The Lacemaker Print Finds a New Home

Johannes Vermeer, one of my favorite artists, Dutch in origin, had very interesting paintings depicting mostly women in domestic chores of middle class. He had a preference for cornflower blues and yellow in his works. He was baptized in Delft/Netherlands in 1632 and died in 1673 at the early age of 43. This particular print of the oil painting is called The Lacemaker. He originally painted this in 1669-70 in Louvre, Paris.

I found this interesting from further research into The Lacemaker from Wikipedia~~

In The Lacemaker, the artist presents the various elements which compose both the girl's face and body as well as the pattern of the material she is working on in an abstract manner. The girl's hands, the curls of her hair and the T-cross which form her eyes and nose are all described in an abstract manner unusual for the era in which Vermeer worked. In addition, the red and white of the lace is shown as spilling from the sewing cushion with physical properties suggesting a near liquid form.^[2] The blurring of these threads contrasts sharply with the precision of the lace she is shown working on.

 He is very famous also for The Girl with a Pearl Earring, of which I treasure over my fireplace, painted by my daughter in oil and a much larger piece.

Just a few weeks ago, while going through a thrift store, actually looking for something else, I saw this for 8.00. It's a print with glass of a Vermeer painting and interestingly, whoever owned this obviously  loved the art of tatting, or stitching, in general, as there is a corner piece of actual tatting under the glass.

I was instantly attracted to this print and it's beautiful frame and tatting piece. It fits in a perfect spot in the house and I LOVE it!

The print is actually about the same size as the original, as it's the smallest of Vermeer's paintings but regarded as unusual for the Baroque era, measuring about 8 x9 in.

I had to share with all those who love art AND needlework or needle art.

I think I definitely found a treasure! Just a reminder that sometimes when we are looking for one thing, we can find another.   Makes me wonder who would take such a piece to a thrift store, but I'm sure glad I found it.

Hope your evening is peaceful and your weekend beautiful!

Saturday stitching and progress on Dutch sampler

Stitching a bit on this while watching the DVD The Last Song. Such a sad one...but good movie.

Here's the progress so far:

Dutch Proverb~~The Law

I'm really enjoying Deep Sea {WDW}

One skein down and starting on another one.

It's just stitchy weather here. Surprisingly, it's almost like an early Fall day here, very cool, breezy and so relaxing.

I'm stitching this one in hand, no frame. It just feels better that way.

Have a beautiful Saturday evening wherever you are planted today!

Options

~~~~~~~~

Abbie at work, multi-tasking. She's deciding on which option. Doggie treat 1, 2 or 3?

~~~~~~~

Still trying my hand at yoga and so far can see the therapeutic benefits from it. The stretching really feels good. My mantra is Serandipity. Let it go.

My options for this week are here:

Stitching present project?

stitching new project for the lucky Irish design this morning?

or

focusing on the house and sewing panels for kitchen cabinets?

Need to do all of the above. Also getting an early start on cleaning out and donating some linens and things. Must be the touch of warm weather this week.  :)

  I have just finished designing a new one for St. Patrick's and can't wait to start that one. I stitched a bit last night after a wonderful cooked dinner by hubbie of Steaks and potato. They were GOOD steaks too! Also got some beautiful flowers yesterday which made my Irish smile a little brighter.

This morning slept late to catch up on some Z's and methinks I should get busy checking off some of my to-do list of things in my journal book.

We are having milder weather here in North Georgia this week and I'm lovin' it!

I noticed this morning that the daffodils are popping up in the yard, always a promise of Spring.

Another promise is a giveaway soon. I just received it in the mail late yesterday so pics to follow.......stay tuned. I think you will like this one!

Stay tuned, stay safe, and till later,

Jennifer

South Holland Sampler

The Village of South Holland sampler

copyright 2010

Feathers in the Nest

This morning had the designing bug and wanted to share with you a portion of a bigger sampler I hope to design for South Holland. 

Please remember this is a freebie at this time and not designed for copy and selling. Reproduce by needle and for personal use only. Please give credit to Feathers in the Nest. Thanks!

The colors suggested are:

GA Apple Cider

GA Presidential Blue

GA Cornflower Blue

GA Buttercrunch

GA Midnight

GA Tarnished Gold

Vintage Cream Belfast linen or Antique White linen

At the entrance to the village, is the motto, Faith, Family, Future on the water tower. I thought this would make a good design and will expand this Dutch sampler with spot motifs in the future for a larger sampler.

