When the violets really get going, they can scent a whole area. I love that smell…reminds me of Yardley’s violet scent, which I wore as a girl.
They are itty bitty little things, so it was necessary to find a small container to show them off. The thimble in the above photo will give you an idea of scale.
This hand painted pitcher fits the bill perfectly and, ironically, the painting is of violets.
My Great Grandmother’s hands were never idle. She was always crocheting or quilting. I have quite a few pieces of her handiwork. Carrying out the theme of old fashioned flowers in an old fashioned container seemed to call for using one of them as a doily to complete the picture (I think this one was meant to be an antimacassar – now there’s a word I bet you haven’t seen lately, if ever) Antimacassars were used on the backs of chairs to protect the upholstery from the hair goop used by men back in the day. The goop was called Macassar. In my book, the doily’s value far outstrips that of any old upholstery.
I’m enjoying the powerful aroma being pumped out by these babies right now. But where did some folk poet ever get the idea that “violets are blue”? More posies await each Monday. Click HERE to open the door and enjoy.
Such a pretty arrangement today, Rickii. My grandmother did beautiful crochet work, too, and I am so happy to have been given pieces here and there over the years. The lacework is so finely done on your piece here. A very nostalgic and sweet vignette. Thank you 😉 WG
WG~Nostalgia can be such a good thing.
Beautiful, rickii – is this a teeny Limoges vase? Are you saying it’s coincidence that it is painted with violets?! Thanks for sharing your tiny creation with us ps the Golfer used to be forever reciting ‘roses are red, etc’ but he still didn’t twig the connection when I wore a red wedding dress and my bridesmaids wore the colour of violets…. 🙂
Cathy~I don’t know the source of the vase, and yes – I only noticed as I was filling it that the image was violets. The red wedding dress and violet bridesmaids’ dresses sound like a wonderful break from the tried and true.
Such a beautiful vase, just the right amount of violets. Your grandmother’s handiwork is lovely.
Susie~It was gratifying to find a use for one of these little scraps of crochet work.
Oh yes, this is lovely. It reminds me of some of the arrangements/vases my grandmothers used, too. I love it when the Violets are blooming! For me, that’s in April or May. 🙂
Beth~It makes me happy to think I’ve spurred reflections on our grandmothers.
Perfect! Don’t you just get a feeling when you hold the handiwork of women past that some absolutely marvelous skills are missing from the world today? Granted, they have been replaced with other skills, but I still feel that – with a few exceptions – that exquisite craftsmanship and quality is forever gone. I’m so glad that you have things your Great Grandmother made, and that you have the sense to cherish it. And, I’m totally stoked to have learned a new word! 🙂
Anna~That word is a favorite of mine, with very few occasions to throw it out there. Many of those old skills grew out of a combination of scarcity and winter with time on their hands. I’m pretty sure women will find creative outlets that fit their times and situations. I just hope that there will always be artifacts left behind to remember them (us) by.
Colour is almost as difficult to explain as perfume; I have noticed that most men see colours differently especially the blue/purple thing and I suppose the poem was written by a man! your tiny vase with its violets is lovely and I wish I could smell the perfume.
Christina~More proof that men and women are from different planets?
I love violets. I think my neighbors are secretly dismayed that I have allowed them to take over some corners of the garden. I have white, blue, and purple ones – but none seem to have any scent. A pretty and charming little vase!
Jason~We have some white ones growing wild, but it is only the purples that have scent. What is WRONG with those neighbors?