Boutis Florida Suncoast - Loose Stitches

Pochette for Pierrefeu completed

2012-02-13T18:57:00.001-08:00

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I have just finished the pochette for the exchange in Pierrefeu. What do you think ?

Boutis for Pierrefeu

2012-02-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

I have made some progress on the boutis pouch for Pierrefeu. All the stitching and stuffing is complete, washed, and here it is on a towel drying. Next will be to trim and attach the bias binding to form it into a small bag.

France Boutis on TV !

2012-01-31T14:42:00.000-08:00

A local TV program made a presentation on the small town of Caissargues, and France Boutis was invited to present the art of boutis to the television audience. As well as boutis, this program showed the town and some other interesting local things. The blog has a link to the 3 parts of the program, and you can look at them one after the other. There are some interesting presentations and explanations by well known boutis stitchers, as well as some up close photos of techniques.

For those of you who are not aware of France Boutis, it is a organization founded in 2007 by four passionate boutis stitchers, Annie Noual, Huguette Roux, Isabelle Thurin and Nicole Carre. The association has as its goal the transmission of knowledge of boutis and encouraging a link between boutis stitchers, either in groups or as individuals.

Here is the link to the France Boutis blog and the first part of the program, the other two were posted afterwards and you will see them listed in the blog archive:

http://franceboutis.canalblog.com/archives/2012/01/31/23384510.html

PQs BOM 2012

2012-01-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

For our Guild, the Procrastinating Quilters, Janet Roni and I are planning the BOM for 2012. We decided on a medallion style quilt with an applique center, but wanted to offer options for others who prefer to piece. The first photo shows the center cut from a very large poppy print, the second one is the center made from an "orphan" applique block I had. I am still working on the applique block planned for the quilt, it is on a black background. Janet is making the pieced blocks picked for the center. I am hoping that a lot of people will participate since there are so many options to use favorite techniques. We are splitting it up into 6 parts, and offering the patterns every second month. At the end, the quilt will be about 58" square. What do you think so far ?

7th Annual Meeting around the Boutis, Pierrefeu du Var

2012-01-13T03:30:00.000-08:00

Boutis exhibition at Pierrefeu du Var, sponsored by the association Lei Roucas dou Barri
Henriette has asked me to pass on this information in English to anyone who is lucky enough to be near Pierrefeu in March:
These two days will include 2 vendors selling boutis supplies, a bookshop selling boutis books exclusively, and 22 groups or independent boutis stitchers who will be demonstrating their expertise and working to promote the exchange of ideas.
This year we proposed making a small pouch or purse to exchange as a link between stitchers. The works will be displayed for the 2 days of the show, and then will be exchanged by pulling names out of a hat. Each pouch will leave with a different boutis stitcher, thus creating more pleasure and exchange of ideas.
Up to now 92 boutis stitchers have signed up for this exchange.

I wish I could attend, I think this will be wonderful yet again. Nevertheless, Janet and I will be there in spirit, as we are working hard to finish our pouches in time to send.

Christmas Impressions

2012-01-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

This year, we did something totally different for Christmas: we traveled as a family to Germany to spend the time there, a big change from our usual Florida Christmases. You may think this was an odd choice - leaving here where the weather is lovely this time of year, for a cold and wet climate.

We had a special reason too - we now have a small family house for our vacations, and I was anxious that the kids should be able to visit it with us and help us get organized - which they did, and we are especially grateful to our son who did a lot of work outside clearing bushes and even cutting down a tree (no small problem, the tree was hanging over our garden from the edge of the forest)

We did take some time off too, as you can see - these photos are from Kaysersberg in Alsace, the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer. Kaysersberg has a beautiful and famous Christmas market, spread throughout the small town. Although it was a cold and wet day, we still enjoyed walking around.

The house decorations are lovely and understated. Interesting arrangements of natural things and a few touches of color with ribbons are more usual than the flashing multicolored lights seen in the US.

This was especially beautiful as it started to get dark, the nativity in the square in front of the church. There is a concert in the church each Sunday afternoon of Advent, but it gets very crowded and was full before we got there.

Our daughter got her wish for some snow, here is the church in our new village. The village is a very nice and lively community, with a living Advent calendar in the days leading up to Christmas Eve. We were invited to attend and really enjoyed the warm welcome and conversations with our new neighbors.

I took this picture because it reminded me of strength and resilience in the face of adversity - something I should think about more often.

This in front of the church.

And this is a small glimpse of our house and barn. The house was built in 1898.

A view of the village from the mountain behind our house.

The chapel on the mountain directly above our house (well, maybe not directly, a half hour steep climb !)

No tree this year for us, we were working on getting the basics set up, but we had to have a little Christmas atmosphere.

You may remember this quilt ?

So here is our living room in candlelight.

Our first gift for our new house from Lou thank you so much, it is beautiful and just right - there is a niche in the wall and we put this lovely cross stitch in there.

The view from my bedroom window. I love the church tower. The bells chime each quarter hour, and count out the number of hours on each full hour after chiming all four quarters. I woke up at night a lot at first, but then I got used to it and found it comforting.

Happy New Year Bonne Annee Prosit Neujahr !

2012-01-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. I know I am a day late, but we have only just arrived back from our trip to Germany. More about that later today with some pictures.
For now, I am thinking about 2012 and what it may bring. My wish to all of you is for Peace, Health and Happiness in the coming year.

