It is starting

This is number one - and many will follow

hopefully.

We love pumpkin soup - this one ist called Hokkaido

it was really a surprise - 

they grew like mad out of a few tiny seedlings -----

when we were absent.

I  cared for more place for my other plants meanwhile.

Familienzusammenkunft - family gathering in the Vosges

We are eating raclette - a Swiss meal with potatoes and excellent cheese

and many other things.

The cooked potatoes are covered with cheese and then put under the grill

to melt the cheese.

We are eating in the very original kitchen in an old farmhouse

in the Vosges

And grand-daughter made a quilt after her own idea with fabric scraps

which she found digging in a  big bag - I don't through away any 

fabric no matter how small.

 

Weather was not just like we want to have it - but this

evening it gifted us with this double rainbow

Blog is not forgotten - little quilts and the castle of Oricourt(France)

I am more often posting on Instagram - it is easy and instant

but I don't forget my blog.

An old square block with the four edges folded in

a little embroidery on it and

another pin cushion emerged

The quilt for the new bathroom in our "house of renovation" 

in blue and green - water themed. - this is the basting

and then some quilting - by machine - not finished yet

family is coming from Switzerland and the States

and my work must stand back

DH did some work - he constructed

new shutters - wooden and painted to fit with the ones

which will stay in place - made of plastic. 

Arent't they just perfect. And it was so hot while he worked

A place-set rather than a little quilt in English paper piecing EPP

I don't think I would ever place my coffee mug on it 

I started to quilt it by hand - circles

It was Sunday - so we decided to visit a castle - which is more or

less a ruin - interesting and of medieval times (12th century)

with an added farmhouse of the 19th century (no photo)

Picturesque sights

But look at this tower and how nature conquers it back

trees are growing on top and ivy is creeping up

The view is fantastic

The castle is surrounded by a ditch which was

never filled with water 

The couple who undertook this enormous work is

living in a small part of the castle - the rest are just walls

And here I am now - in the Vosges and am having this lovely sight.

Ties to bag

Fleamarket in France - they call it vide-grenier (empty attic)

I couldn't go past those ties. -

actually DH discovered them - I go to such events

telling to myself: "I hope I won't buy anything"

(a saying which I adopted  from old patchwork friend Ulla - 

no more among us)

Colours were just asorted wonderfully

light blue and one with black stripes for accent

Now I was trying to bring together those ties - making a bag

but had to ask Deanna of http://eclectic-meanderings.blogspot.fr/  for the pattern

I made a bag of ties before but didn't store the pattern

And dear Deanna sent it to me instantly after asking her

The advantage of internet!

She made bags with three ties. I wanted a bit a bigger one 

and tried it with four ties.

After pinning and tacking and undoing and again pinning 

that is what came out

It is rather solid and sturdy for I used the ties as they were.

-------

We are slowly moving our things from Haute-Saône to the

Vosges into our farmhouse - we want to give up the

"house of renovation" - We feel that it is to far to go to

from Germany.

Table and garden chairs in the trailor - 811m altitude

It is about the fourth loading - we are driving 1 hour 

from house to house.

----

Look at this sight - from the east side of the house.

So beautiful! We will spend soon some time here with our children

Same procedure as every year!

Impressions of my birthday parties

A wonderful day - so we could celebrate it - a bit belated - in the garden

starting from left: Sister - brother - sister in law - me - sister in law

missing is the eldest brother because of very serious illness 

and the husband of sister who sadly passed away last year

The empty chair - you know of course - its the photographer's one

DH is always present

here preparing 80 candles - who would get 80 candles ....

Last year he made it for himself - now for me

He is special!

One week earlier my patchwork friends were with us for my anniversary

We had so much fun and weather was as fine as the Sunday with the family

(see above)

A wonderful stuffed bird - my friend Angelika made it

she is making the most wonderful things and offering 

them to me

And now this rose and cinnia arrangement of friend Edith

with a table rocket in the middle in pink - how lovely

The birthday rocket is burning (Edith and me)

There were also Watraud and Theresia with lovely gifts

so sorry no photos - maybe at a later date

And now in France:

I have again time - this UFO will be finished I swear it

 - English paper piecing

It is nice to do in the garden - in our French garden

The colours are very strange - but they are as they are....finito!

It was probably in a special mood when I chose the fabrics - 

one year ago.

I love everything in this French garden

We will give it up - and sell the house

While stitching in the afternoon I have such lovely sights

The farmhouse in France

Many roofs - barns for elephants (we made our jokes about it)

Our village -

Not very far from summer 

rye - for our bread

Karlsruhe is celebrating its son - the inventor of the first bike

Karl Freiherr von Drais - the inventor of the first bicycle, the very first
where men sat on a wheel but had to push themselves with their own feet
like the bikes of very small children today

named for his inventor: Draisine

This was in. the year 1817 - This gentleman lived from 29 Aprl 1785 - till 1851

in Karlsruhe but also in Mannheim where he worked,

a town ca. 60 km north of Karlsruhe. 

Karlsruhe is celebrating the 200 years of bicycles for a few days 

and installed two "Big Wheels"

(as I read in my dictionary also called Ferris wheels) representing a bike.

We did not ride it - it is a long and slow affair - stopping and going

good for young people in love.

We saw wonderful  bikes exposed in the park

This one - you see the petals on the front wheel

or this with two large wheels - it could have been for elderly ladies

Wooden wheels and spokes -  The owner posed the wheels himself as a replica

and he carved the seat from wood

He has a museum near Magdeburg (Germany).

and loved to pose for my photo

Another oldfashion-dressed lady

Many people were dressed in the fashion of old times 

It must have been difficult to ride with a long skirt on

Those dressed up people were nice to see

An expert explaining things - also men had old-timer cloths on them

They are on their "walking machines"

A group from France

(Three last photos from Karlsruhe Newspaper).

There was a parade through the town with many people watching

two bikers from Indonesia, Djakarta and Java

About 20 nations took part

People watching the start of the parade - we thought they were waiting 

for something - tickets or entrance - and we came a little late to watch

A bike as high as me ...

Are you biking? We are.....