More from the park

On the wooden planks of the tea house

I told you about a park in our city, so to speak, our central park. Today I displayed another quilt on a few places.

What makes me sad is the indifference of people who drop their empty paper cups into the waterfall and carve graffiti into the teahouse beams.

Does a corner of the quilt really dip into the water? Yes -- on purpose.

In the rose garden, I took some more pictures of the baby quilt.

 Quilt, roses, and cobblestones

The reverse of the above quilt

Vanity walk in the park

If I just walk five minutes, I'm in a park which used to be the green of a horse racing ground. Now, there are nice houses around where the races used to take place with a vast park in the middle.

 I took two quilts out to take photographs -- here are some.

To be honest: I made a knot on the reverse
to keep the quilt from being blown
into the ditch

Finished!

Make ends meet

The strips are sewn, and two of them are connected.

 The squares are not equal, although cut with a stencil of 6x6", but the bending of the backing fabric to the front has different results, depending on the material thickness and other characteristics.

Sometimes, the corners will not meet. But the overall length of the strips is quite similar, because by using smaller and larger squares in a mix, I get strips of an average length.

Four phases -- four squares left

These are the sqares No. 45, 46, 47, and 48. One base sqare 6x6", then the piecing, held down by pins; the sewing from the right side + quilting; a backing fabric; the edges are turned to the front and used as a binding.

The funny fabric top right is from Finland

I stared connecting the squares, and I'm a bit worried. The binding fabric alone must bear the burden. I wonder if this will be strong enough.

I see the light!

First row of squares, 8 are planned

Four Grandnieces and a Birthday

My brother celebrated his birthday today, and his two daughters were there; the older one has 3 daughters, 2 of them playing hide-and-seek with their Granddad.


He is a passionate granddad, just as he loved having kids. He has 4 children, 3 from his first marriage, one from his second, still existing marriage.

My brother and sister-in-law own an old farmhouse near Hamburg. The younger daughter, her husband and baby Bente live here, too.

The older daughter and her family live in a village nearby.

The youngest one, Ida, is just a few weeks younger than Bente, her cousin.

Bente waves goodbye to her aunt and cousins.
She is the one for whom I'm making the quilt. Another view of the quilt.
I feel tempted to make quilts for all my grand nieces...

There is also a grand nephew Max -- not present today, I haven't met him yet; and Max is having a brother or sister in January.

Here, you see Bente making experiments in a flower bed and she ended up covered with ants. She didn't really mind.

Reinbek Castle

This beautiful castle, renovated during the early Eighties, was built in the 16th century. I had to visit an office at my birthplace, so I went there -- more than 1 hour by suburban train -- and later took a walk through the park and around the castle. It was completely empty, just one young mother pushing a pram, and a gardener cutting the hedges.

As this castle was built on a former cloister site, there is a large artificial lake near it; most cloisters had a lake or a pond nearby for the fish they ate on Fridays and during the fasting period.

Today, the castle can be rented for celebrations and congresses.

Rhinos

 Another lino cut print for the baby quilt. On Pentecost Monday I'll show her mother how far I got. 48 squares are planned, and this one is #36.

The result for the moment

Jazz and polka dots in action!

And the finished squares (+backing and binding) piled up. Until now, I have 2/3rds of the whole quilt which will be 8x6 squares of 6"x6" size. These will be arranged when the full number is reached, and connected.


Yesterday we saw a wonderful exhibition of 19th century genius painter Turner.

Jolly Apes

 I like to work at night, because then I can listen to jazz. There is no jazz on the radio at daytime.

Not many people favour this music; I do, and I have done so since early childhood when it was even more unusual. Kids like what their parents like.

Maybe the music while working gave this ape a jazzy grin.
Below: I tried overpainting a pale print.
I could also remove the line around the monkey body.
Should I?

Cooperation worldwide

What a pleasure to use material that comes from somewhere and to see one's own material being used! This is a synergy that unites artists in a very profound way.

Isn't this a wonderful piece? My friend Yael from Israel built it around a few stenciled dragons I sent her. She is an extremely talented lady who creates wonderful bags and backpacks out of colorful fabrics. Whatever she does, it is profound and meaningful, rich and lucious.
In this case, she used her own dyed fabrics an a branch of the strawberry tree to create this unusual and dramatic wall hanging. I could hardly think of a better use for the prints. Please visit her blog and see more pictures and close-ups of this quilt.