Monday, April 7, 2014

Beautiful Bruges



pictures. lots and lots of pictures of Bruges today. and a new yarn adventure at the bottom…

classic, beautiful and delicious with a lovely outdoor terrace in the morning sun Servaas van Mullem
beautiful house number signs everywhere, I just couldn't stop taking pictures of them
the best and fresh made Belgian waffles from Jantje Vanille ~ ice-cream and waffles
what touristic Bruges is all about: lace, chocolate, beer, chocolate, lace, beer and middle aged architecture, 
oh and did I say beer, lace and chocolate?
the weather was gorgeous so we walked around the city all weekend. the canals, the popping greens of Spring, the mild sun, good coffee and chocolate…. hmmmm, just perfect. beautiful old buildings everywhere you look, most of them maintained very well or under construction. I realized I was very much looking at the old houses with my 'Canadian eyes', who aren't used to seeing much of 1617 and 1485 painted on beautiful gables.
Madam Mim, where I shopped my yarn souvenirs
100% natural flax yarn, the cream one quite rough, the brown one very fine and very old. google images is my friend, when I type 'flax crochet' a gazillion lovely ideas pop up of what to make with it. I am excited to work with it, another lovely natural fibre is here to explore :). have you worked with it before? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

below: the vintage lace pieces I found at Madam Mim are a lace edging for a handkerchief, a lace corner and diamond, probably both for inserts in handkerchiefs or little table cloths too.
and top right, a tiny little crochet piece. it is so delicate, unbelievable how fine it is. I put the business card next to it so you'll have an idea of sizing. I took the crochet piece with me for inspiration who knows I will come up one day with a square pattern derived from it.

Bruges, a city I can highly recommend for a day or two. also, it is very close to the beach. we didn't get to go this time, but all in all it makes for a beautiful weekend road trip for you Europeans :).

xo


20 comments:

  1. Beautiful photo's and it looks like they have lots of delicious sweet treats in Bruges.
    Kate x

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  2. Gorgeous place! thanks for sharing the tip :-)

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  3. Leuk zo'n paar dagen Brugge! Het is alweer een tijdje geleden dat ik er ben geweest, maar het voelt altijd goed weer in Belgie te zijn. Ik kom zelf heel graag in Antwerpen. Zo'n geweldige stad!

    Hebben Claire en jij zin om ergens begin mei een keer naar de tuin te komen om de laatste details door te nemen?

    Fijne avond & liefs,

    Madelief x

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  4. This is such great photo-documentation! I feel like I went myself :-)

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  5. Wonderful, evocative photos...and what striking yarn! It is so tactile, I just want to create something with it to see what it feels like! I'll be interested to see what you make...a new doily perhaps? Chrissie x

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  6. Sigh. Such gorgeous photos. Thanks for taking me back to Europe this morning ;)

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  7. Love, love the pictures, the houses, the numbers and the shops... not to mention all that super yummy
    treats, the old lace, oh my! I just cant get over how beautiful it's over there, and its for sure on of my future destinations : ) Happy Spring!!!!

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  8. Oh so beautiful, you have brought back lot of memories, Brugges was one of my favourite European cities. That yarn looks so yummy.......

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  9. This was a treat to see, what a stunning place
    Karen x

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  10. Heeerrrrlijke plaatjes zeg! Jullie hadden ook wel geweldig goed weer! Lekker nagenieten met je souvenirs en foto's!

    Liefs, Heidi

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  11. Love Brugge !! I get there every time I can since my in-laws live 70km away only so we sometimes get there to spend the afternoon, buy some chocolate (I'm the biggest fan of Belgian chocolate) and just enjoy the place....
    xEva

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  12. Bruges is lovely isn't it... Very pretty photos, by the way !!

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  13. I love Bruges!! Your pictures bought back some lovely happy memories for me! I really like the daffodils in front of the convent, so pretty and just as I remember. Thank you for this!! xx

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  14. What stunning images. You make Bruges sound just the sort of place I would like to visit. Love your new yarn. I used to crochet little mats with raised rose centres years ago in cotton. Doubt I could see to do them now! Hope we get to see your creation when you have finished.

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  15. Het zijn echt prachtige foto's van het mooie Brugge!! Groetjes Marijtje

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  16. Mooie, inspirerende foto's. Ik vind Brugge de leukste stad van België en ben er dan ook al een paar keer geweest. Brugge was ook een van eerste steden die ik samen met mijn lief bezocht, heel romantisch!!

    Groetjes van Ellebel

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  17. What beautiful pictures!
    I,m looking forward to seeing what you make with the flax yarn - it looks so fine!
    Have fun,
    Sarah x

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~ sweet thank you for your lovely words ~