Nearly there

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(Click on photo for bigger image) Now she carries her fire and her hammer and she has her serpent. The flame, hammer and serpent are hand needlefelted. I needlefelted the snake through some net to give a scaly appearance, now I have to figure out how to sew it all on. I also need to figure out how to make her fire wheel, or Bridgid's Cross, and where she should wear it!

That's Better!

She's lost a bit more weight and has new wired cloth hands....

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She is wearing her traditional green mantle.

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I'm much happier with this now. More to do...........................

Clothes for a pixie babe

Traditionally, fairies in Sussex did not have wings. They were the "little people" or the "old ones". They wore earthen or woodland colours of brown or green and had strange features. Sussex fairies were known as "Pharisees" or "Pucks". This is how I imagine a little Sussex Puck might look.

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(Click on photo for bigger image) His clothes are made from faux suede and his top is lined with printed cotton in a green leaf design.

Stumped

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I took the stuffing out, turned it inside out and slimmed it down as much as I could. I don't think she's tall enough.

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Maybe she will look different when I sew the arms on. Also, there are some more embellishments and bits of costume plus the base, so there may be room for adjustment there. We shall see!

Inspired by a suggestion.

A customer suggested I make a "Bridget Spirit Doll". I wasn't sure what that was, so I did a bit of research and found the Pagan Celtic Goddess Brigid/Bride/Brigil.

Brigid was a goddess of Fire, Sun and the Hearth, healing, poetry and smithcraft, often worshipped as a "triple goddess". Brigid was often represented carrying the flame of life. She was said to have two sisters of the same generation also named Brigid. The sisters were defined by their particular responsibilities.

Brigid, the Fire of the Hearth, the goddess of fertility, family, childbirth and healing.

Brigid, the Fire of the Forge, patroness of the crafts (weaving, embroidery and metalsmithing) and also justice, law and order

Brigid, the Fire of Inspiration, the must of poetry, song history and protector of cultural meaning.

The triad of Brigid goddesses were sometimes worshipped together, sometimes individually.

Brigid's festival is Imbolc, the first two days of February. Imbolc marks the beginning of the lambing season, the beginning of Spring and renewel and the stirrings of new life.

Symbols attributed to Brigid include the snowdrop, the flame, the sheep, the swan and the Brigids cross, a potent symbol of protection.

Brigid wears the traditional colours of Imbolc, white and silver for purity and green for the fresh new life.

So, there is a lot of inspiration to be found in the tradition of Brigid. I've started by making a piece of fabric in colours of cream, pale yellow and green and using it to make a simple doll shape.

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I must say, I like the sound of the multi-tasking Goddess Brigid and percolating in the back of my mind is a larger representation of the goddess with the three faces of Brigid. The suggestion from my customer has given me just the push I needed!