Yes, December has arrived in full swing. It is really winter with loads of snow: >Love it!! And I am enjoying my 2 weeks holiday. So, the plan was to write a blog-post over things happening over the last weeks.
In the beginning of December a new school-project did start and to get inspiration my students and my colleague had to go to Museum Twentse Welle in Enschede to get an insight in the textile collection. They need to design a man or woman winter-coat for a competition. The inspiration needs to come out of traditional textiles. So on a cold and snowy winter-morning we went there. The collection is not that spectacular but worth while to see.One of the reasons is that the region Twente was a very poor region. Originally there was a lot of textile production, but most of that has left and garments are now mostly made in the much cheaper Far East. Most of the garments from the collection are worn by richer women or men and all from the workers has disappeared. So there were beautiful striped handwoven skirts who used to be worn under more skirts.
In the green one you can even see a little repair, probably a hole.
From the first time I did see a wool shiny damask I fell in love with it.The colours and the shine and the richness of the fabric. Used for over-skirts in the 18th Century and than only for the very rich.
and for man used in waitscoats as can be seen in this example. Look at the handmade blue buttonholes and the shiny buttons. So Macho at that time!!
I have discovered over the years that I am more a textile man than a fashion man. Textiles have always done something to me. The history of it, the the craftsmanship, the secrets who have become into the garments when wearing it, the touch of it. Who made these pair of over-stockings and who did wear them?
Which man or woman made these beautiful embroidered buttons?
And how many hours took it to make this simple shirt for a worker without a sewingmachine..
Which woman did wear this kind of underwear and did she repair it herself or was someone else doing it for her?
How difficult it must have been to make this without good lights?
The Human Touch and appeal to textiles is one of the things which can really touch me. Garments are your second skin and tell a lot of stories.
Guess it has to do that my mother has always made garments from as long as I can remember. She used to buy the fabrics on the market and must have made hundreds of items. Always using patterns from Marion or Burda. She has made me shirts,trousers, a brown safari suit and much more from a very young age till round my 16th. This is me with my mother at a wedding and I must have been round 6 or 7 and the striped shirt was made by her.
At that age I got my first pair of Lois jeans and a red T-shirt and from than on I preferred the garments bought in a shop. But she kept making things for herself. Evening dresses for her 25th Wedding with my father and for the wedding from my brother, summer dresses and winter outfits with matching hand-knit sweaters. I don't have many pictures of that but will ask my father if he has some.
The older I get the more I am sometimes touched by my own family history. My mother who had to come to work at at home after primary school because my grandmother was ill and needed a hand. Here she is wearing the white dress and the shoes from her brother, which she always hated to wear she often has told me when I asked her about her youth.
A young girl who also must have her dreams about her life. She always told me that he dream would have been to be a dietician in a hospital. But the war came and the marriage with my father and at those days it was the woman who had to stay home and take care of the children (We ,the 3 brothers and I came last when my mother was 40). Looking now at the pictures from my parents when they were young I see 2 beautiful young persons with a future in there eyes.
I sometimes really miss my mother and those feelings suddenly can turn up. She passed away in 2001. My father is still alive and doing well under the circumstances of his age. He is still very active and the older I get the more we look alike in many ways I see.
At my work I still don't have the feeling that I am connected with everything. I guess all the things happened over the last months have to do with it. Yesterday at my psychotherapist we talked about it and she told me that it will take much more time to get everything back in perspective where it belongs. There are still a lot of tears coming every now and than and sometimes at unexpected moments. To get trust in everything is the main part of it. Trust in him, trust in myself, trust in life and future. Security is something I need now after the insecure years. That is why I am touched my X-mas music, homely scenes in magazines etc.
I did knit my colleagues cowls and mittens for a X-mas gift and they loved it. My colleague Onno made this pictures of them.Not everyone was there because of flue and other illnesses
These weeks are full of dinner-parties. We did start of last Friday with a dinner at the studio from the
Spacecowboys (the best X-mas dinner I always think: nothing can beat that!!) We know each-other so long and it is always great to meet up with friends there. There is good food and good wine and good company: what else do you want. This year it was a mushroom soup, a chicken curry with salad and coffee with cakes and cookies. Bram also came and stayed more than 2 hours which was so nice for the both of us. Sorry for the bad picture , but it gives an impression.
Next was the dinner from our street (round 20 persons).
We all cook something. I am usually making the dessert which was a warm apple crumble with home made vanilla sauce and meringues dripped with dark chocolate..
It was all a bit in a rush because before the dinner I went to a concert from
NoBlues and came home too late (but it was such a good concert!!)
And last night opposite of our house there was an opening night from the
Centrum voor Menskracht (centre for Human Power) and the whole street was invited. It is a beautiful building with high ceilings and a nice garden.
Very atmospheric!! There was gluhwein, lots of food and sweets, workshops to be done and a nice atmosphere ending with music made by a World music group. More dinners are coming up the coming weeks
And yes, of course: I am knitting. Currently working on the
Ringwood gloves from Knitty and will finish them hopefully today, so I can wear them in this cold weather.
I am planning to write more posts the coming days about... well..you will see and read..But till now I hope you enjoy the winter XX
Yes, December has arrived in full swing. It is really winter with loads of snow: >Love it!! And I am enjoying my 2 weeks holiday. So, the plan was to write a blog-post over things happening over the last weeks.
