Sticheleien 2006
My mom and step-dad are here — yippee! The reinforcements have arrived! On Saturday, I gave them a break from baby-sitting duties and took them to Michelstadt in the Odenwald for the Sticheleien, a market themed around fiber and needle arts.
The exhibits and vendors are based in and around the historic town hall. Our first task, however, was to find food. We went to the courtyard in front of the local history/toy museum and library. There is always a tent there with delicious organic food.
We sampled pumpkin soup, green pumpkin seed patties with a pickled veg salad, and leek “pizza” with the same salad. This was of course, all served on real plates because plastic or paper would not only be environmentally unfriendly, but it would be terribly un-couth as well. They had coffee and cakes as well, but we opted to go to a conditorei later in the day.
Inside the museum, artists showed their wares and worked on projects nestled amongst the wood framing of the hundreds-of-years-old buildings.
This woman crocheted the most wonderful concoctions of wire, yarn and beads. It was all so delicately made, and perfectly realized.
I wanted to learn how to make lace with “Klöppel” just so I could buy hand-turned spools from this man. They are made from beautiful woods and some even have ceramic or metal inlays. He was pretty cute to look at too — in an “I spend my days in my tiny workshop on a hillside surrounded by sheep and drink a good hefe-weisen at the local pub every night” kind of way.
What’s this in another building? Yup, that’s my Quiltstadt commanding an entire end of the hall!
I can’t believe how incredibly huge this is. No wonder it took me so long to finish it! I had about two feet of binding, plus a sleeve to sew on on Wednesday, so I decided to take it to our Guild meeting anyways. Gudrun, who owns the local quilt shop and is a local institution herself, asked if she could please display my quilt at her booth at the Sticheleien. Of course! I finished off the sewing Thursday morning, and Gudrun took it to Michelstadt on Friday.
I was very restrained in my purchases. I came home with two little snowflake baby ornaments for my friend who watched the kids, 6 hanks of hand dyed cotton and silk floss (at an irresistable sale price), and a Fliegenpilz sock darner (I had the ladies at that table in a tizzy looking for the Strickpilz they were sure they had but never did find — I sooooo would have bought it from them) plus 3 little Fliegenpilz buttons.
October 16th, 2006 at 12:16 am
Kristin, I’m sure your gorgeous quilt was the star of the show! It looks wonderful!!
October 16th, 2006 at 12:44 am
Things I don’t get to say every day:
1. OMG, that thing is huge!
2. We are soooooo going to need a bigger bed.
(Wha chicka wha wha….)
October 16th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Your quilt looks fabulous. Incredible job. I didn’t get a real idea of the size until I see your picture next to it. Nice to see you! Great real building pics too.
October 16th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
OMG -the quilt looks majestic hanging there and I am in awe of the work that went in to it. Bravo to you. Now, I must say that I feel as if I have been in tha little townh and I ordered something for lunch that had vinigraitte in the name. I thought I was getting a veggie salad with dressing, but it was pickled head cheese – ewww! Hi to mom and stepdad!
October 16th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Looks like a fun day – Your quilt is FANTASTIC!
October 16th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
how wonderful to entertain your mom and step-dad! but your quilt stole the show in this blog entry!!! i can only provide an echo to how magnificient it is!
October 16th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
Great!!! I knew Quiltstadt was going to be big… but this thing is HUGE! lol.. Love it though – too bad I probably won´t make it to the Sticheleien to see it (just like I didn´t make it to the Aschaffenburg Quilt Festival).. grump .. maybe I´ll see it somewhere else? I hope so!
Love the sock darning Fliegenpilz
October 18th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
I like the picture of you with your work. A treasure for always…..
October 21st, 2006 at 2:58 am
Oh, I miss Germany so much! I’ve lived there twice–once in Wildflecken for 2 years and then in Berlin for 4 years (before the wall came down). Both my children were made in Berlin (one of my favorite sayings). I’m so glad your mom and step-dad are there to enjoy the time with you and your family as well as the wonderful things to be found in Germany.
November 27th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
[...] I’m participating in a pincushion swap and decided that it would only be fitting if I sent my partner a mushroom-themed package. She said she likes felty, Japanese crafty, Martha-y stuff, so I made her a straightforward mushroom pincushion and a felt needle book. I added the mushroom buttons I got at the Sticheleien, little mushrooms to add to flower arrangements or your Christmas tree, and of course, German Christmas chocolates. [...]
December 10th, 2006 at 1:24 pm
[...] Each year at the Sticheleien, I pick up more little treasures from a lovely woman who makes little felt children with nature and four-seasons themes. Here’s a treasured “star child” (papier mâché cat in the background): [...]