Wednesday 29 July 2009

Harebell fairies

Greetings friends. I've been busy stitching this week.

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My little project was inspired by some pretty blue harebells that I found dancing in the summer breeze.

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These delicate wild flowers found their way into our garden some time ago and seem to like it here as they pop up every year on the edge of the lawn. They always remind me of my childhood days and my endless search for fairies who are supposed to ring the tiny bells on warm summer evenings.

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Sadly I've never seen (or heard) any evidence of little folk ringing the bells but content myself with this lovely picture of a harebell fairy painted by Cicely Mary Barker. It comes from her much loved book 'Flower Fairies of the Summer'.

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Unfortunately our pretty patch of harebells was hit hard by rain on Sunday. These delicate blooms on slender stalks were no match for the torrential downpour that we had.

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Happily when the sun came out the following day a few hardy bells looked ready to chime again.

With no fairies to be found in the harebell patch I decided to make a blue fairy baby and she's a real little character.

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She is usually very well behaved and plays happily with her tiny brass bell.


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But occasionally she gets into mischief.

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Recently she dropped her bell onto this cup and was determined to retrieve it.

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Eventually she reached her bell but then found she was stuck inside the cup!

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I rescued her of course and now that she has been reunited with her little bell she seems quite content.
The rain has returned and the wet garden is not inviting so I will probably stay indoors and make another fairy or two.