Of Fixing Chairs & Finding Hidden Artworks!

Today I visited one of my favourite places in town - the Banana Warehouse in York, which is crammed full of old stuff. Lots of stuff is overpriced, but sometimes you can find great deals - if you know how to fix stuff up!

I was looking for a couple of frames as they are very expensive when you buy them new, and managed to find four that caught my eye. One of them had a peculiar piece of embroidery in it:

I also found a little green chair stacked on top of a pile of old furniture & rubble. After climbing on some benches and pulling it out, I discovered that it was actually rather lovely! I quite like the fact that it has been fixed with a wooden seat from a different chair. It goes very well with the character of the chair.

Once I got home I got a bucket out and washed everything as it was all very grubby. Less shabby chic, more so minging! The paint was also in a very poor condition and clashed with the rest of the interior. So it was time to paint!

I'm really happy with the end result. I've been trying to frame some of my samplers but couldn't find the mounting knife so that will have to wait for another day. I did however find a surprise when taking the embroidery out of one of the frames.

It's quite a sweet piece of Chinese inspired embroidery, but the real surprise came when I took the linen off the cardboard it had been glued to: a Pre-Raphaelite looking sepia watercolour of a young woman appeared! It's nothing valuable (I think) but it's sweet nonetheless and I'm quite happy with it.

I'm off doing a little stitching now, which I hope to share with you in a couple of days!

Galerie Gravin

I would like to give you a little peek inside Galerie Gravin in Sloten.
Although the Gallery is small I think it looks lovely -  it has definitely lots of character!
The room has still most of its original features. Since the house was built in 1880 this room has always served as a shop, hence the shelves and cupboard.

 

 

 

Besides my own work Galerie Gravin also features work by my son Jacob and a German artist named Wilfriede Doppelfed. Wilfriede devides her time living both in Germany and Fryslân. Although most of Wilfriede's work are abstract compositions, you can sense that she takes most of her inspiration from the Frisian landscape with its flat horizon and wide open spaces.

I highly recommend checking out her website 

If you are visiting Sloten this year I would love to welcome you to Galerie Gravin.

- Geertruida

 

Modern Folk Embroidery

A couple of days ago I launched my website Modern Folk Embroidery - a site providing cross stitch embroidery patterns influenced by traditional examples with a Scandinavian touch. You can find the website here: www.modernfolkembroidery.com

I have also opened an Etsy shop (modernfolk.etsy.com) where you will be able to find some exclusive content, including commissions (which I can't offer on my personal website).

The first new days of the year brought me a lovely package from Petits Details, with a selection of embroidery linens. I wanted to try out the light grey linen first, so I embroidered this little heart on it:

I am quite happy with the result - the white on the light grey looks very pretty I think! I am now working on the redwork sampler depicted earlier in this post. I really enjoy creating the patterns first and then working on a pattern that you've made yourself. It's so nice to see an idea on paper take shape like that!

Places To Visit This Year

Photo: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

With the holidays over and everything returning to (slightly) normal, I thought I'd make a little post today and share an article I read on the Etsy's Blog. It features the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA., housing a wonderful and eclectic collection of art and objects.

Although it's a little out of the way for me, I'd invite you to read the article here - and if you're near Boston, definitely visit the museum!

Photo: Tom Pennington

A little closer to home is the Treasurer's House in York - owned by a very eccentric gentleman who created a series of period rooms in this magnificent home just behind one of Europe's largest cathedrals; The Minster.

Beningbrough Hall

Finally I'd like to share with you Beningbrough Hall - a beautiful Georgian hall which is just outside of York, and is also owned by the National Trust. If you are in York I would definitely recommend visiting the hall. We often go for a walk from the city to the hall and have tea at the Home Farm, to gain some strength for the walk home!