Friday, December 28, 2018

back to the tour...

Well Christmas is over now and I hope it was happy for anyone reading this. Mine has been, and though it is my excuse for not posting, it has been fairly quiet - not much cooking as I joined the family at my neice's house. The most annoying part has been (still is) the high temperatures we have been having, which apart from the discomfort for most of us, bring fears of bushfires. Temperatures where I am have fortunately been a little lower that in much of Adelaide.

On the stitching front, I have been making some postcards and finishing (until I look at a piece and decide it needs more!) the embroidery on my 25 block crazy patch quilt. Now I have to decide how to put them all together.
I have been busy making a photo book of my recent trip, so it should be easier now to select some photos as I continue with the tour of Poland here.

The trip, which I can highly recommend was with  Experience Poland Artisan Tours, run by Jolanta  Szymczyk, from Brisbane.  Polish born, a textile artist and photographer, Jolanta has lots of experience and connections, and the tour for a small group (7 plus Jolanta as guide and translator) included home and studio visits with several artists. You can find more information at  http://www.experiencepoland.net/ 

So, here are a few photos:
 Warsaw  - Landmark Palace of Science and Culture
  Warsaw Museum - Polish Design Exhibition
 
 
 

 Artist Anna Slawinska's Home studio - scrumptious traditional afternoon tea and a look at her studio.
   - a few of her beautiful and original pieces
 
 
 
 
 - in her garden
 
 (She has a blog at http://annaslawinska.blogspot.com/)
Roadside restaurant - every table and available space hade a piece of embroidery or lace and my delicious soup came in a cob loaf

 

Then to Gdansk -  walked the Old Town, checked out the markets and attended a Philharmonic Concert.
   - beautiful amber for sale everywhere
   - advertising for a wine presentation in our hotel
 
 
 
 
    - beautiful heather
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   - the stocking shop
   - art installation
 Gdynia - where we visited the Museum and met the artist who established the biennial Baltic Miniatures Exhibition
 
 

Sopot  - resort where folk go to take the mineral waters (extremely salty!)
 
The Baltic Sea

Torun
 

   - Copernicus University

Along the way

 
 Lodz   - interior of our hotel, in the Manufaktura - an area of converted, disused fabric manufacturing buildings
    - street art
 
 
    - old brick manufacturing building like thoses being modernised all over the city - beuatiful brickwork

 Home studio visit to Julita Pierzchala - linen and amber accessories, and soft toy maker.
 
   - afternoon tea to begin, and then a workshop making jewellery
  
   - my piece, complete at home recently
    - display of lace, embroidery and national costumes from a Folk Historian
  
   - superb beading here
 
 
    - all this followed up by a splendid barbeque.
That is about halfway, so I will stop there, and finish the tour in a separate post in the next day or so.