Wood Work Sculptures in Murren

We decided that we should have a day to rest and take it easy after hiking on the Eiger Trail and up a mountain named the Monk! We had been wondering around Murren and little villages around and noticed lovely lace curtains, a house with a little shop in it's porch and an honesty shop (see my other posts!) During this little Sunday afternoon wonder around we saw that there were various wooden crafted animals all set up outside Swiss houses perched on the mountain edge!!! See the lovely flowers that were everywhere on this Sunday stroll!

Alpine Lace Curtains

Murren is one of the most scenic villages in the South of Switzerland! Perched on the edge of a mountain hundreds of feet up opposite in this picture you can see the Eiger! Look you can see!! One of the most interesting things I noticed were the charming lace curtains to be found in the windows of the little Alpine chalets in the mountains in Murren, Switerland. I did take various pictures but the old camera was just not up to it and they came out a little bit too blured but at least I can show you this lovely set!

Wooden Crafted Horses

These are truly two of the most beautiful sculptures that I have ever seen. We happened across them during a lovely Sunday afternoon walk in the Chiltern Hills. Near to Chorleywood there is a farm and in their front garden were these beautiful creatures. Fashioned out of branches! We were fascinated to see how the artist had been able to use the curve of the branches to show muscle and bone. I wish that you could have seen them placed in the front garden next to the gate. The little mare and her foal come to meet their visitors as they walk past!

Honesty Shop Alpine Adventures

We walked down toward the little village of Gimmelwald, a little further down from the house with the lovely knitted hats we happended across the Hostel Restuarant! With it's beautiful flowers blooming outside in the fresh alpine air. It sold little local antiques from the 'honesty shop' in the front room! Refreshing to see no CCTV cameras! You just put the payment for the little treasures in a box! Oh how miss it's innocence and simplicity!

Advertising, crafting and those beautiful ladies 2

Don't you just love that hat she looks like she should have been in THE AVENGERS!

Advertising, crafting and those beautiful ladies! 1

Womens's faces and the advertising of patterns for crafting! What do you think! I was looking at my old fashion ephemera including patterns and adverts and I realised just how wonderful the pictures are. Just think our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers all would have seen them and ....now us! The pictures had the model wearing the project from hats, cardigans, jumpers, coats sometimes a whole family would be depicted. The type of craft ranged from knitting to crochet to sewing and dress making

I am not going to put them in any particular date order some might be black and white and others in colour but all are lovely from another era. They were always either drawn or photographed! Hopefully I'll be able to build up a little library!

Frames Frames Frames

I am in the need of a little bit of painting I think. I bought these pictures and their frames from a charity shop and think that they would make a great base for my new project...... I'll take out the pictures do a bit of a rub down with same sandpaper and then a little lick of paint. Great for my vintage patchwork pieces and embroidery pieces and lace!!....keep an eye out take a look again in a week!

Antique finds in Luzern, Switzerland 3

Marlies's business partner dealt only in Dolls and Dolls Houses! I must say I have never so many bits and pieces all related to dolls! There was even a little suitcase for a doll and her little fashions!

Antique finds in Luzern, Switzerland 2

Embroideries, lace and crockery I was surrounded! Well Marlies and I had a lovely conversation and I happened to mention 'Stitch and Bitch' well, wouldn't you know it there are so many people out there knitting as well as crafting that she had heard of the globe group and then dropped the bombshell that only last week the Director of Stitch and Bitch had been in and brought out her entire stock!! I was wondering as when I had gone in there were some empty spaces.... But at least she left me a couple of pieces! Here in the meantime are some pictures of the inside of the shop! Amazing really to see collectables in another country. I smiled when I read her card.... 'If you break it you pay for it, if I break it I cry' Very good don't you think!

Antique finds in Luzern, Switzerland 1

On one of our city trips away from the mountains we found ourselves in Luzern. It was so so hot that even the thought of shopping ... well there were no thoughts! Until we stumbled upon the 'Galerie zum Hof', situated at Striftstrasse 4, 6006, Luzern. Well it looked like they were having a sale! It would have been rude not to have a quick look plus it was cooler in the shop!!

Well, Marlies Suterit was having a sale ... (I thought that it was because she wasn't doing so well....) BUT she had decided that she had had enough, living between America and Switzerland! She said that someone would work in the shop instead of her. But she lived in the desert in Southern California! The other person she shared the shop with will still be there. They specialise in Dolls and Doll Houses. See my separate post!

