These illuminations come from a manuscript of a french poet Martin Le France 1410-1461 . Titled- Le Champion des Dames . (public domain)
I have always loved these two endearing little witches ..said to be the first ever depiction of witches on broomsticks .
Sweet little medieval witch ...I am going to stitch you today !
I,m stitching her fast to try and capture the fast action of the medieval scribe's quill and brush .
I wonder about the children he watched at play outside , in the courtyard below his window Two little girls riding their hobbyhorses ..using their mother's broom sticks ...maybe ...
She cast a spell on me !
I,m just needle painting here really ..... using stem stitch and crewel stitch to outline before filling in ...shading and painting with long and short stitch .
I,m using Appleton's Crewel Wool .
I love using these the gorgeous Autumn colours too !
That picture came out a bit dark ....but look there's a little rainbow !
That's better....a bit more light ...
Halloween is a simple affair for me here in England ..no money spent on fancy costumes or trick and treating.... I need every penny for Christmas ! But I might put out a hollowed out swede or mangelworzel with a candle inside ..as children we played Bob-apple ..trying to bite an apple up out of a bowl of water ....we had toffee apples..battled with conkers . ...told simple spooky stories ...and talked about old superstitions ....nothing more than that really .
When I did my family history,at around the 16th century, I found two girls of my family who had been put on " the ducking stool "or "swum" in Coldred , a village in Kent . I was so shocked to find that and it really brought it all home to me . So very sad ...and there are still today many other places in the world where being accused of being a witch is a terrible frightening thing .
Anyway .... my little witch , is a little sweetheart ....maybe I,ll stitch her friend too !
