a touch of purple

- a short story -

“Tall shadows crept up the walls in the candlelight and somewhere outside a lone owl hooted it's presence to the night. The little girl rubbed her eyes and looked at the dress her mother held in between her hands."

Late one night a little girl awakes to find her mother mending a special garment. Coloured an exclusive and expensive shade. One meant only for the most important person in the land.

dogs of crimson hues and rabbits speckled with spots of green danced around...

Behind the Story - A Few Thoughts

"Purple has historically been an expensive colour to dye fabrics with, often associated with aristocratic and royal families. This story was inspired by a chance piece of research."

"I was looking through the British Library website and came across the proclamation against excess from the reign of Elizabeth 1st. In it there was a list of various things people couldn't wear, one of those items being purple silk. I found the idea of making fabrics and even a colour exclusive to the royal family very interesting and I wanted to explore that moment in time from the point of view of a little girl."