Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html
Proudly showing my hand knitted silk lace shawl in a peacock pattern... see link below post.
Wool skirt is one of my own sewing creations to match my Chanel bag in taupe.
Shirt is an Outlet find from Escada...
This was the main piece of my handwork that got to be on a PERMANENT display at Teaching Museum South in Fulton County near Atlanta, Georgia. This is part of the Fulton County Schools in Hapeville, a two hour one-way drive for us.
On December 31, 1993 a person from the Georgia State University with a photographer came to our home for the interview and permission to use some of my hand made lace for the above purpose.
We did serve both a warm lunch meal as it is one-way 2 hours driving distance.
You find photo taken by photographer in link below: Today I Turned 17! in regard to my proud United States Citizenship
It all started with and add in the Holland Times, the publication for all Dutch related people in and around Atlanta.
The above video shows the hand made knitted silk lace shawl being framed WRONG SIDE FACING OUT!
For such a meticulous knitted peacock lace pattern it makes a HUGE difference RIGHT SIDE versus WRONG SIDE...
Deborah A. Duchon, Research Associate for Applied Research in Anthropology at Georgia State University
So I contacted her... that's how the interview came to be and she left with several of my items that I let her take with her for a very small reimbursement as I felt kind of honored to be included in such a PERMANENT Display.
Yes, on Friday, May 27, 1994, I got up at 5:00 AM for being there for the hands-on workshop and demonstration of my crafts
Me at the Teaching Museum with part of my display
CROCHET (THE NETHERLANDS)
The artist studied horticulture with emphasis on mushrooms.
Her husband's job brought them to Georgia – he is also a
mushroom expert. They both now work as international
mushroom consultants. The artist learned crochet as a child
and now uses it to occupy time on long business trips:
'There's not much to do at night in the Indonesian
countryside,' she says. 'Luckily, I can always crochet.'
~
Sadly, two of my most sentimental hand crocheted lace handkerchiefs got stolen that morning...
One was my bridal handkerchief. Such sentimental value can never be replaced...
I could buy again the fine Swiss batiste and the French DMC tatting yarn, adding about 7 hours of patience to make another one.
See link below where I recreated a replica of it.
This got published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on June 9, 1994...
Deborah did send me this poor copy at the end of the year.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution wrote a huge error:
Youngsters (yep, 150 rude kids that screamed the one insult after another... calling me a racist and on and on) also got to see embroidery of all kind crafted by Vedder, (NOT TRUE it was crocheted lace work and knitted lace!) who lives in
Dublin, GA, and works as a mushroom
consultant. She says she has been creating
things with her hands since she was a child.
Vedder said she learned to crochet
as a child because school officials in Holland
saw it as a way for children to build motor skills.
~
On July 16, 1994 upon return from our work in Indonesia, I had to contact Ms. Duchon again as from the other lady at the Teaching Museum South there was no reply in regard to my missing crocheted lace handkerchiefs.
Also I remarked; Being a teacher myself, I have also to comment on the far too big groups you had that day (twice 75 kids for one hour!). No way that one can handle them. Not the least that they get proper attention to actually learn something!
All I ever got was the above poor copy, neither photos as promised earlier... Never heard about the missing pieces.
Due to the glare of those glass cases in the above video, Pieter wanted to return somewhat later for making professional photos with the right equipment.
The entire display had vanished – their version of PERMANENT?
At the time that we lived and worked in Indonesia, I had crocheted the Rose Curtain for our Bay Window. Well, that was without ever being able to see the results on the actual window... I've always felt they were a bit 'skimpy'... So in 2017, after completing the new curtains for our Veranda, I knew I had to replace the Bay Window's as well! Well, first I had to find new Roller Blinds for replacing the old ones.
That worked with IKEA's SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blinds in white.
Except, they did NOT have the size for the large window; only for the sides.... So I had to order that from Europe!
It arrived via my brother Jan in The Netherlands, on July 13. On July 23, Pieter hung them all three in a perfect way!
