A Magical Mermaid's Tale

She began with a beautiful tail, full of the sea, and I gave lightest hint of definition to the creatures swimming within the silk, so as to maintain their freedom to move and the possibility for your eyes to see them differently than I do. Then I shared this watery magic with the mermaid herself. I wonder if perhaps I do not write enough of this part of my creating with the magical beings, the listening, the waiting for the atmosphere to be what is needed, the communication and love as they slip into being. I know that many of you perceive this etherial enlivening of the cloth when you hold these beings, and sometimes it is hard for me to put into words, but today I have tried to show it a little more clearly. 

I will also tell you that the silk that she is wrapped in, of which some will be hers to wear, was a gift from my grandmother when I was eleven when she visited me after a trip to China and gave me snippets of the silks she had found there. The colours and pattern of this sea coral like print is perfect for this mermaid, and she reminded me that I had it, so I could not refuse her, thus the story and preciousness of this silk will grow into the hands that will come to love her.

Slowly she swam into being and called for her companions 

When I began stitching this wonderful being I had no idea that she would call forth so many companions and whisper about such precious snippets of silk for me to stitch with. 

 

Here she is cradled in the sea

This piece contains so much precious treasure and has so much possibility for play, story-telling and celebration of the sea. Of course the mermaid and her babe can be taken from their seat amongst the waves and either have their tails around them or their feet showing, all their companions, two jelly fish, a seahorse, a starfish and schools of tiny fish can be moved from their places on the mobile too, and as well as the sea treasures that I have added you may choose to collect some of your own to twirl from the mother of pearl buttons around the mobile. The size of the mermaid means she is perfect to hold in a puppeteer’s way for the telling of your own magical seaside story.  Your story might begin like this..

And then this beautiful pearly heart shell that came as a gift on my seashore just as I was completing this magical creation, it felt like a beautiful message of validation from the beings of the water and it fits so perfectly at this mermaid's heart

She is now looking for a magical home to play in.