Florence's Garden, Jeanette.

Florence's Garden.
Jeanette.
Photograph.

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about this piece.
I have a small space in my garden that we think of as Florence's garden. The stone was a gift from a dear friend, carved for us, the dove is taken from the applique I designed for Florence's burial gown.(previously submitted) I'm not much of a gardener, but I try to keep this small space pretty with plants and found objects.

The 7th of August was two years since Florence's burial, and I felt I needed to mark the occasion somehow. Last year we released Chinese lanterns, but this year that didn't seem quite right. Instead we waited till dusk, and I lit these candles in her garden. We watched the glow of the candlelight while eating apple cake and drinking tea. Simple, but it felt right. -Jeanette

about the contributor.

I'm a Mummy to six children,married to Woody. Sadly our fifth child, our youngest daughter Florence died suddenly and unexpectedly after a robustly healthy pregnancy and perfect homebirth, in July 2009. I blog about life with a large family, about babyloss,and about sewing, it's a curious mix, but then nothing is ever straight forward after you have buried one of your children. -Jeanette

Jeanette's blog is Lazy Seamstress.

Madeleine and Maisie Dolls, Jeanette

Madeleine and Maisie Dolls.
Jeanette.
35cm/14" tall
 
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about the piece.
Jeanette describes her dolls, "These are dolls I made in memory of my daughter at Christmas time. While I was pregnant, convinced I was having a girl, I imagined making a doll for her for her first Christmas. As Christmas approached, I felt so very very sad that I couldn't make her that doll, when a pattern for these angel/fairy dolls caught my eye, and I thought I could indeed make one for Florence, it would be her special Christmas Fairy Doll, something we could get out every year at Christmas, and it be a way of including Florence into each Christmas of the future.

"Around the same time, Tina organised a babylost giveaway in the run up to Christmas, so I resolved to make two dolls, and give one away. I like to think of the other doll out there in the world, in memory of Florence, but also giving comfort to another babylost family. I named the dolls Madeleine and Maisie. Madeleine is wrapped in tissue waiting for next Christmas, and Maisie has a lovely home across the ocean.

"I wrote about these dolls on my blog: Day Two, Happy Thanksgiving and Yule Tide Fairies."


about the contributor.
Jeanette, married to Woody, has four living children. She lives near Manchester in the United Kingdom. Florence, her fifth child, was born full term at home with no complications, but collapsed shortly after birth and died six hours later from a massive pulmonary hemorrhage. As Jeanette says, "We are learning to live without her, missing her, and hoping we can bring her rainbow sibling into the world healthy in the summer."

Jeanette sells her creations at Tiddly Bums and blogs at Lazy Seamstress.

Florence's Dress, Jeanette

Florence's Dress. 2009.

Jeanette.
Cotton with cotton applique and decorative buttons.

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about the piece.
Jeanette designed and made this gown in the days after her daughter died. Jeanette describes the process: "I needed her to have a dress made just for her. I barely remember making it. I was in such a fog of shock and grief, but I know it was healing then, and it helps me now to know that she is wearing that dress, made with so much love by her Mummy."

This dress was originally posted on Jeanette's blog last summer.

about the contributor.
Jeanette, married to Woody, has four living children. She lives near Manchester in the United Kingdom. Florence, her fifth child, was born full term at home with no complications, but collapsed shortly after birth and died six hours later from a massive pulmonary hemorrhage. As Jeanette says, "We are learning to live without her, missing her, and hoping we can bring her rainbow sibling into the world healthy in the summer."

Jeanette sells her creations at Tiddly Bums and blogs at Lazy Seamstress.