Saturday 29 September 2012

A successful Re-cycle!


...recycling - the process of re-using a  product 
(beyond its intended use), or producing a new product 
 to recondition and adapt to a new use or function....

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A few years ago I discovered Kymberley Fraser's web site  3finegrains 
I was fascinated and more than delighted to see her unique creations
and work of antique grain sacks, German "remnants of the past".
Delighted - because I grew up in the countryside in South of Germany,
in regions were most of these sacks originate from, knowing nearly every village,
brought up for several years on farms, therefor very familiar with these sacks and their history.




RE - CYCLE(ING)
of the famous antique German grain sacks
by
Kymberley Fraser - who innovated a "new use"
for these authentic pieces of rural German countryside history.






As I already had a large collection I felt that we both have the same
passion and affinity for these wonderful and interesting pieces.
I was deeply interested to find out how an American lady 'fell' on these sacks.

So, finally I decided to "interview" Kymberley, 
and here are her answers:

"I first discovered antique German grain sacks about 5 years ago now 
in an antique store out of state while traveling with my Mom and Grandmother. 
There was one thrown about in a booth, as if the person had no idea what a treasure this piece was. 
 I was drawn to its script and weave, and no one in the store knew anything about it 
except for the fact that it came from Germany and was once used to transport grain to and from a mill. 
When I got into the car that day to leave the store, I told my mom and my Gramma, 
"I don't know what that piece was, but I know that I'm going to find out everything I can about it, 
because I really find it to be quite beautiful"    Of course they both thought I was crazy :)


My passion began on that first day I held the sack. 
 It's feel, it's weight, it's age, it's color, the script and it's heavy print. This was only the beginning
My love for these pieces became almost an obsession once I learned the story behind 
how they were hand woven, and some artfully printed, while others were almost child-like basic. 
 The fact that they were in use for so many decades before being discarded was so intriguing to me, 
especially after learning how difficult they were to obtain.

 After spending months and months researching,

I began buying every authentic piece I could lay my hands on.
These grain sacks hold intimate stories of the German people. 
In some ways I felt the patches & darns were signs of times of appreciation and value. 
The more I learn about the history of these beautiful pieces the more in love I become."

 


  " I've had many German people tell me how much they appreciate what I've done by taking these special textiles that were so important long ago and bringing them to life again in a useable, yet, heirloom way....."



"I had long dreamed as an Interior Designer that someday I would have my own line of furniture & accessories 
and eventually my own store. 
 After building my collection, I decided to make my dreams a reality and launch 3 Fine Grains......"




Today, Kymberley  manufactures everything....

 

 ...from pillows,
to...

 
  ...men's ties, 


 
women's purses,


 

 furniture pieces,

 

...bed covers....



....and everything unique and original in between.



 And she does not waste even the smallest scrap in her creations!




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The love and high attention Kymberley pays to
her designs..... to the smallest detail.... it is incredible!



....getting the proportion right...very important!.



...so that every piece will represent its own personality and character.



Creations like sculptures!

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 CHAPEAU, Kimberley!
Truly - a very successful recycling!

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Just a few from my own collection:




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Trossingen, Württemberg, located in the Southwestern corner of Germany,
flanked by the Black Forest and Swabian Alps mountain range.
Early traces of the Celts, Romans and the Alemanni, documents from 1,200 years of history,
 rural life in the 18th and 19th centuries


Täbingen, Black Forest


Bissingen from the Swabian Alps region, near Kirchheim a.d. Teck.
were traces of settlements from the Neolithic, the Celtic and Romans era have been found.
Alamannic graves prove the existence of three settlements in the area during the migration period.

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Biedermeier Trousseau sack, Württemberg

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rare Trousseau flour sacks from the Bavarian region

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A Beautiful Mess Antiques


 Kymberley Fraser’s antique boutique, A Beautiful Mess, opened in October of 2010.
Located 10 miles East of Malibu, California, A Beautiful Mess displays Industrial, Primitive and European antiques, while fine oil paintings hang beside rare antique engravings, acting as portals into centuries gone by. Where antiques, design and oddities meet pure and simple elegance; blending soft European fabrics, antique vellum books, one of a kind lighting, art and vignettes to include contrasting objects which seem naturally placed. Featuring the artistic creations of The Junk Girls and Jenny K as well as the home of the 3 Fine Grains textile line. Frequented by Designers and A-List Celebrities;
A Beautiful Mess is a home decor destination for the discerning client.



Kymberley Fraser - Shop

contact:     here


Kymberley’s store has been featured in The New York Times, Romantic Homes Magazine, Country Living Magazine, Romantic Country magazine, 805 Living and repeatedly by numerous highly respected Blogs.

Located in Whizin Market Square
28875 West Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
T- 818.874.9092

Hours
Monday - Saturday : 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday : 12 PM - 5 PM

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COPYRIGHT  NOTICE
All rights reserved by ©Kymberley Fraser and ©La Pouyette
! Please do not publish photos, pin or re-pin on Pinterest !

Monday 24 September 2012

Good Bye Summer.....






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 Hello Fall....



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Best wishes for a colorful first autumn week!



A bientôt...


Monday 3 September 2012

A "potpourri" of Cycles

After a summer break we start another
'Cycle' 
of monthly posts


  'an event that repeats'

initiated last year in September by our blog friend Marsha
from  Splenderosa.blog

 This month theme is about  
Cycles

 I have chosen to talk about cycles which mean most to me.
Because I could not make up my mind which one is the most important,
this post turns out as a "potpourri".......:


The most essential one for all life on earth -  
The water cycle:

-1-

Almost all water on this planet is stored in the ocean.
From here the sun's energy heats the water until it changes forming clouds.
  Evaporation



 The winds then move the clouds.
Later the clouds cool down and turn back into water.
Condensation
 

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 Finally this water falls back onto the earth as rain
Precipitation

 The water cycle.....


