Sappho is now finished and on the Folksy Shop. She is a gentle soul with a kind heart. Her plumage is heavily yet delicately embroidered with emphasis on accurately portraying her plumage.I chose the dress fabric to compliment that plumage and her overall colours. This little goldfinch is dressed in an organic Liberty tana lawn called Donna Leigh. Taken from a print designed for muslin by William Kilburn in the 1700's. His print were usually on a dark background but I love the lightness of this soft yellow colourway.Her dressed is trimmed with organza ribbon, tiny buttons and she carries a sampler pillow. She also has a tiny hoop goldfinch brooch you can detatch to wear yourself. Her underskirts are a yellow gingham cottom with a cream tulle lace. She has the new birdier feet that I prefer and gives the bird girls a lightness I enjoy.The deep red of her face is stitched with three different colours of red in a random cross stitch with the rest of her plumage in feather or fly stitch. I was a great fan of Michael Oakshott shot cotton fabric. Wonderful weight and a great depth of colour. Sadly this British business closed down when Michael retired. I am gradually coming to an end of these fabrics and starting to use Westfalenstoffe Oeko Tex Standard 100 woven cotton. It is such a great weight and the colours are truly sublime. Check them our at Elmhirst Fabrics online.
.A few shots of whats on my worktable this Work in Progress Wednesday.Sappho is a tiny goldfinch, inspired by my constant visitors to the garden. They are one of the most numerous birds we get, which is so lovely. Her plumage is heavily embroidered with fly or feather stitch and random cross stitch in three colours, which is so satisfying. I try to reflect the birds' plumage as accurately as I can and they are a joy to make.Sappho has citrine to her heart with lots of chamomile and she is dressed in Donna Leigh by Liberty. This is an organic tana lawn and has a wonderful feel. A little heavier than regular tana lawn but super soft. The patter Donna Leigh is an old original from the late 1700's by William Kilburn. Kilburn was a prolific pattern maker usually for muslin. His signature was floral abundance on a dark ground. But the butter yellow is just right here.I will finish her today and as soon as Reuban works his magic she will be in the shop. The absolutely joy I get from making these little birds knows no bounds and I am at my happiest embroidering their wings, their bodies and all the tiny embroidered details that goes with them.
Floss is a tiny autumn wren, dressed in a lovely autumn Liberty tana lawn fabric called Naiad for A/W2023. Her underskirts are cinnamon woven gingham and cream tulle lace and she has the new birdy feet. Finished with tiny buttons, organza ribbon and an embroidered sampler sachet with a tiny wren hoop brooch that you can wear yourself should you want to!As always no paint is used to delineate her plumage on her head, wings and tiny tail, they are all hand embroidered. She has citrine to her heart with rosemary in her stuffing for a gentle fragrance and for autumn.I can express the joy I have in making these tiny birds, I so love their embroidery. Over the years they have become smaller and more delicate until they are now less than 20cm and just sit in your hand.I tend to make birds that I find in my garden and i am going to expand my range to include Robins, Siskins and Long Tailed Tits. We have resident Nuthatches but I would need to work out their head as although a passerine they have a definate shape to heir head. At some point there will be Grey Wagtails and Greenfinches. All welcome visitors to our garden.
This is tiny Witch Sybilla, named for Maria Sybilla Merion the noted botanist and botanical illustrator from the 17th centuary. She is the botanist and the herbarium keeper of the Guardian Witchs' Hedge.Dressed in a beautiful Tim Holtz print in a rich botanical floral with pistachio green ginham underskirts and white tulle lace. Her wool felt hat is brown with a tiny button and she carries both a sampler sachet and a tiny broom for quick trips around the hedgerow.Stuffed with chamomile to her stuffing and citrine to her heart she is a gentle and knowing soul with good intentions to all. Finished with organza ribbon, tiny buttons and detachable hoop brooch with an orange gingham rose, her tiny leather boots allow her to stomp around the hedgerow when not flying. If you peep you can see she has a tiny brass witch's hat charm to her sampler!These Witch Guardians have been a joy to make and the fabrics where from a bring and buy event find at my local village hall a couple of years ago. Odd tiny pieces that are not much use to any but for tiny dolls. I do love a find!Have a wonderful weekend and my warmest wishes to you all xx
This is Witch Pomme, a little Mabon Apple Witch. She sports a tiny burundy wool felt witch's hat and carries a tiny broom. Dressed in Acufactum's Apple Harvest Print she is a tiny little character celebrating Mabon or the Autumnal Equinox Second Harvest - The Fruit Harvest. The first harvest is the grain harvest in Summer but the Fruit Harvest happens in September. So think apples, pears, plums and blackberries with acorns and beech mast thrown in. This tiny little witchy wren has an apple embroidered onto her pistachio green underskirt, supported with cream tulle lace and cream broderie anglais drawers. Carrying her tiny broom she also has a hand embroidered wren hoop as a charm with buttons and a little acorn. She has citrine to her heart with rosemary and applewood to her stuffing.Mabon is a realtively new expression of the Harvest Home of old or Alban Elfed. You can celebrate this festival of the harvest with hearty apple and blackberry puddings, rich root vegetable stews with dumplings and the odd glass of cider! We have been enjoying a Mabon festival meal for several years now. Just celebrating the turning of the cycles of the year and enjoying the fecunditiy of the garden. We have apple trees in huge pots and two at the woodland margin in the woods themselves. They don't give a huge amount of fruit but are there with their blossom for the bees and the bullfinches in spring. Mabon traditionally falls on the Equinox itself, so 21/22 of September or you can wait as we do for the nearest full moon which this year falls on Saturuday 26th of September. We will have a walk through the woods at Rivington and then Reuban cooks and I make traditional custard with eggs and cream. Yum! xx
