Broaching The Subject

Kezzie has had three lovely posts recently about her brooch collection [here, here and here] so I thought I would share five of mine. I too love brooches – and most of them have arrived as gifts from friends and family.

My little Indian Lady in her sari, with her bindi on her forehead and her bangles on her wrist – made at a Fairtrade Prohject, she was a gift from my friend Elizabeth, and reminds me of all my Asian friends back in Leicester.

My newest brooch is this little felted daisy [very Mary Quant, don’t you think?] a gift from a friend on the WWDP Committee. Felting is one craft I have not tried [yet!] but I love the results. These next are not so much brooches as badges – the top one came as a gift from the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department, when I organised a huge conference for them, and the second from the European Baptist Women’s Union. My cousin gave me the bottom one on my 60th birthday.

These are Australian pearls, set in silver, and my Uncle in Perth gave it to my Gran. When she died, he said I was to have it. I am so glad that when we were burgled, it was on my jacket in the wardrobe, so did not get stolen with all the other jewellery.

Finally, another felted flower, handmade by a blogfriend. This one always gets compliments when I wear it!

I love all 5 of these. My wardrobe does have a lot of green, blue and stripes, doesn’t it?!

I looked up the definition of broach – and was surprised to discover it has two meanings;

1; to raise a [difficult] subject for discussion

2; to pierce a cask to draw out liquid [e.g. a beer keg]

It comes from the Middle English brochen, to pierce, probably from broche, a pointed weapon or implement. Which presumably is the same root as that of brooch – an ornament which is fixed to clothing with a pin.