Christmas Mystery at Country Quilts 2011

2011-12-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Some of you must be quite familiar with my favorite quilt shop now, since I have posted about it several times over the past few years. The Christmas Mystery has been going on now for 10 years, and I have done them all except one, and so have a fair collection of Christmas quilts (in various stages of completion LOL). Yesterday we started at the usual time, and the ladies really outdid themselves with the packaging of the kits this year, presented very nicely in a pizza box in the order needed to use them. I forgot to take a picture, but all was tied up with a ribbon and label, it looked so pretty.
I did finish my top during the class, thanks to our teacher (she is very competitive - yes Susan I mean you !) and I really like the colors, unusual for Christmas, very fresh and pretty. I will let the pictures speak for themselves !

Pizza box kits

Ready to sew !

Have to shop too ;-)

Hard at work

Visiting and sewing

Eleanor working on her featherweight

The big reveal

The photos do not do justice to the colors of the quilt - there is ice blue, royal blue, dark prussian blue, the sashing of blocks is dark green and the inner border is LIME green - the quilt is fresh and pretty, but the colors don't show well in the shop light.

Beautiful machine quilting

Wishing you a quiet and peaceful 2nd Advent

First of Advent

2011-11-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a very peaceful and pleasant first of Advent

I managed to complete a quilt top for a gift for my sister-in-law. She doesn't read blogs so I am safe showing it to you ! I got it done just in time to send to the quilter for it to be back before our trip.

It is a fun pattern to make but a lot of stitching. This one is a good-sized lap quilt. I am hoping that the many colors will fit in with her decor.

Next up will be working on the house applique some more. That has been such a delight, I am enjoying the class and the friendship so much.
I also have a couple of Christmas quilts "not quite" finished, really silly not to have completed those by now. One is a completed top, another has a small amount of applique still to do. I am thinking about them again because next week is already the Christmas project day for this year. I will post about that next week, it is my Christmas treat to myself each year.

Happy Thanksgiving !

2011-11-24T03:54:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving

Antique Petassouns

2011-11-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

Just recently I was able to add to my collection of petassouns. These two are very firmly stuffed, finished with a bias, and have the traditional design elements. I always wonder when I see an old piece about the person who made it, whether for their own child, or as a gift, where they lived and what their lives were like. For things like this to survive so long, through two world wars and many generations, they must have been treasured.
I am still hoping to find a beautiful big "vane" one day. However, I enjoy looking at how these were made, what the stitching is like, how they were finished. There is as much variation in the old ones as we have today in terms of quality of stitching, etc.
J'ai trouve ces deux petassouns pour ajouter a ma petite collection. Ils sont tres bourres, avec une finition bias, aux motifs traditionaux. Toujours quand je regarde ces ouvrages anciens je pense a la boutisseuse, si elle l'a fait pour son enfant, ou comme cadeau, ou elle habitait et les circonstances de sa vie. On les a garde bien, pendant deux guerres mondiales et plusieurs generations.
J'ai encore l'espoir que je trouverais une vane. J'aime bien les regarder, apprendre comme on l'a fait, les finitions et la qualite du travail, comme aujourd'hui il y a beaucoup de variation.
Un bon dimanche a toutes

Dutch Tulips

2011-10-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have admired Lucy's tulip quilt for some time, and recently started working on it. I love the repro style and quirkiness of it, but I have to say I had a problem with the school bus orange. Not my color at all, and yet I realized that the orange was the key to the whole quilt. So I got out of my comfort zone, and gave it a try. I am so glad I did ! I finished the top this afternoon, all the blocks were made from stash - except the school bus orange :-) Lucy crazy pieced all her tulips, I made just a few, and used different blues for the others, the red fabric used for the center has blue and orange swirls on it. Pattern was from Quiltmania, although I drafted the center tulip pattern myself since it didn't appear to be on the pattern sheet.

Pochettes

2011-10-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

It's raining here today, and has been all day - the perfect time to get out the sewing machine and have fun indoors ! Last week I posted about the house class we are doing, and the ladies teaching had made nice little gifts for the participants. I decided it would be fun to bring something to share at the next meeting, so I made these little bags. They were a lot of fun to make - and thanks go to Madame Plume de Lin for the great tutorial. She has a couple of others too, with interesting and fun projects. Natural linen, lining made of French General fabric, and trimmed with antique lace and mother of pearl buttons.
Es regnet hier schon den ganzen Tag, ideal also fuer einen Naehtag. Ich habe diese kleinen Taschen als Mitbringsel fuer die naechste Haus-Klasse gemacht, da die Damen alles so nett eingerichtet hatten.
Schritt fuer Schritt wird das auf dem Blog von Plume de Lin erklaert.
Alors il pleut et pleut, et je suis restee a la maison - je voulais coudre ces jolies pochettes (tuto Plume de Lin) pour offrir aux copines du stage Maisons.

House Quilt

2011-10-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Who can resist a house quilt ? Yesterday I took a class to make the cover quilt from the book Friendship Strips and Scraps by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket quilts. It was in my favorite quilt shop in Clearwater, Country Quilts and Bears, and will be a 6 month project. We had a great time, it is such a pleasure to be among friends doing something we all love to do.

Here is Roni, our teacher, showing how she put her strips together. It is so much fun choosing how to lay these out, and seeing how nice they look together. It is hard for me to mix different types of prints, but in these blocks it makes them more interesting. As always, Roni was well prepared for class and we were given cute little charms and needle cases. It felt like getting presents when we opened our block and applique kits too ! Janet is in the background working on her doors and windows.

Roni even had a batik with window frames already in the print !

Here are my first two houses - the applique doors and windows are just laid out, they will be positioned properly and stitched down next. We have lovely fabrics for our applique blocks, and will be swapping some too. I think I will need to make two of these quilts !
Hope everyone is getting some stitching time today !

Two Quilts Finished !

