I had been in conversation with someone recently about my quilts and he said, that using a handmade quilt which was sewn by someone who is a friend or belongs to your family, that this resembles the feeling you might have when someone reads a story to you aloud: you loved it as a child, you felt cozy and loved and warm and you dived deeply into the worlds of the stories which were read to you personally in a warm voice..., and you were lucky when someone in your family did that, ...
and silently you love (and need?) that also when you are a grown-up already ....
The thing is, you don't really NEED that, there are easier ways to cover yourself when you are tired or you feel cold: just grab a store-bought blanket, and you are perfectly fine with reading a book by yourself or with listening to one of these perfectly made audio books, and anyway: daily life challenges are calling you ....but ... there is a longing for the personal touch...
I just listened and I could do nothing but agree wholeheartedly!
Ich hatte letztens eine schöne Unterhaltung mit jemandem über meine Quilts und er meinte, dass das Benutzen eines handgemachten Quilts, genäht von einer Freundin oder einem Familienmitglied, dass das dem Gefühl sehr nahe kommt das man bekommt wenn jemand einem etwas vorliest: man liebte das als Kind, man fühlte sich warm und angenommen und man konnte tief in die Geschichtenwelten eintauchen. die einem ganz persönlich mit warmer Stimme vorgelesen wurde... wenn man das Glück hatte, dass jemand in der Familie sowas machte...
und ganz im Stillen mag (und braucht ?) man das, auch wenn man schon längst erwachsen ist...
Die Sache ist nur, man BRAUCHT das nicht wirklich, es gibt einfachere Wege sich zuzudecken wenn man müde ist oder einem kalt ist: greif dir einfach halt eine Decke, und es geht dir ganz wunderbar wenn du selbst ein tolles Buch liest oder du einem dieser perfekt gemachten Hörbücher zuhörst, und : die täglichen Dinge des Lebens halten dich genug auf Trab....aber... es bleibt ein leises Gefühl, dass man das Persönliche um sich haben möchte...
Ich hab ihm nur zugehört und konnte ihm einfach nur mit ganzem Herzen zustimmen!
Sonntag, 21. April 2013
Freitag, 5. April 2013
Handmade
Since I love handmade things, "handmade" music also - and bookshops....
here is something very lovely: great music by "Mumford and Sons",
recorded at a wonderful location, a bookstore,
it's beautifully photographed also.
recorded at a wonderful location, a bookstore,
it's beautifully photographed also.
Enjoy!
Mittwoch, 3. April 2013
Cat
This cat is made after a quilt block in a Texan quilt from 1910-
I found an image of it in this wonderful book I found at an American antiquarian bookshop, the title is: The Quilt Encyclopedia Illustrated, by Carter Houck,
Museum of American Folk Art, 1991, a very lovely book!
I like that motive of a pieced cat: I have seen lots of patterns showing a cat, but none was so lightly and playfully designed as this one. I can imagine, a quilt with such blocks in different colors for the cats would be a gorgeous piece for a cat lover; it's also a lovely pattern for a cushion top or a potholder...
This here is a wallhanging, three layers of cotton fabric, pieced and quilted and sewn entirely by hand, 30x30 cm, 12"x12".
Sonntag, 31. März 2013
Happy Easter!
well, it was too cold for her this morning, so I had to bundle her up ....
... and after she came home from her errands she refused to remove her warm clothes for a long time, she was sooooo cold, and a cup of hot chocolate was most welcomed!!
But, she said, I really did a good job today!! Easter eggs look good in snow!!
Happy Easter!
Donnerstag, 28. März 2013
Easter Eggs
This Easter Egg is a mini-patchwork-quilt, 7" x 11",
and these are little minis, I use them as gift tags, to achieve a good oval form I stretch and tie the fabric for the egg over a piece of heavy paper, iron it, put a ribbon underneath and then the little egg is ready to be appliquéd:
and I love this here:
From: It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (1974)
Linus van Pelt: Every Easter the Easter Beagle comes dancing along with his basket full of eggs, which he hands out to all the good little children.
Sally Brown: That sounds faintly familiar. I remember sitting out in a stupid pumpkin patch all night waiting for The Great Pumpkin to come. That was the worst night of my life.
