(Not) Forgotten Bookmarks

Bookmarks - how much I like them, in all variations, I love to make them and I like to use them and I like to find one in a rare or used book…

and here is something very lovely:

a site on which a used and rare bookseller shows us all the "personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things" he finds in all the books he deals with!!

What a collection of findings!!

Yes, there are "real" bookmarks, but also receipts, letters, photographs, inscriptions and tags and the list 

goes on and on! 

Very very touching.

There are so many stories woven around one single book!!

Even more so if it is a rare and used book!

There is even a book about these findings,

and his site is here:

http://www.forgottenbookmarks.com

This is my complete set of bookmarks I've done so far, 

I keep on doing those in all kinds of variations 

because I like so much the combination of a book and an individual item 

that accompanies the reader on his or her journey through the story.

Macarons

Macarons! Hmmm! A French sweet confection:

two almond meringue discs with a lovely filling (jam, buttercream, spices…),

and they come in all kinds of nice colors…

well, and there are Macaron purses!

They have just this circular form, are small, 

and have nice innards, too…

They can be used as key tags, they can hold coins, 

they also keep sweet little somethings like rings or a bracelet or whatever small item one wishes to hold dear: the zipper keeps it safe.

There is a very helpful tutorial on how to make a Macaron purse here:

http://gkkreativ.blogspot.de/2014/07/macaron-taeschchen.html

Mine are made a bit differently:

My tops on both sides are little round quilts, with three layers, the batting being a fluffy piece of fleece, with quilting stitches for decoration and stabilizing.

The inner pieces are made with plain pieces of fabric, 

and are also filled with the same fleece.

I love to use these lovely traditional quilt patterns for the tops, thus there are endless possibilities to create different, individual purses which carry all the charm quilts naturally have.

Also, the two sides of one purse show the same pattern, but I arrange the pieces in a slightly different way.

My Macaron purses are 6 cm  (2 3/8") in diameter, 

and handmade.

With the attached hanging loop, 

a Macaron purse can be hung up also.

Summer Days

We are in for a couple of really hot days here - perfect time for washing a few quilts! I love to dry them outside then, in the shade, since protection from sunlight is a good idea in order to keep the colors from fading. 
Since mine are all handmade I wash them very carefully, and they take it very well. I love how they smell when I collect them in the evening!
I talk about how I wash my quilts in detail in a column at the right hand side here: "How To Take Care Of A Quilt (storing / airing / washing)"

Happy Summer!

"In summer, the song sings itself."

William Carlos Williams

http://www.quotegarden.com/summer.html