French - Star - Quilt

wallhanging, handmade, 92 x 92 cm, cotton, linen, cotton blends, wool

As it is always the case with my quilts, this one, too, includes lots of personal stories: 

I know exactly which star I made at a hotel room in San Francisco,  I know which fabric was given to me by a friend, this fabric is cut off an old tablecloth used in my family, that fabric I once bought at the  Oriental Market in Berlin, this is a part of a dress I once wore, this is the same piece of fabric I also used in my Winter Quilt, this is from a dress my sister once wore, this is a part of a shirt which belonged to my brother-in-law and these stories go on and on and I love to combine these fragments of my life in a quilt.

This way a quilt is permanently talking to me, and I like that.

Another story is how I got the idea for this design:

I was leafing through a wonderful book at my friend's place in Berlin. The book was from 1999, it is now out of print it seems, it's by Dorothy Wood, the title is: 

"Couture: Patchwork, Broderie"

It's in French, and on one page I found the picture of a large quilt with an extraordinary pattern: stars and stars and more (different) stars, some side by side, some interwoven, light and dark colors gorgeously arranged, a spectacular piece that is!! I had been thinking about the magnificent person who had been able to complete a large quilt like this! 

As for me, I copied a small part of this "French Star Quilt" (so I called it) and used it for my design of this wallhanging, and it really took me a lot of time and patience to accomplish that, so again, I can only deeply admire the person who completed a large quilt with such a pattern, and I'm very grateful to her (or him) for giving me the idea for my little quilt here. Sadly no information about the quiltmaker could be found in the book.

Here are some pictures how I went step by step to complete my wallhanging:

assembling the pieces:

finished patterns:

the back of the top:

the top is finished and rests, hung over a chair:

three layers (top/strong cotton/wool) had been basted and are now being quilted:

the quilting is done:

a small binding and a label are attached:

two tubes at the back hold a rod, and the wallhanging is hung up:

Two Things

Two Things

Two things possess the power,

Two things deserve the name,

Two things can reawaken

Perpetually the flame.

Two things are full of wonder,

...

Langston Hughes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNqyZ8Mq0Wk&list=PL0A2009C984E15518

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes is one of my most beloved poets. 

I am so glad I found this website here with videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZKSRqTzabg&list=PL0A2009C984E15518

... where some of his poems are very well read and combined with lovely photographs and paintings. I do like that VERY much.

Here is one of those poems:

OLD WALT 

.

Old Walt Whitman

Went finding and seeking,

Finding less than sought

Seeking more than found,

Every detail minding

Of the seeking or the finding.

Pleasured equally

In seeking as in finding,

Each detail minding,

Old Walt went seeking

And finding.

Langston Hughes

(a cushion top, in the works)

I also warmly recommend this website:

http://inwardboundpoetry.blogspot.de/2006/08/183-old-walt-langston-hughes.html

In this anthology I especially like the poem "A Civil War Veteran" by Norbert Krapf, which is also about Walt Whitman:
http://inwardboundpoetry.blogspot.de/2006/08/192-civil-war-veteran-norbert-krapf.html

I'm so glad these things exist!

Improvisation

For my latest quilt I used certain elements of African American textile design: large shapes, asymmetry and improvisation. I had much fun: after I had found the right fabrics and had cut the first pieces I used the machine to assemble the blocks and listened to lovely music and added this and then that and at some point I had finished the top. I then quilted the layers of the quilt (batting: a soft, light cotton-polyester-blanket, backing: flannel) by hand, and this took me really some time. But again it was fun, I just made spontaneous decisions where and how to go with my quilting stitches, no plan, very easy-going ... then I added the binding, also by hand, ( I did the binding twice, my first choice of fabric didn't satisfy me), ... well, now it's all done! :-)

Happy New Year!

Das neue Jahr sieht mich freundlich an, und ich lasse das alte mit seinem Sonnenschein und Wolken ruhig hinter mir.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I really like these lines, so here I try to translate them into English:

The new year is looking at me in a friendly way, and I quietly leave behind me the old one with its sunshine and clouds.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

(letztes Blatt von "Der literarische Katzenkalender 2012")

Merry Christmas!

Follow your own star!

Dante Alighieri

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/star_3.html

The German singer and songwriter Reinhard Mey celebrated his 70th birthday a few days ago, and I like him very much. And I found this lovely song which describes so much of this feeling I have when one year turns into the next... sorry, it's in German!

