Kirschblüte & Edelweiss

If ever there was a theme to tick all the boxes, then an exhibition about textiles influenced by the Swiss textile industry and Japanese design was going to be the one.  I’d read about it on the Bernina blog last week and printed off the details, because it was in St Gallen and maybe, just maybe it would fit nicely with a visit to the Bernina factory?  Of course, this part of Switzerland is the home of fine textiles; that Bernina is based in Steckborn is no accident and on previous visits we’ve found ourselves in assorted factory shops including Wolford a couple of years ago.   The textile museum in St Gallen is home to a wonderful collection of Swiss made lace and fine fabrics as well as a comprehensive library of specialist printed books as well as samples.

We squeezed the car into a tiny spot and made our way down the street.  Finding the museum entrance was rather easier than we’d anticipated!

We loved the tickets, printed on scraps of fabric and were especially pleased that the elegant lady on the reception desk carefully found us two very different designs.

The panel at the top of the stairs summed up the theme nicely, with a vignette of Fuji-san framed with edelweiss flowers!

The exhibition began with a few examples of oriental fabrics followed by a display of traditional Swiss designs.  I loved the way these were presented, for although the light was dimmed the sheen on the embroideries was shown to great effect by these curved mounts.

Some of the Swiss whitework samples depicted a familiar motif: that of Wilhelm Tell and his son, in the same pose as the monument in Altdorf.

Our breaths were taken away by the display of katagami patterns in the next room.  A video showed how these Japanese stencils were cut by hand and used to print textiles.

The precision was exquisite – this section would be around four inches wide and it was these patterns which inspired some of the fine Swiss embroidery and printing.

At the same time, the European fashion for flowered collars was being followed by Japanese craftsmen and as roses were appearing on textiles n the Orient, in Switzerland the chrysanthemum and camellias began to appear.

Here too, the displays were attractively presented and the story really well told, although it was becoming difficult to tell if we were looking at Swiss influenced Japanese work or vice versa.  I think that was probably the whole point!

There were so many beautifully arranged collections, I took way too many photographs!

When my camera battery died, I switched to my phone!  Sadly, the single light above each of the displays features in each of my photographs, however.

The last room featured contemporary textiles, mostly made in Switzerland but made for a Japanese market.

Japanese taste and fashion is so curious!

The next room held the library and though we didn’t have a great deal of time to linger here, I simply had to go in and take a closer look at this wonderful structure.

Those books on the table contain a wealth of samples- just opening one at a random page reveals such treasure!

Very temping to slip one in my bag… if only they were not so huge!

Before we left, we took a look inside the room at the end of the corridor, finding a huge machine in there.  Though it looked like a loom, on closer inspection it appeared to be some kind of embroidery machine.

There, beside it was the paper design, drawn out on graph paper with a sample of the actual finished embroidery alongside.  This appeared to be an early equivalent of the printout from the digitised design I recently completed using my Bernina Embroidery software, but how was this going to be used to embroider?

The answer was soon to hand, because a member of the museum staff appeared, hopped onto the stool and began to operate the machine.  Painstakingly, she placed the point of the plotter on a point on the graph paper with her left hand and wound the handle of the machine with her right.  As she did, a series of fifty of so needles made a single stitch in fifty or so small, individual motifs.  She then wound the handle to return the needles to their original position before moving the plotter to the next point and repeating the process.

Though my photograph shows only one line of motifs, there were actually two, one above the other, so although the process was incredibly slow, a large number of motifs were embroidered at the same time.  But when I spoke to the embroiderer about changing the colour of thread in each of those fifty needles, she raised an eyebrow…  Bearing in mind the ease with which my machine will stitch out a design, the speed with which it will operate and the accuracy of each stitch, it’s remarkable how far we’ve come in little more than a hundred years.

The end result was mounted into greeting cards, for sale in the museum shop. 

Our last photograph in the museum was a beautiful display of katagami patterns, possibly machine cut, larger than the originals and hung in the light of the windows behind them.  This was a stunning museum, full of the most fascinating exhibits and we had really enjoyed our visit.

 

After a walk around St Gallen, thinking of Mary and our last visit here,  we took the scenic route home, over the alpine pastures and waving as we passed by Appenzell.

Someone was rather proud of her enormous bell and posed beautifully by the roadside as we drove past.  Love her!

This evening, we chose one of the many restaurants by the lakeside to enjoy Zürcher Geschnetzeltes with Rösti and watched as the sun went down over the lake.

