Den Lille Havfrue og Venner; The Little Mermaid and Friends

 

The Little Mermaid and Friends

Quilt No. 151

 
A humble tea towel can be clever enough to be inspirational, especially when it’s Ib Antoni’s art work. A gifted designer well known for his depiction of Danish life, he is often referred to as the national illustrator of Denmark. His artwork is a delight to peruse.
 
When I first saw the tea towel with Antoni’s design, The Little Mermaid and the Tourist, I could see how the story may have unfolded for that lucky tourist. After hours of delay, and a night spent wandering in a foreign airport eating random iffy snacks out of equally iffy vending machines he had arrived in Denmark. His cherished camera was still with him and his wallet remained smugly snuggled in the secret pocket of his underwear. His suitcase had been rerouted to Tokyo, but who cares? There are plenty of clothes in Denmark. The Traveler’s Adrenaline kicked in and he was ready to commit the beauty of Denmark to photographic history.  

The bonanza happened on Day Five – an actual mermaid in his viewfinder! He had achieved the prize-winning photo that would seal his fame and maybe fortune, freeing him from his dreary grey office job, transporting him away from the sea of desks and the ceaseless yakking. Best trip ever!
 
My friend Jennifer was lucky enough to revisit the Danish family who had hosted her younger self as an exchange student from Canada. While reconnecting with her second “family” 36 years later, she viewed the sights, reveled in the food, and bought the best tea towel in the country.  

Upon returning to Canada, the esteemed tea towel demanded more than an existence consorting with lesser tea towels in a drawer. One or two even had stains! Could the mermaid and the tourist possibly be quilted for display?  Turns out…they could!