I loved fairy tales as a child. My favorite tale was Rapunzel, but Hansel and
Gretel was a close second. As a mother,
however, I felt uneasy reading this story aloud to my children. A father who takes his children into the
forest and deliberately loses them? A
witch who puts Hansel in a cage and feeds him until he’s plump enough to
eat? This is the stuff of
nightmares! I wonder why the story
fascinated me so much as a little girl?
Perhaps it was because the children are so resourceful: Hansel drops
bread crumbs, hoping to use them to lead him and Gretel back home, for example. (Too bad the birds ate them.) And Gretel
saves her brother and herself by shoving the witch into her own oven! I’m told that psychologists explain why children love these sometimes-gruesome fairy tales because in them often children are strong and
victorious. Think of Jack defeating the
giant in the Beanstalk story. So many
examples!
I decided to depict this story for my TALE quilt. I have collected small pieces of wool fabric
over the years, and I’m surprised that this is the first time I’ve used them
for a MM quilt. The witch’s cottage was made of gingerbread, so the brown wool was perfect for it. I depicted Hansel and Gretel as a gingerbread girl and boy.
I had some Christmas fabric that included the peppermint candies used that to decorate the roof and form the stepping stones leading to the house, as well as
the candy canes that adorn the door. Dark blue wool worked well for the background. I attached the various elements with
embroidery floss. This embroidery was
actually the only “quilting” on the quilt.
I also used the candy Christmas fabric for the back of the quilt,
and I had some candy-striped fabric that I used for the binding. TALE was my theme word, and I had the most
fun ever making this quilt!
Alice, your quilt is absolutely adorable! I knew instantly the tale. I too loved the old fairy tales. Children are by nature fearful and the tales help them face their fears and overcome them. It seems we’ve forgotten this.
ReplyDeleteGail I showed this quilt to my husband and a friend and asked them what story this depicted. Both instantly knew! I didn't even realize that my husband of 60 years (!!!) was all that familiar with fairy tales! I was the one who read them to our kids!
DeleteI, too, knew immediately which fairy tale you depicted. Hansel & Gretel was also a favorite of mine. It was indeed scary, but I loved the bravery of the children, and all those children who sometimes have to stand up to adults! So glad you decided to use your wool. It is perfect for this "tale!" Well done, Alice!
ReplyDeleteHi Alice ! I knew right away what "Tale" your quilt was about :-D You did a really great job, and I think using wool gave everything in your quilt a quiet, cozy, home-like feeling !
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this Challenge Word !
GREAT JOB :-D
It was a creepy story but I too admired the kids ingenuity and bravery. I had forgotten the house was made of gingerbread-I may have mixed the house from Little Red Ridinghood in my thoughts over the years. Very playful and perfect!! I especially love the bias binding and use of the wool. We so often share ideas for portrayal of the themes-our love of fairy tales this time. Thanks for such a fun theme.
ReplyDeleteWhat a "sweet" way to illustrate Hansel & Gretel! Your use of wool was perfect and gives it a "folk art" feeling that I love.
ReplyDelete