2011-09-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have had these two done for a few weeks, but the weather has been so bad here recently that I couldn't take pictures outside. I have shown them before as tops, but now they have been quilted by Marlene at Lucky Sew and Sew, and I bound them right away. It is a great feeling to have a few things finished ! It always takes me so long to make anything, usually because of handstitching. However, this year I have actually started and finished a few things. Photos aren't great, I was hoping so show some of the nice quilting.

Sewing Pouches

2011-08-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

I love making these little sewing pouches, I have made quite a few over the last few years. You can make them a little bigger to use as toilet bags as well, great because they wash beautifully. I have two more to finish in these fabrics - I love them for boutis because they are just the right size to fit the long ball of yarn used for stuffing (not to mention my long needle !)

Petasson Finished !

2011-08-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

For a while I have been working on a new petasson. On my last trip to France, I was able to purchase a very old, very damaged petasson. When I got back I used the old one to reproduce the design, adding some changes here and there. The center had to be re-interpreted because of the damage, it was very hard to see exactly how the original motif was drawn. I have just finished it, here are a few pictures. I am really pleased that I was able to save the pattern, since the original was simply beyond any kind of repair. It has worn through in so many places.
I am also in the process of binding a couple of quilts I finished recently, and will post those when they're done. I am so pleased to be finishing a few things !! I already have a list of the next projects, of course !

Watermelon Quilt

2011-08-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a fast and fun class at Country Quilts in Clearwater to make this picnic quilt. It was so much fun to get a quilt top done in one day (and I was determined to get it done before I went home !)
Quilted by Marlene at Lucky Sew and Sew. I really think this is the fastest I have ever made a quilt - started and finished in 2 weeks ! I made it for my daughter Theresa, who loves watermelons.
And as always a couple of pictures of Amelie, who has to inspect everything which is so tiring :-)

Antique Boutis

2011-07-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am always hopeful that I will be able to expand my small collection of real, antique boutis, and so it was with great joy that I acquired two more petassons recently. These are difficult to find and sadly very expensive, so my collection will remain rather small !
Here are a few photos taken outside this morning. We have had so many thunderstorms and a lot of rain recently, so this is the first opportunity I had to take some pictures.

Je suis si contente d'avoir pu acheter ces magnifiques petassons. Je suis passionnee depuis ma decouverte du boutis, et j'espere toujours ajouter a ma collection tres petite. Les boutis sont en bon etat, bien bourres, et beaux.

Ich bin sehr gluecklich, dass ich letztens noch zwei kleine alte Boutis habe kaufen koennen. Leider sind sie extrem teuer, und obwohl ich immer gerne zu meiner kleinen Sammlung beitragen moechte, passiert das eher selten ! Diese sind in gutem Zustand, fest gefuellt und ich finde, sehr schoen.

Lei roucas dou barri - Expo Boutis 2012

2011-06-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

The wonderful provencal organization Lei roucas dou barri is planning their next boutis expo 10 and 11 March 2012. In 2010 we participated in a exchange - a wall of love - exchange of boutis hearts. It was a lovely and happy thing to do, and I have my exchanged heart hanging on a cupboard key in my living room.
You can look at the hearts we sent then here
This time, the exchange will be for a small pouch or purse.

If you are interested, here are the rules:

We suggest you create a beautiful project. Not for a competition, but as pleasure for the eyes starting from the same thread. This project will be exchanged between boutis stitchers, drawn by lots. We hope that each creative spirit will enjoying making something unique, and take pleasure in the exchange.

Three requests: original, personal design (please no reproductions)
                       fabric of your choice
                       All kinds of pouches - round, square, tubular, etc.
Dimensions:     between 10/15 and 20/25 cm (approx 4-6 by 8-10 inches)
Each pouch/purse must have a label stitched to the back with your contact details in block letters
Registration by 1st December 2011

Contact: leiroucasdoubarri@yahoo.com
http://arts-culture-traditions-provencales.overblog.com/

Grandmother Newton's "Laws O Massey" Quilt

2011-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

I showed the blocks I was working on previously, and spent this afternoon putting everything together. I had saved some indigos collected over time, and this was the perfect pattern for them. I made my quilt bigger than the pattern by adding an extra row of blocks. The pattern is from Home on the Plains (a Kansas City Star quilt book)

Amelie helped a lot by throwing everything on the floor regularly !

And I used fabric ONLY from my stash !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Favorite Things Part II

2011-06-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos from our recent trip. I have always loved this style of house, in particular the palatinate wine village house with the main house, courtyard, and smaller house opposite, with the beautiful sandstone entry. We have not been in Germany for some years in June, and I was overwhelmed by the profusion of roses everywhere.
Because of so many commitments, I have not stitched in some time, and my fingers are "itching" to do something again. I hope to have a little time this weekend. I have so many projects which are in various stages of completion, and I think I need to prioritize them and just start working down the list. That way at least some might become complete quilts !

Giveaway results

2011-06-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting the giveway results for the 100th post. I have been away as explained before.

I have two copies of Chintz Applique produced by the International Quilt Study Center, and they will go to: Nini in France and Lou in France. Please send me an email with your mailing address.

Favorite Things Part I

2011-06-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

For a sad family reason, my husband and I had to travel to Germany unexpectedly a week or so ago. We just got back very early this morning, so today I am trying to get organized. Between family commitments, we managed to spend a day in Alsace, a region I have visited many times over the years and have always loved. My husband is from a village in Germany just over the border with France, and I love it there too of course. So just for the pleasure of it, I am sharing some of my photos. Please note that this is a mixture of places - Strasbourg, Wissembourg, Seebach, some of the places in Alsace, and Rhodt in Germany.