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr

Ist das schon so lange her?

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Noch weht mir der Wind von der See her entgegen,

Noch finde ich Sand in meinen Hosenumschlägen

Und Dünengras in meinem Haar,

Spür‘ auf den Lippen das Meer;

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Ist es schon wieder so spät?

Mir taut noch der Vorjahrsschnee von meiner Mütze,

Um meine Schuhe entsteht eine Pfütze

Auf dem gewachsten Parkett,

Werd‘ ich den Winter gewahr.

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Ist also morgen schon heut?

Noch schwirren vom vorigen Sommer die Mücken

Um meinen Kopf, meine Finger zerpflücken

Akazienblätter zerstreut:

Ein wenig, von Herzen ... ist‘s wahr?

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

Die Tage hab‘ ich nicht gezählt.

Noch raschelt verwelktes Laub unter den Schritten,

Im vorigen Herbst von der Hecke geschnitten.

Noch glimmt Erntefeuer im Feld,

Flammenlos, kaum wahrnehmbar.

Bin immer noch der ich war,

Erwachsener werd‘ ich wohl nicht.

Ich hab‘ einen Jahresring mehr wie die Bäume,

Eine dickere Rinde, ein paar neue Träume.

Und Lachfalten mehr im Gesicht.

Wirklich schon wieder ein Jahr?

http://www.reinhard-mey.de/start/texte/alben/wirklich-schon-wieder-ein-jahr

Winter Quilt

I just completed my Winter Quilt! 

I worked on it each Christmas season over the past years, I started in 2009. 

I talked about it before here, 

if you are interested go to my post from December 6, 2011: 

"St. Nicholas' Day".

This quilt is 123 x 173 cm, is completely hand made and it has quite a nice touch, because for the first time I used a 60%cotton-/ 33%polyester/ 7%polyacrylic-blanket  for the batting and a lovely piece of soft flannel for the backing. This was a good choice I think, the quilt is not heavy at all while it feels warm, and the materials went very well with my hand-quilting-stitches. 

My Favourite Fairy Tale

It's 200 years ago to this date ( December 20, 1812) that the first volume of the "Household Tales" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm was published. I thought that could be a good reason to show a post here again which I first put on this blog in February 2011. And again:
This fairy tale here is my favourite, no war, no cruelty, no winners or losers, my, I love that! :-)
And so I made a quilt about it. It's a wallhanging.

The Three Brothers

THERE was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the world but the house in which he lived. Now each of the sons wished to have the house after his father's death; but the father loved them all alike, and did not know what to do; he did not wish to sell the house, because it had belonged to his forefathers, else he might have divided the money amongst them. At last a plan came into his head, and he said to his sons, "Go into the world, and try each of you to learn a trade, and, when you all come back, he who makes the best masterpiece shall have the house."
The sons were well content with this, and the eldest determined to be a blacksmith, the second a barber, and the third a fencing-master. They fixed a time when they should all come home again, and then each went his way.

It chanced that they all found skilful masters, who taught them their trades well. The blacksmith had to shoe the King's horses, and he thought to himself, "The house is mine, without doubt." The barber only shaved great people, and he too already looked upon the house as his own. The fencing-master got many a blow, but he only bit his lip, and let nothing vex him; "for," said he to himself, "If you are afraid of a blow, you'll never win the house."

When the appointed time had gone by, the three brothers came back home to their father; but they did not know how to find the best opportunity for showing their skill, so they sat down and consulted together. As they were sitting thus, all at once a hare came running across the field. "Ah, ha, just in time!" said the barber. So he took his basin and soap, and lathered away until the hare came up; then he soaped and shaved off the hare's whiskers whilst he was running at the top of his speed, and did not even cut his skin or injure a hair on his body. "Well done!" said the old man. "your brothers will have to exert themselves wonderfully, or the house will be yours."

Soon after, up came a nobleman in his coach, dashing along at full speed. "Now you shall see what I can do, father," said the blacksmith; so away he ran after the coach, took all four shoes off the feet of one of the horses whilst he was galloping, and put him on four new shoes without stopping him. "You are a fine fellow, and as clever as your brother," said his father; "I do not know to which I ought to give the house."

