Melusine, A River Maid

 

This is Melusine, a one of a kind lily pad river maid. Inspired by the folk story of Melusine the river daughter.

Each water lily is supported by a silk or felt lily pad and the theme is carried on onto her hand with a tiny water lily.

Dragonfly charms run across the design and she has a piece of malachite to her heart.

The fabric used is an Acufactum print called By the River and tiny perch peep among the lily pads. Her hair is chartreuse green merino wool and her scrim is hand dyed in various shades of pond green. Her tail is a rich green silk as are some of her lily pads. She has a tiny dragonfly gliding across her back.

Melusine's story is a folk tale that is found across Europe. Her mother met and married the King of Scotland, Elinas. She agreed to marry him so long as he never saw her bathe. She gave him three daughters one of whom was Melusine with Melior and Palatine. Unable to hide his curiosity he peeped at Pressine in her bath. Cursing him for seeing her as a half fish she took her daughters and fled to Avalon. Enraged at their father's betrayal, the three sisters captured him and hid him inside a mountain. At this point Pressine lost her temper with her daughters and then cursed them. Melusine becoming a river maid with a fish tail. Sometimes she is described as having two tails.

A young knight spied the beautiful Melusine sitting by the river and fell in love. Only for the story repeating itself and after giving Reymond ten sons he peeped at her in her bath and she fled cursing him. Forever after she could not take the form of a human again. She is linked to the Dukes of Luxembourg and predicts deaths in the family. So there you go!

I loved making this river maid and there a some more mermaids now live on the shop. These new mermaids are in stronger colours for a change.

I love Melusine's water lily flowers, the one at her breast is in silk and the others are in felt. She really is a one of a kind doll and I will not be repeating her. Wonderfully fiddly to make, I enjoyed every part of her.

Catching up with gallery work and then hoping to complete my nurse dolls. Enjoy the sunshine and my warmest wishes to every one xx

New Tiny Mermaids

 

These little mermaids are new for the Craft Drop on Folksy this weekend. There were five but four have sold and I have just listed Asterope as the last one but I will make more.

With lavish locks and a discreetly placed star fish they are a work of pure joy. They have a nautical themed tail detailed with tiny shell charms and starfish. I have used hand dyed scrim to give them an added texture which I feel lends to the mermaid theme.

The starfish is discreetly placed to give her a modest look and is beaded with embroidery detail. The motif is repeated on her hand as a sort of starfish tatoo. A tiny wave to her back and seashells with pearl beads in her hair.

I have made mermaids before but this is a tiny pattern with far more detailing and embroidery.

This little trio is Acaste Argia and Asterope, all named for daughters of Poseidon. They have a stone to their heart including sea glass with a silk machine worked tail and a silk starfish to their breast.

I tried to make the photoshoot look like they were underwater with seaweed ferns. The glorious array of shells were collected by my Great Aunt Connie who had a huge collection so seashells, a true conchologist. When she died the collection was split between several nieces and great nieces which was a shame. I wanted to keep them all together but as the youngest was over ruled. I now have my selection and my Aunty Irene's selection, I am plotting to get my hands on my cousin Shelly's collection too!

Mermaid Acaste, (Now Sold) is a jewel of a mermaid with sea glass to her heart and a piece of turquoise. Her mint green locks are adorned with mint green pearl beads and tiny sea shells. Her sea shell charms are silver and her scrim is hand dyed turquoise and blue green in colour.

I have loved making these little mermaids and will be making some more in the next few weeks. The nurses are on hold for the present.

They are a joy to work on and I love the texture changes and the flowing hair. The last one was listed on the shop this morning to take part in the Folksy Craft Drop. The idea being that we launch something new for this weekend. As most of my mermaids have sold mine will be a quiet shout out but have a peep there should be some lovely work.

Looking Back at Mistle

 

Mistle was made and sold twelve months ago and I was looking back. It was her fabric that caught my attention, it is Acufactum Chirping Birds and Nests.

All our nest boxes have families in them and they are so busy. The starlings are back for the season and they are eating Flutter Butter with relish. We never see a starling except for the months when they are building and feeding. Shortly they will bring their chicks and the garden will sing to their chatter.