Linus van Pelt: But this is different. That was Halloween. This is Easter.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071679/trivia?tab=qt
So, let's hope for the best! :-)
Donnerstag, 21. März 2013
Im Café / At The Café
"Strangely enough, the first character in Fried Green Tomatoes was the cafe, and the town.
I think a place can be as much a character in a novel as the people."
Fannie Flagg
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/cafe.html
Well, not only in a novel I think!
For me a café IS a character,
it's just another one of these magical places,
where you feel very much alive!
My wallhanging shows:
my idea of a coffee bean
a tea leaf
(design: 501 Quilt Blocks, Better Homes and Gardens)
a sun bonnet, hung up for a while, or:
used in one of these lovely garden cafés...
(design: 501 Quilt Blocks, Better Homes and Gardens)
a heart!
a cup with something hot and tasty in it
a lovely piece of Black Forest cake (well, there are two in fact, this is soooo delicious!)
a nice window
... and lots of books of course!! :-)
this is my quilt as a wallhanging, 64 x 64 cm, 25" x 25",
patchwork and appliqué,
completely handmade
The letters say "Im Café",
it's German for "At The Café"
Dienstag, 12. März 2013
Bin am Meer/ I Am By The Sea
"Who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little."
Paul Carvel
dreilagiger Quilt, Wandbehang, 64 x 64 cm, Patchwork und Applikation, handgearbeitet,
außerdem: Ich habe vier kleine Glastropfen angebracht
Quilt as a wallhanging, 25" x 25", patchwork and appliqué, completely handmade,
the letters mean "I am by the sea" in German
also: four little glass drops are attached
This is how I made the lighthouses:
"As I gaze upon the sea! All the old romantic legends,
all my dreams, come back to me!"
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
here I found the lovely two quotes:
http://www.kyledesigns.com/c=GKe6OP9Wzs3Wk8HLoFh391dAa/category/
useful_information.quotes.oceans/
... and as always, for a better view of any of these pictures: please click on the image
Dienstag, 5. März 2013
Bin im Garten/ I Am In The Garden
dreilagiger Quilt als Wandbehang, 64 x 64 cm, Patchwork, Applikation, die Buchstaben sind auch Patchwork, alles handgearbeitet
Ich wollte gern mal einen Quilt machen, der an einen Ort erinnert, an dem man sich gern aufhält und wo man ganz man selbst ist... für mich ist das z.B. der Garten.
quilt as a wallhanging, patchwork and appliqué,
the letters mean "I am in the garden" in German and are patchwork as well,
25" x 25", all is handpieced and -quilted
I just wanted to make a quilt which reminds us of a place where many persons feel fine and are wholly themselves,
... a garden for example.
"Working in the garden ... gives me a profound feeling of inner peace. Nothing here is in a hurry. There is no rush towards accomplishment, no blowing of trumpets. Here is the great mystery of life and growth. Everything is changing. growing, aiming at something, but silently, unboastfully, taking its time."
Ruth Stout, American author of gardening books
Mittwoch, 27. Februar 2013
Work In Progress
Dieses kleine Teil ist schon längst fertig, aber ich hab gerade dieses Foto wiedergefunden und ich mag es mich daran zu erinnern, wie die Dinge entstanden sind. Ich liebe einfach meine Arbeit!
This little piece is long since finished, but I just came across this picture again and I just like to remember how things came into being. I just love my work!
Dienstag, 26. Februar 2013
A Cow
Cows are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them; and, in short, I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures.
~Thomas de Quincey (English essayist, 1785- 1859)
http://www.quotegarden.com/cows.html
I LOVE them, too!
a little folk art quilt for kids of all ages, handmade, 18 x 20 cm
ein kleiner Folk Art Quilt für kleine und große Kinder, handgearbeitet, 18 x 20 cm
Dienstag, 19. Februar 2013
Bookmark / Lesezeichen
I love bookmarks!.
Here are two with the leaves I also used in the mini-quilt below.
They measure 15,5 to 6 cm.
Handsewn and handquilted,
they are filled with sackcloth, so they are thin but firm.
Montag, 18. Februar 2013
Mittwoch, 13. Februar 2013
Spring Is Coming Soon!
