Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Netherlands Part Two Overloon

Day 4
Travel day to Overloon, Netherlands.
We lived the saying, "Getting there is half the fun".
Sure, we could have rented a car, taken the highways etc. etc...Been there done that!  We wanted to see the country.
The train ride through the countryside is beautiful, we could sit back and enjoy the views.  Even in January the landscape was green.



Dorry was at the station waiting - she always has a smile!

We went to her home and met her beautiful family.  We had a tour of the shop (a separate building on the property) and her home.
She is a gourmet cook and serves everything from her AGA.
You can read more about AGA cooking HERE.

After a delicious meal we had a look at some of Dorry's  quilts.  I didn't take enough photos!

She has beautiful quilts she made covering the tables and displayed throughout her home.
She has antique quilts from about 1830-1930, English and American.





Hexagon from one of Dorry's antique quilts
One of her antique quilts was patterned in this magazine along with a feature article about her shop.  Her current shop is in a new location, now in Overloon.
She offers many workshops from a variety of teachers.  Not only are her workshops well attended, customers know they will have delicious food - homemade baked goods, quiches, brownies, great coffee...a feast!
She serves the food on festive ceramics from Emma Bridgewater.
The food and the presentation is lovely, as well as the table full of happy quilters.





Day 5
Workshop and Trunk Show in Overloon
"Quilt- It and Dotty" her website HERE

Pulling up at the front of the shop you are greeted by this beautiful entry, designed by Dorry.  A sign of the treasures inside!

Note the bicycle - a popular mode of transportation in the Netherlands.  So smart and healthy.








The shop is beautifully stocked with fabrics and quilting supplies.  Inspiring samples are displayed throughout the shop.


Decorative accents include vintage toy sewing machines and doll quilts, French laces on wooden spools and colorful banners.


Most of her fabric inventory is American.  Because of import and currency exchange rates cotton is more expensive than in the US.





We had the workshop before the trunk show.

Just as we were getting started special visitors arrived.  It was Mardi Gras time in Overloon (note the hats).  These gentlemen arrived to greet us with their Mardi Gras guide and accepted coins to assist in supporting the upcoming  festivities.  This celebration is unique to certain areas of Netherlands.  You can read more about it HERE.
I'm not sure why they didn't want to stay and sew, they must have had prior commitments!


The entertainment did not stop with our visitors.

Dorry has a basket of kittens!

We had five precious kittens full of antics to entertain the class while they stitched.  The kittens were only to happy to explore sewing baskets, cuddle and pose for pictures.
Mama cat was very generous with her babies and didn't seem bothered with all of the attention her babies received.

The girls are all very talented with their needles.  They do a lot of handwork and took to the back basting technique like pros.  So much skill in one room!

After a very successful workshop we had a gourmet lunch, prepared by Dorry in the AGA.




I don't have photos from the trunk show, as I was showing and talking - not taking photos.  The attendees were knowledgeable about antique American quilts and enthusiastic to learn more.

They admired the American handwork from 19th century quilt makers. The Dutch quilt heritage is much older with quilts as early as the 17th century.  

I also brought along a few antique sewing related tools from the 19th century.



We ended the day with a another wonderful gourmet meal from Dorry - fresh out of the AGA.
In part three I will show some antique Dutch textile history.
Thanks for following along, I hope you are enjoying the trip.

22 comments:

  1. It sounds like an amazing week, filled with new friends and quilting.

    Debbie

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  2. I'm guessing your smitten with the AGA. I've had two in the past and if I miss anything from my old home it is that.
    Sound like you've had a fun trip.

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  3. I love this special story about a very special friend, on a unique quiltday!
    😊

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  4. Fun to read and see how you enjoyed your stay. I agree:
    Wonderful workshop, show, shop and food (sounds a bit like a advertisement slogan).
    Groetjes
    Annemieke

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  5. I imagine the countryside is gorgeous!! A basket of kitties--too sweet. Looks like your workshop was a hit & well attended.

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  6. Hi Dawn, it was great meeting you. I loved learning the back basting applique. Always great to learn new techniques.
    Kind regards, Martine

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  7. Hi Dawn, it was so nice to meet you and to learn back basting applique. It was inspiring to hear the stories about the antique quilts, thank you very much for that!

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  8. Hi Dawn, as far as I can see you are still enjoying your days at Dorries in Overloon! I loved to meet you, both on friday (when you and your husband arrived), and on saturday afternoon too! I think you can imagine how happy I am to be 'the help' in Dorries shop, a fee times a week... Thanks for all, Dawn! You are a wonderful lady!!

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  9. Love hearing more about your trip!

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  10. Such a wonderful blogpost, I knew you'd love Dorry, she is such a lovely person and the best of hosts! How wonderful the guys from the Mardi Gras festivities came by, the traditional greeting at that time in the parts of the Netherlands where it is celebrated is: "Alaaf!" (hence my comment on FB). I still have not been to Dorry's new shop, unfortunately. It has not been open that long and with it being almost 2 hours away from my house (her previous shop was only 1 hr away) it takes a whole day practically, so I really need to plan and bring Whopper to the kennel for a day. Wonderful to see your pictures of her shop, makes me more eager to go! So glad you had a great time at her place, knew you would, but happy to see the proof (the pictures). Lots of handsewers in this country, you will find many traditional quilters here who love the retro and civil war type of quilts and fabrics so they loved seeing your quilts and materials and your stories behind them. I met two of the ladies who were at your workshop at Dorry's last Saturday (at the annual Dutch Bloggers Bee), Debby and Ageeth, and they had a super day with you at Dorry's! Looking forward to your next blogpost on your Dutch trip!

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  11. Really love this vicarious trip. It is all fascinating, but I have to say that the little kitten's face stole my heart. : )
    Look forward to part 3!

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  12. For me also it was the first time I went to see Dorry's shop, as it is quite at the other end of the country, but certainly it will not be the last time! I hope to go there more often, as it is so worth the effort of the journey. Never had such good catering during a workshop, and I love the whole atmosphere of the shop and the fabrics. But the highlight ofcourse was your workshop and above all the trunkshow of the wonderful quilts you brought along!
    It was a day to be well remembered. (By the way: the patterns I purchased are made to perfection and I am so happy with them!).

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  13. What a fun post. I am familiar with those cooking skills often mentioned on Ingrid's blog, Supergoof...the food always sounds wonderful. Couple that with little kittens running around and what a great day! :)

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  14. I use the word "aga" now and then when playing Upwords but I had no idea exactly what it meant.....and now I know.
    You have had a wonderful experience teaching in this unique location.

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  15. All I can say is WOW - oh, and the kitten is adorable!

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  16. A wonderful travelogue! It always amazes me how the US has lagged behind in traveling by train - guess we will continue to love our cars. Going through such green countryside must have been lovely and then to gather with enthusiastic quilters - looking forward to seeing more!!!

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  17. How wonderful! And the kittens too! So fun! I bet the quilts of Dorrie's were spectacular. What a treat!

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  18. Enjoyed this blog post as I lived in the Netherlands for four years. Our youngest son (just turned 40!) was born there. My husband was stationed at Soesterburg AB. What a beautiful country it is!

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  19. So fun to hear about your trip. I'm sure your trunk show was a big hit.
    Dorry sounds like a gem!
    I'd love to try that herring you mentioned in your first trip post.

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  20. What an amazing trip - good food, new friends, fabric (of course) and KITTENS! Sounds perfect to me!

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  21. I already heard from Debby and Ageeth how wonderful the workshop was at Dorry. It is fun to see how you experienced the Dutch hospitality and way of life.

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Thanks for your comments!