Since the Ikea Roller Blinds are with aluminum, I could not use brass curtain rings to go with that. So I found 20.5mm Sterling Silver CLOSED Jump Rings on Etsy.
Last week's white roses that came home from Trader Joe's Atlanta...
Let me show you first the IKEA SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blind in white that I'd found.
Ikea.com as always has great pricing and the size for our side windows, 32" was perfect!
BUT... they did NOT have the size for our large window... ARGH!
So what to do?
Ordering the large size of 140 cm or 55" in The Netherlands and having it shipped to my brother (nope they do not ship to the USA!) and he did forward it to us.
Worked very well, no custom charges either as I ordered it in my name, having used my brother's address as p/o address for delivery. They arrived on July 13.
So now we could start working with them. Pieter hung all 3 of them on July 23.
Most important thing DONE!
Meanwhile I had ordered more of the HH Lizbeth thread because I had still some left over from the Fleur de Lys Crocheted Curtains in the Veranda... This time it was only 16 hours of speed crocheting for the center window and 8 hours each for the side windows = 32 hours.
With one additional 1 kg cone, yes I had enough thread! Let me show you first the before:
Never liked this but this was the previous roller blind, hidden more or less behind the white rod with brass ends. Curtain hung on rod with plastic clips!
Aside from these curtains being rather skimpy, it didn't look RIGHT!
ARGH those white plastic clips broke so easily and new ones are white but the old ones turn ugly yellow.
To the left the new IKEA SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blind versus the old on on the right...
Here you still see to the right (through the roller blind) the holes from previous roller blind and rod not yet being filled in.
Looks so much better and flat against the window, not gaping any more and the entire window gets covered now.
Using the same crocheted filet lace rose curtain that I made before but now with 2 edgings instead of just one. See link below blog {More of Our Kitchen}.
Yes, RAND MET BLOEMEN in Dutch or EDGE WITH FLOWERS Roses that is!
So glad I'd saved my magazines and got them now scanned in, to go back to.
Where the arrow is to the left, that's the length of my 1st curtain. Now I was going to make it full length.
Since these IKEA Roller Blinds were out of aluminum I could not use brass curtain rings like I did in the veranda where I used Mom's old ones.
So I searched and found them at 5starFindings.etsy.com 20.5mm Sterling Silver 18ga CLOSED Jump Rings, Made in India
Excellent for using with the crochet thread as these will not stain the cotton when being laundered!
On July 23, showing you the large curtain, almost being done. Well, 3 more points that is... of total 8 = 16 hours at high speed!
I've used a low oak bench on top of my sofa, for having the pattern right next to me at proper height for eye movement.
You see also two more cones in the corner as I did set up for ALL 3 at once. The beginning is the hardest thing to do, counting all those stitches and getting it RIHGT.
Next day, on July 24, I started sewing on those Sterling Silver CLOSED Jumper Rings, for hanging.
July 24, just before dark the largest curtain HANGS!
Now the side windows, each 4 points or half of this one = 8 hours each...
On August 8, almost a small curtain done... Other projects do lie lined up on the sofa... Wearing my biking gear, as we did keep up with that too!
Did not wear those sandals for biking though.
Pieter made me look up from my speed crochet as he placed a cup of tea in front of me...
Later on August 8, the small one for the side window was hanging!
Only one more to go = 8 hours of speed crochet.
August 10, staying in my silk Laurèl nightgown after breakfast to continuously speed crochet. Wanting to get it DONE!
Yay, August 11, the last filet crochet rose curtain was up and hanging! SO HAPPY...
This shows two curtains hanging...
Stepping back on August 11, to show the entire bay window area with the 3 SKOGSLÖVER Roller Blinds and the 3 crocheted rose filet curtains. So happy that got all DONE!
Finally I managed to share this mega task with you. Thanks for your visit!
On Sunday morning, January 22, at 4:30 AM the new hand crocheted curtain was hanging!
Mega Task Crocheting DONE
Photos taken later on Sunday, after I'd slept a couple of hours...
They also are perfectly in length, not touching our Delftware houses that we earned by flying KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (we got often an upgrade with our Royal Wing cards!).
