Journeys through Deutchland - The Farmers' Market

For the next little while, I will post some stories from my adventures in Germany this summer.  The Germans are very different than Canadians.  The trip was a success, even with some lost items and crazy driving through winding roads in the Alps.  10 days + 2 for travel.  I will dedicate a few posts to the peculiarities and interesting elements that make Germany such a magical place.

Almost every town in Germany centres around a town square in which a farmers' market can be found almost daily.  The beauty of the fruits, veggies, and mushrooms is second only to their rich taste and tantalizing aroma.

Actually, some of the fruit and veggies look almost unreal.  Too perfect. No blemishes, perfectly shaped, and the perfect ripeness.  I questioned whether they use pesticides and chemicals, but it doesn't seem to be the case.  The produce is just fresh from the fields, straight to the market.

The most exciting items where in the mushroom category.  The freshly picked chantrelle mushrooms are used in most of the restaurants as a side dish or as the main part of the dish.  The perfection of these mushrooms in a simple butter and cream sauce is a gourmand's dream! I wish to have a forest in my backyard filled with wild mushroom!

 

The Six-Fold Tie: Pink and Blue Silk Brocade

I have finally tackled the Six-fold tie again.  This is a perfect tie, where the weight of the fabric and many folds actually add to the body of the tie.  This means that you don't have to add strange filling material to give the tie shape.  The tip of the tie is also self-lined (meaning that the fabric for the tie is the same as the fabric for that diamond shaped bit on the other side.  Adding a self-tipped section makes a tie look much fancier.

Unfortunately, the silk I chose, a Chinese silk brocade, was quite heavy and led to a slightly thicker tie than I had wanted to create.  Next time, I will go the normal route and use a lighter silk for the tip when using brocade fabrics.   It's okay, though.  My husband still loves it and he wore it to work today, so it must be presentable enough.

A regular tie just uses two folds and must be filled with a layer of felt to give the tie shape and body.  From the front, no one would ever know the difference between a regular tie and a six-fold, but the final result is much more exquisite.  And knowing that you have all those layers of silk is a glorious little secret.

Here is an example of an opened up six-fold tie, so you can see the folds:

http://sevenfoldties.reflexblue.org/finishedties.php

The High-Rise Cowl-Neck Top

This is my most recent sewing endeavour.  This was supposed to be a low neckline cowl-neck shirt.  As you can see, the low neckline didn't quite work out, but it's okay for a first try at drafting a pattern from bits and pieces of other patterns.  I also tried out a new fabric called Tencel jersey.  It was okay to sew with, but the moisture wicking fabric isn't ideal for a close fitting top.