Art deco style covered dish from the Arabia porcelain factory, established in Finland in the 1870s. Throughout the last century, Arabia porcelain has been the traditional dinnerware in Finnish homes and has been passed on as family heirlooms. Delicate Arabia porcelain can be found in museums although today’s tableware is made for the modern family and is oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. This piece is one of the items still made by hand at the factory in Helsinki. The clay is hand-poured into molds from the mid-1900s that were recently discovered in storage. Each piece is hand-glazed to give it this vintage look.
My friend, Natalia, and I attended the 2011 International Quilt Festival in Houston. More than simply utilitarian, these quilts are works of art. Styles ranged from traditional to contemporary, incorporating a variety of techniques including hand quilting, embroidery, appliqué, machine quilting, piecing and fusing. Here are a few of my favorites.
“The Laneway” by Grace Whiting from the O Canada exhibit. Techniques: Some machine piecing and quilting; hand appliquéd. Delicate threads create the foliage while the quilting pattern echoes the undulations of the fallen snow.“Bouquet” was hand-pieced, appliquéd, embroidered and quilted by Keiko Morihiro from Japan as her 30th wedding anniversary present to her husband. Winner: Master Award for Traditional Artistry.“Twitter” was assembled using recycled materials, including newspapers, to represent the artist’s vision of an environmentally responsible social network.From the Art-Whimsical category, “Tokyo – Wish You Were Hair” by Pam RuBert. The artist made the quilt for an exhibition “exploring the intersection of fiber art with new technologies.”
“Dixie Dingo Dreaming” by award-winning fabric artist, Susan Carlson. Her work is like a collage that fuses small fabric pieces into a recognizable image.
Sign at the Gnome Christmas Market in Cologne, Germany. This way to the artisan’s workshops. Handwerker – artisan, craftsman. Gasse – lane, a cobbled street.
Agujas 