This just seemed the perfect picture for the week, with her birdie dress and forget me knot card, even a tiny bit of blossom.

These are just my colours, cool blues with a hint of warmth from the brown and gold. This is a truly lovely fabric, an aquamarine ground with tiny nests, birds and feather running across it. The coolness of the blue is lifted with tiny eggs in rich tones. I teamed her dress with tiny fawn leather shoes which I felt complemented the mohair of her body.

Many of Acufactum's prints are by Daniela Drescher but this print is by Kirsten Hess and the spring theme is so cheerful with such a lovely palette.

The mermaids are coming along well but we didn't have time to take any photographs this week as a large landscaping job was in progress at Aunty Irene's House. She has a garden but he doesn't garden to my mind just cuts grass and prunes things into lollipop shapes. Reuba worked so hard and is now stiff and tired but we got it done.

The new mermaids will be shown with the Folksy New Product drop next weekend and then it is nurses. Little nurses in their Norman Hartnell dresses with tiny capes. I made one as a commission and loved her so much I am going to make some for the shop and my galleries.

Have a lovely weekend and my warmest wishes to you all.

A Trio of Fae

 

This tiny trio are not remotely wicked fae but hard working fairy God mothers with nothing but good wishes to spread.

Each dressed in a pretty Acufactum fabric with a floral and fruit theme.

It always amazes me that the pattern is the same but each has her own character and personality. It must be the micro differences when painting each face and the set of the hair when stitching into place.

Hollyhock is one of a small collection of flower fairy God mothers. With soft lilac hair and a summer print from Acufactum she is a gentle fae.

A warm wistful face with hand painted and hand embroidered features. She has rose petals to her heart with rose quartz for love.

The fabric is called A Summer Village and has tiny cottages surrounded by glorious hollyhocks. I love the little lass running through the village and on her bicycle. As ever she is finished with a sampler pillow, tiny wand, leather shoes and wee buttons.

They are my secret joy to make. I make at least one a week. I love the size and their dainty character.

I am working on new mermaids at the moment. I have created a new pattern based on the size of the fairy God mother pattern. They are a better size and sit beautifully in the hand, also looking well on the wall.

We have had a few bonny days but it is so cold for the end of April. Several sunny days in the garden have been lovely. We have started planting pots with perennials just for the bees. The hollyhocks in a large tub I am really looking forward to xx

The Tails of Two Kitties

 

This little chap is one of my new kitties, dressed in plus fours and an attractive waistcoat. I have been trying to make a cat I like for some years now and this one I like.

This colourway is based on our own dear boy Asher, who is a British Lilac. He was a rescue who was the tiny runt of a very large litter. Not cooked long enough he had kinks in his tail and a heart condition as well as being very wee.

He is still very small but makes up for it by being the naughtiest, funniest cat we have ever lived with. When not rampaging around the bungalow, annoying the other cats or destroying all my houseplants he is quietly asleep somewhere awkward. Yesterday we were peacefully working in the studio when there was an almighty crash and Reuba just said Oh No He is Awake!

That said, we love him very much and would not be without him for anything.

The Tails of Two Kitties!

I am sorry I could not resist and made both my husband and Reuba groan but i thought it was very funny!

Each cat has lemongrass to their stuffing with an obsidian crystal to their heart. There outfits are based on an Acufactum print in deep jade green adorned with pumpkins, black birds and ginger cats. I do like their blue eyes and their slightly cross expressions.

Katalia looks so pretty in pumpkins. I like the grey or blue cat fabric but I am favouring a black for the cats body. I will have to experiment.

I find them so hard to make, cats and yet I know them so well. From the flat headed spitting balls of fur from the farm of my childhood to the grace of all the house cats we have adopted over the years. We are on our seventh house cat, Asher. Lavender and Lucca lived to be nineteen and we miss them terribly. Louis and Puss just moved in, we still have Louis but lost Puss. He was with us twelve years but we don't know how old he was when he arrived. He rarely came in the house but had a special insulated home built for him just outside the back door, which suited him better. We loved them all and miss the ones moved on but Lyra, Louis and the redoubtable Asher keep us on our toes xx