Then the third son said, "Father, let me have my turn, if you please;" and, as it was beginning to rain, he drew his sword, and flourished it backwards and forwards above his head so fast that not a drop fell upon him. It rained still harder and harder, till at last it came down in torrents; but he only flourished his sword faster and faster, and remained as dry as if he were sitting in a house. When his father saw this he was amazed, and said, "This is the master-piece, the house is yours!"

His brothers were satisfied with this, as was agreed beforehand; and, as they loved one another very much, they all three stayed together in the house, followed their trades, and, as they had learnt them so well and were so clever, they earned a great deal of money. Thus they lived together happily until they grew old; and at last, when one of them fell sick and died, the two others grieved so sorely about it that they also fell ill, and soon after died. And because they had been so clever, and had loved one another so much, they were all laid in the same grave.

(by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, translated by Margaret Hunt, London: George Bell 1884, 2:148-150)

What I so much like about that fairytale is: no cruelty! Only an attempt to find a solution to a problem in mutual agreement. By searching for excellence and friendly competition. There are no losers or winners. The fruits of their labor are for the benefit of them all.

This is the line from the fairytale I worked into the quilt:

"Go into the world and try each of you to learn a trade." 

(photograph by Arndt Laude, Hamburg, www.alaude.de )

Here is another picture of my quilt, I like how the sun played with it!

Wheel Of Fortune - Pattern

We really got some snow here today!!

But I think that's what quilts are for:

they give some color and some warmth and always remind me of something good, like hot cocoa or something in that vein!

Happy Winter!

In a way Winter is the real Spring -

the time when

the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.

Edna O'Brien

http://www.livinglifefully.com/winter.htm

(mini patchwork quilt, handpieced, handsewn, handquilted, 11,5 x 22 cm)

Some Pictures From My Trip To California

Britex Fabrics, San Francisco, fantastic shop!!

City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco, I love what is written on the signs in the windows:

Open Door, Open Books, Open Mind, Open Heart

Treehorn Books, Santa Rosa

quilts from "Ocean Quilts", Mendocino

ocean@mcn.org

oceanquiltsmendocino.com

an antique sewing machine at a shop in Boonville

the Pacific Coast

Redwoods

Thanksgiving at the Glide Church, San Francisco

The Martin-Luther-King-Memorial, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco,

it's a waterfall,

and a man, contemplating it

Sean Scully, Wall of Light Horizon 2005, Oil on Canvas, DeYoung Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco: could be a great design for a quilt also!

Autumn

There is a harmony in autumn, 

and a luster in its sky,

which through the summer is not heard or seen,

as if it could not be,

as if it had not been!

Percy Bysshe Shelley

 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/autumn.html#kSoGPjXSoZ4RMSQo.99 

Similarities and Differences

We go on and on about our differences.

But, you know, our differences are less important than our similarities. 

People have a lot in common with one another, whether they see that or not.

William Hall

… well, I know, these are only cushions, which have their differences but also a lot in common… but I think Mr. Hall is so right, so I like to place that quote here! :-)

         http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/similarities.html#0ZkItFEOs3kFQTuL.99 

The Best Is Yet To Come

When I listened to President Obama's speech yesterday in the morning (I am happy to receive CNN, it was LIVE from Chicago and I loved to listen) I heard him saying: 

" the best is yet to come."

I love that line, it is so full of true (not blind) "Forward"- optimism, and it reminds me of a song I like so much, it is by Bob Dylan, "If Dogs Run Free", where I find this line, too:

" the best is always yet to come."

And because I think this song is just as beautiful as the inspiring Obama speeches, here are the lyrics:

If dogs run free, then why not we

Across the swooping plain?

My ears hear a symphony

Of two mules, trains and rain

The best is always yet to come

That’s what they explain to me

Just do your thing, you’ll be king

If dogs run free

If dogs run free, why not me

Across the swamp of time?

My mind weaves a symphony

And tapestry of rhyme

Oh, winds which rush my tale to thee

So it may flow and be

To each his own, it’s all unknown

If dogs run free

If dogs run free, then what must be

Must be, and that is all

True love can make a blade of grass

Stand up straight and tall

In harmony with the cosmic sea

True love needs no company

It can cure the soul, it can make it whole

If dogs run free

Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music

Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/if-dogs-run-free#ixzz2BcyDvq5W