Food is always very important, and I did forget to take pictures of most of the lovely meals we ate - hunger took over ! Anyway, here is a quick breakfast in Strassbourg (see photos above)

100th Post !!!!

2011-05-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

I have managed to write 100 posts ! This means a celebration of course, so there will be a small giveaway. Leave me a comment telling me what you like about this blog and in a few days I will randomly select numbers. I will post later about the giveaways, but one of them will be the Chintz Applique book produced by the International Quilt Study Center. Kaum zu glauben, dass ich nun 100 mal auf diesem Blog irgendwas zu erzaehlen hatte ! Grund genug fuer ein kleines Geschenk, lasst ein Kommentar ueber diesen Blog in den naechsten paar Tagen und ich werde dann Nummern ziehen. Schreibe nachher mehr ueber die kleinen Geschenke, aber eins davon ist das Buch Chintz Applique.

Over the last few weeks I have been really busy, so I didn't write anything about the PQ retreat. I took my camera, but was so absorbed that I forgot to take any pictures !! I did get some things done though, an old project finished (well, the top anyway !) and a good start on a new one:

The pink and brown tumblers have been hanging around far too long. I cut many tumblers from my pink and brown scraps, and they just seemed to grow in the basket ...... the border is a lovely raspberry toile. The quilt is very large, and big enough for a bed - I had to hang it over my fence so you can't see the top of it at all. The quilt is not stained, the marks are just shadows from the tree next to the fence. I think I still have as many tumblers now as I did when I started, so some of these might find their way into the giveaway ......

Progress was made on a new quilt:

The first three blocks are complete but not trimmed, and the other 9 have the centers complete. I love the pattern, and the blocks are very interesting to make. I think the center would make a lovely scrap quilt block, it is easy and the pieces are large enough to showcase favorite prints. The pattern is from this book:
Home on the Plains

As always at the retreat, we had an enjoyable, busy and happy time away from our usual cares. We have been doing this a long time now, about 12 years I think, and I always look forward to it.

Yesterday, I was invited by Hidden Stitches, an applique group in Largo, to teach beginners' boutis. It was a large group of ladies, about half of which were from PQs. It was a pleasure teaching them, and I hope a few will be "converted" into passionate boutisseuses. We will see ! I almost forgot to take pictures, so here are a couple at the end of class:

Also a few weeks ago, my dear friend
Lou had a birthday. As usual, I was horribly late in finishing what I had planned for her, so she received a late birthday gift. I sent her an applique book I thought she would enjoy, as well as this small quilt:

And since our cats add so much pleasure (as well as black hair) to our quilting and needlework, here is a picture of Amelie this morning:

Have a great Sunday - I plan to make the most of this Sunday, which is my first one at home in a month !

A Boutis won in Paducah !

2011-04-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am SO happy to see that a boutis piece won a prize for miniatures in Paducah ! I'm excited to see this technique getting the attention it deserves ! Made by Jan Hutchison, called Itty Bitty Boutis.
Congratulations to Jan, I know how many hours of work went into this piece.
Here is the link so you can see all the wonderful quilts which won prizes. It really is an inspiration to see the marvelous quality of work on all of these

http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2011/quilt_contest/quilt_winners.php

Happy Easter Joyeuses Paques Frohe Ostern

2011-04-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

We have a beautiful sunny day today, too hot here in Florida to hide eggs outside, but I am enjoying the weekend. Easter is my favorite holiday. I hope you all enjoy your families, good food, plenty of chocolate eggs, and of course a little stitching time.

Home on the Plains

2011-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

During my wonderful weekend at the Quilt Study Center, I had the opportunity to talk with Kathy Moore. Kathy didn't tell me that she had coauthored a book - I found that out later when I bought this signed copy. Those of you who have purchased Kansas City Star books in the past will know how beautifully presented they are, and this book is one of the best.
I have been collecting indigo fabrics for a while, and until now did not come across a quilt I wanted to make with them. Our guild retreat is coming up at the end of the month, and I had promised myself a new project - last year I took older things to work on, and somehow it felt like doing homework - so this year, new projects only for me !!!

So here is Kathy's book and the fabrics I have chosen from my indigos - this morning I am cutting it so it will be ready for retreat ! I am planning to make twelve blocks, and am using a white Kona cotton for the background.

Broderie de Marseille Exhibit in Lincoln, NE

2011-04-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

I have just got back from the Symposium, two days of bliss learning more about whitework quilts. I have been waiting to visit the exhibition for a long time, as I really wanted to see the boutis in Kathryn Berenson's collection. I had not appreciated how much more would be presented at the Symposium, and thoroughly enjoyed the presentations.
I was a little disappointed that the rest of the museum's collection are not on permanent display; they are catalogued online and you can look at them that way. I hope that sometime in the future there will be more space for more quilts to be displayed.

I mostly took photos of elements of the boutis which interested me the most, so here is a small sample of them.

Trapunto Pattern - Reproduction of Museum Quilt

2011-02-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

Recently I corresponded with Donna about an antique quilt she had shown which belongs to a local museum. At first I thought it might even be a boutis, and Donna was kind enough to go and look again and take more pictures. The quilt is a lovely white trapunto, and she had the idea of reproducing the pattern to raise money for the museum. So of course when the pattern was ready, I bought one. If you are interested, go visit her blog. The quilt is large, 88 x 88 inches, and the border is quite lovely. Donna has included her instructions for the trapunto. Of course, this could also be made as a boutis, omitting the batting, drawing in channel lines and stitching and stuffing as for the boutis. The cost is $40 plus $4.95 for priority mailing in the US. (No affiliation, of course !)

