Tenar’s cave

Jocelyn posted her very first needlepoint project here in response to a challenge atnuts about needlepoint and encouraged everybody to do the same.

I was delighted to read through the replies and discover many have already stitched as kids like me. I never actually did needlepoint. Counted surface embroidery is (or was) part of the German elementary school syllabus, so I couldn’t avoid doing it. I was the sort of really active child they’d probably stuff with ritalin today, so doing counted work or following the instructions of a kit was something I would never, ever have done in my free time. But when I was provided with craft materials and otherwise left alone I could get rather creative. The following two projects are probably not my very first embroidery, but the earliest I could dig up spontaneously.

The first piece comes with a story. I did it in third grade. It was the time before christmas, everybody was supposed to bring a drawing or painting to school that shows an animal that was present at the birth of Jesus. Now I wanted 1) create something that is good for a scandal and 2) make it as beautiful as possible to make sure it is put on display with everything else. The result was this spider. The boys laughed, the girls were grossed out, the teacher was half desparate, half amused about freaky little me. Of course I explained that I was sure that there were spiders in that stabble. My mum gave me the materials and reminded me to weave in all the treads ends, but the design was mine alone. It is silver thread and 6-stranded cotton on hessian.

If I remember right the next one was a school project, and even earlier than the spider. We were allowed to do our own (bad) design and stitch away without bothering with fancy stitches, so I enjoyed it. It is big, about DIN-A-3. It is wool on hessian.
I did more embroidery and other needlework all on my own as a kid, but sadly much of it never really got finished. A bad habit I’m still struggling with at times.

Last weekend I visited an artisan craft fair with my family. The reason why I wanted to go there (well, aside from all the other eye candy and merrymaking) was one very special booth, that of Weissnäherei Beckenbauer.

They sell household linen and such sewn and hand embroidered in the traditional way, their family has done so for many generations. They still run a business with many employed emboideres as they used to. They have lots of stuff with long and short stitch, but also gorgeous needlelace and richelieu whitework. I would have loved to get

one of those but they were out of my price range, and rightly so. For the crazy quilters, they also have wonderful handmade lace. If you happen to be somewhere near their shops, do check them out! (Yes, I did ask permission for posting this at their booth, and no, I’m not affiliated with them in any way)

Shop:
Weissnäherei Beckenbauer
Galgenstrasse 44
91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Phone: 09861/933344

Workshop:
Weissnäherei Beckenbauer
Gattenhofen 85
91628 Steinsfeld
Phone/Fax: 09861/933803
email: G.Beckenbauer@t-online.de

Now here is the little lavander cushion i bought. Not that I need any more needlework in the house, but I had to have one of theirs.

Well, these guys were nesting on a roof right next to the artisan fair. I think I never saw a wild one up close like this. It was still too far away for my little cam, so sorry for the grainy pic.

Well, this was the band that played in the afternoon, acoustic revolution. Only guitar, mandolin, accoustic bass and a singer with a great voice, playing oldies and 80ies classics. not usually what i would listen to at home, but they fit perfectly for the day, and made us stay at the beer garden all afternoon, although we had planed for little more than a quick shopping trip.

The rest I bought was either presents for next christmass or boring stuff like felting wool.