It's spring fever.
That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache,
you want it so!
- Mark Twain
www.quotegarden.com/spring.html
It's not spring just yet, but isn't it good to be well prepared for this fever??
For me it's just nice to have some blooming flowers around... so I make them!! Such as these flowers shown here... they come in various sizes, some have ribbons, and I love to use them just for hanging them up, or for coasters, or larger ones for table-mats or potholders. They really look good on a table or in the kitchen! A friend of mine attached one of my flowers to her purse. I think smaller ones are nice gift-tags, too, or just to be fashionable, I put a small one on my coat...
They are completely handmade and filled with a cotton-polyester-fleece.
If you would like to have one, I am glad to receive an e-mail (MARIASmail@t-online.de), please send me the fabrics you like or tell me your favourite style and colors and I try to make one for you with the fabrics I have at hand. For more information please go to "Give And Take" on top of this site.
Mark Twain nennt dieses Gefühl "Frühlingsfieber" ....
Ich weiß, es ist noch nicht wirklich Frühling, aber macht es nicht Freude schon einmal vorbereitet zu sein? Ich find's einfach schön, blühende Blumen um mich zu haben, also mach ich sie schon mal selbst! So wie diese Blumen auf den Fotos, ich gestalte sie in verschiedenen Größen, einige haben auch Bändchen, und ich mag es, sie einfach aufzuhängen oder sie als Untersetzer zu benutzen. Größere Blumen benutze ich als Tischläufer oder für die Küche als hübschen Topflappen. Sie sehen auf dem Tisch oder in der Küche ganz nett aus! Eine Freundin von mir hat eine Blume an ihrer Handtasche befestigt, sieht sehr fröhlich aus! Ich denke, dass kleinere Blumen nette Geschenkanhänger sein können, oder vielleicht macht eine kleine sich auch gut an einem Mantelkragen, ich hab's ausprobiert!
Die Blumen sind komplett mit der Hand genäht und sind mit einem weichen Baumwoll-Polyester-Vlies gefüllt.
Falls Sie auch eine haben möchten, freue ich mich über eine e-mail: MARIASmail@t-online.de. Bitte senden Sie mir dann die Stoffe, die Sie mögen oder beschreiben Sie mir Ihren bevorzugten Stil und teilen Sie mir Ihre Farbwünsche mit, ich versuche dann, mit meinen Stoffen Ihren Geschmack zu treffen. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter "Give And Take" ganz oben auf dieser Seite.
This fine book helped me to find my design - ideas:
English Paper Piecing, Muster aus geometrischen Formen,
by Claudia Schmidt
Samstag, 9. Februar 2013
Utility Quilts
When I start to make a new quilt, either for myself or for a person who asks me to do so -
I begin with the questions: How much time do I wish to invest? And what purpose will this quilt serve?
It's ultimately the choice between a fancy and a utility quilt.
What's a utility quilt?
Well, this is what I think:
while fancy quilts radiate some kind of an artistic charisma, and are primarily used on special occasions, utility quilts are meant to be practical household quilts for daily use. Utility quilts are often pieced in a simple and quick way and are more or less thickly batted so that they provide warmth and comfort. A household with a love for quilts usually possesses a larger quantity of utility quilts and only a few fancy quilts.
But then, just like a fancy quilt a utility quilt shows all the traditional elements of an individually designed quilt, as for example:
- traditional patterns (mostly an arrangement of squares and/or stripes),
- the use of fabrics which have a tight connection to the life of the owner (but other than in fancy quilts no silk or velvet)
- a quilting work which is lovingly done, often by hand,
- a label with some information at the back.
When I make a utility quilt, I normally need 2 to 4 weeks to finish it, while working on a fancy quilt with a more intricate patchwork takes me from 3 months to a year or more, also because I don't use a sewing machine for fine patchwork.
Here is one of my fancy quilts:
.... and these are some pictures of my latest utility quilts
(125 + 175 cm, cotton fabrics, the batting is a warm but light cotton-polyester blanket, the backing a soft flannel sheet, machine- sewing, hand-quilting)
... and as always, I love to combine a quilt with a cushion:
"Gwen had never imagined that fabric could convey so much meaning."
The Winding Ways Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini