Flutterby Patch

Flower language

I've had this sweet little book for several years. It was compiled in Victorian times for the many people who regularly gave each other flowers. Each flower had a special meaning and this book lists each one in alphabetical order. In those days it was considered very important to give the flowers that conveyed just the right sentiment and so a copy of 'The Language of Flowers' was to be found in many households.

These little blue forget-me-nots represent 'true love' and also 'do not forget me'. It was a very popular little bloom to give at times of parting. 

By the end of the Victorian era greetings cards were widely available and depicted many popular flowers. I have a small collection of Victorian and Edwardian greetings cards in an old scrap book so I'd like to share some with you.

The Victorians loved pansies and the meaning associated with them was 'thoughts' which was the perfect sentiment for numerous occasions.

An idyllic little scene like this one, framed by pansies, could be found on many cards

 Violets were loved also, particularly the scented variety.

Here is a little card depicting violets which represented 'faithfulness'

I don't have a card illustrating blue periwinkles ('early friendship') but have several with ivy designs.

Ivy was popular for wedding cards as it was associated with 'fidelity'.

Apple blossom represented 'preference'

I'm not sure if this is apple or almond blossom but I wanted to show you the card as its one of the prettiest in the collection. It's so delicate and I love the way it opens.

A great many Victorian and Edwardian cards depicted blue birds. I wonder why? The image makes me think of the sentimental wartime song 'There'll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover' and so I guess blue birds represent love and freedom. Does anyone have any other ideas?

'The Language of the Flowers' has been reprinted in hundreds of formats over the years. I have an illustrated version by Kate Greenaway which I'm very fond of (see above).
 
Pretty cards like the ones I've shown you are no longer widely available but happily many clever and creative people are producing wonderful greetings cards for us to buy for our friends and family. My blogging chum Maggie at Sweet Scarlett is producing the most gorgeous little 'Lucky Penny Books' to carry sentiments and good wishes for special occasions. They are absolutely gorgeous and available in her Etsy shop so do take a look.

Until next time
Eli

More dolls and gardening

Its been a busy week and when the sun shone I was temped into the garden (more of that in a minute). During a day of dismal drizzle I managed to finish my two little pincushion ladies. Like dolly sixpence each started life as a humble wooden peg. I sculpted little heads and arms and then dressed each lady in a softly padded, fibre-filled skirt to act as a pincushion and they've turned out really well. You will be able to find them both in my Flutterby shop.

Pincushion lady wearing pink and white

Pincushion lady in darker shades

Well, I promised you a little look at what has been going on in the garden this week so here goes...

This photo was taken this morning whilst we were sitting under a blanket of low cloud. Annoyingly it seems the rest of England was bathed in sunshine but that is the penalty we pay for living in a mountainous region.

This is one area where I've been busy working. It's the entrance to a little rocky place we call the 'fairy dell'. Because we had such a wet summer last year (and the year before) it has been left to its own devices and has consequently become very overgrown with brambles and ivy. I hacked my way through the undergrowth, on though the arch of trees and there before me I found an old friend.

Peering out from behind a rock and below an azalea bush was my friendly old gnome. I don't think he's seen a human face for a couple of years so tomorrow (weather permitting) I will take him out and spruce him up before rearranging his hiding place and making him more comfortable.

This is the view he gets from beneath the bushes.

And this is his view in the other direction. The large pink rhododendron is 'Rhododendron Loderi '. I can't begin to describe what a wonderful perfume it has. If you are considering buying just one rhododendron do please consider this one. There are several named Loderi cultivars and they are all strongly scented.

Here is a close-up view. It's pink in bud and slowly fades to white when open. We have three of these bushes and for the the next few weeks they will scent the entire garden. Wonderful!

For one reason or another we often have lengths of hose pipe snaking their way round the terrace. Sometimes they are a sign of plant irrigation during dry weather but not so today. We'll follow the hose.

One end leads to the tap and the other into a watering can.

And here is the reason...yet another path is being dug up and relayed. As you may know my husband enjoys 'fixing' paths and walls so this little project has kept him busy all week. The stone slabs had become very uneven so his hard work is much appreciated and he's doing a very good job.

My garden tour ends beside our old oak tree where a scarlet rhododendron is flowering its heart out. I'm pleased to see the oak is covered in fresh young leaves whilst the ash tree nearby has no leaves at all. Why am I pleased? Because in Britain we have old 'weather lore' sayings like this one.

Oak before ash, in for a splash.
Ash before oak, in for a soak.

I hope it proves true as we don't need another soaking summer like the last one. A 'splash' would be much more welcome.

Time to take a mug of tea to the workman laying the path!

Until next time

Eli

Dolly days

Meet Louisa. Isn't she a sweetie? She's the oldest member of my little doll family and dates from the 1860s. I found her on Ebay a few years ago. She was seeking a good home and my heart was lost as soon as I saw her.

Her head is wax over composition (hence the hairline cracks) and her eyes are glass. I adore old dolls but perfect condition is never important to me. I prefer the loved and played-with look and Louisa would surely have lots of secrets to share if only she could talk.

She has a cloth body stuffed with straw and carved wooden hands and forearms that adjoin cloth upper arms attached to her body at the shoulders.

Her boots and lower legs are also made of wood and are attached to upper legs made of cloth. Her pretty muslin dress and underwear are in excellent condition.

Over the years I've spend many happy hours reading about old dolls and have a varied collection of books about them.

Vintage prints of little girls and their dollies appeal to me greatly. This gorgeous woodcut dates from the 16th century. I often dream of owning a REALLY old doll but they are exceedingly rare and if by chance I ever found one I know I wouldn't have sufficient funds to acquire it, so I dream on.

By complete contrast let me show you a doll I made at school when I was eight years old. Funny little thing isn't she! All the children in my class were asked to bring 'scraps' from home to create a dolly from a wooden peg (clothespin). Just look at her funny little blue arms! They are wire from a vintage TV my dad was repairing at the time. And guess what! My little peg doll won 'first prize'. The teacher gave me a silver sixpence which she said was 'for luck'. In England sixpences have been given as tokens of good luck for over 400 years. 

Being given a silver sixpence must have ignited my love of doll making because I've been making them (large and small) ever since .

I like making small things best so peg dolls have always been a favourite.

Recently I experimented with polymer and paper clays as I wanted to try putting larger heads onto the pegs and give each face a tiny nose. I wanted to try making tiny arms as well.

And here is the new head viewed from the back. You can see it is quite a bit larger than the original peg head. After several coats of paint and varnish I added...

.... the eyes and mouth.Then came the hair and the tiny clothes.

And here is the finished dolly enjoying a cup of tea in the dolls house. I'm very pleased with the way she turned out. She has a pert little nose and her little (sculpted) arms are attached to thin wire so they will bend. Her legs remain 'peg-shaped'. I made her a Kate Greenaway style dress, petticoat, pantaloons and apron plus a mop cap to protect her curls.

Here she is again with a tiny lace bag in which she keeps.....

 .....a shiny sixpence 'for luck'.

 Since I started making these little ladies a few weeks ago there has been no quelling my enthusiasm. By the time I'd completed doll number three I decided it might be a good idea to open a little blog shop so that each of them might find a good home. I've named them 'dolly sixpence' because each doll carries a little bag containing a shiny sixpence 'for luck'.

You will find a link to my shop in the side bar.

Meanwhile I have other little dolly ideas skipping around in my brain so I had better return to the workroom and get busy.

Until next time,
Eli