The Blackberry Faeries

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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).

The Dandelion Faeries

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~ Soliel & Siofra ~

I spied Siofra and little Soleil just after sunrise moving quietly across the yard. They were gathering basketfuls of dandelions. Soifra explained to me that if you gather them as they open with the morning sun, they can be brewed into a special tea to chase away bad dreams (and conversely, if you gather them at sundown as they're closing their bright yellow heads, they can be made into a faerie wine that will keep you dancing and merry making all night). But it was the tea they were after this morning, for little Soleil who's been suffering from bad dreams. When their baskets were full to the brim they sat down to rest and Soifra told Soleil and I an old story about how long ago the faeries had hidden themselves from the human world in the form of dandelions, and to this day they still hold some faerie magic, which is why the plants can cure so many ailments.

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The Dandelion Cycle
By Emilie Poulsson

"Pretty little Goldilocks, shining in the sun, 

Pray, what will become of you when the summer’s done ?"

"Then I’ll be old Silverhead; for, as I grow old, 

All my shining hair will be white instead of gold.

"And where rests a silver hair that has blown from me, 

Other little Goldilocks in the Spring you’ll see!

"Goldilocks to Silverhead, Silverhead to gold, 

So the change is going on every year, I’m told."

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Soliel & Siofra, the Dandelion Faeries are original art dolls, they are entirely hand stitched from natural fibres (with the exception of their wings). Their hair and dresses are hand dyed with goldenrod flowers from the woods around my house. The dandelions are dyed with turmeric. The toadstools and wool moss are also hand dyed using a variety of dyes. This piece stands 12" high. They will be in my shop this evening at 9PM ADT. They are $400 USD (plus shipping).

"You cannot forget if you would those golden kisses all over the cheeks of the meadow, queerly called dandelions.” --Henry Ward Beecher

The Goldenrod Faeries

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Today it is still summer,

Tomorrow will be fall.

I see the purple asters,

I hear the autumn's call.

The maple leaves are golden,

The pumpkins, round and yellow;

The apple cheeks are rosy,

The pears are getting mellow.

The nuts are growing rounder,

The cornstalk brown and sear.

By twenty lovely tokens,

I know that fall is near.

I feel the warm sun shining

As a balmy south wind blows;

I see the flowers blooming,

And I see the grass still grows;

The goldenrod is waving,

The bees are in the clover.

I hear a distant honking--

The geese are flying over

Today it is still summer,

Tomorrow will be fall.

Today I still am barefoot--

Oh how I love it all!

--by Nona Keen Duffy

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The goldenrod faeries are everywhere in our garden right now, soaking up these last glorious summer days. They showed me how to gather the goldenrod flowers to make a beautiful yellow dye. We spent the afternoon dyeing silk and wool and lace, and I made each of them a tiny goldenrod dress.

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Daphne & Clara, the Goldenrod Faeries, are original art dolls made entirely from natural fibres (with the exception of their wings). I hand dyed their silk and lace dresses with goldenrod from the woods around our house. Their hair is dyed with goldenrod as well. The toadstools and wool moss are also hand dyed. Daphne and Clara are entirely hand stitched and embroidered. Tis piece stands 14" x 9"

Thy will be in my shop this evening at 9PM ADT. They are $465 USD (plus shipping).