Friday, March 20, 2020

~ Why Witches? ~


 God Morning Friends & Folk ~
Happy Friday to us all!
{I choose to be happy}

I wanted to answer a couple of questions that I get from folks
from time-to-time...

"Lori, I love your embroidery ~ do you ever stitch anything other than Halloween or Witches?"

"Hi Lori - What is the inspiration behind your folky little witches that you stitch?"

"are you a Witch?"

first let me begin by saying, yes I do stitch 'other things' besides Halloween and/or witches.
I just prefer to follow my muse and be inspired by those motifs, as they are my very favorite :)
and have been since I was a child ~

my earliest memories of being 'exposed' to witches 
{besides dressing up as a witch every year for Halloween}
was my mom reading this book to me on a nightly basis
{thank you mommy for putting up with me!}

Old Black Witch! 
by Wende & Harry Devlin

oh how i loved this sweet little witch and her antics, spells and chipper personality ~
she scared me not, oh no ~ on the contrary; 
I wished she was my own personal little friend,
 and i guess in a way, she was...



My mom is Pennsylvania German, hailing from the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania ~her family moved to Connecticut from there, which is where I grew up.

Our visits to 'down home' always included riding through the hills and fields of their family and neighbors...driving so slowly behind a horse and buggy, listening to the clip-clop of the majestic black horses' hooves and watching the hex-sign decorated barns go past...



she is now 89 yrs young, and her name is Elda Elizabeth Geiste {Geiste in German means ghost}
and her sisters, my beloved aunts, Miriam, and Dorothy and she were very close ~
 as well as her brothers, my sweet uncles; Thomas, Frederick and Robert...
but it is my aunts I remember the most.

They had wild hair and wore tiny little spectacles ~ they had crooked fingers from years of hard work and tender voices that sounded like kittens purring, and their homes fascinated me ~ 
colorful painted walls like butter yellow and red ~ blue front porches and wisteria-covered lattice.

Image result for hex signs

Their hex signs and samplers hung on the walls, 
and of course in their kitchens, as well as our own, hung small kitchen witches, 
usually in the window above the sink to sway gently on the breeze...
to bring Good Luck into their homes.

~ there was always something brewing on their stoves 
and their tea kettles always seemed to be hot and whistling, even in the heat of Summer.


they collected odd things like tea cups & doilies, broken jewelry and cats & dogs...
they cackled when they laughed and oh how they loved to laugh!

We were forever hunting together with them in thrift shops, looking for that special 'find'.
one time I found a pair of purple boots {hey it was the seventies} and my aunt Mim put her arm around my shoulder and whispered in my ear: "Perfect"
 and winked and smiled the biggest grin at me.

another time, I stubbed my big toe running down the sidewalk at my aunt Dot's house...
{I was then and still am perpetually barefoot} she heard me crying and came over to me, 
gently holding up my foot and breathing on my bloody big toe with her warm breath...she then told me to find a white rock, rub it on my sore toe and to bury the rock under a bush in her yard ~ and that would take the pain away.
and it did.

The aunts were musical, listening to them play on their Organs was always a special treat...
and they were artists too ~ working in oils, painting from memory and real life ~ 
but the thing that I remember most is their sewing and needlework.
knitting, crochet ~ cross stitch, embroidery and dance-costume making...
they grew huge gardens, baked bread, cared for sick children and animals of their own 
and looked after several nieces and nephews ~

my aunts are gone now ~ but their memories live on in me...



were they witches? were they magical?
to me they were ~ they cast a spell of love on me at a very early age...
I looked up to them as the wise and loving women they were.
and I aspire to be as full of magic and wonder as I could possibly be.

am I a witch?
I like to think so, a Good Witch, ... as I believe they were ~
 I like to think that I can help myself, my family and friends by offering my help, 
kindness and positiveness with a touch of magic and hope.

now, as an adult and a professional needlework designer, I try to create from my life as a child...
keeping memories alive and adding a bit of sparkle where needed. making magic with my needle and thread...and as I say, seeing the past through the eye of my needle.
{oh, and I collect teacups and doilies, cats & dogs too}



 Image result for easter witch
so there you have it.
I will continue to stitch my witches...
in recognition of those who were here before me and those who will come after ~





And, 
me thinks many of you are good witches too!!


Blessings from the Farm 
~ Lori

20 comments:

Casey said...

Oh yes you are....and I believe I am too!!

NMK said...

Loved this post today !!! What wonderful memories !!!

Maureen said...

I love your picture of the kitchen witch. I had her many house moves ago but one move too many and she ended up missing. I like to think she was needed more somewhere else.
I enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing your Aunties with us :)

Saundra said...

Oh what a wonderful read today's post was. Thanks for taking me back in time to a gentler and more mystical time of my childhood.

TheCrankyCrow said...

What a fun and special childhood you had! My mother (who hails from the Salem "witch" side of our family) was Pennsylvania Dutch...and ahhh, the wisdom and traditions (that most would call superstitions) still echo with me today. I always said I was going to write a book about her sayings and remedies and such...Perhaps one day I still will....if memory allows. Truly enjoyed your shared memories.... ~Robin~

littlemancat said...

What a wonderful post! Love how your aunts were so creative,wise, and able to spread joy which rooted itself in you. Thank you for these memories. I'm a Pennsylvania native, here in Chester county close to Lancaster county. Love it here.
Mary

DJ said...

I so enjoyed your lovely post today, it was mesmerizing! My Mother's family is from Pennsylvania too, and I can related to the stories of the Hex signs on the barns and following the Amish buggies. Thank you for such a treat to read today!

Jane said...

I had no idea there was an Easter Witch!! Thanks for the sweet stories.

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Absolutely Looooooooooove this post!!! Oh what wonderful Aunts! Love the magic, the love, the creativity and the kindness. A perfect way to start the day. Love and hugs to you good witch.

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

xoxoxoxox

JustGail said...

Why NOT witches?
Witch does NOT always equal satan worship. Harumph. Grumble, grrr.

Your childhood sounds so much more interesting than mine!

Rushd Lady said...

I hale from the Pennsylvania Deutsch (German) Ullom family. According to Google translate, "Geist" is German for "Spirit." I would like to think of the surname as coming from the "Heiliger Geist", a good name, instead as those hex signs that are meant to ward off evil, not encourage it. A girlfriend sent me your website because of your cross-stitch chart of the bee. As allergic as I am to bee stings, I still love all things bees and their by-products such as honey and beeswax, so I had to come look. Your aunties sound charming, much like my Papa Ullom and Grandmother - they were my buddies too. I wrote about them here: http://mythankfuljournal.blogspot.com/2015/03/precious-memories.html

Barb said...

Lori, This world needs lots more good witches like you!