it's not easy being green

It's only logical :

when you like it when you do something

you do it again.

After the mermaid was finished
(I did sew on some more sequins and beads)

I started on a new doll right away !

I had some more ideas in my mind after I had noticed 

that other mermaid on the pinterest board ...

a green man or woman !

You could say, this one is not green of envy, but green of ivy

(that's because I came across this dried ivy leaf in a book ...)

Then I thought about that wonderful BBC programme

"It's not easy being green"

where Dick Strawbridge is focusing on how to live

an environmental friendly, low impact life !

And of course there were the faces ...

the ones I did during Jude Hill's Patchwork Beasts Class

Faces for beasts, for who or whatever ...

never used, untill now.

The leaf, the head and the face

but .... I wasn't happy with the way the leaf veins turned out ...

so I pulled out the light green merino !

(a lot to choose from)

This is more like the original colour.

She got arms and legs, I made a template for a backside

of brown wool, then stitched the two sides together

and filled it loosely up with more wool.

Mrs. Green 

Well isn't it a coincidence that I made this green lady

at this moment ?

Today and tomorrow are special "SAVE OUR SOILS" days !

or here

(hmmmm ... they say : coincidence does not exist)

a far away friend and a new challenge

It's not always important 

how close by or far away friends are,

more important is the feeling they give you !

Today arrived a little package from the US.

I was told it would be coming,

even knew a bit what was in it.

But to really hold it in your hands 

is special !

Nancy made something for me because of her blogaversary

(a year ago ! yes : she started when she knew 

who it would be for ...)

A real  s l o w  cloth piece 

(just like we learned from Jude Hill, right Nancy ?)

a tiny woven pouch

and a sweet card.

Such a gift really warms the heart !

Thank you so much Nancy !!!

*

While I was busy working on items 

we could take to the summer festival,

Sara Lechner started another "Challenge"

a hanging doll this time.

I was so busy doing other things, that I only had time

to look through the first two instructions

and glance at the pinterest board sometimes.

I didn't even have time for instruction number three

.......

But, last Monday I took the "Embellisher"

and the stuff I had collected during the first week

and made a start.

My plan was, not to make a doll exactly like Sara's,

but : a mermaid.

(hmmmmm ... I discovered someone else ended up

with a mermaid as well, but I decided to stick with my original plan)

Growing

Front and back of the same lady

(I could work a bit differently because I had seen lesson one ánd two !)

One side of the body fixed with the embellisher

the other side sewn together.

The face is embroidered on the wool itself, and a tiny blue extra cap

to fasten the hair on.

For now, "swimming" in the garden

A sideview with the tangle of seaweed-like hair

It was another fun "Challenge" Sara !

THANKS !

wet summer solstice

Today was a wet and cold day,

only now, in the early evening,

the sun is shining through the clouds.

(I hope all the people who are celebrating summer solstice

do catch that bright spell)

This last week I was very busy preparing things for yesterday

festive headdresses

and finishing off the last of my rainbow pots.

Yesterday, 

however rather cold for this time of year,

daughter and I were at a small summer festival in Nijmegen.

(to celebrate the 25th aniversary

of the Jungian Institute over there)

We were invited to come with are felted items

and give a few workshops.

It was cold, but dry all day !

All's ready to go !

Though it wasn't a very crowded feast

there were lovely people who really took great interest

in all we had made.

There was music, many other activities, but I didn't take any pictures

except of this spectacular fire-eater !

(uhmmm ... don't try this at home ...)

It all ended in the early evening with a ceremonial fire

that was build earlier in the day 

(by one of the fire-masters of daughter's course)

The fire is lighted traditionally with flint and tinder

in half a minute !

More music and dance at end the party

and a special little visitor ...

We had a wonderful warm day

not warmed by the sun but by the people !

Happy Solstice to you all

a new bed .... and new felt

On Whit Monday we finally found and ordered a new bed.

Normally it takes at least eight weeks 

for new furniture to arrive,

but we had a phone call last week

if Monday would be okay ...

yes !

We took apart the old bed in the morning.

(mmmm ... lots of stuff gathering dust underneath)

In the afternoon some men came

and put together the new one.

It is higher
(so more comfortable for (ahum) elder people)

and can be split in the middle so it's easier to make the beds

and clean underneath

(hmmm : no more stuff hiding!)

We slept like a log last night  ;-)

*

Then there was also some more felting

I made some new little amulet pouches and

finished off the ones I already had.

A whole bundle.

The leather lace fitted only to the purple ones,

so for the other colours I took some matching yarn

and twisted my own string ...

Mmmmm that reminded me of a long time ago, 

when I used to help my mum making string :

each of us turning a pencil in the loop at the end,

and my mother carefully putting the two ends together

so the string miraculously appeared, 

with the scissors in the middle 

turning rapidly !

Each one has a bead to pull it open.

When these were finished I made some new

"rainbow pots"

(of course there are some shiny bits inside !)

small but fine.

And with three more. 

*

Though I don't have a good picture of my New Dawn rose yet

here is another beauty in the garden

A real beauty !

(though she doesn't smell as good as New Dawn ...)

Textile Biennale in Rjswijk

Today I was with my UK friend Jane on tour again.

Like we did to Leiden some weeks ago, 

we went by public transportation

(for me bike, boat, bike, train, bus)

The museum in Rijswijk 

(though it's not a specific textile museum like the one in Tilburg)

"does in textile" a lot : f.i. the retrospective exhibition of Leslie Gabrielse

was there some eight years ago,

and I think this is the fourth Textile Biennale that they're organizing.

I already read about it in my favourite textile magazine TextielPlus

(... sorry .... only in Dutch !) 

One of the rooms.

Chiachio & Giannone (ARG)

(flowers ?)

Mai Tabakian (FR)

Caroline Bartlett (UK)

A beautiful installation with delicate embroidery 

with embedded imprints of textile in porcelain

Raija Jokinen (FI)

Rebacca Ringquist (USA)

(detail ... pojagi-like)

Debra M Smith (USA)

(the front of the flyer)

Monica Bohlmann (DE)

Ane Henriksen (DK)

(a translucent room)

Amanda McCavour (CA)

(combination of paint and stitch)

Pauline Nijenhuis (NL)

(weird animals)

Henrique v an Putten (NL)

(thousands of pins (numdered !) ... and thread)

Katie Lewis (USA)

(a weird installation : all the original furniture of this room

embedded in folded cloths !)

Derick Melander (USA)

(very, very fine crochet and embroidery)

Ying Chew (AUS)

Not all of it, 

but things I liked

Oh my, there are so many different way to make textile ART !

.....

If you have the opportunity :

GO  VISIT  THIS  EXHIBITION

it's more than worth the trip !

It lasts till September 27

(Thanks again for the lovely day Jane !)