Seams French

Finally back home on the Pacific coast of Canada, life is slowly returning to a comfortable rhythm and routine. With my project list before me, I am looking forward to a fall and winter of creating and producing as many things textile as I can. My "hirondelle" boutis piece is coming along (see my previous post) and I hope to begin the cording before long. Other projects, I will write about as they come up. To get back to Vancouver from Montpellier, we took a long, round about route to Heathrow Airport in London, where we eventually caught our flight home. Our detour took us from Montpellier to northern Germany, Belgium and Calais,France, where we caught the Eurostar to London. On this little tour of northern Europe, we spent some time in the Belgian cities of Antwerp and Bruges. Wandering through the medieval, winding streets of Antwerp and Bruges, our senses were constantly delighted. From the sweet, spicy scent of Speculoos cookies and gingerbread baking ...

This hummingbird is the first in a series of boutis pieces featuring birds that I am currently in the process of designing. As with most of my quilting designs, the hummingbird has evolved in the construction process, and may change some more before the final stitch is sewn. The centre of the piece has already been stitched and I hope to get a lot more work done as we make our way back to Vancouver. Tomorrow morning we lock up our little place in the sun and will spend a few weeks on the road touring northern Germany, Belgium and France before heading home. Train travel is a good place to do some stitching, so ever the optomist, I expect to get at least a little work done en route. I'll report when we are settled back in Vancouver, sometime towards the end of October. Until then, enjoy the colours of autumn wherever you are, and Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians, where Thanksgiving will be celebrated on Monday, Octob...

A quilt show is a great place to be inspired and to celebrate our craft with other artisans. Spread throughout the town of Ste. Marie-Aux-Mines, as well as 2 other nearby towns, this show did not disappoint in either way. There were many fantastic quilts to marvel at, and even more fantastic people to meet and share ideas with. When at these shows, time is always at a premium, so I prioritized the exhibits that I hoped to see and did my best to get there. Here are a few of the highlights. The first exhibit we saw were the Canadian quilts. Just as with the Amish quilts, a church acted as the gallery. Churches make great venues for displaying quilts. Canadian quilts under the stained glass windows made for an interesting presentation. "Accumulate" by Amanda McGavour, Toronto, Ontario "Triumph of the Hexagon" by Jeannie Jenkins of Toronto, Ontario Libby Lehman is very well known throughout the quilt world for her free motion mach...

Tucked away in the picturesque Val d'Argent in Alsace France, Ste. Marie-Aux-Mines hosts the annual European Patchwork Meeting. As the name suggests, Ste. Marie-Aux -Mines was established as a mining town, however, it also had a thriving textile industry that was famous worldwide.  And it was in this unpretentious little town, hidden away in the valley of the Vosges Massif, led by Jacob Amman, that the Amish movement was born in 1693. In view of this history, this is the perfect place for a quilt show, which celebrates artistry with fabrics, and in particular, for an exhibition of Amish Quilts. Driving towards Ste. Marie-Aux-Mines in the foothills of the Vosges Massif. A quiet little village church on the outskirts of town. A profusion of  brightly coloured flowers burst out of window boxes, adding colour and charm to these medieval buildings. Throughout the town, a variety of buildings had been transformed in...

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students.  Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish...

This traditional floral motif, designed by Francine Born,   www.boutis-provence.fr , is the boutis piece that I started in Francine's classes this past summer. The boutis itself is completed and set into linen, for the table topper that it will become. Now it must still be sandwiched with batting, backed with the blue toile and quilted. Because of the extra suitcase space it will require, I will wait until I get back to Vancouver to do that part. Boutis tabletopper, set into linen, with the blue toile that will be the backing,  in the background. Detail of the boutis. To be considered as authentic boutis, the work must be hand stitched, and when held up against the light, the relief will show translucence and shadow. The seam allowance now still visible around the central design, will disappear once the batting and backing are attached. An excellent book about the quilts of southern France, including much information about bouti...

Collecting vintage linens seems to be becoming a "hobby". At home in Vancouver, I have many linens, laces and embroidered works that I have inherited from my mothers family. Here in France, where I have no heritage of my own, it is possible to find vintage linens and laces at the "Marches aux Puce" (flea markets), as well as the larger "Brocantes" and Antique Fairs. Over the past 7 years, I have collected a few pieces that have caught my attention. When I look for antique fabrics, I look for something that can be reused in a new piece of my own, so they must be clean (without any stains) and in good condition. Here are a few of the vintage pieces that I have found at these markets. 19th Century Toile de Jouy  and raw cotton muslin. Both pieces were found in the town of L'isle sur la Sorgue, which is well known for it's large antique market, held every Sunday in the central town square. On the wrong side of the fabric the old quilting lin...