Gorcums Museum: Voor de Draad Ermee (For the Thread with It)

To be honest, Astrid says you really can't translate Voor de Draad Ermee, which is the title of the exhibition at our Gorinchem museum from April 7 - September 9.  The closest translation is "for the thread with it."  Suffice it to say that this is an exhibition about embroidery!

Look and be amazed.  These exhibitions never cease to amaze me:

Our Gorcums Museum is on the second floor of our city's old city hall in city center.

When you walk into the lobby, you get a taste of what you will see once you go up.

For those of you who know stitchery work, you'd be impressed.

The lobby always gives you a "free" taste of what you might see above, 

if you decide to pay the €4.50 or use your museum card, as we did.

Embroidery has meaning in such events as birth, marriage and death all over the world, 

so it makes sense that the exhibit starts you off with specimens from places other than "home."

Again, if you know stitchery work, you'd be impressed.

No, this is not Dutch, in case you were wondering.

The entire exhibit could have highlighted cultures from all over the world.

But the smattering was enough to get the picture.

And then it was everything Dutch.

 Can you imagine showcasing the backside of a stitchery?

I think this was my biggest surprise of the exhibit.

Who would have thought of that???

How about a tulip tree.

Can you see the stitches, even in the background?

I did a lot of counted-cross stitcheries in my day, so this ensemble was fun to see.

How about samplers.  Did you ever do one?

This is a kind of sampler, right?

I guess so.

But this one takes the cake and is what I think of when I hear "sampler."
More Dutch you cannot get!

It's one thing to sew clothes, of course...but another to also "embroider" them.

Have you ever sewn on sequins?

Or beads?

This is from the 17th century,

so fragile-looking and yet standing the test of time!

Have you ever seen a family tree...with photos...made into a stitchery?

Who thinks these things up!

This volcano was like a cross between a tapestry and a stitchery.

As was this one, with 10 boats embroidered into it.

There were several other entries in this exhibit that I could have added that didn't interest me...

like all the papal robes that made me sick to my stomach during this week of priest-abuse allegations.

I had to stop somewhere....

But look at this.  Free to anyone and everyone.

Do you want to learn new stitches?

You can!

Throughout this exhibition there have been workshops to teach you 

everything you ever wanted to know about hand stitching.

Don't you love it!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As an FYI, Astrid and I fly to England tomorrow for a week-plus with friends

from our Shutterchance photoblog.  Back with you in September!

Garderen Sand Sculptures: Dutch Sayings

Now that Astrid is retired (!), we're starting to figure out what we want to do with our free time.  Well, I should say HER free time.  HA!

And because we maintain our annual Museum Card subscription, we've decided to start using it as often as once a week...or at least twice a month.  It's a no-brainer.  The good news is we don't have to wait till the weekend!

So, last Wednesday we went to Garderen, a village of ca. 2000 inhabitants, 86 km from home.  One of the main things it's known for is it's sand sculptures which get changed out to new themes each year.  This year's theme is Dutch Masters.

THAT (the Dutch Masters) was worth every cent we paid (not covered by our museum card, unfortunately).  But THIS post is not about the Dutch Masters.  It's about another section in the same area that covered 34 Dutch sayings depicted in sand sculptures.

When you enter this part of the exhibition,

you receive a sheet of 34 Dutch sayings, plus a pencil and a clipboard.

The point is to match each sand sculpture with the right saying.

Part of the fun is watching everyone else find the correct matches.

I'm going to show the sculptures in the order in which we saw them,

first with the Dutch saying, followed by the closest English approximation of the meaning.

Keep in mind that when there are plays on Dutch words, the translation is not always as meaningful.

Een vos verliest wel zijn haren maar niet zijn streken.

A fox loses its hair but not its tricks.

Het is de tegenwind die de vlieger doet opstijgen.

It is the counterwind that makes the kite go up.

Denk niet bij het laatste vel:  wie na mij komt die redt het wel.

Don't think about the last sheet [toilet paper]; whoever comes after me can cope.

Een schildpad ziet meer van de weg dan een haas.

A turtle sees more of the road than a hare.

Een brandweerman is pas compleet met een hondje wat fikkie heet.

A fire fighter is only complete when his dog is named "Fikkie" [=fire].

Eigen haard is goud waard.

One's own fireplace is worth gold.

Een rups doet al het werk, maar een vlinder krijgt alle aandacht.

A caterpillar does all the work, but a butterfly gets all the attention.

Een kaars kan duizenden andere kaarsen aansteken zonder haar eigen levensduur te verkorten.

A candle can light thousands of other candles without shortening its own life span.

Als je het niet meer trekt, moet je duwen!

When you can no longer pull it, you must push!

Ik ben niet links, ik ben niet rechts; it ben recht door zee.

I am not left, I am not right; I am straight forward.

[There was an 'L' on the left that I didn't notice.]

Heren doe de bril omhoog, de dames zitten ook graag droog.

Gentlemen put up the lid; the ladies want to sit dry.

Wie achter de kudde aanlopt sjouwt altijd door de stront.

Whoever is behind the herd always wades through the crap.

De wereld is als een spiegel: kijk je boos?  dan kijkt hij boos terug; 

glimlach je?  dan glimlacht hij terug.

The world is like a mirror:  you look angry? it looks back angry;

you smile? it smiles back in return.

Wees zuinig op uw kleren, want een vogel herkent u aan zijn veren.

Be thrifty with your clothes because a bird can be recognized by its feathers.

Als ik gemekker wil horen dan koop ik wel een geit.

If I want to hear bleating [whining], I will buy a goat.

Een tevreden roker is een onruststoker.

A satisfied smoker is not a trouble maker.

Ook halverwege de berg kan je een mooi uitzicht hebben.

Halfway up the mountain you can also have a nice view.

Begin de dag met een lach.

Start the day with a smile.

Elke wijze uil begon als uilskuiken.

Every wize owl started out as a baby owl without a brain.

Ik zou gewicht kunnen verliezen, maar kan niet tegen mijn verlies.

I might lose weight but not live with my loss.

Jaag mij niet op, ik ben aan het werk; niet op de vlucht.

Don't rush me.  I'm at work, not on the run [airplane flight].

Vrienden zijn als sterren, je ziet ze niet altijd maar weet dat ze er zijn.

Friends are like stars; you don't always see them but know they are there.

Waar ogen niet waren moet de mond niet praten.

What the eyes didn't see, the mouth shouldn't speak.

Ik hoef niet te zwemmen in het geld, pootjebaden is al genoeg.

I don't need to swim in money; knee-deep wading is enough.

Komt tijd komt raad.

With time comes advice.

Je kunt de ladder naar succes niet beklimmen met je handen in je zakken.

You cannot climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

In een groot hart passen veel mensen die willen schuilen.

In a big heart there fit a lot of people who seek shelter.

Een zondagssteek houdt nog geen week.

A stitch made on a Sunday doesn't last a week.

Spreken is zilver, zwijgen is goud.

Speaking is silver, silence is gold.

Haantje de voorste wordt als eerste geslacht.

He who wants to be first will be slaughtered first.

Als de moed in je schoenen zakt, ga dan eens op je kop staan.

If your courage sinks into your shoes, try standing on your head.

Belangrijk is niet de weg die je gaat, maar het spoor wat je achterlaat.

It's not important the way you go but the tracks you leave.

Beter een half ei dan een lege dop.

Better half an egg than an empty shell.

Tegen de stroom in is de enige manier om bij de bron te komen.

Against the current is the only way to get to the source.

And then, we came to the end....

and dropped off our pencils and clipboards.

How fun is that!

Leave it to the Dutch...as I so often say.