Happy Birthday

My mum became 69 years last monday, and my dad had his 70th birthday yesterday.

Time for a party with family and friends. The weather was lovely so beside eating and drinking, we did a little "historical" walk in the surroundings with my dad as a tour guide.

And of course, worthwile to mention: The Granddad and Grandma Quiz. Thomas (their eldes grandson) read the questions. Unfortunetaley they didn't win the first prize (weekend to Paris), but the second prize: a flight with an airballoon. And after 46 years of marriage my mum still didn't know the favorite food of my dad, one of the questions of our quiz. It's "apple paste", and not kidney beans with bacon ; ). More Photos.

Poison green

I haven't told you yet about my antique baby crib quilt I bought in St. Marie-aux-Mines at Mary Koval.

It's from around 1870, and probably from Lancaster. What makes this quilt so special is the "poison green" .

Poison green or acid green as it's called, was a very popular color in quilts. It was first seen in quilts in the 1830s.  They called it "poison green" because arsenic was sometimes used to produce green dyes.



Carel Wilhelm Scheele



The chemist Scheele (1742-1786) discovered arseninic's used as coloring agent in 1778. The green color became very popular. Varations been extremely popular for dying and printing cloths and wallpapers, and worst of all for food coloring. By the 1860s people became aware of the toxic quantities in Scheele's green, and realise the danger of wallpaper and silk could sicken, if not kill.

Did you know that: In 1879, Queen Victoria even ordered that all the green wallpaper in Buckingham Palace be removed, as it made a visting dignitary, who was staying overnight, feel very sick. 

Baseball, the dutch won!!!

 What has quilting to do with baseball. Well, on my first (quilting)trip to Marne and Elaine I went to a baseball game. Wich is really impressive!!!!

The Seattle Mariners against the New York Yankees. I'm not really a baseball fan, but sometimes when there is a baseball game on TV (wich is rather rare in the Netherlands) I have a look. This morning I was up early, skyping with Marne, put on the TV, and I accidently saw the final of the World Championship,

the Netherlands against Cuba. And what was more amazing we defeated Cuba.

 It was the first time since 1938 that an European Country won. Sorry no picutres of the dutch team, with all those copy rights and law suits, you have to be careful. So just pictures of my first baseball game.

More bits and pieces

Grace's quilt

I think it's still amazing, more bits and pieces about Grace's quilt and her life are coming to me. Susan (Grace's granddaughter) and Doris (her daughter), you know I met them in july here in the Netherlands, are a wonderful help. Without them I couldn't do this, and write my paper. And of course  don't forget Marne!!! She all started this with buying quilttop on superfluity, and got us all connected. Together we're trying to documentate as much information as we can.





Winnie's sewing basket

More family history

Grace's mother was Winnie. In the family they say that Winnie was the real quilter in the family. Her favorite pattern was "Bow-tie". So all her quilts are made with the bow-tie pattern. This quilt she made for Susan in the 50s, it's all hand-pieced.

Sitting in her rocking chair with her sewing basket, sewing quilt blocks. That's how Susan remember her great-grandmother Winnie.

If you want to see Grace's quilt, and hear more about her life, come to Atelier Bep on the 27th november.

Meet Cornelia

I just finished her, Cornelia. Isn't she cute. In a few weeks she will have company.  I'm busy with her sister Cornelia 2. I love the button legs. (You can buy the pattern in the webshop from Crownstitches.)

If you're wondering what I have been doing the last weeks beside Cornelia. Not much quilting I must confess. Look at my dining table! Normally it's filled with quiltprojects, but the last weeks my table is filled with books (and they're not about quilting). Two weeks ago my study (Management Science/Business Administration) started, the next two years this table will be often filled with books instead of fabrics.

Texel

 It's unbelievable, it's already the 4th
october, and I'm still running around in my summerclothes. Although end of the week the temperatures will be back to normal: 11-13 C. The weekend we spend on Texel, an island in the north of the Netherlands in the Wadden Sea. There are 7 little villages. In one of them, Oudeschild, you can find the "Beachcomber" Museum. Really lovely, they also rebuild and refurnished some original houses. And what do you think of "Ecomare", a rehabilitation centre for seals. They're so cute!!!