Thursday 8 November 2012

Hares and Red berries

I have been collecting some branches of red berries.  You know they are a favourite subject for me and they look so bright and shiny on the gloomy grey days.  We have had our first little shower of snow and it brought the frosty mornings and a drop in the temperature.  This is when I love to sew and knit and I have been making some little lavender cushions. I picked the lavender and dried it by the fire and then had the job of sorting out the seeds from all the other bits of stalk. The whole house had the smell of lavender drifting in every room and so I decided to use my lovely Hares again. I made one for me and then one for my friend and it is hanging in her house in Wales.
This hare is now in Wales
   I am a huge fan of handmade things, baskets, knitting, sewing, patchwork and cross stitch are some of my favourites. I have made many special gifts over the years using these crafts and  wish I had more time to sew.    The stash of fabric is ready and waiting for some lovely patchworks. In the meantime I can start and finish little projects like the lavender cushions and  I so enjoyed using the fabric knowing it is my drawings of the hares, makes it even more special.
My hare drawings on the lovely "peony and sage" linen  which I sewed into a lavender cushion

I came home with the branches of red berries and some dried seed heads. I felt they were a reflection of my walk as I kept seeing images of the tall sculptural plants along the hedgerows.
They are here pictured in my hand. I tried to capture that feeling of the dried cow parsley seed heads and the branch of  bright red berries.
 I used a dip in pen and sepia ink for the seed heads and then painted the red berries with a paint brush and acrylic inks.  It feels rather like a lino print and a little different from my usual work but I enjoyed doing it and had fun.  Red berries tells me it is getting near to the festive seasons, and i will let them dry and use them for decoration later in the year.
Hope you like the picture.  I bet you all like the Hares more!  Thank you for your lovely comments. Next time it will be  my 200th post so  I will be having a  little give away, so please join in and some one will win a prize by me.                Millyx
The fabric with my hare drawings, made into lavender cushions by me.

They are lovely and smell wonderful  around the house.  

16 comments:

Cinder said...

I love your work!
The Hare cushions are so pretty.
You have a lovely life....hunting and gathering nature's beauty and putting it on paper for all to enjoy.

Betty Adele said...

I love red & the red berries with the beautiful hares & the botanical prints is lovely. I live in the U.S., so just can't afford to buy any of the fabric right now. Will you have an American distributor eventually?

Gill said...

I love hares and yours are beautiful!

MILLY said...

Betty,
I did the drawings of the hare. The drawings were used by Kimberley Bell as part of her peony and sage collection.
The website and fabrics are owned by Kimberley Bell, please contact her for details. You can mention I sent you if you like.

Milly.
Eileen Postlethwaite.

Anonymous said...

The drawing is beautiful and I love the hare cushions, very elegant looking! I love the photograph of the red berries against the blue painted wood, too.

Frances said...

Milly, I am also a great lavender fan, and love crocheting little decorative containers for the dried lavender I find at local farmers markets.

Your way of capturing red berries is so wonderful. As I type this, if I just turn my head, I can see a example of your painted red berries on a nearby bookshelf. And...when I walk in Central Park, and see any red berries...I now always think of you!

My own version of Santa's workshop is well underway, as I am painting Christmas cards, and making some gifts. All this is still going on at a somewhat relaxed pace.

xo

Michelle Palmer said...

Absolute sweetness! Every illustration, photo, natural element that you share~ you bring to life.

Carol said...

Beautiful!

Hindustanka said...

this is so so beautiful! hares and the branches with red like blood berries...reminds of winter, white snow, prints of hare son the snow, we have many of them in my native country.thanks for sharing such lovely drawings!

Debbie Nolan said...

Milly - the hare linen sachet is truly lovely. Your work always continues to inspire me. I like what you have done with the red berries. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend.

Marqueta (Mar-kee-ta) G. said...

Dear Milly,

Such loveliness! I love both the hares and the berries; they are both perfect for this time of year.

Love,

Marqueta

JP said...

Milly - i love the quality of the sepia seedheads with the sparky red of the painted berries - like you say it has a very different feel to it - it reminds me of that scene in Schindler's List with the black and whit film contrasting with the starkness of the child' red coat - - my cards have kept me going last week after 2nd chemo

Anonymous said...

So lovely, Milly!

suz said...

I love those cushions - what a sweet gift. I'm a firm believer in handmade gifts (which is sometimes a challenge with a 12-year old grandniece!). The berries and dried cowslip and a pretty combination.

Kim Henkel Creations said...

What beautiful images.. I love the red berries with the dried stalks, and the lavender satchets with your beautiful hare drawings are breathtaking. I do love your hare drawings, but the drawing of the berries and the stalks is amazing! Oh I love them each and every one!!! beautiful work once again.

ellie said...

Absolutely beautiful ! Adore the hares, but the studies with berries are stunning ! x Ellie