In the beginning of December a new school-project did start and to get inspiration my students and my colleague had to go to Museum Twentse Welle in Enschede to get an insight in the textile collection. They need to design a man or woman winter-coat for a competition. The inspiration needs to come out of traditional textiles. So on a cold and snowy winter-morning we went there. The collection is not that spectacular but worth while to see.One of the reasons is that the region Twente was a very poor region. Originally there was a lot of textile production, but most of that has left and garments are now mostly made in the much cheaper Far East. Most of the garments from the collection are worn by richer women or men and all from the workers has disappeared. So there were beautiful striped handwoven skirts who used to be worn under more skirts. 
In the green one you can even see a little repair, probably a hole.
From the first time I did see a wool shiny damask I fell in love with it.The colours and the shine and the richness of the fabric. Used for over-skirts in the 18th Century and than only for the very rich.
and for man used in waitscoats as can be seen in this example. Look at the handmade blue buttonholes and the shiny buttons. So Macho at that time!!
I have discovered over the years that I am more a textile man than a fashion man. Textiles have always done something to me. The history of it, the the craftsmanship, the secrets who have become into the garments when wearing it, the touch of it. Who made these pair of over-stockings and who did wear them?
Which man or woman made these beautiful embroidered buttons? 
And how many hours took it to make this simple shirt for a worker without a sewingmachine..
Which woman did wear this kind of underwear and did she repair it herself or was someone else doing it for her?
How difficult it must have been to make this without good lights? 
The Human Touch and appeal to textiles is one of the things which can really touch me. Garments are your second skin and tell a lot of stories.
Guess it has to do that my mother has always made garments from as long as I can remember. She used to buy the fabrics on the market and must have made hundreds of items. Always using patterns from Marion or Burda. She has made me shirts,trousers, a brown safari suit and much more from a very young age till round my 16th. This is me with my mother at a wedding and I must have been round 6 or 7 and the striped shirt was made by her.
At that age I got my first pair of Lois jeans and a red T-shirt and from than on I preferred the garments bought in a shop. But she kept making things for herself. Evening dresses for her 25th Wedding with my father and for the wedding from my brother, summer dresses and winter outfits with matching hand-knit sweaters. I don't have many pictures of that but will ask my father if he has some. The older I get the more I am sometimes touched by my own family history. My mother who had to come to work at at home after primary school because my grandmother was ill and needed a hand. Here she is wearing the white dress and the shoes from her brother, which she always hated to wear she often has told me when I asked her about her youth.
A young girl who also must have her dreams about her life. She always told me that he dream would have been to be a dietician in a hospital. But the war came and the marriage with my father and at those days it was the woman who had to stay home and take care of the children (We ,the 3 brothers and I came last when my mother was 40). Looking now at the pictures from my parents when they were young I see 2 beautiful young persons with a future in there eyes.
I sometimes really miss my mother and those feelings suddenly can turn up. She passed away in 2001. My father is still alive and doing well under the circumstances of his age. He is still very active and the older I get the more we look alike in many ways I see.At my work I still don't have the feeling that I am connected with everything. I guess all the things happened over the last months have to do with it. Yesterday at my psychotherapist we talked about it and she told me that it will take much more time to get everything back in perspective where it belongs. There are still a lot of tears coming every now and than and sometimes at unexpected moments. To get trust in everything is the main part of it. Trust in him, trust in myself, trust in life and future. Security is something I need now after the insecure years. That is why I am touched my X-mas music, homely scenes in magazines etc. I did knit my colleagues cowls and mittens for a X-mas gift and they loved it. My colleague Onno made this pictures of them.Not everyone was there because of flue and other illnesses 
These weeks are full of dinner-parties. We did start of last Friday with a dinner at the studio from the Spacecowboys (the best X-mas dinner I always think: nothing can beat that!!) We know each-other so long and it is always great to meet up with friends there. There is good food and good wine and good company: what else do you want. This year it was a mushroom soup, a chicken curry with salad and coffee with cakes and cookies. Bram also came and stayed more than 2 hours which was so nice for the both of us. Sorry for the bad picture , but it gives an impression.
Next was the dinner from our street (round 20 persons).
We all cook something. I am usually making the dessert which was a warm apple crumble with home made vanilla sauce and meringues dripped with dark chocolate..
It was all a bit in a rush because before the dinner I went to a concert from NoBlues and came home too late (but it was such a good concert!!) And last night opposite of our house there was an opening night from the Centrum voor Menskracht (centre for Human Power) and the whole street was invited. It is a beautiful building with high ceilings and a nice garden.
Very atmospheric!! There was gluhwein, lots of food and sweets, workshops to be done and a nice atmosphere ending with music made by a World music group. More dinners are coming up the coming weeks And yes, of course: I am knitting. Currently working on the Ringwood gloves from Knitty and will finish them hopefully today, so I can wear them in this cold weather.
I am planning to write more posts the coming days about... well..you will see and read..But till now I hope you enjoy the winter XX
I really enjoyed the pictures of the damask and the hand-made buttonholes. I wish I were a better seamstress.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe photos of your parents are beautiful.
Wat gezellig allemaal, dat eten, het concert, het museumbezoek, de geweldige collen voor de collega's (wat een werk zeg!! allemaal cold sheep?) en je handschoenen.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenZijn we weer helemaal bij.
Lieverd, wat fijn dat Bram al zo lang bij een Kerstdiner kan zijn en logisch dat je soms nog zo verdrietig en onzeker bent. Het was ook zo'n spannende tijd!!
Mooi dat je zo je ouders portreteert, doet me realiseren dat mijn ouders ook hun dromen hadden maar door de oorlog ook een andere weg afgelegd moest worden.
x x x