...over and over again.

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The tidal cycle:

-2-

Es gibt Gezeiten im Leben des Menschen;
und weiß er die Flut zu nutzen - dann hebt sie ihn empor zum Glück.
William Shakespeare, (1564 - 1616)


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Ebb...

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...and Flow


-5-

There is a tide in the affairs of men, 
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. 
Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. 
On such a full sea are we now afloat. 
And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
 Shakespeare

-6-
The Changing Tides 
Walking upon the sand of the beaches in your life.
You leave marks embedded as you go.
A mark of your passing which may last forever,
Or quickly washed away with the changing tide.

 -7-

Life is fickle and impressions made quick.
Judgments made in ignorance set our path,
A friendship which may have lasted a lifetime,
  Is over looked because of vanity or prejudice.

A shame that we are influenced by petty things
Such as looks, speech, affluence or intelligence.
Never taking the time to truly know someone
Who they are and what they've accomplished.

 
Tis said to slow down and smell the roses,
But many times we cut them down to take.
Having them for the beauty they possess,
Not thinking of killing them in the process.

If you leave your mark on the beach,
 Make sure it's one that stands against time,
A mark that can be viewed with pride,
Not one to be lost in the changing tides.
 
Randall Beers
© July 21st 1999

 "The way we live our lives and the way we interact with others reflects on the type of person we each are. 
People are complex and the differences between each of us is what makes us who we are....."
Randall J. Beers, Americain former police officer
read more  here

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The Four Seasons:

 Through the eye of an Old Master
Guiseppe Arcimboldo, 1527 - 1593
"....perfect in his uniqueness, as are only the great".

 

Winter and Spring



 Summer and Autumn  

Guiseppe Arcimboldo - also on previous posts:  
Winter  here -  Spring  here  - Summer  here  -  Autumn  here

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In the Perigord:
".....countless castles and manor houses, old villages, typical Périgord hamlets and 
fortified hilltop towns follow each other in beauty spots
that change with the passing seasons.....
...Breathtaking views of valleys, undulating patch-works of fields and small forests,
exuding in all seasons the distinctive aroma of the Périgord.

In autumn truffles, wild mushrooms, figs, wine harvest;
duck, goose, confit in winter.
Springtime brings its abundance of fruits...."

Winter

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Spring



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early Summer


high Summer


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Autumn


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At La Pouyette:



Winter....and when Oskar enjoys Spring



Summer  and  Autumn

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Vivaldi's Four Seasons



Autumn   

    Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741)      
The Four Seasons
here   and   here

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  Song cycles
 a series of poems or songs on the same theme

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 Schubert's Lieder cycles




Franz Peter Schubert  31 January 1797 – 19 November 1828) was an Austrian composer.
In a short lifespan of just nearly 32 years, Schubert was a prolific composer, 
writing some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies (including the famous "Unfinished Symphony", 
liturgical music, operas, some indicental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music.  
Today, Schubert is seen as one of the leading exponents of the early Romantic era in music 
and he remains one of the most frequently performed composers.
read more......here



In 1827, Schubert wrote the song cycle Winterreise (D. 911), a colossal peak in art song
("remarkable" was the way it was described at the Schubertiades)

Schubert's song cycle Die Winterreise, on texts from the eponymous cycle of poems by Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827), 
is considered by some the most touching piece of music ever written. 
 Even professional singers have a hard time suppressing the emotions that go with it.
The Linden Tree
with Franz Schubert's melody from Die Winterreise (Winter Journey), is one of the few examples where a great classical composer wrote a song that, perhaps in slightly simplified form, becomes a folk song (Volkslied). 

Am Brunnen vor dem Tore - The Linden Tree 
At wellside, past the ramparts,
there stands a linden tree.
While sleeping in its shadow,
sweet dreams it sent to me.

And in its bark I chiseled

my messages of love:
My pleasures and my sorrows
were welcomed from above.


Today I had to pass it,
well in the depth of night -
and still, in all the darkness,
my eyes closed to its sight.

Its branches bent and rustled,

as if they called to me:
Come here, come here, companion,

your haven I shall be!

The icy winds were blowing,

straight in my face they ground.
The hat tore off my forehead.
I did not turn around.
Away I walked for hours

whence stands the linden tree,
and still I hear it whisp'ring:
You'll find your peace with me!

Drawing of a Schubertiade by Moritz von Schwind, 1868
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Frankie's "Cycle":



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At last but not least...

a short "piece" of Heinrich Heine's life philosophy:
 
Das Fräulein stand am Meere
Und seufzte lang und bang,
Es rührte sie so sehre
Der Sonnenuntergang.


"Mein Fräulein sei'n Sie munter,
Das ist ein altes Stück.

Hier vorne geht sie unter
Und kehrt von hinten zurück."



-8-
Young Miss stood on the seashore,
By heavy sighs undone,
Moved to a rueful seizure
By the sinking of the sun.
"Dear Miss, cheer up, look shoreward,
This is a well-worn turn;
The sun goes under forward
And comes back up astern."
Heinrich Heine 

In this sense - let's enjoy every 'cycle' of our life!

And please, pop over to Marsha's blog 
to see/read what all our friends thinking about  
Cycles
 here

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Remarks:
Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) was of German-Jewish background, 
had substantial family and publishing ties in Hamburg, 
but spent most of his life elsewhere in Germany and ultimately in exile in Paris.
read more......here

Song cycles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_cycle

Photograph credit for all the sea photos: