Merry Christmas!

Patterns in the Snow by Simon Beck

Here is a special treat: 

These patterns are created by the British snow artist Simon Beck. He does it all with his snow boots... he makes all the exact calculations and then walks and walks for 10 hours and more and thus draws fantastic patterns on the the surface of a frozen lake for example, 

it's wonderful.

Here is more about him and his wonderful art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0soQJxq6dKY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLbYCaGSN2o (with a comment in German)

This is his very interesting facebook site, where these snow pictures are from:

https://de-de.facebook.com/snowart8848

He uses quilt patterns, too! :-) The pattern above is a tumbling-block-pattern, and I love it!

Weimar Castle

I always love to find traditional quilt patterns in some other context, and here I found this lovely inlaid work in Weimar on the creaking wooden floor of the historic Castle: 

six pointed stars!

And this is the view of the lovely city, photographed  from a window in the Castle. My camera isn't always doing things the way I want them to be, so this image here didn't come out as a real clear picture, but to my delight it looks a bit like a historic postcard,  just right for this season?

Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!

Charles Dickens 

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_christmas.html

Christmas Tree for Animals

Isn't that a lovely idea? To choose a tree outside, on the street, in the garden or in a park or in the woods, and to turn it into a Christmas tree by decorating it with fruits and nuts, to give animals outside in the cold a special treat??

                                          " 'Sylvia,' he said suddenly, beckoning to her. 'Come take a look at this.'

She went to him and looked out the window. Just beyond the elms on the other side of the creek, she saw Agnes's Christmas tree, simply but beautifully adorned. As she watched, she detected movement, and suddenly a doe and fawn emerged from the woods and carefully picked their way through the crust that had formed on top of the snow. They approached the Christmas tree, and the doe stretched out her head to nibble a popcorn garland. Her fawn cautiously bit into an apple.

Sylvia's smile broadened as a flurry of motion heralded the arrival of a flock of chickadees. Soon other birds joined in the feast, and squirrels as well, busily harvesting the popcorn, fruits and nuts from the Christmas tree."

These lines are from the WONDERFUL book by Jennifer Chiaverini, "The Christmas Quilt", Simon & Schuster 2005

Happy Christmas Time!

Wearable Small Quilts

These are "real quilts": they consist of three layers of fabric, it's all cotton, handpieced and -quilted.

The "twig" has two little selfmade buttons and is 13 x 4 cm, 5,1" x 1,5",

the "flower" is 8 x 8 cm,  3,1" x 3,1"

They are fixed from inside with a special pin.