We are so lucky to be here.

Made in Switzerland

It’s a while since we had a Bernina post around here, but this morning gave me plenty to fill in the gaps, because we went to Steckborn, where “the greatest sewing machines in the world” are born.  First, however, I had an errand to run at the post office here in Rapperswil.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I found an empty counter, but my jaw dropped in amazement when a well dressed lady walked straight past me and “pushed in” to receive a warm Gruezi from the clerk.  Huh?  Being a stranger in these parts, I didn’t feel able to do my “Ahem! I believe I was here first” act, but that was just as well, for I then realised that I ought to have collected a ticket as I entered the building and followed the directions on the screen above the counter.

I went back, collected the ticket and stood behind the three customers who had arrived in the meantime.  That’ll teach me:  When in Switzerland, do as the Swiss do – or, do as the English do and join (or form) a queue!

Anyway, errands run, we set out in the car, over the hills and far away.

Well, not really that far – just hour or so due north, to the shores of Bodensee, almost as far north as one can go in Switzerland, in fact.

Though we set out on the motorway, we continued on smaller, country roads and as we always do, we wound the windows down to listen to the cowbells and breathe in the fresh, clean air.

In not much more than an hour, our goal was in sight.  We arrived shortly after 11am to find the whole workforce standing out on the lawn in front of the factory and offices, taking part in a fire drill!

As they filed back indoors, I wondered just which one of them had signed my sewing machine?

We weren’t so sure where to go, but knew from an email conversation with a member of their staff, that there were no factory tours on Fridays, sadly.  But the Creative Centre was open and that was where we headed.

Straight up to the first floor then, to a showroom full of sewing machines, samples and displays – but not a soul in sight.  We tentatively stepped inside and wandered around, calling “Hallo?” to no reply.  Oh well, we thought we’d take a few photos and maybe someone would appear.

My hero had set off around the corner, into a kind of classroom and called me over.  “Good grief”, he said, “just think of how much that trolley full of sewing machines is worth!” (There were five 880s, five 780s and ten embroidery units underneath – somewhere around £50K then?!)

As we ogled the riches, a young woman appeared – no chance of running off with them!!  After a short conversation, she invited us to make ourselves at home, to spend as long as we liked looking around and when we needed her, she’d be right there for us.  The machines were there because she was setting the classroom up for a weekend course for Swiss purchasers of the 880 – the same course as I will attend in November, in London.  I can’t imagine the London environment will be quite so inspiring, however – we’ll see.

It was fun to look around and to see the real life examples from the website and of course, to see ideas and gather inspiration.

I’d not seen this indigo quilt previously, nor had I seen the accessory it was used to promote.  But whilst there, our new best friend, Frau Gross explained it all: the Spanish Hem Stitch attachment was one of the featured accessories.  Oh and yes, it seemed that she had made most of these samples, too.

She explained how this small attachment allows the use of the decorative stitches to create openwork seams like the orange stitching on the book cover above.  I’d not seen it before and knowing there was a video explaining the use online as well, then maybe this gizmo would be my souvenir?  Needless to say, however, I had another couple of other feet on my wishlist (held on the Bernina App on my phone ) and seeing those on the display, I soon had a small collection to purchase.

As we completed the transaction, Frau Gross passed my hero a small gift from Bernina.

I’m not sure how often he uses a tape measure, but rest assured, when he does, he will have the perfect tool for the job!  As for me, well, I had a copy of the latest Inspirations magazine – and of course, the pleasure of seeing the source of the many projects and resources which I can view online.  Needless to say, I felt inspired to go back and switch my sewing machine on immediately, but we had other plans for the day.  Coincidentally, they were also inspired by Bernina in a blog entry I read just before we left home….seeing a theme here?

I’ll continue the story in the next post.

Gruezi Miteinand!

The day began rather earlier than usual, on a murky M4 on the way to the airport.  A noontime flight was just about our limit for not staying overnight and bearing in mind the potential problems with early morning traffic en route, we allowed plenty of time.  Needless to say, having allowed that time, we didn’t need it and so we found ourselves arriving with time to spare.

No, the airport wasn’t really this empty, but just as I thought to take a picture for my journal, there was no-one in view.  Isn’t it spooky how we can give an altogether different version of reality?!

So, after a morning spent sitting in the lounge, waiting, our flight left a little late at 12.30pm, flying through clear skies directly over Paris, en route to Zürich.

