It's me .... in Staphorst ...

.... show-and-tell at the Quiltpalace

in Staphorst, 23 ladies came along.

And we talked for 1,5 hour about quilts. We also had a lot of fun afterwards when there was enough time for everybody to touch and feel the quilts.

I took 18 old/antique quilts with me. Four big bags and a suitcase.

It was really great adventure for me ... thank you ladies.

My next show-and-tell will be in august at Atelier Bep (sunday 16 august), and then in september in Deventer during 'Quilts in Deventer."

More information: Quiltwinkel 100 rozen in Deventer

In november you can see and feel my quilts in Den Bosch bij Wietske, sunday 8 november.

In the mean time .. keep on quilting!
 

My 'civil war' quilt ....

.... think/imagine, it's 1862 you're a quilter and your husband is going to war to fight for the Union. (Civil war North-Union versus South-Confederates 1861-1865) .

You're not sure when or if he is coming home. You give him a kiss, huswife and quilt.
Caro's Quilt
My 'civil war' quilt is a mixture of old and new fabrics. The old  blocks (blue and red)  probably date from the late 1800s, maybe some of them have older fabrics. I found them in an estate sale (on the internet). The basic pattern is 'square on square'. The pattern fits the estimated date, in the book 500 quiltblocks from Maggie Malone the block is known as: unnamed 1858. So can give a clue about the age of the blocks.

I added the cream blocks with the union eagle (free pattern on the internet), stars and borders myself. The blocks are machine-stitched.

Yesterday Dieuwke and I spend the evening to sandwich the quilt. It's ready to quilt now.

Did you know that?

• at the end of the war 250.000 quilts were made for Union (North) soldiers by women.
• most of these quilts were lost on the batteflied, because they were worn out, or because soldiers were buried in their quilts.
• the military requested that quilts should be made about: 4 feet x 7 feet
• about 625.000 men were killed in the civil war (World War I - 115.000, World War II - 400.000)

Caro's old quilts ... .... ....

... ... ... you can come and see me next saturday (25 april) in the Quilterspalace in Staphorst. Very exciting ...... ..... my third show-and-tell. This year you can also see me in august at Atelier Bep and in Deventer during the Quiltingdays in september.

Quiltpalace in Staphorst

I'm taking 18 quilts with me, including Grace's quilt and the weddingring quilt.

Checking out the dishwasher ...

... because you never know... if there is someting interesting to smell.........

Easter weekend

Friday morning, we  started our Easter weekend with picking up our new car. And well it's blue again, but very very blue .... We both had a good laugh about it. .... . Of course I wanted to paint a quilt on it, but my husband had second thoughts about it ; ).

Typical colours of Staphorst

Saturday we drove direction Staphorst and Dalfsen. Three important things. The first one: saturday 25th of april I'm giving a show-and-tell in the Quiltpalace in Staphorst. Two just as much fun:  Dieuwke's aunt and oncle are having a a dog. It's a bordercollie called Bobbie and he is 1,5 years old. 

And because he is a border collie he thought that our sweet Mies was a sheep, so he wanted to herd her. No way Bobbie. Mies is very sweet but stubborn old lady.

And three, it's just fun driving around in your new car, and try everything out ; ).

Easter Sunday and Monday we spend in Epse at my parents. The weather was not too bad, but still we needed our wintercoats brrr brrrr.

I grew up in this little village and went to the primairy school here. 

So it was really fun to meet one of my classmates. She just saw my picture on the facebookpage: "Je bent een echte Epsenaar ...."

And what do the dutch do on their free day? They go cycling!!

My mum and I cycled along the annual 'Kunstroute Lochem' (Art tour). Every year with Easter local artists open their atelier for visitors. Don't you love those sculptures. 

Easter fire in Epse

When you are living in the east part of the Netherlands you have the traditional bonfires for Easter. Large fires are lit at dusk. It is a Saxon, pre-Christian tradition. The Saxons probably believed that around the time of Easter, Spring becomes victorious over Winter. Nowdays the events are sometimes big happenings, with a competition between the little villages.

Easter monday I picked up my quilt to spend some quilting time with Jeltje from the '100rozen' in Deventer. We talked about the quilting days in Deventer in september from the Quiltersgilde. It will be very interesting. If you want to know more: Quilts in Deventer. 

Take a bike, take a quilt, there we go the dutch quilter!

 

A little suprise

I was at the Bookshop buying stamps and postcards. Looking at the magazines without a specific reason I saw the "Handwerken zonder grenzen" with quilts from the Shelburne Museum.

I visited the expostion last year ... it's bringing back good memories ....

Loving little quilts ....

... I like big quilts ; ). You could say the bigger the better. But I'm not sure about that anymore. Last sunday we had lot of rain and wind in the Netherlands. A great idea to drive to Vlaardingen (pretty around the corner 30 minutes drive)  to go the Quiltexhibition of the Quiltersgilde.

Lots and lots of inspiration. I really adored the little quilts.So much to see including an international exhibition. And other quilters to discuss the techniques and styles. So my plan for this year, to make at least 4 little quilts with Spakenburger fabrics. Ideas enough. Follow my progress the next months. The first little quilt will be houses of Spakenburger. I finished allready 16 houses, with the idea to make a big quilt. I think 16 houses is a lovely number to make a small quilt. Maybe you will find it next year in the exhibition ; ) of the Quiltersgilde.

 On of my favorites, I realy love this kind of colours and pattern, very traditional.

Welcome!

 

 winter

 Isn't this a great idea: to make 16 quilts, and combine them to one exposition.

Happy birthdays ...

.... granny and myself. We celebrated grannies birthday with the whole family and a big gourmet party. I celebrated my birthday on Quilting Day 21 march with the girls. Lots of fun.

 Emma showing her quilt. Almost finsihed. All hand quilted. We dutch girls like to do that. I know Marne, you think we are crazy ; ).

 Dieuwke and Amy, see there is only one half left of the chcolate brownie cake from Klink. 

 My best non-quilting friend Yolande. 

 Granny's birthday. I managed to finish the tablerunner in time. It's so cheerfull. 

 Granny and her great-grand daugther Tessa (daughter of Rob his sister).

 This is so typical dutch: a big gourmet party.