As fall creeps in and the mornings grow chilly, the blackberry faeries are out and about amongst the bushes gathering the last ripe berries, but they’re always careful to leave enough for the birds and other animals. With baskets full to bursting they fly home.
Tuva empties her berries into a large cauldron where she boils it down with other herbs, turning it into a rich dark syrup, sustenance for the long cold months ahead. She has gathered blackberry roots as well and will make a tincture when the harvest moon is full. As she stirs the cauldron she sings a song of thanks.
Ulla and Bran are gathering berries for her grandmother’s famous blackberry wine. A special treat to bring out at midwinter’s feast when summer is only a distant memory.
Sorcha, the dyers apprentice, is stomping on her berries in an old barrel before pouring the juice into dye vats where they will turn the silk filaments that are soaking there a dozen shades of purple. Afterward she will hang them out in the autumn sun to dry before bringing them to the faerie weaver who will turn them into beautiful garments.
Kasja strings her berries out to dry before carefully placing them in boxes in the storeroom and stacking them away between the dried fungi and wild licorice root, and the other winter foods.
This is the busiest time of year for the blackberry faeries, but they know that soon it will be time to disappear into their glowing halls beneath the hill, and wait for spring’s return.
The Blackberry Faeries are one of a kind art dolls. They are entirely hand stitched from natural fibres (with the exception of their wings). Their dresses are all hand dyed with fresh berries harvested from the woods around my house. Their hair is hand dyed mohair locks. The will be in my shop this evening at 10PM (ADT).