The last of the holiday celebration in front of the shop had to do with what Rob calls the hats over the windows. They actually seem more like eyebrows to me. Last year we hung burlap drapes over them. Given our dead meadow weeds holiday theme, I thought a weedy hat might add a certain finish to the project. They took just about forever to make. Glueing one weed at a time takes time. After finishing the first, I spent two weeks vacillating about whether to abandon this part altogether. It sat on a table in the back since before Thanksgiving, enduring many rainy and some snowy days. The matted mess miraculously regained its volumetric shape, once it dried out, but really it was Jenny that persuaded me to keep going. After they were wired onto the metal hats, I was glad I persisted.
I added the metal rectangles and shutters to the windows many years ago. Factory windows do not come with much in the way of architectural interest. They warm up this old machine shop considerably. I wired most of the dry elegant feather grass from the roof to three large bamboo poles. I glued everything into that dried grass I could get my hands on-kitchen sink style.
Dry anemones and hydrangeas from my yard, dry chicory, boltonia, Queen Anne’s Lace, thistle seed heads-and a whole lot more dry plant stems I cannot identify became part of these three eyebrows. I have no idea how long all of this will last-I have never done anything like it before. Sticks, and dry perennial plant stems-that is all there is to this.
I am happy to have something warm and reminiscent of the garden to look at, in December.
Looks great this year.