Project: The Princess and the Pea Designer: Marion Scoular Type of needlework: Blackwork and Hardanger Photos: 12 Marion's instructions for this project can be found on the NeedleArtworks website. LEGEND: First, let's read what Marion Scoular has written for us concerning the legend about THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA. Once upon a time there was a Prince who longed to marry a real Princess. He searched all over the world to find her. There seemed to be plenty of Princesses but for one reason or another, the Prince could never be sure that they were, in truth, what he sought. Disconsolate, he returned to his castle. Slowly he grew paler and thinner, pining for a real Princess. One evening there was a terrible storm. The wind blew, lightning slashed the sky, thunder crashed and rain lashed the countryside. Suddenly a knock was heard at the castle gate. The guards hurried to the gate, holding their lanterns high above their heads. There at the gate stood a Princess. Rain had soaked her hair and streamed in rivers from her gown to her toes. But she was a Princess ... a real Princess ... she told the guards, and had become lost in the storm. "A real Princess?" asked the Prince, in disbelief. "We must make sure," said his mother the Queen. She prepared a bed for the Princess, made with ten mattresses filled with the softest eiderdown. Beneath the first mattress on the boards of the bed, the Queen placed one small dried pea. The Princess, unaware of this, climbed up to sleep on top of the feather mattresses. In the morning, everyone in the court gathered to hear the Queen ask her how she slept. "I hardly slept a wink," moaned the Princess. "I am bruised all over. My bones ache as if they were broken. There must have been some frightful object in my bed". "She is indeed a real Princess," proclaimed the Queen. "No one but a real Princess could have such tender skin!" The delight of the Prince knew no bounds. The King and Queen were well pleased. The Prince married her the very next day because now he knew she was a real Princess. And the pea can be seen on a pedestal in the Royal museum to this very day. (end of story) Comments: This is really a project that I enjoyed stitching from start to finish. The design is beautiful and I guess it brought back the child in me with this lovely legend. The brochure is very well written and it was not difficult to follow Marion's instructions. I was blogging pieces at the time which would explain why I have so many photos to show you today. (Photo showing the bed with the first 2 mattresses and if you look under the first mattress you will see the little round pea, which has not yet been stitched ) (3 mattresses now) (4 mattresses) (Going up to 5 mattresses) (6 mattresses) (7 mattresses) (8 mattresses, getting pretty high) (9 mattresses) (10 mattresses - this is as high as this goes - would not want to fall from that height myself) (This photo shows the blanket, hardanger canopy, canopy drapes, tassel and the Princess herself) (Fun frame for this project - Don't forget to look at the little pea under the first mattress - you may also have a look at the very first photo way way up this post so that you can have a good view of the little pea)