A Spring "Egg"stravaganza!

Signs of spring are everywhere here in Germany! When I (Kara) came home from the Academy of Appliqué, blooms of all kinds were just starting to peek through. Now, after a few weeks back, spring is here in full force. Daffodils and tulips are everywhere, primroses are emerging from the leaves in the forest, and the fruit trees are ready to burst forth with their glorious blossoms!

Spring and Easter are well celebrated in Germany. There is a Fruhlingsfest or Springfest, and there are even Easter markets similar to the beloved Christmas markets. While I have not been to an Easter market yet, I had a wonderful opportunity to see a spectacular display of decorated eggs. This collection of eggs was owned by a lovely lady by the name of Hanne, a member of our town's quilt guild. She has been collecting these incredible eggs for many years and primarily collects real eggs that are decorated in a myriad of ways. Every two years, Hanne sets up little vignettes throughout her apartment to display her collection. She gave me permission to share her collection on the blog, and I thought it would be an inspirational treat!

Hanne has a large collection of eggs painted with scenes from the Root Children books by Sybille von Olfers. These images were also used in the quilt Mother Earth and her Children, which is probably my favorite quilt ever.

What a beautiful scene Hanne has created!

The next display of eggs were those that had a religious theme. They were mostly about Easter, but there was one special one that showed the Nativity.

This egg contains a surprise inside.

A beautiful, hand created, Nativity scene!

The Easter display

Scene depicting a pregnant Mary on a donkey

One of Hanne's most expensive eggs

A beautifully painted angel

Many of the eggs in the collection had birds, flowers, wildlife, or lovely country scenes. I, of course, loved all the birds! 

The scenery scroll fit inside of the egg!

The inside of the egg

The outside

Noah's Ark on the inside

The outside

What's inside?

A sweet little fairy!

The filigree eggs were made using a dental drill!

These are the sweetest!

This artist spent many years learning how to paint faces, and it shows.

I would love to stitch this scene!

These rabbits live inside an ostrich egg.

This next egg has quite the story. Hanne was bringing it home in her suitcase when security flagged it as a possible grenade! Thankfully, it made it home safely.

It is a stunningly beautiful non-grenade!

Hanne knew that I loved flowers from showing the Flora and Fauna of Germany blocks at the guild, so she kindly invited me to see her collection through our mutual friend, Birgit. I was so honored that she would think of me! Each egg in her collection is very special and treasured, and I was inspired by all the beauty created by various artists. Hopefully these "egg"cellent wonders will inspire you!

Thank you Hanne!

More Beauty from the Houston Quilt Exhibit

If you were really with me (Teri) for this little tour of beauty found at the International Quilt Market and Festival exhibit in Houston, you would be running back and forth throughout the exhibit. Today, I have chosen a few things that especially caught my eye. We will actually be looking at a number of separate displays. Enjoy the eye candy!

You probably know that I love appliqué album quilts, but how wonderful is one that tells the story of one's life. I fell in love with this quilt, and felt almost as though I had met Barbara. What a tribute to her family!

 

Maybe because we like to mix media in our work and do a lot of embroidered embellishments—or perhaps because I have four young grandchildren—this bright, colorful quilt made me happy. I think my kiddos would love the dimensional ears and the different textures, as well as the colorful elephants.

       

There are no words to describe the intricate detail of this stunning quilt. We always enjoy learning the story of a quilt, and I appreciated the explanation of the quilt's symbols. 

Can you see the birds?

  

What a cool design! I didn't notice birds at all until I read her description.

I have had a doll collection since I was seven years old, and my dad brought me a Geisha Girl doll home for me from a business trip in Japan. While I have never attempted to make a doll, I find it fascinating to see the work in this particular exhibit.

  

Anyone who loves fairy tales as much as we do couldn't help but admire this fabulous dragon sitting atop a storybook. Sadly, the maker's name was not displayed while I was there, but whoever made this masterpiece did a spectacular job. He is beautifully terrifying!

Probably all of us can identify with this sweet doll.

Another story reference

There is nothing like a good pun—"A Head of Her Time" is just perfect for Marie Antoinette!

We love to stitch gardens, as I'm sure you've recognized if you have read many of our posts. Here are just a few of the "gardens" from that exhibit.

The blocks are amazing, but wow—that border is exquisite!

Christine's drawings come to life in this elegant quilt. The variety of techniques she uses add to the quilt's ethereal beauty.

What a lot of elaborate appliqué!

 A sampling of the quilts in this Red & White exhibit

   

Finally, a few colorful gems from this display.

    

Have you feasted your eyes on enough inspiring stimulation for one day? There is more, but we should pace ourselves. There was so much to see, and I am filled with ideas for new projects. 

How about you? Have you been inspired to try something new? What is it? Please share in the comments below! You might just spur someone else on to trying it, too! If you are reading this in email, you can click here to post your comment directly on the blog. We'd love to hear from you!

Stay tuned: more appliqué, French, and antique quilts are yet to come!