Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Netherlands Part One

We are home from our trip to the Netherlands.

Velma had a nice time with the house sitters, but was very happy to have us home.

She has been my shadow every day!

Only a sunny patch in the window keeps her away.

Please continue - as I take you through Part One of our travels.




Our first couple of days after arrival we take it easy.
Why hurry? We are on vacation!  There is so much to see and do in Amsterdam before we take off to other parts of the country.

Landing at 6:30AM local time, we try to stay awake and moving!  Options include luggage lockers prior to check in at the hotel or concierge services at the hotel desk. After taking the train from the airport to Central Station, we were fortunate to get early check in at our hotel. We were able to shower and freshen up.

We took a morning canal ride and soaked in the sunshine.

We enjoy seeing the construction techniques.

This is stonework on a bridge we cruised under.





This is the famous spot where you can see the arches of seven bridges in a row.

Click to enlarge, maybe you can see them too.


The fresh air and slight rocking of the boat could have very easily lulled us to sleep!

The beautiful sights and sounds kept us energized.

We also had tickets for a wine and cheese pairing. We learned about the aging (ripening) of cheese on wood shelving. The wheels can be aged to about 2 years.

Very large mature wheels of cheese are then sent to market where they are sampled and auctioned.

We had five cheeses with three glasses of wine! Then, a sixth cheese paired with a glass of Port.  It was magnificent.  We were advised to find the true Dutch cheese in the USA - check Whole Foods.




Evidence of an early afternoon well spent.

This was the leftover wine.

The "pours" were generous and we couldn't finish all of it!






Of course I had to visit Den Haan Wagenmakers.
I was fortunate to meet Petra and Elsbeth. They even wanted to see a couple of my little quilts.  What an honor.

I was fun to see the hexagons Elsbeth was working on in Dutch Heritage fabrics.

Petra shared her new Dutch Heritage fabric lines.
Of course, I placed and order.  They are all so beautiful.






Web Image

Barnsley - strike off


This is the new panel.

10" x 11.5" - of course wonderful quilt shop quality fabrics.

As if it couldn't get better - -





Check out the project and matching border prints.

You can order yours Click HERE.
I was told it is only available in the Netherlands.
A few tips:
   * The postage will not calculate correctly!  The shop will adjust the postage to reflect the actual amount when they ship it. The postage will look very high as you checkout. While it isn't as low as ordering from within the US, it is a web shop issue.
   *  The pattern or kit is designed to also use your stash. The center panel, second border print and final floral border are all you need - along with your stash!
It is beautiful!


After my first quilt shop visit, (more quilt shop info in part 2) we went antique shopping.
On my last visit here I only had an hour.

So, this trip I made sure I had more time.
It was wonderful!

I did make some purchases this time.
Those I will show you in a future post, dedicated just to Dutch antique needlework tools.



It was early to bed and up the next day for some touristy things!

We went to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills.

The sky teased us with potential rain, but stayed dry.

It was refreshing to be out on the water.




One of the most interesting windmills to me was the color mill.

Beside the mill was a storage shed with 17 shutter units that were opened and closed to facilitate drying.

At capacity it contains about 11,000 pounds of pigment that can be dried in about 2 months,


Pigment is used for coloring many things, textile pigments interest me most.


The operation and staffing of the windmills is done as part of a heritage/history program that keeps the mills functioning as they did centuries ago.




We were allowed to enter the windmills, and even climb up to the balconies.

I couldn't help but think in the US, they probably wouldn't be operating and any are potentially dangerous would be roped off and off limits.






We loved exploring the old timbers and stone.

We were lucky to leave before bus loads of people descended on the little village.






Back to Amsterdam we went - ready for some sleep.

Dreaming of our next adventure to Leeuwarden!
Stay tuned for Parts Two, Three and Four.

Thanks for coming along for Part One.

Happy Stitching,

Dawn







18 comments:

  1. So exciting to read about your adventures - I look forward to any and all instalments! Those Dutch Chintz fabrics have me swooning. It is a dream of mine to visit the Den Haan Wagenmakers shop.

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  2. Looks like an awesome trip. Glad you had a good time and great pictures! But seriously -couldn't finish the wine???????

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  3. Love that new panel and the kit quilt! And Elsbeth's hexagons - be still my beating heart! Thanks for sharing in such detail. Almost felt like I was there!

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  4. What a wonderful post! You had some real Dutch experiences, great you had the time this time around to delve into some of our history and culture. And you saw our Dutch skies.... they are often like that. But not always, luckily not during your days at Dorry's. Looking forward to your next blogpost :-)

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  5. Love to read you're Holland advanture!

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  6. I loved hearing about your adventures in Amsterdam. Cheese and wine a perfect combo after a long day. Did you hear if there was going to be a pattern for Petra's new line?

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    1. She will,ha e the pattern. The Dutch Heritage fabrics are three skus so we don't have to buy 40! Three beauties too!

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  7. Oh what fun! Thanks so much for sharing with us. I have already ordered the center panel for me and for a friend. Can't wait to see it in person! I love your little hexies.

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  8. What a beautiful post. Having never traveled off the North American continent, I love to see the world through the eyes of others.
    Petra's new quilt design is beautiful.
    Love the shot of the windmills on the horizon.

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  9. Your adventure is off to a beautiful start! And then going to Petra's shop must have been icing on the cake. The cheese & wine tasting sounds delicious. Too bad we don't have a Whole Foods in our area.

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  10. Thanks for sharing your trip. Fun to see places outside the country and I can't wait for your next post.

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  11. Can't wait to see part 2, 3 and 4 as I have really enjoyed part 1. Most interesting. Thank you for sharing so much with us. ;^)

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  12. It is always so much fun to see our little country through the eyes of an American. It must be the same as you read about our US travels!
    So glad you enjoyed your stay!

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  13. What a wonderful time you had. I assume your husband went with you. I don't think you mention who "we" is.

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  14. So many beautiful photos!
    Nice to see you had beautiful weather and a wonderful time!
    Looking forward to seeing & hearing more of your trip.

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  15. What a treat to do some armchair travel with you! I've always wanted to go to Amsterdam and the Netherlands. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. I loved Part One and will be back for the rest of your wonderful trip! :)

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Thanks for your comments!