Enjoy!

A Few To Remember that served our country

This is Body Guard's dad on the right, James (Jim)Dalenberg

Picture from when he was serving in World War II.

I think this was his battle buddy.

There is a plaque in the South Holland Library, downstairs Historical Society collection with his name on it.

I took many pictures on that trip to Chicago and I'm so glad I got these. We did get permission from the historical society to take these pictures, FYI.

The fellow in the black leather jacket......that's my hubbie looking at that uniform.

I was distracted by this:

Another family member in World War I

Of course, I couldn't help but remember our nurses on the missions. So I snapped this pic of the uniform.

This was back when nursing was really what nursing is about. I wish we could capture this dedication in this generation.

Miss Cornelia Dalenberg, BG's aunt, Jim's sister, was a missionary nurse that served many years.

Mostly in Saudi Arabia. She wrote a book, Sharifa, about her life and experiences over in the area, right where we are still fighting today. The Persian Gulf. We have a copy of this book and it's phenomenal to read because not much in their culture has changed over in the Holy Land in 100 years, really not anything at all when you read of her encounters. She served as a midwife for a King over there. What an honor.

She never married and dedicated her whole life to mission work.

And of course, here is my son, Matthew Brandon, named specifically because Matthew means "a gift from God". He just served in Afghanistan and thankfully, oh so thankfully, did not give his life there but did worry us alot. This was me taking his pic at his pinning ceremony in Columbus, Ga. --Fort Benning

Believe, me, it's a mixture of pride and complete terror, when your baby boy is in uniform.

Haven't heard from him like he said he would call us since the day he got back from Afghanistan. We are very proud of him as a soldier. As a son, who I thought loved me very much and raised, we are certainly dissapointed in his recent actions. I sincerely hope he can overcome those areas that challenge him emotionally. He left to deploy with alot of anger and didn't respond to any of his letters or packages we sent. In fact, the LT. told us finally that he wrote a formal letter that he was abandoned at birth and had not seen us in 6 years, and had been married for well over a year. The only truth was that he had been married. At first I was shocked. Then, I had to laugh as I remember quite readily our 22 years together.....from day 1 wiping butt to carrying to school and forever getting him out of trouble. I remember when he was 12 and the school called on the last day for his MMR shot which he had to have to be in school. He begged me to home school him in the back of the car while 3 of my nurse friends and I had to embrace him to give him this shot at the health dept.  Oh, my!  Where did that come from? 

 We sent plenty of pics and they were shocked and very apologetic. 

Again, we are so proud as a soldier and hope that the enotionally challenging issues certainly resolve if not only in his heart. That has to be hard to carry around such imaginations that are not real.

And this is my hubbie. He served in 2 wars being in the Reserves and retired 2003.

Our first year of marriage, he was called up for 9/11 to serve for one year.

Another frightful year indeed. But we made it through.

Maybe it was that kinda look right there that got me every time! LOL  Then,when he came back from that tour facing 2 young teens to stepfather and a  wife, his first one at age 44, he probably thought being in Reserves was better. LOL

Abbie and Me say HaY~ on a perfect kind of DaY!

Abbie and me say hey on this Tuesday afternoon.

We've had a great day! Lots of reading, lots of measuring for blinds upstairs and lots of play time.

Lots of sorting and cleaning, rearranging and planning the next couple of weeks.

Lots of sorting linen and charts and finding old books in the basement, reading old letters, sorting mail.

Old books fill my basement and are fun to refind as I arrange a section into my "library".

Cleaning and folding fabrics that I so adore in my sewing area.

Planning a whole new decorating theme for our "other" upstairs bedroom.

It included new blind-out shades with Dutch motifs and colonial style from Country Curtains.

I've waited for this for a long time. I can visualize alot of samplers in this room, full of folk art motifs and refreshing to see.

Hope you had a great day too!

Jennifer

A Delft design repaired today

Serendipity Designs

stitched on Zweigart 28 ct Antique White Brittney linen

DMC threads

stitched in 2006

Frame from The Dutch shop in Helen, Georgia

I love Delft of any kind. I had a frame just like this one in storage to finish another design similar to it. Thank goodness, because when I was cleaning some windows yesterday it fell out of the windowsill onto the hardwood floor and broke.

In sorting through stash and organizing....still.......I found my other one and put it in there this morning.