Petasson Progress - Part 2

2011-02-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

As all the US knows (and probably most other people too !) today is the Superbowl. My husband even went to an ice hockey game before the Superbowl ....... so I spent some time stitching. Here is the beginning of the stuffing, just the center and one leaf so far. Maybe I'll get some more done later.

Petasson Progress

2011-02-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am making progress on the reproduction of the antique Nimes petasson I found last year. I had made some small design changes to the original, but the main elements are all still there. I decided to make the center of the border flowers in the style known as Rosette de Petite Camargue. I love this little stitch, it adds a delicacy to the piece. However, it is HARD to cut into the fabric you have spent so many hours stitching, and I really had to take a deep breath before I did it. There are 4 total rosettes, one on each side of the piece. The rest of the design is rosemary sprigs, flowers, grapes, leaf swags, and the traditional petasson border. If I can stuff a decent amount before the end of the day, I will post another picture (might even happen - what else should I do during the Superbowl !!!)

Largo Cracker Show

2011-01-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

This morning I went to the Largo Cracker Quilters show. They had more than 200 quilts on display, all of a high standard. It's a great opportunity to meet up with other quilting friends, and just enjoy the quilts. Here are just a few of them, as always my personal favorites ;-)

I made one of these myself, only I substituted some different elements - instead of the hand, I made a smaller heart, etc.

What a clever idea to applique on top of the cat !

Mary Wigham

2011-01-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

For my last birthday I received a wonderful gift from Lou. She knows that I have never done any cross stitch, but that I love the Quaker motifs. So she made me a Mary Wigham - her second ! And she personalized it with our initials, some small birds, her own name and date. I adore it, and have now had it framed (my husband chose the setting). Go to Lou's blog http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/ to see her wonderful Mary.

Antique Applique and Thimbles

2011-01-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

I have been indulging. Yesterday my husband suggested we visit an antique fair (maybe he didn't realize the danger ???) and we had a pleasant morning browsing. I had purchased some silver thimbles from a stand I knew previously, and so was really happy to be adding to my collection. I use these thimbles, I really like the soft feel of the old silver and as Sharon says, they already know how to sew.
Then, on the way out ...... I noticed a folded quilt on a chair. A lovely old applique in red and green (my favorite), which when unfolded turned into a soft, intact, thin, beautifully quilted gem. Well, you can guess the rest .... and here it is, spread out in my garden in the morning sun. It is very clean, I think the binding has been replaced on one side and there are two small spots on the back, but otherwise perfect. The quilting is tiny, the batting extremely thin with cotton seeds visible, and there are two different greens. The border vine is still a fairly strong green with some yellow shadowing, the green used for the blocks is very "prussian" blue with yellow clearly visible.
What do you think ?

By the way - for Isabelle our dog, a quilt spread in the garden can mean only one thing LOL
Ich habe mich verwoehnt. Gestern hat mein GG vorgeschlagen, eine Antikmesse hier in der Gegend zu besuchen (hat er die Gefahr nicht erkannt ???) und wir haben einen angenehmen Vormittag verbracht. Ich kaufte einige Silberfingerhuete von einem mir bekannten Stand, und war schon sehr zufrieden, meine kleine Sammlung etwas zu vergroessern. Ich naehe immer mit diesen Fingerhueten, ich mag das weiche Gefuehl des alten Silbers, und wie Sharon immer sagt, sie koennen schon naehen.
Dann auf dem Weg nach draussen, habe ich einen Quilt auf einem Stuhl bemerkt. Schoen alt und appliziert in rot und gruen (meine Lieblingsquilts), einmal ausgepackt entpuppte er sich als weich, perfekt, duenn und sehr schoen gesteppt. Ihr koennt ja schon den Rest raten......und hier ist er, ausgebreitet in der Morgensonne. Die Stiche sind sehr klein, die Fuelle sehr duenn mit sichtbaren Baumwollsamen, und es gibt zwei unterschiedliche Gruentoene. Die Borduere ist noch sehr gruen mit gelbem Unterton, das Gruen der Bloecke ist sehr blau mit sichtbarem Gelb.
Was meint Ihr dazu ?
PS - eine ausgebreitete Decke im Garten kann fuer unseren Hund nur eines bedeuten LOL

Happy New Year !

2010-12-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing everyone near and far a very Happy New Year ! I hope you keep all your resolutions, and wish you health and happiness in the coming year.

The picture is of our dinner tonight - it has warmed up here so we were able to eat outside - paella, grilled tuna, scallops - wish I could have shared with you!

Christmas Mystery

2010-12-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

Every year, my favorite quilt shop, Country Quilts n Bears in Clearwater, FL, offers a Christmas mystery. I have gone to all of them except one, I think, and this year I was not able to go. However, I did have a kit reserved and so therefore was able to sew it for myself. I love this scrappy quilt, it was a lot of fun to sew (and I am not a good piecer !) and I am planning on making a couple more of these. I am keeping the old fashioned look and not adding a border to this one. It's about 50 x 70 inches.
I have had a Singer Featherweight for several years, but just on Sunday afternoon when I got out this kit, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get out the machine and really play with it. I enjoyed it so much that my big machine is staying in the closet for a while ! For simple piecing it is great, and I feel I can piece better because the machine is lower and I can see what I am doing.

I have written about this Christmas mystery before. It has always been a lot of fun, someone different designs the quilt each time, sometimes there is a color choice and sometimes not, there are always many participants, and it is a fun way to collect up some Christmas quilts. I still have a few of them "maturing" unfinished, but several are among my very favorite quilts. Can't wait to see what they think of for next year !

Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, Bonne Fete de Noel

2010-12-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

I wish everyone a merry Christmas, surrounded by loved ones.

