If you time it right, in May, you will be greeted by bluebells in their thousands”
I’ve recently been going through a ‘purple patch’. Not the kind that brings good fortune of the monetary variety but rather one that is of immeasurable value to the soul.
Our garden, and the countryside and woodlands around south Suffolk, took on a mauve tinge as spring emerged. Purple was Charlie’s mum’s favourite colour, so it always brings a smile to my face seeing the many shades that surface as the season progresses. From the bluey hues of the bluebells and forget-me-nots to the more rich palette of lilac and magnolia. It creates such a wonderful spectacle alongside the vibrant greens of the early spring leaves – soothing and calming, with a hint of promise of better times to come.
As an homage to purple, I have been making a few items in various shades, including the final sample of the Nedging Beret, which will be available in PDF pattern form very soon. The fabric is a soft ‘wool-touch’ cloth in such a pretty shade. I will be selling kits with this fabric later in the year. I’ve also reignited my passion for jewellery making, creating earrings, necklaces, brooches and bracelets using vintage ‘new old stock’ beads and findings that I have amassed over the years, alongside textile scraps from the pattern business. That way, the pieces are wholly sustainable and give me a creative challenge to ‘use what I’ve got’ rather than buying new materials. I’ve been selling a few items through an award-winning ‘bricks-and-mortar’ shop in the historic village of Lavenham, called Posy, which is run by a lovely talented friend and artist, Lienne. However, I am excited to be introducing some kits for my textile jewellery to the Charlie’s Aunt Etsy shop later this year. Among the offerings will be some kits for beautiful lace flower statement earrings, pictured here. I will write more about this on a future occasion, but for now, I want to show you some pictures of a place which had me harking back to my childhood.
A visit to Arger Fen
I recently took my partner for the first time to a very special woodland close to my family home, called Arger Fen. It’s managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is a haven for many native species of mammal, bird and plant. If you time it right, in May, you will be greeted by bluebells in their thousands, sprouting from every nook and cranny as well as carpeting the slopes and path verges.
As kids, we would visit, both with our grandparents and with our best friends. With the former, we learned so much from my grandfather’s wisdom regarding all things ‘nature’, while the latter involved adventures running around or playing hide-and-seek. I still recall the feeling of freedom and sheer fun as we ran up and down the steep paths, crossing makeshift wooden bridges and hiding out behind ramshackle timber shelters.
My grandparents would tell me all manner of tales, which alongside a healthy dose of Enid Blyton bedtime stories, got my imagination spinning. I would picture the tiny woodland folk who might inhabit the mossy hollows at the base of an ancient oak, and consider how they might decorate their cosy homes with equally tiny wildflowers. It was a truly magical place which I am pleased to say has lost none of its charm during the 50-year interim period.
When I visited with Jim, the heady smell of wild garlic in the boggy areas next to the stream, mingled with the scent of spring wildflowers brought those memories flooding back. Being a keen photographer, I lost Jim every five minutes as he veered ‘off piste’ to capture the umpteenth bluebell or piece of interesting tree bark that caught his eye. But I really didn’t mind at all as it was lovely to recapture those moments of wonderment as he witnessed this very special place for the first time.
It’s hard to capture the whole sensory experience of a place like Arger Fen on camera. The songs and chirruping of the native birds high in the treetops with the distant whinnying of the horses in the neighbouring fields – you have to be there to get the full picture. But hopefully this selection of images will bring a small sense of the peace and tranquillity that only a native British woodland can provide.
Charlie’s Aunt news
For our latest patterns, fabric and haberdashery, visit the Charlie’s Aunt Etsy shop. We have recently introduced an offer whereby if you order three items – patterns, fabrics or haberdashery – you will get 25% off the total deducted at checkout. This is great if you want to ‘bulk’ buy patterns. Or you can now buy a large range of our PDF patterns at Sew Modern Bags.