I don’t know which I liked best, the spectacle of the city with assorted landmarks to look out for, or the marvellous patterns of the fields of eastern France, so different from the patterns of fields elsewhere in the world: the envelope shapes of Canterbury, New Zealand and the circular patterns created by irrigation systems in North America, for example.

Or the lush, green pastures of northern Switzerland, for that matter.

Our plane was the golden feather patterned Airbus, now looking a bit shabby, but maybe the one used to transport the Olympic flame?

Anyway, having set off from home early this morning, an hour and a half’s flight later we arrived in Zürich, picked up a car and drove to our hotel in Rapperswil, at the southerly tip of the Zürisee,  How come it was now 4.30 pm and where did that day go?

Well, of course, it didn’t really matter, for after a quick shower and change, we set out across the causeway to Lachen, on the other side of the lake, where the vernissage we’d been invited to was being held.  What a beautiful setting to celebrate the publication of a new biography of a man born just steps away and what’s more, the afternoon showers moved on leaving the most gorgeous sky behind them.

It was a fascinating evening with speeches, music, presentations and lively conversation amongst like-minded people.  We chatted over an elegant apéro, made plans to meet our friends for dinner on Saturday before saying our farewells and heading back over the causeway again.

Needless to say, my hero has some rather interesting bedtime reading.

Thoughts from Zürich

It’s been our last day here in Switzerland for the time being and somehow, we’ve found so many things and thoughts to bring home with us.  We needed the umbrellas again this morning, sadly, but thankfully the weather brightened up this afternoon and though we weren’t confident enough to leave them at home, we didn’t have to use them.  In the picture above, they are dripping into the stand at the Fraumünster, whilst we perused the windows by Marc Chagall, which we love.

Crossing over the bridge in search of the last couple of things on the list, we found a few ducks in the fountain which prompted us to smile and to get the cameras out.

Looking more closely, there was a reminder on each one:

Life is good.

Can’t argue with that one.

Over the river, in the Bookbinders shop, we’d admired these colourful boxes as we passed by the other night and wanted to take a closer look at them when the shop was open.  We spent a happy half hour or so in there, making one or two little purchases and noting the message beautifully written on the wall.

Mmm. 

I agree with that one as well!

We spent the rest of the day filling in one or two gaps and rounded it off in the Zeughaus.  We missed Amy, who returned home this morning, and raised our glasses to her before coming home to pack our bags for the homeward journey.

We’re not quite ready for home yet and still have one or two adventures up our sleeves, but for now, it’s uf Wiederluege, Ciao and Tschüss and Merci vilmal to Switzerland.  Tomorrow, we’ll be hearing HochDeutsch once again, albeit with a Schwäbisch accent.  We’ve had a great time here and take home so many lovely memorable moments.  We’ve been so busy having fun that we are way behind on our journals, but no matter.  There will be time.  They will be done, for sure.  But for now,

Bis spöter!

Umbrellas on the train

Well, we’ve been so lucky so far, we could hardly complain that it’s raining today.  It wasn’t when we set out for Rapperswil this morning, planning a fairly easy day without Amy and Edward, who had decided to spend the day in the city before Amy returns home tomorrow.

But by the time we’d got there and had a coffee, the rain was coming down pretty hard and we were getting wet in spite of our umbrellas.

We put a brave face on for a while and managed a quick look around, but soon decided our best option was to make our way back to the station and go somewhere else.

It wasn’t just the weather: Rapperswil hosts a big “SeeFest” this weekend, with a three day party by the lakeside, so it wasn’t as if we could enjoy the view of the lake, either.  So, we made our way back to the station and returned to Zürich by train.

We got off the train a little before the city centre and finished the journey by tram, thereby avoiding the Hauptbahnhof altogether.  It wasn’t raining quite so hard in the Bahnhofstrasse, but we scooted into Globus for a happy hour or so, browsing.

The Panorama Knife amused us, though we remain unconvinced of its effectiveness in cutting.  Still, it looked good and the matching wooden board was beautiful.

Mary and I were very taken by the Sal-y-Limon bracelets there too.  They were arranged en masse and the glorious block of colour caught our eyes immediately.  As always, though, one isn’t really enough, sadly.  But a collection would be most acceptable!

The sentiment on a cushion suggested the right idea.

So off we went, to spend the last part of the afternoon doing a little catching up; blogging, emailing, ironing and generally getting ourselves together.  The youngsters were still out shopping, so we picked up a little something for afternoon tea and came back to the flat.

On a rainy afternoon in Zürich, what better accompaniment to afternoon tea?