Ich wuensche Euch allen frohe Weihnachten, umgeben von Euren Liebsten

Je souhaite tous et toutes Bonne fete de Noel, j'espere que toute la famille est ensemble

Meaning of "Boutis" ?

2010-12-07T04:19:00.000-08:00

I was asked recently what the meaning is of "boutis". As with many such things, the true origin of the word is lost in the mists of time, but there are some theories regarding its origin.

I would recommend that you read any publications you might have on the subject, such as Francine Nicolle's first book, and decide for yourself which derivation you prefer. There really doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer. The following is a brief summary of some opinions.

The origin of the word "Boutis" is a subject of some controversy. According to Frederic Mistral's Provencal work "Lou tresor dou Felibrige", boutis is derived from the Italian "imbottito" meaning stuffed, filled, and comes from the time when Marseille was a free port recruiting embroiderers from Sicily.
Others prefer the old name for the wooden needle used to complete this delicate work.
Yet another opinion is that the word derives from the old provencal "boutiholo" meaning bubble, or vesicle (a reference to the raised, stuffed motifs).

It is a fact that the ladies of Marseille and surroundings used their imaginations and busy fingers to create wonderful works of relief out of necessity. The beautiful cottons imported from the East, with their colorfastness and fascinating designs and reasonable price, became very popular quickly, leading the king to decree that they may not be freely sold. He did however, allow the sale of plain white cotton goods to continue unrestricted.

If you know of other sources for an interpretation of the word boutis, please write with your comments.

Feather Princesses' Show in Tampa

2010-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post pictures from this show, but work and other things have got in the way, and I am amazed that the show was already two weeks ago and I have not written about it. The Feather Princesses is a wonderful applique guild from Tampa, I am a sadly absent member most of the time since they meet during the week. However, I was able to go to the show one evening, and although every single quilt was truly beautiful, here are a few of my personal favorites.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and enjoyed the company of friends and family.

Next post I will be writing about the origins of the word "boutis" since I had a question about that recently.

Boutis Treasure

2010-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

I was very lucky on my travels to come across a very old, very damaged little petasson. It was love at first sight of course and I wanted to purchase it. The stallholder, however, said that it was not for sale, she keeps it only to explain to tourists what a real boutis is. So we continued to talk for a while about all things boutis, it was a pleasant conversation. Imagine my surprise when she said that after all, she would be willing to sell it to me since I have some knowledge of the boutis and it would be in safe hands. According to the seller, this petasson is from the Nimes area. I have not dared to wash it yet, but I have traced the pattern and I am going to stitch it again myself, so that the original can be preserved but we can enjoy the pattern and work it represents. I did have to re-interpret the center somewhat, it is very damaged and there were a couple of areas where I could not see exactly what the design was. I hope I have stayed true to the spirit though.

International Quilt Study Center - Exhibition on Marseille corded quilting

2010-11-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

There is a major exhibition starting this month at the International Quilt Study Center on Marseille whitework/corded quilting - well, what we call boutis. It is curated by Kathryn Berenson, and she has written a new book to accompany this exhibit. I received mine last week (ordered through Amazon) and for those as passionate about the history of boutis as I am, it is a treasure.

The study center allows one to sign up to receive a link to a quilt of the month, and you've guessed it, this month it is a petasson with a link to three more.

So just for the pleasure of looking here is the link: www.quiltstudy.org/collections/quilt_of_the_month

What has impressed me is that the photos are of wonderful quality. It is very difficult to show the detail on these white items and you can really see the relief in detail.

You can also browse the collections of the Quilt Study center, which I think is absolutely marvellous - there is so much to see and you can do it from the comfort of your own computer !

Que la France est belle !

2010-10-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more glimpses of our time in Provence. There is even a picture of myself, Lou, and Isabelle from our day in Marseille to visit the Chateau Gombert.

It is a real pleasure for me to spend the days quietly, with a free choice of what to do, and looking at old buildings. Where we live in Florida, there is nothing really old, so I appreciate the sense of permanence there always is in old buildings.

We also really enjoy the fall days, again something we rarely see here. With the weather becoming colder towards the end of our trip, there was a definite change in the leaf colors and the view over vineyards, turning from golden to red.

Expo Boutis at Calvisson

2010-10-23T05:27:00.001-07:00

On Friday October 8th, Lou and I went to the exhibition at the Foyer Communal in Calvisson, which is on the subject of boutis every two years. Alternate years there is a different topic.

We wanted to listen to the lectures, which were given by Francine Nicolle, Mme Alphand on the subject of Jupons Jardiniers, and M. Combe on the subject of his armoires-creches. The pictures here of the jupons jardiniers were taken with the express permission of the owner - an announcement was made during the conference that an exceptional permission was given by Mme Alphand to photograph the exhibited two jupons.

There were a number of boutis exhibited, traditional designs and mostly reproductions of antiques shown in Mme Nicolle's books. There was no permission given for photos. The Tristan quilt was exhibited in the middle of the room, showing a true-to-original reroduction in linen and ecru thread.

We met up with Nini http://ninipetitsboutis.blogspot.com for lunch at the Crepe Savante, and spent a pleasant afternoon together talking about (what else !) boutis and stitching ..... reading books about (you guessed it !) boutis and discussing the regional differences in presentation and stitching. Nini commented that the stitching, stuffing and overall appearance of boutis in this area is finer than that further south, where it is sturdier and stitches are bigger. She made me a lovely gift of a little "cigale" and a beautiful lavender sachet which you can see on the top photo. I bought a couple of patterns and a lovely book on local costume.

