TEXTILE ART BERLIN I

Moving - The secret of getting positive feelings for that next home town to be: Find something beautiful about it every day, and accept but don't judge the differences. In addition to the overwhelming and loving welcome by our daughter who welcomed us with a glass of champagne and in the otherwise empty apartment had set up a mini-kitchen, complete with stove, small icebox, pots and pans, plus table and chairs, I found it easy so far to find more delights and exciting events every day since we moved to Berlin.

Picture by Textile Art Berlin

Right after we arrived, it was all those magnificent trees lining many streets and adorning parks large and small. Last Sunday, it was a visit to TEXTILE ART BERLIN 

Picture by Textile Art Berlin

Unquestionably, it was a true treasure trove of textile craft masterpieces: quilting, weaving, knitting, crochet, sewing, felting, beading, embroidery, tatting, macramé, the little known craft of Margarete lace (also called Margarete knotting (English site: see here, German site: see here), and many more of the astounding number of manual crafts. And of course there were all those yarns and books and tools of the trade! Cross-stitch samplers, bags, belts, hand-knit or silk scarves, felted hats and jackets, paper maché sculptures... I drifted through the halls and rooms with a permanent happy smile on my face and beyond a time concept, talked to some of the artists and bought virtually everything in sight for my insatiable visual memory storage space - it was wonderful experiencing this staggering wealth of colors, textures and fabrics. Next year I will try and participate in some of those workshops given by participating artists.

First visual impressions - enticing posters all over the town!

Did someone mention the colors of the Lauragais? :-)

The posters promised no more than they could keep - a multi-page catalogue might have done just honor to the wide artistic range of the exposition.

Quilts were presented in traditional and modern patters, from the trusted log cabin to innovative creations with 'windows' in the quilt as part of the design. To my delight a highly innovative project done by Karola Rose jointly with Horst Schulz was also shown at TEXTILE ART BERLIN:

Detail: Quilt by Karola Rose and Horst Schulz

The quilt is called "Ein Festtag auf dem Lande" (A Festive Day in the Country), the fabric work is done by Karola Rose and the knitted work by Horst Schulz. English information: click here for free patchwork instructions and here for one of the Horst Schulz Ravelry Groups. He is the true inventor of short-thread modular knitting: see some of his work here or check out book clubs, his books are much sought after.

Detail: Quilt by Karola Rose and Horst Schulz

Quilt by Karola Rose and Horst Schulz

A swinging, jazzy golden and black quilt from Ingrid Wieland caught everybody's eyes!

"Quadriga" by Ingrid Wieland

Within the framework of a French competition, this striking quilt is a perfect example of how to freeze movement into fabric and yet give the impression of constant motion. The jazzy music and swinging dance movements are superbly picked up by the design itself. The prize-winning  quilt is handcrafted with great expertise, precision and exactitude. The use of colors is accentuates the quilting effect in a well-balanced scale. A quilt full of joie de vivre!

"Die heilige Familie" by Ingrid Wieland

Another masterpiece by Ingrid Wieland is the above patchwork, made of neckties of various materials.
Called "The Holy Family", this quilt was awarded first prize by the Bischoff Heinrich Tenhumberg Stiftung, which is involved in providing help to needy families and single parents. The silky appearance of the patches makes it shine into the darkest corners, a beautiful reference to the title and religious background, and goal of the foundation.

More pictures of the treasures shown at TEXTILE ART BERLIN in the next post, click here for Textile Art Berlin II and here for Textile Art Berlin III.