I celebrated my 51st birthday last week and on Sunday I received a very surprising gift from said mother:
She'd made me a mouse house!
This is not just any mouse house either...
It's a mouse house made from a Jean Greenhowe pattern that she pulled out of her Woman's Weekly magazine over 40 years ago with a view to making it for me as a present!
Do come in and have a look around.
It's a cosy house of two halves.
The living room...
...and the bedroom.
It's home to a family of dormice and this is father who has just made breakfast and is about to throw another log on the fire.
Mother is in the bedroom straightening the lovely patchwork quilt on her bed...
...and waking baby.
She's up.
you can see the smoke billowing from the chimney outside.
So, there it is. I was NOT expecting that!
I would have loved it as a little girl but I will forgive my mother for the slight delay, after all, she was a very busy working mum of three. Thank you Mad Mother! xx
Until next time,
Zoe
Such a fun little house! You are never too old for something like this.
ReplyDeleteToo true!
DeleteZoe, your mousehouse is absolutely gorgeous! You have a very lovely clever Mum! It would have taken me over 40 years to make it. I think you should send the photos to Womans Weekly and hopefully they would publish the instructions again! My grandaughter would love it! Lucky You!
ReplyDeleteSue T
Thank you, Sue. I was thinking I’d send the photos to WW!
DeleteJust as an update, I did email Woman's Weekly and they replied: "We would have loved to feature this in our ‘look what I made’ section, but unfortunately we don’t own the copyright to any of Jean Greenhowe’s past patterns and aren’t allowed to print her craft projects on our pages." Such a shame. Jean Greenhowe does have her own website and I emailed her to ask if she could date the pattern for me but I haven't heard anything back.
DeleteFabulous!! It's magical! What a very kind and thoughtful mother you have.
ReplyDeleteShe is, Jenny! xx
ReplyDeleteOh that's delightful Zoe! Well done your mother. I shall show the photos to Butterfly and tell her she may get the promised gnome home yet!
ReplyDeleteGilxx
Ha ha, Gil, it's good to know it's not just my mum! xx
DeleteA belated happy birthday Zoe!
ReplyDeleteAnd this the nicest way to be "slightly bonkers" ;-) What a lovely mother your have. And the house is simply gorgeous, and so beautifully made.
I used to borrow Jean Greenhowe books from the library also about 40 years ago, I loved her ideas. And my mother read Woman's Weekly too, but I have no memory of this pattern which would have totally enchanted me then (as it does now).
Thank you, Edel. I can imagine you making one of these [beautifully] as a girl!
DeleteVery belated birthday wishes Zoe. The Mouse House is amazing! What a wonderful mum :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cath! xx
DeleteOh Zoe that is amazing.. such a treasure. your mum sounds like she is so much fun to be around.. enjoy. cheers Christine XX
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine. I know I'm biased but I think she's one in a million! xx
ReplyDeleteDo you know the name of the book the pattern featured in please?
ReplyDeleteThe Mouse House instructions were published in Woman's Weekly magazine 23 July 1983.
DeleteIt's somewhat worrying that I was actually 16 years old in 1983, but my mother swears she kept the article to make the mouse house for me and not another, younger child!
DeleteMe and my mum made one of these when I was a teenager. I still have it. It’s so similar!
ReplyDeleteAw how lovely! I'd love to see yours.
DeleteI would love to find the pattern again.
ReplyDelete