5 by 1 and 5 by 2 tiling of Shuzo Fujimoto’s hydrangea

The hydrangea model has been one of my favourite models to fold since I started folding. There are two ways of collapsing the hydrangea, one involves multiple steps of folding and refolding whereas the other method is almost like magic. I first discovered this model on Sara Adam’s https://www.happyfolding.com/. The satisfying simplicity of the collapse and geometrical nature of the folds was very pleasing to me and I immediately got hooked. I have made a small video with the help of my colleague EK of the collapse of a single unit hydrangea.

The folding process becomes much more complicated when folding a multi-level hydrangea. The process involves multiple squash folds and inverting a 8 pyramid shaped flaps. But the result is more beautiful and pleasing than a single level hydrangea.

6 – level Hydrangea Base – A

I tried another sparse tiling of hydrangea which is a version designed by Peter Budai.

Sparse hydrangea tiling

I want to try and combine these two tilings and come up with a design where the Fujimoto’s original tiling is framed by Budai’s sparse tiling on the boundary. I don’t know how I will make them fit on the same grid. I am willing to commit heresy and use scissors if that is required, as one tiling design from Fujimoto’s book also uses scissors. Earlier this year, I went on a hydrangea folding spree where I ended up folding Hydrangea bases A, B, C, D, E, F and G. I’ll upload photos of those in a separate post. Perhaps if I fold all the models in the book and take a nice nap, all the different ways of folding the hydrangea may collapse together magically in my head and I might be able to come up with the design. Any ideas or collaboration related to Hydrangea tilings are welcome.