Clingendael

The weather isn't perfect, but still good enough to do "outside things". Yesterday my parents came along and we all visited the Japanese garden in Clingendael. It's only open 6 weeks in springtime and two weeks in autumn.

By the way: we even managed to finish the top of the Stone Soup Quilt yesterday.


History
The Japanese garden was created in the beginning of the 20th century by the former owner of the country estate of Clingendael, Marguérite, M. Baroness van Brienen (1871 - 1939), also called Lady Daisy. She sailed off a number of times by ship to Japan and brought back to the Netherlands a number of lanterns, a water cask, sculptures, the pavillion, the little bridges and several plants.

The other half ....

.... of the Stone Soup Quilt is ready, now Marne and I only have to sew the blocks together. Even with all the touristic things, and running around town, we found some quilting time. Mostly early the morning before breakfast.

In the Hague ....

there lives a count ..... It's the title of a well-known dutch children's song about The Hague. Jantje (little John) probably refers to Jan I (Count of Holland) who died at the age of 15 years. The statue is standing on the bank across the Binnenhof, along the Hofvijver. Walking with Marne and Elaine through the Hague, visiting museums we passed it.

In Den Haag daar woont een graaf,
en zijn zoon heet Jantje.
Als je vraagt waar woontje pa,
dan wijst hij met zijn handje.
Met zijn vingertje, met zijn duim,
op zijn hoed draagt hij een pluim.
Aan zijn arm een mandje,
dag mijn lieve Jantje.

Haagse Markt (The Hague Market)

It's the biggest market of Europe. And it's there since 1938, open for 4 days a week. You can find over 500 stalls with all kind of interesting things like: clothes, stockings, computers, cheese, fish, fruits, vegetable, fabrics etc. etc.

We had a very good time, and did our shopping for dinner. Dieuwke, Erik and Willem came a long for a nice cooked meal by Marne and Elaine. Chicken paprika, with broccoli, cole sla and nudels. For dessert: strawberrie short cake. Recipes will follow.

What about quilting?

Our friend Ronda was complaining: what about quilting. Well Ronda, we did some quilting, but no so much. We were busy running around through The Hague, go to market, visit old buildings, have lunches, preparing dinners, shopping at AH and all that kind of tourist stuff.

But today we also spend some time in my sewing room. Marne brought me a lovely package from "Stone Soup" (Marne is a volunteer there, they making quilts for people with cancer). Each year when I'm Seattle I visit them and do a little voluntary work myself. It's always good to be there. So it was a big suprise that Parry (she organize this group) gave this lovely fabric to Marne for me, to make my own Stone Soup Quilt. Well with some help of Marne, I'm half-way now. And I decided not to keep this very special quilt to myself, but it give it away to the parents of a friend of Rob who died 20 years ago of cancer.

Through The Hague

After catching up our blogs in the morning we went for a little tour through The Hague, along their favorite shops: Dille & Kamille, Hema etc. And when we were having luch on the "Plein" we were just laughing that when we look at the pictures of our holidays together, foods seems to be an important part of it ; ).

On the picture you see Marne and Elaine in front of the " Torentje" (little tower). The Hague is the seat of the dutch government. And this little tower is the office of our prime minister (Marc Rutte) since 1982. On the other side it's looking over the "Hofvijver". It was build around 1400, and used as a kind of "summerhouse" of the Landgraves of Holland.

Well they will be away for three days now, off to Vlieland to met Elaine's brother and sister-in-law. Our house will be very quiet.

Paco

Marne, Elaine, Rob and I aren't the only one who love french toast for breakfast.

PHOTOS PART 1

Tea parties and breakfast

Marne and I really have to work hard to catch up with our blogs. There is so much going on. Sunday afternoon teaparty with Jacqueline, Marne's dutch teacher in Seattle. Her daughter is living in The Hague, and Jacuqeline was there to celebrate her 85th birthday with her family. Isn't that a coincidence. The husband of her daughter is a painter, so we got a private tour, they had an "artists open house".

This morning Marne cooked us breakfast, not much to say about that. She's the breakfast queen!!

The running quilter: 33.52

That's how long it took me to run the 5 km today, (Royal Ten SDU Business Run). Not bad, considering I started again in januar after three years not running, having sport injuries. I really enjoyed it. So now I have to think, will I go for the 10 km, or just stick at the 5 km.

And I had my own supportinggroup: Marne and Elaine. They have such a busy programm here in the Netherlands.

Quilting on sunday morning

There is so much going on. Life is so exciting at the moment. Marne and Elaine are still asleep, so I hope they're over their jetlag. Paco and I are very quiet in my quiltroom. Last week Katie send me this nice flowerblocks, and they were calling me. Marne and I were discussing would you tea dye the muslin to make it look more older, or leave the muslin as it is? I think I prefer to use the muslin just as it is, and keep the quilt as originally as it is. Using old and new fabrics. Now it only needs a sashing and a border. Well all the excitement isn't over. Marne took a beautiful quilttop from the '30's with her for me, and it got a story as well. More about it this week. Well wish me good luck today I'm going to run 5 km today, it's a charity run.

Welkom / Welcome

I don't think Marne and Elaine could overlooked us at the airport. They arrived safely!

This is such an exciting day. I was totally awake at 5.30 a.m, and started cleaning and cooking.

Marne and Elaine can be very proud, I made home-made lemon pie. It tasted good, although the texture good better. Well 10 weeks of practise must be enough.

And then I wasn't finished, and I made a spanish omelette and fresh tomato sauce. Well that's enough for one weekend ; ). With the "gazpacho" soup from Dieuwke we had lovely combinasion of a lunch, dinner, high tea around 3 p.m.

Number 7

Quilt number 7 of Caro's Antique Quilt Collection is finished. I started with 26 blocks, dirty, faded, old (around 1880), with spots, loose seams. But that didn't discouraged me. I was convinced I could turn those lovely, unwanted, unfinished blocks into a quilt. I just takes some time and some muslin. You know I'm a muslin addict, but I think that muslin is very good fabric to combine with antique quilt blocks.

I wonder what the lady who made this blocks about 130 years ago is thinking? Would she like it? Would she be happy that here blocks aren't lost and finally turned into a quilt.

If only those blocks could speak.

What's going on

Rob is on a cycling holiday for about two weeks. He's exploring Germany. So it's just me and Paco.

What happened this week. My swap-basket arrived. It travelled all the way from Adelaide to The Hague. Doreen used fabrics that shows the flowers of Australia, and she put some nice gifts in it as well. The little Koala bear is hanging on my bracelet. THANK YOU SO MUCH Doreen I really love your suprise. My basket for Danielle is also on his way to Australia, she wanted something for her daughter, who loves animals.

What else is going on? There is some need of cleaning the house a little bit extra because Marne and Elaine are arriving saturday. It's so exciting, they will be staying in the Netherlands for 10 weeks. Some work, because I have to do a few tests, because the implementation of our ICT-project will be on thursday. And you know in the last week there is always a lot to do. Some quilting in the afternoon at Dieuwke, a little bit of running with Paco. No time to get bored.

Noortje

Our new family member: Noor.

She is born on the 6th of april. She's the daugther of Marliese and Kevin (Rob his nephew). Yesterday we visited them and gave them the quilt.