Roses And Castles

Narrowboats started to be decorated around the middle of the nineteenth century and the designs got more and more elaborate. They were (and still are) painted in a folk art style and it is this which gives them their charm. Flowers - roses, daisies, forget-me-nots etc. - and fanciful castles feature everywhere, the intricacy of the designs being limited only by the skill of the painter. The castles can be in almost any style, usually with mountains in the background, a lake (with or without boats and/or swans) and a bridge. The boats were decorated inside and out, both on the boat sides and also on pots and pans, buckets and jugs, trays and coal scuttles - in fact anything which lent itself to decoration.

Since Sylph is a multiple-ownership boat (there are twelve equal shares, of which we have two) the possibility of us painting the exterior of her in the traditional style seems slim as all twelve share owners would have to agree unanimously on it, so I have decided to approach the topic in a different way, via interior decor and soft furnishings to which I can't see anyone having any major objections since they are not permanent. The designs above (which are photos of my actual embroideries, drawn, digitised and stitched by me) are going to be stitched together to make a small quilt / throw or some cushions, depending on how they fit together! I've also started work on some filet crochet trims for the windows - here is my first attempt :

More to come!

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