You may remember that a few years ago, my sisters and I collaborated to make my mom a felted nativity. My job was the wise men. I made one from China, one from Russia, and one from Morocco. (Now, I realize that the wise men came from the East, and Morocco is technically west of Israel, but it was just way too tempting to make a jaunty little fez.) The next year, I added a camel to the troop. His name is Humphrey. (You can see them all here.) Last year, I made an elephant named Ella (who somehow escaped me without having her picture taken). Naturally, the third wise man needed transportation of his own, and I decided that he should have a horse, who I just this moment realized does not have a name. Hmm...I think it should be Henrietta. There's a character in Jane Austin's Persuasion who is a little silly, easily guided, and generally very amiable and eager to love. So yes, I think Henrietta suits this little horse just fine.
But in her making, Henrietta (the horse, not the character) was quite a challenge...probably the most difficult thing I've ever felted. I wasn't vexed so much in terms of felting technique. Not at all like the minions (whose tiny little fingers and achingly symmetrical features had me very vexed indeed). The vexing thing about Henrietta is that it took so long for her to look like a horse. A ridiculous amount of tweakage went into her form and features. It really wasn't until the finishing touch of the bridle that I looked at her and thought, "Hey, look! It's a horse!" But at last, she arrived with just the perfect touch of whimsy and horsyness, so it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you...Henrietta:
 |
| I really like how her tail flips out. |
 |
| Thank you, bridle, for turning this animal into a horse. |
Giddyup, Henrietta! You've got a baby Jesus to visit!
No comments:
Post a Comment