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 !)