Gorgeous Cottages

Just how cute are these cottages ….

It is so rewarding to make these little houses that have been so popular on Etsy and in my studio. Perfect gifts for Claire and Kate going off to college, I personalised each with their initial on the door.

Each cottage is quirky … no doubt inspired by many streetscapes, row houses, terraces, and thatched dwellings from my travels.

It is a wintery Sunday afternoon … the sun is shining and in my studio, boxes of felt and wool rovings spill their contents …. felting machine at the ready, pretty threads …… the perfect time to make a few more cottages.

I grew up reading Enid Blyton and loving the illustrations in these children’s books…. The writings of Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen and others stir the imagination and transport me to English countryside villages.

What is this fascination with row houses, cottages, terraced houses, thatch ……. Is it because they stand side by side supporting each other and sharing their streetscape, welcoming with colourful doors and paned windows … is it the lovely cottage gardens, the pretty historical roofs that have stood the test of weather and time …. old thatch and tiles moulded and characterful?

Some of the quaintest row cottages often now gentrified, were built to house factory workers in the 17C and beyond. Other fine examples nobly stand as the legacy to upper class grandeur.

I’m sure all of these have influenced my creative flight as I play with needle and felt to design these cute felt cottages …. are they noddy cottages, fairy houses …. fun key fobs, charms or new house gifts.