We spent some time in the Maison du Boutis as well, which I actually enjoyed more than the expo. The pieces are simply exquisite, and it is a real pleasure to look at them and marvel at the detail, workmanship, and the fact that they have survived so much in such wonderful condition. There were many people there that day, and it was such a pleasure to listen to everyone's comments and see what they enjoyed about each piece.

Brocante in Arles

2010-10-21T02:25:00.001-07:00

Lou and I went to Arles on the first Wednesday for the brocante market. It was a bright and sunny day, ideal for wandering along looking for treasures. We both bought a "pique fleurs" to hold our embroidery scissors, such a great new use for the old-fashioned vases which were never very kind to flowers anyway ! Lou spotted hers first (she has a very sharp eye LOL) and so she got a very nice one with a base of pewter and elegant little feet. I bought a very nice monogrammed linen sheet, a long rectangular table runner ideal for my long table, and of course the pique-fleurs. We spent some time looking at old embroidery newspapers, there were even some with our birth years ...... no, I will not tell how old we are !

Afterwards we had a great lunch at an unusual restaurant serving tajine and couscous ..... and then we went in search of (what else !) a little quilt shop. Such a pleasure to visit this tiny shop in a very quiet and unexpected corner and chat with the owner, Cornelia Pradel. She has been featured in a number of French quilting magazines.

The next post will be about the expo in Calvisson .......

Vide Grenier at Sorgues

2010-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Lou received an invitation from Claire for us to go to the vide grenier at the Monastere de la Visitation in Sorgues on the first day of our arrival in Provence. We really didn't know what to expect, it was the last day of the sale and we could not go until the end of the day. And we would not have found it without the GPS to guide us. But what a surprise ! I really bought very little since I was so overwhelmed, but here are my treasures, just as Lou has already shown you hers.

I felt a little sad, the monastery was closing since there were just two nuns remaining, so the contents of the house were being sold. When we saw the piles of suitcases and glasses, I had to think of the young women arriving to begin their new lives there, and who would not need those suitcases in future. I am especially fond of the napkins I bought, they are all monogrammed, and marked in red thread with an R and the cross for the monastery. Some of the laundry marks are stitched very proficiently, and others are clearly the work of new stitchers.
It was an amazing, and touching afternoon, and one that I will remember for a long time.

Boutis - Prize at Jacksonville Quiltfest

2010-10-19T04:15:00.001-07:00

In a previous post I showed some photos of my recently completed vanne - and I am delighted to say that it won 2nd place in Other Techniques at Jacksonville, as well as the Judge's Recognition ribbon. I am very grateful, especially as I hope that others who saw the piece will be interested in learning how to stitch boutis, and discover more about this delightful art of the needle.

La belle France

2010-10-19T03:41:00.000-07:00

I have just spent two wonderful weeks in Provence, getting back on Sunday night just before all the major problems started with fuel, etc. Lou at http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com has already written about some of our adventures on her blog, and in the coming days I will be adding some posts of my own about that. It was simply wonderful to walk around, choose restaurants for lunch, not have to check the time frequently, and just enjoy life. So here are a couple of photos to whet your appetite, there is more to come !

Courtepointe aux Oiseaux

2010-09-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

For the last two and a half years or so, I have been working on a boutis from Francine Nicolle's book Symboles dans la broderie au boutis.

It is a beautiful adaptation of an antique, and really the only way to own a piece like this, is to make your own ! I learned a lot along the way, and some of the stitching is not how I would like it to be, as well as the stuffing, but the next one I make will benefit from the learning curve.

TODAY it is finally finished !

I did not count the hours, but there must have been many, many hundreds. In the last few months, having set myself the goal of finishing before this year's trip to France, I worked on it in earnest every day. In every spare minute.

My husband, patient man though he is, and used to threads around the house, asked me quietly recently if I thought we could start going out at the weekends again soon. Well, I suppose we can until I start the next project ......

Anyway, here are photos - couldn't wait to show you in the daylight, I will add some tomorrow. Let me know what you think. As always, a big thank you to Lou http://www.blogger.com/www.boutisetcie.blogspot.com my first boutis teacher !

Waehrend der letzten 2 1/2 Jahre habe ich fleissig an einem Boutismuster aus dem Buch von Francine Nicolle, Symboles dans la broderie au boutis gearbeitet. Es ist einem alten Muster nachgemacht, und wenn frau so etwas will, muss frau eigentlich ihr eigenes machen. Ich habe dabei recht viel gelernt, die Stickqualitaet ist auch nicht ganz was ich mir wuenschen wuerde, aber das kommt wohl dem naechsten Boutis zugute.

HEUTE ist es fertiggeworden !

Die Stunden, die ich dabei verbrachte, habe ich nicht gezaehlt, aber es muessen einige Hunderte gewesen sein. In den letzten Monaten, habe ich es mir zum Ziel gemacht, das Boutis vor unserem diesjaehrigen Urlaub fertigzustellen, und habe wirklich jede freie Minute damit verbracht.

Mein geduldiger, an Faedchen gewohnte GG, fragte letztens leise, ob wir vielleicht irgendwann mal wieder am Wochenende fortgehen koennten ....na ja, vielleicht bis ich was Neues wieder anfange ...

Also, hier gibt's die Bilder, ich konnte gar nicht bis zum morgen warten, ich mache bei Tageslicht noch einige. Was meint Ihr denn dazu ? Und wie immer herzlichen Dank an Lou http://www.blogger.com/www.boutisetcie.blogspot.com meine erste Boutislehrerin.

