Some Embroidery

I made this little embroidered pillow, and even crocheted the lace around it. I don't think I will sell it, though, as it is a little wonky looking. I'll keep it for myself.  You can see some Hand Embroidered Art that passes muster at My Good Babushka. It's back to the drawing board for me.

Cameo Pillow Embroidery

A little pot-boiler embroidery project. A little oval pillow with a black background, like a Russian miniature painting. A strange, symmetrical little tree with golden branches. Maybe birds?

The Bawming of Appleton Thorn

There is an event in Cheshire England where people adorn a hawthorn tree with ribbons. This decorating is called "bawming". "Bawming the Thorn" occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer’s Day. It seems almost certainly to have originated from pagan fertility rituals. Yet according to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the Crucifixion. He is also supposed to have brought two cruets to Britain, one filled with Christ's blood and one with his sweat.

This original painted illustration combines many of those ideas. Two girls are decking the tree with a ribbon, an echo of the winding in linen of the body of Christ that was done by Joseph of Arimathea. In the dark heart of the tree float the two cruets symbolizing the blood and sweat of Christ. Here is the finished piece.

8" x 10" acrylic on acid-free paper. Your painting will not contain the "My Good Babushka" security mark. You can find purchasing information Here at My Good Babushka.

The Bawming of Appleton Thorn

Appleton Thorn is a village in Cheshire, England." Bawming" means "decorating" - during the ceremony the thorn tree is decorated with ribbons and garlands. According to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the Crucifixion.
Appleton appeared in the Domesday survey as "Epeltune" and means "the tun where the apples grew".
Even though it has a religious gloss about it, it seems undeniably to have sprung from some earlier, pagan fertility celebration. Though the observation fell into disuse in the early twentieth century, it was happily revived and is observed in June.

I am making a little fictionalized scenario of the Bawming of the Thorn. "Bawming" seems to be a pejorative of "decorating", more akin to "slathering" than adorning.

Bawming the Thorn

Appleton Thorn is a village in Cheshire, England." Bawming" means "decorating" - during the ceremony the thorn tree is decorated with ribbons and garlands. According to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the Crucifixion.
Appleton appeared in the Domesday survey as "Epeltune" and means "the tun where the apples grew".
Even though it has a religious gloss about it, it seems undeniably to have sprung from some earlier, pagan fertility celebration. Though the observation fell into disuse in the early twentieth century, it was happily revived and is observed in June.

I am making a little fictionalized scenario of the Bawming of the Thorn. "Bawming" seems to be a pejorative of "decorating", more akin to "slathering" than adorning.

The Bawming of Appleton Thorn

So there is an event in Cheshire England where people adorn a a hawthorn tree with ribbons. This decorating is called "bawming". "Bawming the Thorn" occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer’s Day.
According to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the Crucifixion.
This centuries old tradition was nearly forgotten, but then revived 1n 1967.
The tree in real life is surrounded by sidewalk, and of course there would really be more people attending this village festival.
My imaginary Bawming of Appleton Thorn features only two girls in period dress. Sort of looking like they were caught in the act of ribboning this tree.  And now that I look at it, he seems a jolly, fat yodeling tree, doesn't he?

Tree Embroidery

A little tree embroidery. I am using up oddments of thread in this pretty, folky little scene.

Tree Embroidery

And now it's time to embroider a tree.

Mayfly

Here is my finished painting, Mayfly. You can see more pictures of it Here at My Good Babushka!

Mayfly

On a different tack. I found a sketch I like in my doodlebook. I painted a canvas entirely black and sketched out the picture. I've been thinking more of folk art, medieval art, Russian lacquered miniatures, so I'm going to let those inspirations guide me.