One of the most glorious moments in spring is when the leaves start budding out and the flowers follow suit with their blooming. The rich aromas of lilacs, the dazzling displays of magnolias, the apples, pears, and hawthorns, all stir and excite me this time of year. May is a month like most others, that has two birth flowers: the lily-of-the-valley and the hawthorn. The Hawthorn being one of the only tree/shrub/hedge flowers on the birth flower line-up. It makes it special and unique. A harbinger of sunny days and fruit.
A symbol of Beltane, May Day, the half way point between spring and summer. A time of playfullness, the hawthorn has long been believed to be a tree of fairies. Falling asleep under a hawthorn, you would be transported into the world of the Fae. In Celtic mythology, it is one of the most sacred trees and symbolized love and protection. It was even believed hawthorns could heal a broken heart. In fact, hawthorn has been used to treat heart and blood diseases and other medicinal purposes for years. The leaves and fruit are edible.
Hawthorns, also called May thorn, and thorn apple, also symbolize hope. It’s one of the enduring qualities that drew me to the hawthorn — hope. Maybe that’s why the pilgrims christened their ship the “Mayflower,” in hopes of finding a new world.
I was certainly feeling hopeful, and a little playful, when I decided to craft this bag. I’ve always wanted to do more elaborate designs with interplay between textures, details, and dimensions. Using a branched flower was the first piece. I found a raw edge of a bison hide and cut along its natural, undulating shape. It made a perfect arching branch, complete with a “thorn” at the base! As I didn’t want to cover the gorgeous multi-brown hued leather, I knew I would be stitching through it, so I added a single straight line of vintage Venetian seed beads in tortoise. The beads blended in and added a sense of emotion to the design.
Next, I cut my leaves from green cowhide. I decided on the leaves of Crataegus aestivalis, or May Hawthorn, from the dozens of different hawthorn species. I found its lobed leaf more appealing. I hand cut each one individually and placed it on the branch. Then I took up my paints and mixed colors I thought befitting a hawthorn leaf, whether in early spring or later into fall.
Then it was time for the blossoms! I cut out 15 small, white 5-petaled flowers and added some pink striping to them. Then I set them all into place along the branch, stitching them on with french linen cable and more vintage Venetian seed beads as stamens floating over the petals. Delicate details being replicated in leather, paint, and glass.
A bit of whimsy and art. Nature is the perfect pallet for inspiration — both hard and delicate. You can garner what you will just looking at it. My hope is that whether you are buying a piece of hand crafted leather or a wearable piece of art, you find a bit of hope, a playful whimsy, that floats about on your shoulder and brightens not only your day, but the hearts of others as well.