Seams French

Having arrived back in Montpellier on Thursday March 17th, St Patrick's Day, we were well rested and in fine walking form by Saturday to head to the weekly market (marche) under the Arceaux. "Les Arceaux" is an 18th century aqueduct built to carry water from a nearby spring to the city. Every Saturday, local farmers and producers set up their stalls under these grand arches and provide the residents of Montpellier with the freshest, most flavourful products available in the region. Although the "hypermarche" has become a popular shopping venue here, it is still very easy to purchase fresh, flavourful local produce on a daily basis. "Asperges" (asparagus) and garriguettes (strawberries) were the main attraction for the shoppers on this particular Saturday, as they are the first regional crops of the spring. The vibrant colours, the enticing aromas and the lively sounds seduce both the seasoned, long time residents as well as the transplanted "et...

After a few days without the steady rains that have been persistant this winter, and with the sun shining, the walking shoes were summoned up from the back of the closet this afternoon. Signs of spring are visible everywhere. A little bit of colour is making it's way through the debris of last autumns fallen leaves and brightening the landscape in the form of irises, daffodils, tulips, etc.

Being a born and bred Prairie girl, my fascination with the close proximity to water that Vancouver offers, still hasn't lost its novelty for me. A recent ferry ride to Victoria on Vancouver Island provided a fantastic view as well as a good time with good friends.

A little cookie "trapunto" on Valentines Day!

This little lady is the first of my recently unearthered treasures to be given a new lease on life. It's time for her to take a deep breath and look alive. "She", is of course, a "Baltimore Bouquet" quilt, taken from a pattern by Mimi Dietrich. First started in the year 2000(ish), she was hand appliqued at the time using 3D techniques such as ruching, fabric folding, padding, embroidery, etc.. A few years later, the centre was hand quilted in time for a local quilt show. Alas... the border did not get completed at the time, and she was lovingly folded, wrapped in acid free tissue paper, stored and forgotten about until a few weeks ago. The task set out before me is to complete the border quilting within the next few weeks, bind her up, and set her free. Wish me luck!

During a recent reorganization (excavation) of my closets, I unearthed a treasure trove of unfinished, not quite forgotten, quilt projects from the early days of my quilting "career" (I wish). Most of these early quilts focus on handwork: applique, piecing, embroidery and quilting. Although handwork remains my favourite method of construction, reality entered my consciousness at some point, and I realized that to actually complete a quilt within an honourable time frame, the sewing machine would have to become part of the creative process. Since those early days, there have been many completed projects, however, these stragglers always seem to be put back on the shelf. It's time to breathe new life and weave new threads into these quilts. Over the next year, my "free sew" time will be dedicated to that goal and the revival of these quilts. Quilters reading this post will recognize many of these quilts, and quite possibly have some of them hidden under a stack...

Under the early morning sun in "le Grande Sud", on what was promising to be another very hot day last July, our good friends J & C, called us to their home to help harvest the lavander. Over the previous week, the lavander had exploded into a profusion of colour, fragrance and buzzing bees. We spent the morning enveloped in the heady fragrance of lavander, trimming the stalks and tying them into neat bundles, in preparation for the drying process. The fruits of our labours were dried, preserved and poured into sachets. Some became Christmas presents, and others continue to freshen our linens for months to come.