Seams French

Free Motion Machine Quilting Living in a very tiny one bedroom apartment, without air conditioning, in temperatures that make flip flops too hot to wear, presents some interesting challenges, particularly (for myself) when making a large quilt. The size of this tablecloth is 104" x 64". For this reason, I sandwiched, basted and quilted only the actual size of the table top (82" x 42") on the first go-round, then added the borders once the centre section was completed. Constructing the centre of the quilt in this way worked very well; there was smaller layout space required and less bulk to fit into the machine. When it came time to add the borders, I did encounter difficulty in the sandwiching and basting process, because at this stage, the quilt was full size, and our apartment had not grown. Having squared up the centre section, it was possible to sandwich and baste one side at a time, keeping the fabrics taut. This is certainly not a preferable method of quilt...

Marking, Sandwiching, Basting Marking fabric for a quilt, especially for a large project, always presents interesting challenges. There are many very good options available now, such as water erasable, air erasable, iron away, etc., which all work well for smaller projects. However, when working on a 106" x 66" quilt, that will take weeks to finish, all of the above options have their drawbacks. Quite by accident, while travelling in Germany this summer, I found a chalk cartridge set called "Kreideminen-Set", by hoechstmass Signet (I have seen it on eBay since then), that made marking the quilt a very easy process, even on the dark coloured fabric. Being chalk, I knew that it would be necessary to remark some of it. However, when that time came, the chalk marks were still visible enough to use as a guide, and at that point, I used an air erasable pen on one area at a time. I found this procedure much more efficient then wiping off the water erasable marks o...

Motifs and Symbols Provencaux (The first draft combining the symbols and motifs into a continuous design.) Through the ages the people of the southern regions of France in Provence and Languedoc, have revered and celebrated the generosity of the light and the natural beauty of their land. These colours and images have been immortalized in various art forms. The repertoire of motifs and symbols that has develpoed through local traditions is vast and covers many areas of nature (flowers, trees,fruits and veg, animals, etc.) , as well as objects representing sentiments of life (hearts, stars, crosses, etc.). When recently designing a quilt, whose main focus was to be a "sanglier", or the wild boar found in the thickets and brambles of the French countryside, I chose designs that would likely be found in these regions. The centre motif is a very large "Sanglier". He is surrounded by scrolls and vines of thistles, artichoke blossoms, acanthus leaves, ghekos, ...

Situated in an arid, rocky valley in the Luberon region of Provence, sits the 12th century Romanesque monastery "L'Abbaye de Senanque". This Cistercian abbey is still a place of monastic life, where the monks work in the fields of agriculture and tourism. This hot, dry, sun drenched area of Provence provides the perfect conditions for lavander to flourish. The stark beauty of the plain gray stone building of the abbey provides the perfect back drop for the flourishing blossoms of lavander growing in the adjacent fields. "Living from the work of their hands", is one of the directives written by Saint Benedict in the 6th century. For this reason, the monks work hard to tend to their daily chores, which include the growing and harvesting of the lavander. Lavander reaches its full bloom sometime between mid July into August. It is then harvested and dried or distilled into essential oils. These dried flowers and extracts will be used to make a variety of aromatic t...

I recently constructed this 6 panel canvas awning to help keep the temperature of our top floor, west facing apartment moderate in the intense heat of summer afternoons. It's easy to construct, easy to install and convenient for storage. And, most importantly, it has made our apartment much more comfortable when the full impact of the sun hits the terrace in the afternoons.

Daughter and Seams French partner extraordinaire, Leah, has completed her first solo performance on the Bernina to great applause and cheers. Best friend "K" provided the inspiration by giving birth to the beautiful "Baby L". Proud Mama "E" provided encouragement and support, and Darling Daughter "L" performed with grace and elegance. Bravo! (and keep that Bernina humming!)

Each year summer in the South of France is ushered in by the return of "Les Cigales" (cicadas). The strong, steady "chirring" of the male cigale, as he sings his lovesong and yearns for his mate, is a constant reassurance of the hot, dry days to follow, and as such, their return is anticipated and welcomed. To pay homage to these heralds of summer, their image has been immortilized in a variety of forms: ceramics, ironworks, paintings and of course, needlework in it's many different applications. In many ways, "Les Cigales" symbolize the hot, dry days of summer and are part of the fabric of life here.