Seams French

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.

Every Saturday morning, throughout the year, local growers and producers set up their stalls at the market under the Arceaux. The Arceaux is an 18th Century aqueduct, 880 meters in length, that was used to bring water to the city. The local farmers sell their goods side by side with larger commercial growers and producers, along with vendors with imports from other neighbouring Mediterranean countries. However, only fresh, in season produce and products will be sold here, from the tomatoes ripened by the Meditteranean sun, to the latest batch of honey a local bee hive has just shared. If you are looking for apricots in January, you will not find them here. But if you are looking for them in June, you are in luck, because the sweetest, most flavourful apricots, as good as you have ever tasted, will be there to enjoy. As it is getting to be the height of the growing season here, the tables were sagging at Saturdays market with a variety of savoury and sweet delights; from fresh fruit...

France, like many other European countries, claims a rich heritage and tradition in "needle arts". Many new sewing techniques and fabrics from the East found their way to France through the port city of Marseilles on the Meditteranean coast. The women from 17th century Marseilles and the lower regions of Provence and Languedoc, became very talented needle workers and were well known for their meticulous workmanship. It is these women that the developed the technique known as "boutis". "Boutis", as I understand it, is two pieces of fabric sewn together in channels, forming patterns. These channels are later threaded with cording, giving relief to the design. True "Boutis" ia always hand sewn, and when held up to the light lets the light pass through. (There are a many terms for "quilting" in France, and each term describes a different type of quilting. I am only beginning to understand the different techniques and terms, and hope that...

Walking into the "room" that showcased the quilts and wearable art of Shizuko Kuroha, I felt welcomed into a world of peace and harmony. There is a quiet elegance to her work. Although her colour palette revolves mainly around indigos, it is astonishing to see the variety of shades that can be obtained from the one basic colour. Her quilts have a fluidity and 3-D quality to them that is obtained by having mastered the palette of indigo. If I may take a quote from her book, "Indigo & Sarasa", (published by "Quiltmania Magazine"), "What counts is the blend of these fabrics, how they co-exist, if they are in harmony." Shizuko Kuroha has found the way to express this in her work. The photos in order are: - Shizuko Kuroha inscribing a book I bought for my daughter - A few of her quilts on display