For autumn

 The Fall.
Once more the many-coloured Being pales
And falls in ruin under its own breath:
Once more the all-encircling Spirit veils
Its glorious presence in a mask of death:
Once more the tide of life in this dear land
Ebbs to stagnation: while with stricken hearts
And eyes sad fixed upon its vacant strand,
We watch and watch, until our joy departs.
Once more we strive to gain from this high scene
Of tragic woe and deep significance,
A clue to what shall be from what hath been:
Striving with Thought that leaves the mind in trance
Deep-awed, because the living mystery
Seems to resign its life and cease to be.

George Earle

Photo taken by me on 11/2007, a local wood.

Foliate Italianate

Recently finished for a Faerie Queene. This was my first time using Period Patterns and this is  No. 41 with a few modifications. The underskirt, stomacher and 2-part sleeves are made of olive green silk shantung, the overdress a green and copper foliate patterned fabric I'd bought years ago. The chemise is a tissue-thin ivory silk. The sleeves and stomacher are reversible for alternate looks.

And of course a little purse to match!

Detail of sleeve machine embroidery

Squirrel Condo

This weekend, dear friend Jen Parrish visiting from out of town, spotted this hole in one of my oak trees and said it was kitten-head shaped. Thus the name Hello Kitty Tree was born and giggled about (and other things). On Tuesday, as I went to the end of my drive to check the mail, I spotted a face in said Hello Kitty hole. To my surprise....

Cat-shaped hole in the oak tree.

One little squirrel face - seemed to be saying "hello".

To my delight, two squirrels appear!

Imagine my squealing and laughing when I spied three squirrels.

It's nuts out there!!!

The Quarto

Recent antique book acquisition.  

The Quarto: A Volume Artistic Literary & Musical, published by JS Virtue & Co., London, 1897.

The Parable of the Boiling Pot, Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The Salutation of Beatrice, Dante Gabriel Rossetti

An Allegory, A. Briscoe

Book Intro

Outside cover

Dresses & Tresses: Evelyn Paul illustrated

This reminds me of the scene in Elizabeth when the Count of Anjou is courting her.

Added another beautiful book to my collection, The Cloister and the Hearth (Dodd, Mead and Company 1931), illustrated by Evelyn Paul. Her work has such a Rossetti quality, perhaps her love of red hair.

One Fine Knight

I seem to be on a “Purejoy” kick having watched James Purefoy in quite a few movies lately from over-the-top violent to light-hearted and charming. In all cases, this man does wonderful things for a Templar’s tunic and chainmail. Behold!

As Marshal, brooding  in Ironclad 

As King Lot in Camelot.

My favorite - Colville in A Knight's Tale.

As George in George and the Dragon

One of my favorite dress/cloak combs in my movie-viewing history!

Heart-shaped wood

And so another month unfolds, this year speeding by. To celebrate Lughnasadh, I walked, camera in hand, to uncover a heart-shaped wood. 

 

One of my favorite songs and bands: