Green And White Ribbons Around: Hundreds Of Trees…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Sometimes you drive past something and your eyebrows go up as you look quizzically at what you are seeing.

Your brain is busy trying to find possible answers to the “What on earth is this?” question and nothing instantly comes to mind.

Such was the case three years ago when we visited the southern Dutch province of Limburg.

The images in question were of large ribbons tied to trees on both sides of the road, and not just one ribbon on one tree but on lots of trees,  in fact, hundreds of them.

At first I thought that it might have been for a wedding or some local event but then it became clear that it wasn’t for “some thing” but rather for “some where”.

These ribbons lead to a driveway, and since we pass this spot most of the times that we went back and forth between our holiday park close to the town of Vaals and the city of Maastricht, I photographed these on many occasions during our outward and return journies and at different times of day. During our first drive by we realized the the ribbons are on both sides of an entrance way. Now that we have worked out what these ribbons were for, this place was quickly added to my wish-list of places to visit. Now the time has come to make this wish come true and we follow the ribbon “trail” and enter the gates to see for ourselves…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

 

Scroll Down For Amazing Scrollwork… In Glass!

The stained glass of  Sint-Romboutskathedraal (St. Rumbold’s Cathedral) in Mechelen, Belgium has drawn me back like a magnet. This time the window I’m in awe of  is full of what I will call “ribbons”… flowing scrollworks that often contain text and are beautifully arranged into the design. These photographs are also here because they are part of my “art inspiration file” . I think I will let this post speak for itself…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A quick and easy craft project that’s literally Child’s Play…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I try to read other people’s blogs and make a comment when something catches my eye…

Yesterday I was reading Mallory Murray’s blog ” Modern Mind, Vintage Heart-  Handcrafted, Homemade, Heartfelt”  a blog also on WordPress.

On February 17th   Mallory posted an crafty idea that I had never seen before and it took my fancy. It can be found at the link the the bottom of this post.

It’s a little square of fabric that has little loops of ribbon sticking out that babies and play with, feel and suck. What a great idea !

A neighbour just down the street had a baby boy  at Christmas time, so this unusual idea really appealed to me. I resolved to make it some time.

Today my teeth are feeling better and some medication is helping with the cold so after a nap this morning I bought my sewing machine out to the dining room table so that a friend could sew a little project that she had planned, and she had a few scraps of fabric left over, which I duly scrounged err,  I mean recycled quickly into a little gift for our little newest  little neighbour.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Thanks Mallory for the inspiration…. this took no time at all to stitch, if you don’t count the time  it took me to re-pin the ribbons so that the loops were on the inside with the tails sticking out, when the right sides of the fabric were together. (Luckily the penny dropped before I actually started sewing.)

I did take one change and one short-cut. The change was to add two thin pieces of fabric to the inside of the square to make it a bit firmer.  The short-cut was  I found that it easier to leave a little unsewn  piece between the last ribbon and the corner on two sides, this meant that when I turned it though afterwards that I would have had to fashion those two edges back into a corner.

It was more fuss that I was up for with this cold and a simple tuck under on the diagonal was quicker and easier so I  did that instead.

Cool little project and fun to stitch. Thanks!

Here’s the link to Mallory’s page and the original idea.

http://mallorymurray.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/quick-cute-baby-gift-project/