Tiny Tuesday: Pins

"The Fairy Tailor"

Sitting on the flower-bed beneath the hollyhocks 
I spied the tiny tailor who makes the fairies' frocks ; 
There he sat a-stitching all the afternoon 
And sang a little ditty to a quaint wee tune : 

"Grey for the goblins, blue for the elves, 
Brown for the little gnomes that live by themselves, 
White for the pixies that dance upon the green 
But where shall I find me a robe for the Queen?" 

All about the garden his little men he sent, 
Up and down and in and out unceasingly they went.
Here they stole a blossom, there they pulled a leaf, 
And bound them up with gossamer into a glowing sheaf. 

Petals of the pansy for little velvet shoon, 
Silk of the poppy for a dance beneath the moon, 
Lawn of the jessamine, damask of the rose, 
To make their pretty kirtles and airy fur-belows. 

Never roving pirates back from Southern seas 
Brought a store of treasures home beautiful as these. 
They heaped them all about him in a sweet gay pile, 
But still he kept a-stitching and a-singing all the while : 

"Grey for the goblins, blue for the elves, 
Brown for the little gnomes that live by themselves, 
White for the pixies that dance on the green, 
But who shall make a royal gown to deck the Fairy Queen?"


Rose Fyleman (1877 - 1957)


Tiny coloured glass pin heads, stuck in a felt pin cushion which either Mum or I made on her sewing machine about 40 years ago.  I think some of the pins probably date back that far too.


Many thanks to jensphotos for hosting Tiny Tuesday.