Textile Biennial in Rijswijk

..... when you love textile you never get bored. In Rijswijk (cycling distance from the Hague) is an international exhibition of contemporay textile art. The theme of this year is  material for thought and reflection.  Vintage clothes and hand-crafted peiceds, that only a couple of generations ago were made in every househould. Making one's own clothes, embroidery and knitting are no loger a natural part of daily households tasks and techniques are bering forgotten.

Although I don't know how it's in your country but here in the Netherlands is revival going on for knitting, crochet and embroidery. So girls be proud if you like textiles.

Kari Steihaug
What I liked most about the exhibition was the Norwegian artist Kari Steihaug. She knitted the 4th class of 1967. Do you remember wearing our home-knitted sweaters to school with a "loose" thread?

The unfinished one and Kari
And I loved her exposition of pictures and stories of unfinished objects, it seems that knitters have the same problem as some quilters, like myself ; ).

Donated Anonymously
A X-mas gift for my boyfriend. He got one of them for X-mas with a promise of getting the by New Year's. Winter passed and spring came and our love ended.the socks have been lying in my knitting basket since 1987. Thank you for allowing me to get rid of my bad conscience.

The mitten was knitted under the intoxications of falling in love. Knitting has so much to do with will and good intentions. I wanted to make mittens for my sweetheart. Since he is big (and tall and dark of course) I enlarged the patter pattern a bit with graph paper and dots. Then I knitted away and the mitten grew and grew until it was as longs a my fore arm. Not even my sweetheart had such large hands. Elisabeth Marie, Bergen.

Look  at the little matchbox on the picture, it's a huge mitten. I wonder if she married him?

I don't even remember what the plan was. Kristina, Oslo

 And this one I really liked: I always begin with good intentions.

Of course there is much more see like the furniture eaten by vintage clothes. You still have a chance till the 27th of september to visit the exhibition:

Antique Amish Quilts in Tilburg ...

....... don't forget to go.

You can see the exhibition till the 4th of october in De Pont Museum. I thought it was amazing. It brought back the good memories of my holiday in Philaldelphia we were visited an Amish community and had dinner.

The collection is mostly from one family the "Lapp" and "Zook" and dates between1890 - 1940.

 In this collection they used mostly dark quilt thread.

 I always thougt at Amish Quilts with dark solid fabric. The solid fabrics are right, but they also use very bright interesting colors. They say that they can only wear and use the colours allowed by the church for their own quilts. They love simple shapes, some say they are inspired by the fences, or the ploughed rows in the field.

 They use simple quiltblocks, like the bars, diamond in a square and the nine-patch. There quilting is amazing, very interesting and rich.

 One of my favorites: diamond within a square. Does it mean anything. Experts have different opinions about it: In many symbolic systems, the points of a diamond negotiate the realms between sky and water, the unknowable God and our physical world.

The quiltpatterns are amazing, very cheerful. They love stars, grapes, flowers, stars..... lots and lots of inspiration.

In the early 1700s Amish colonists began settling in the rich farmlands of Pennsylvania and the Midwest. They emigrated from Europe with the hope that they would be able to have the freedom to live according to the principles of their religion. Those early Amish women did not quilt, rather using the featherbeds traditionally used in Europe. Over time, contact with outsiders combined with necessity, Amish women began creating quilts with the characteristic beauty and craftsmanship that are the hallmark of amish quilts. Read more about Amish Quilts

Atelier Bep

.... there is not much to say .... so good to be back on the FW-day in Hall.

My FW-friend Priscilla

Fun, fun and more fun meeting my FW-friend again.

In the morning the weather was so lovely we could all sit in the garden. I almost finished my project. It's on my list for the next weeks .... Next week I'm free for the whole, let it rain and storm: "quilting weather required". Thanks again Bep and Gerard.

Quilt of my collegue Els ......

.... inspired by my stories about quilting, and didn't know what to do with some elephant cushions from India we designed this quilt.

It's her first project and I think it turned out amazing. It's almost finished, just adding some red borders.

She used only 'second-hand' materials. If think there never can be enough quilters in this world.

A big happy quilt family ; ).

Catching up .......

........ it feels like the last months were kind of crazy. I was very quiet on my blog, but not quiet at work. Our whole departement moved to a new location in the centre of The Hague, you can imagine all those people and all the stuff takes lots of preparation and organization. But this weekend the last people moved on. The old building is closed, and I have lots of quilt plans and ideas. But first catching up the last weeks..........


Sandsculptures in Garderen............ do you remember 'Mijnheer de Uil' (Mr.Owl), my favorite when I was a little kid. The 'Daily Fable" or "De fabeltjeskrant" all about the animals in "grote dierenbos". It ended always with: Oogjes dicht en snaveltjes toe.

 The theme of the sandsculptures this year was the '50s, '60s and '70s.
Still open till the beginning of october.

Yolande en Jan-Arie

 Rember my trip last year to Vermont and New Hampshire? The most beautiful B&B (Waitsfield), with lots of quilts and a sofa made from english paper piecing. They came to the Netherlands for a holiday so we spend a day together visiting Spakenburg and Elburg. It was so good so see them again.

Fred and Suzi

Elburg

Ending the day with dinner in our summerhouse.

 In Mai it wasn't only working, we also spend a few days along the Mosel. Walking and cycling through the winefield on the banks of the river. Even Mies managed to do a 5 km walk.

 And then we had a family gathering with all the nieces and nephews. Very fun, lovely weather to have dinner outside.

 My dad with his youngest grandson and daugther-in-law.

 Some fun with my friend Yolande in the Japanese garden. She just bought an e-bike, so I picked her up in Leiden, we had lots of cycling fun in The Hague.

Dutch garden in Clingendael.

Quiltfun with Amy and Dieuwke on saturday

 And mum and dad arrived ..... and stayed for the whole week ... visiting all kind of places in The Hague. Rob was abroad doing his cycling holiday.

I love the Antique Market on sunday at the Lange Voorhout.