posted by Lily on embroidery

7 comments

okay, I’m back in the saddle!

Reading my bloggy news this morning, I came across allsorts flickr montage of softies. Amongst an assortment of cute stuffed things was a gnome with a very tall and pointy red hat (why do we give such hats to our fairy folk – is it because we would really love to wear them ourselves but are worried we would look foolish so stick them on our imaginary friends instead?) and a square robot thing with long soft arms and legs.

I wanted something sweet with a tall and pointy red hat and long soft arms and legs. So I got out the paper and pencil and drew a large tomten (from my Advent calendar). Out came the trusty lengths of wool, the thread box and the button bowl and I was smitten for the next several hours (with washing, bed making, school delivering and retrieval, bread baking and dinner cooking in between of course!).

As I sewed, the little creature began to tell her story. She is not a tomten – they only come out at Christmas here in Brisbane – but a garden sprite, a mulberry one to be precise and her name is Mellitupple.

Now, she really comes from across the fence – from the land of the mean-spirited and dull-witted neighbour whose appearance in his garden is only ever the prelude to hours of hacking at the trees that dare grow. He doesn’t mind the arm-pit high grass – it’s obviously a feature! After several years of such reprehensible behaviour, the only tree left standing – or staggering – is the mulberry. It just keeps on re-shooting but we think its day’s may be numbered – mean-spirited and dull-witted had a treelopper visit him last week.

So Mellitupple decided enough was enough, and escaped over the tumbledown fence. Little A welcomed her with open arms … and took over the artistic direction.

After hours of slow and pretty stitching – feathery detail for her mulberry leaves and swirly insect paths meandering around her pointy hat – it was quick-sticks on with her arms and legs – don’t forget to attach them upside down and tuck them in!

And Little A stuffed that mulberry sprite nice and full – actually we ran out of stuffing 2/3s through and had to use strips of leftover quilt batting to finish her off!

Little A may not be quick to pick up a patchwork needle, but there’s definitely an enthusiastic toymaker blooming.  She made this buttony-mulberry for Mellitupple’s hat – bit tricksy to sew on after stuffing but apparently essential for a mulberry sprite :-)

So here she is – Mellitupple the Mulberry Sprite – all done and ready for bed.

Oh dear! Check out the bottom lip – she looks like my little nephew Oscar when he’s about to cry.

She’s probably feeling sad about her mulberry tree.  Dear, dear – hopefully she’ll be right when Little A hops into bed and gives her a snuggle.

good night …