Spring sunshine and mending hats.........

One fine Spring morning, Hortensia decided to sit in her rocking chair by the open kitchen door with a large basket full of hats, her sewing basket, her precious box of extra ribbons, and her wool bag - all arranged about her.

Hortensia was involved in a very important job - inspecting and mending her family's hats. Now that Spring sunshine was a possibility, sorting out and mending hats seemed a necessity. You would be surprised at how much needs to be done to keep a hat in tip top condition. Of course most humans think that gnomes just wear pointy hats, but, as we well know, gnomes wear hats of all shapes and sizes and made from all kinds of useful and practical materials.

'First' thought Hortensia 'I'll tackle Archibold's fishing hat, it gets the most wear and tear and is really beginning to look a disgrace.' She had carefully unearthed Archibold's favourite hat from his basket of fishing tackle, 'best he doesn't know that I've got it yet' she thought as she carefully began to darn a large hole where the hat been snagged on a branch. Archibold hated his hat being mended, he liked things being just the way they were and been known to complain vigorously about enforced changes to his favourite hat.

In fact when he saw his mended hat later that afternoon, he was quite cross, 'I'd liked my hat the way it was, I liked the feeling of fresh air on my hair, Hortensia I wish you wouldn't mend my fishing hat.' Hortensia just smiled, she knew that when it was wet and windy and he was out in his boat, that he would be very grateful not to have a large hole where the rain could soak his hair. Archibold stomped about a bit, but soon forgot all about his hat once it was back on his head and he was sitting eating a big bowl of onion soup for lunch.

Hortensia had also mended his best hat, which she had left out for him to admire. 'See Archie, I've put new feathers in the brim and given you a new ribbon and silk lining'.' Archibold was very impressed, 'Hortensia, that's the best it has ever looked, and it's much more comfy now,' He strutted about a bit looking important, holding his head up so that the purple ribbon shone and the feathers looked most impressive. After all, best hats were for High Days and Holidays, so wearing a hat of character could certainly boost a gnome's confidence when out and about or dancing a reel.

Hortensia was particularly proud of the silk lining and ribbon, she had found the silk handkerchief wet and abandoned by a careless human by the side of a picnic table. 'What to do?' she had thought,  'it would make such a good eiderdown cover, but no one would see it, I shall save it and use it for mending hats!' Now that she saw the results of her handiwork, she knew that she had made the very best decision!