I found a couple of great things, please do see my separate posts coming in the next couple of days! Sorry separate posts all over the place...... BUT now I'm going to show you this charming oil on board in a vintage frame. Marlies was kind enough to let me take a picture of her as she was wrapping up my new buy! Do pop around next time you are in Luzern!

Little Alpine Shop - Switzerland

Betty Zee has been silent for a couple of weeks. We had a lovely time in Switzerland hiking, swimming, mountain biking, eating and drinking! But in the spirit of my blog I have kept an eye out for some interesting ‘stuff’!

On a walk down to Gimmelwald, near Murren in the South of Switerland we stumbled across this charming house with a little tiny shop in the front porch! The lady did lots of knitting and she had lovely colourful hats and children’s clothes. I found it amazing that she would just leave a little pot with a request for payment. She was not there but the front door was left open!

La Corbeille de Mariage

La Corbeille de Mariage ......I have always wondered what that meant on the side of this page. I thought come on gal do a bit of research. Well apparently this is a French expression meaning a basket of wedding presents. Of course I knew it was French but all I could see was that it was obviously something to do with marriage! I have read that it was customary up until the nineteenth century for a soon to be husband to give his soon to be wife presents in a wicker basket. Everything from clothes to jewels to little glass containers for her ‘bits and pieces’. Although, in the picture you can see a chest! I also read that Napoleon gave his wife a 'chest' which is what looks to be on this scene. This is a beautiful pull out from a French magazine from Paris. I found it in a Brussels flea market...

Tree

I do love this and am quite proud of it if the truth be known! I had found loads of brown wool. Now I am not really a huge fan of the colour brown but thought why not try and make something since I don't knit! Terrible! I really have to learn anyway... I used loads of different shades of brown wool as well as green and a touch of white (to create light and shade) I had to bare in mind that it had to be bark coloured and then used netting to produce the effect of perspective. Hills get lighter the further in the distance they are...not sure why but it happens! Then I sewed them down onto hessian.

Butterfly

I really wanted to create a 3D effect with my butterfly. In this picture hopefully you can see the sunflower's petals hang over the frame as well at the butterflies wing. I tried to show that this delicate insect is resting for a short time! I screen printed the background colour green on hessian and once I finished embroidering the butterfly I glued the base material (felt) to cardboard. The platted wool petals then sewn to the backing. I created the butterflies antennas from wire and wound embroidery thread around them. Not the best bit of embroidery I have ever done infact it was a little rushed... I think that I might have another go and focus more on the embroidery itself..... hopefully she won't fly away to soon...!!

French Quilt

A while ago I won a French quilt on ebay. I was very exited as it was made approximately 80 years ago! Unfortunately, when I received I realised that it has been washed and the wool that had been used as the batting (central stuffing) had shrunk! The wool was all matted up and because of this it was just not usable. Luckily, the seller and I worked out an agreement and she let me keep the quilt. I decided to see if I could remake and save it. Of course this all happened before Liisa suggested that I start a blog, because of this I do not have a before picture but as you can see I have taken the quilt apart and taken out the wool. I can tell you that it took an absolute age to un pick it! BUT now it is time to finally storm ahead and start to finish it. I’ll be doing it by hand as I am at present without a sewing machine! Here goes…………

But you know that one of the best things about meeting up with like minded people is that you can talk and brain storm together and make suggestions about how to make the best of what you have. Of course we don't always take each others advice but it sure is fun talking about it. It was decided that after a bit of brainstorming that perhaps I shouldn't use all the fabric for both sides and that I could use the other part for something else! Very good idea! But that mean't that I would have to find a fabric that would look compliament the little scenes !

Well, the update on the quilt is that I found in my stash of textiles this lovely 30's fabric. I think it makes a great backing for the 1920's French quilt that I had to take apart! I've pinned it and am ready to go.....

Lamp of beauty

I popped into this little antique and collectibles place in Ruislip, Middlesex and was wondering around. It had been a little dry in there recently, a little too much newer stuff but... well I had exhausted my usual charity shop hunt and thought 'well lets have a quickie look' ..... low and behold there was this lovely German (I think?) 50s lady!! I have quite a few faces from the 50s but not a full figure such as her. HMMM I thought I have just the place for her to stay at my place. On my 50s table cover next to my 40's embroidery. Funny how as soon as she found herself there she look right at home!