Actually, the other matching design is "Delft Tulips" and it's pretty as well but I have not stitched it yet.....yet I say! ;)

Back to Saturday chores.

Hoping your day is one filled with sunshine and flowers!

Jennifer

The Sunday afternoon drive

Yesterday, I didn't have my finished Blackbird Design January stocking with me, but I thought I did pretty doggone good matching a backing fabric fat quarter. I like it. Now, I'm intimidated by actually cutting the stocking out and fusing the fabric to it. I've never made a stocking so this will be challenging. I did see the finished one at the cross stitch store at Pigeon Forge a couple of weeks ago and they are pretty, pretty. I got some seed beads to make a little hanger for it.

I decided to get out and about again this afternoon, but this time with my honey. Both of us had the itching on this cloudy day to dig through some old relics and stuff somewhere. So, we headed out to the Martin House in Nacoochee Valley/Helen, Ga. not far at all and I picked up a few things.

I can't pass up old 50cent buttons.

yep, I like the clear ones. They are old and look like a good find for a pillow keep for the guest room.

I couldn't resist this 6 inch dish.........for 2.00 on sale. The Dutch colors, the heart, the bird at the top just had to come home with me. The back says it's hand-painted.

It's small and perfect for all kinds of things from being a great soap dish to button dish, to sitting on a shelf. I love it! They only had one.

And this is my most favorite find. A heavy, glass paperweight. I had just looked on Ebay for one of these to put some stitching behind and it's hard to find a good glass one, most are plastic.

This one was 7.00 and the glass ones I've seen in stitching shops are 3 or 4 times as much so this was a great find! I want to stitch something for Body Guard's office at work to put on his desk.

Perfect size for a one over one project. Again, a new project for me, putting stitching in a paperweight. I wonder who in the world this is? Wonder who the proud dad or mom who had this on their desk of the boy scout here?

The back looks pretty bad but I'm just going to take the rest of this old felt off and then take the pic out. Poor little boy, now a grown man I'm sure but something stitchy will be going in this one.

Before we went through the old house, which has 3 floors by the way, we went by Wendy's and I tried a Oreo Frosty and that was GOOD! Gave me energy to roam again.

I can't believe the weekend is almost over. I'm washing doggie blankets on hot water now and catching up on things, getting ready for another work week. Abbie's favorite game is "Catch me if you can" and I have got my daily exercise for sure.

I have intermittently stitched on Northanger Abbey late last night and this morning and hope to finish soon. I will post a midnight progress pic tonight.......stay-tuned.

And also, I just want to let you know to get ready for a little give-away for Valentine's. I found it at the Martin House, and it's a one of a kind. That's all the hints I can give! ;)

Till later,

Jennifer

SinterKlaasavond

In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas Eve is Dec 5th traditionally and this is when the children leave their shoes by the door or the fireplace with a carrot or hay for the horse and they will receive a present in them by morning! My husband is Dutch and he can remember doing this when he was little.

Supposedly, SinterKlaas wears a white bishops dress and carries a big book that tells whether the child has been good or naughty for the past year! ;)

Well, I guess you could say we have participated in a partial SinterKlaas Eve today as we went to the outlet stores and shopped till we dropped for presents. In between we ate chocolate covered something in between meet-ups. We both had White Chocolate Mochas with whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. This gave us the sugar and energy to get through the crowd at the big Walmart in Dawsonville. This one is the super, duper of Walmarts!

We lingered in the pet section of the store for a good 30 minutes, met up with a lady who started a conversation and she told us all about breeding chichi's. She used to do that and she loved them. She gave us some tips on some of their behavior issues and all, then we moseyed over to the book section and browsed through the magazines and books.

We passed many cars with Christmas trees strapped to the top today! The rush is on at the stores too!

My weakness at the outlet mall is the Ann Taylor outlet store. I honestly have an adrenaline rush when Ann Taylor has sales and they were really having some good sales today.

I even got stopped by a state patrol once for speeding and they asked me what I was in a hurry for and I told him, Ann Taylor is having a sale! It was not an impressive response but it was truly what I was thinking at the time.

So, yeppers, Body Guard went with me but we would keep meeting up at different times. He had some shopping to do too. And I think he likes analyzing all the people and profiling the shoppers in a crowd! LOL

We are home and trying to take care of the furbabies. They have loads of energy now as we are low on energy.

Hope all are having a great weekend enjoying the rush of the season or even better sipping on a cafe mocha with extra cream and white chocolate.

Jennifer