This is Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest and when older the wife of Hades. To the ancient Greeks she was known as Kore or the Maiden. With hair like the corn in the cornfield and surrounded by wildflowers, her symbols where the wildflowers of her mother's wheat fields and a gentle doe. The fabric I found seemed perfect, featuring gentle deer and poppies with cornflowers. It is an Acufactum print called Deer in Summer Field and is now discontinued which is such a shame.Persephone's story goes that when she was older she was glimpsed by Hades, the God of the Underworld and she stole his heart. Rebuffed by both Persephone herself and her mother Demeter. Hades kidnapped Persephone and took down into the Underworld. Beside herself with grief, Demeter neglected her duties and the crops withered and the winter came. Eventually Persephone managed to escape but because she had eaten a few pomegranite seeds she was forced to return to the Underworld for six months a year. Hence our seasons with the autumn and winter months when Demeter grieves for her girl only for the spring flowers to emerge with joy of her return.Persephone is dressed in her pretty dress and is wearing a heavily appliqued and embroidered cape with a design of poppies and wheat running around her cape both front and back. She wears little wool felt boots with a tweedy Rowan yarn bobble hat and carries a sampler sachet. She was a joy to make.
Just listed is my collection for Christmas. Celyn, Welsh for Holly, is my Fairytale and Fable doll for Christmas.Celyn, is the Holly King's daughter from the story of the Oak King and the Holly King. Battling across the year to control the seasons. Right now the Holly King rules as the nights draw in and the weather chills but on the Winter Solstice the Oak Kings triumphs and the days start to lengthen and the temperature starts to rise. Celyn, is the Holly Kings daughter watching the eternal battle between her father and the Oak King of the summer.Dressed in a Makower Christmas print called Sarisa Holly Green Twigs from the Good Tidings collection. With a leaf green bobble hat and little green felt winter boots.Her apron is heavily embroidered with a folk art print of holly leaves and holly berries with a festive sampler pillow with a golden coloured pine cone charm. Her green eyes and red hair seemed just right for my Christmas Girl. She is finished with broderie anglais drawers, dark green petticoats and white tulle underskirts. The wool for her bobble hat is spun from local wool from sheep in the Ribble Valley and hand dyed by the farmers wife in her kitchen.
Collette is a little flower maid from the court of Marie Antoinette made in celebration of the wonderful exhibition now on at the V&A.Marie Antoinette Style is well worth a look and if you cannot get there the exhibition book is a sumptuous alternative.Collette is a little girl with hand styled pink high Rococo hair trimmed with ribbon and tiny earings. Her face is hand embroidered with warm green frosted glass beads for her eyes. She is all soft pinks, greens and creams with a dress in the style of a robe polonaise. Her underskirt is cream tulle and her drawers are cream broderie anglais. Her under kirtle is carried up onto her bodice and her sleeves are heavily worked. She carries her embroiderey with her in a little hoop and has spent time embroidering her garden boots for when she picks flowers for the queen's bed chamber. She has a very sweet nature and was a joy to make.
This is Beatrix(Now Sold) with her two bad mice on her pinnie. Dressed in a lovely Acufactum print with little autumn mice abounding. It is called Hedgerow Mice. The two little mice on her apron are appliqued and sewn in folk art style, with three dimensional ears and glass bead eyes. As always beneath her dress are white broderie anglais drawers with a rust spot petticoat and a tulle lace underskirt. She is finished with tiny buttons, a sampler pillow and tiny felt boots with white bobby socks. Her face and her hair are hand styled with a rust tweedy wool bobble hat to crown her.I loved the idea of Beatrix, a consumate story teller and a wonderful illustrator.Back in the garden today finishing off in the front. Lots of cutting back and more bulb planting ready for spring. Then its on with Christmas orders and making a few decorations for the shop.