On January 11, on my sister's 67th Birthday in heaven, I started...
'ONLY' 12 segments with Fleur de Lys to go and crocheting at a rapid, robotic pace without errors would yield one Fleur de Lys every 6.5 hours...
BUT how can a human being work without any errors?!
Impossible and I had to undo many times 2 rows.
You only 'spot' the error on the returning row... Arg.
It teaches patience and concentration!
Since it was such a Mega Task, I was determined though to have it hanging by Sunday!
It became heavy and harder to handle.
See the cone to the left, on the floor?!
Days were dark and the artificial light had to be used.
After breakfast, getting dressed and barely time for doing anything with my hair, I sat there.
Husband Pieter was the Chef for that time... He did well!
Using 2 sticky notes taped together I moved up, row by row.
On the left I wrote: 8 l (lossen in Dutch) for the 8 Chain Stitches it would take to add on.
I must say that the directions were POOR!
Lots of errors in this drawing too. Where I marked with the pen, bottom right, those should be openings for creating that wide V-shaped stitch.
3 Chain Stitches and 1 Single Crochet done inside the 5 Chain Stitches of alternative rows!
So not 'around' but I did make those Single Crochets inside the Center Chain Stitches!
Harder to do but looking a lot neater.
One X stands for 4 Double Crochet and two XX = 7 Double Crochet etc.
For those that love this pattern:
Starting out on 156+3 (for Double Crochet at the beginning!) Chain Stitches and make your 1st Double Crochet inside the 4th Chain Stitch = 157 Double Crochet total.
At the end for adding XX you make 8 Chain Stitches and insert into the 4th for making Double Crochet = 7 added total.
12 Fleur de Lys done!
I had to sew on the 11 brass rings,that I have from my dear Mom, old ones for curtains that hung from a thinner rod.
Then I proceeded to launder them in short cycle and pressing the pointed area.
Should have pressed the entire Fleur de Lys however...
Had to use the hammer for first putting the 2 lower brass nails on the sides.
So they got hung wet and stretched up into perfect shape.
Love the quality of this 100% Egyptian Cotton by Lizbeth in a 6-cord Cordonnet!
Next day my left index finger and middle finger were still red and very tender from working with that steel crochet hook over 100+ hours!
My tip of the thumb is still kind of numb and index and thumb feel like a mix between callous and blister...
Before I fell onto the mattress, I wrote this for Pieter:
Bid maar voor mij.. In English: Pray also for me... meaning that I would not join him to Church!).
Pieter wrote in Dutch: Jij bent een verbazend iemand!
Pracht resultaat!
English: You are an amazing person!
Splendid result!
It will take a while before I will create the smaller, half sized one and even that will take 50+ hours.
So happy that I had enough thread and that my design worked out perfect for these windows at this scale.
Just like in my earlier post about my Handmade Filet Lace Embroidered Angels for our bathroom, I like to show you more in detail the ones from our guest bathroom. They are made by hand, using the French DMC thread for filling up the machine made net for creating this Filet Lace Embroidery.
This is the outside of our guest bathroom window.
It is the best way for showing these Handmade Filet Lace Embroidered Angels.
For privacy we actually don't need any window treatment as it is quite high and nobody can look through those windows!
But it certainly does add a personal touch of my love for angels and roses...
The first photo I took on June 12, and this one is from August 21, 2012 when the huge fig tree still stood behind the vinyl fence.
We never could reach those figs; only the birds could! So it got the death penalty and is no longer growing there.
This photo is from March 25, of this year and now our bathroom window, to the left, is also visible with its Filet Lace Embroidered Angels (you can see that previous post below).
Did you notice that our home also badly needed to be pressure washed and painted?
Well, the first photo showed you that we DID take care of that, as well as the one below.
Two painters worked for 3 weeks on the pressure wash + painting and on Monday, June 3rd the job got completed.
That's your sneak preview... Quite a difference or not?!
The guest bathroom angels are a bit larger than the ones in our bathroom but I opted for two different patterns.
This is the pattern I used and I just mirrored it.
