pandora Peony from Designer's Guild is a stunning fabric, digitally printed on linen. The large repeat combines an abundance of photographed and painted flowers. I can't think of a nicer way to bring some colour from the garden inside!

A floral filled Friday

The sun is shining, the summer flower beds have been dug and planted (dahlias, marigolds, salvia and delphiniums),  and the garden is slowly coming into bloom. 

My desk is happily covered in pages of floral watercolour textile designs. 

The foxgloves are beginning to flower after what seemed like a very long wait (I planted these seedlings way back in February), so I will be adding this rather tricky but very beautiful flower to my long textile design subject matter to-do list!

A bunch of inspiring floral related blogs have caught my eye of late and are now firm favourites (and keep me returning again and again to my local nursery....)

Flowerona is a wonderful celebration of all things flower related by UK based Rona Wheeldon.  Rona regularly interviews talented artists and designers who are inspired by flowers. A lovely read.

101 Florals is a collaborative pattern project by US based designers Lindsay Nohl and Llew Mejia. Filled with interesting and innovative floral pattern goodness.

Cecilia Fox is a newly opened florist shop located in East Brunswick, Melbourne. The owner, Melanie, blogs about the goings-on of her floristry business and what inspires her creations.

Lindsey Myra is a Melbourne based florist, artist and designer who has recently established an urban cutting garden. Beautiful photography and a great eye for colour combinations.

Enjoy your weekend!

Winter leaves

A collection of wintery leaves, painted in water colour

Heronswood

On my way home from a Hen's Weekend I broke up the drive with a visit to the gardens of Heronswood, located in Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne.

Heronswood is the home of Digger's Seed Club, and a great place to get a few ideas for colourful plant combinations - perfect for the garden here in the country. I am sadly lacking in hill-side sea vistas though....

I bought a few of these Sedum plants in dusty pink tones - my new favourite flower.