ENFIN, mon boutis du livre de Francine Nicolle Symboles dans la broderie au boutis. Je suis si contente qu'il soit enfin termine, apres plus de 2 1/2 ans de travail/plaisir. Je me souhaiterais d'avoir une plus belle qualite, mais je dois dire, pendant ce travail j'ai beaucoup appris, et tout sera mieux pour le prochain ouvrage. Et comme toujours, un grand merci a Lou ma premiere professeur http://www.blogger.com/www.boutisetcie.blogspot.com ainsi que toutes les dames qui continuent en respect de la tradition.

V&A and Penshurst Place

2010-08-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in London is visit the V&A. I have been many times, and never get tired of it. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit for the quilt exhibition, but I did buy the book from Amazon and have enjoyed looking through it.

This time, I took my daughter, who was patient enough to help me look through the textile samples. I was specifically looking for anything that looked like boutis, or could be related to boutis - and I was not disappointed ! Initially searching through the whitework samples, I didn't find anything, but once I moved to quilting I saw a sample piece that I thought was exactly right and the right time period. It was a pillow cover described as "Cotton quilted with linen, backstitch. English first half of 18th century". It had the typical flowers and vines, plus an unusual star motif. I was thrilled, how did that stitcher find the pattern, know about the cording, and so on ? Please contact me if you can shed some light on this type of stitching in England.

Being English, and loving gardens, I can usually find time to visit a country house with a nice garden, and this visit was no exception. We visited Penshurst Place in Kent, a lovely old home with a beautiful garden. I have been before a number of years ago, but still enjoyed the beautiful house with its antiques and comfortable sense of history

I have almost finished my large boutis piece, more on that at the beginning of next week .....

English Gardens

2010-08-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure to spend a few days in London with my family. Contrary to popular belief LOL England is not always rainy, and we had a dry and sunny week. I love English gardens, and it is always a great pleasure to me to see hanging baskets, mixed borders, window boxes etc. as well as the baskets hanging from lampposts in just about every village, as well as London suburbs.
We also spent a day in Deal, a small seaside town about an hour's drive from my parents' house, and I couldn't resist photographing the wonderful baskets hanging outside a pub and guesthouse. We even walked (well, staggered) on the pebbly beach, and put a toe in the water - not warm enough for us spoiled Floridians ! Mum likes whelks, so we took some home for her, and I felt that I had spent a summer day back in my childhood - windy, pebbly beaches, ice cream and a walk on the pier.

Gift from Angelika

2010-08-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Angelika knows that I love old needlework tools, and has sent me this wonderful marking wheel she found recently for my birthday. She is a person who makes beautiful pouches and cases for things, and so the wheel came with its own beautiful case. Thank you so much, it is a great birthday gift which I really appreciate. Visit Angelika at http://www.onlyangelika.blogspot.com/ especially if you like knitting, Angelika knits beautifully. As a matter of fact, I think she is good at everything she does :-)

Magnificent Mary

2010-08-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have spent just over a week in London, starting on my birthday. So I did not see the magnificent gift Lou made for me until this morning - I got back last night and was too tired to open mail - even the "interesting" looking stuff !

I did know that this was in progress, as Lou had asked me to choose the color. I have not seen a Mary "live" and so was not prepared for the beauty of the piece. Although I have been following Needleprint's blog, and have seen many photos, it must be said that the "real thing" is many times more beautiful. Lou has added her own personal touches, my initials and those of my family, and has made it a treasure which I will always cherish. Thank you from the bottom of my heart :-)

Accomplishments of Friends - Catherine's Innocent Love

2010-07-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Catherine is a member of our small boutis group here. She has made several very attractive original ornaments in boutis and recently submitted one of them to Piecework magazine. And .... drum roll please !!!! ..... Catherine's boutis ornament won an Honorable Mention and is featured in the newest edition of the magazine. Catherine tells me she was able to get a copy of the new mag today, so we can show her contribution. This is what she says about the design:

"The heart and daisy in the boutis stuffed heart ornament "Innocent Love" was designed in Electric Quilt 6. The daisy has 13 petals on purpose so the game "He loves me, he loves me not" ends with "He loves me". In the boutis tradition this ornament has symbolism. The color white means innocence, the daisy means innocent love, and the heart symbolizes love, not to mention the game "He loves me". The daisy is backstitched to give the motif a continuous outline. It is made entirely by hand".

I love the fact that Catherine incorporated symbolism, so important to boutis pieces, and piqure de marseille in her stitching. Congratulations and may you continue to make many more award-winning boutis !

The Accomplishments of Friends ......and a surprise

2010-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

The lovely surprise this week was an envelope from Hiromi in Japan containing the newest Patchwork Tsushin. This is a very special edition for the boutis, and not only is there a beautiful and colorful report about the Maison du Boutis in Calvission and Francine Nicolle, but also lovely photos of Mme Gaussen and her work. These two ladies were pioneers in the renaissance of the boutis, and we have a lot to be thankful to them for.

Hiromi and I both learned the boutis from Lou (please visit her blog boutis et cie link on the right). She is a patient and diligent teacher, and you can see that Hiromi has gone on to make her teacher proud !

The center photo shows you the beautiful original boutis cushions that Hiromi made which are included in the magazine. Her work is exquisite, always elegant and delicate, and I am so proud to see her work published. I have asked her a few times if she will have her patterns published. The picture on the right of the cushions is not very clear (sorry poor photography skills here !) but shows a larger and very beautiful boutis. Please visit Hiromi's blog (see bar on the right) for more of her work.

The last photo is of the cover of the magazine, in case you can find a copy for yourself...... there are some interesting patterns for small boutis in it, as well as detailed step by step instructions.

And on the 6th July, I will be able to post about Catherine's accomplishment ..... Catherine is a member of our boutis group and has had a lot of success recently with her boutis designs.

Happy 4th to all here in USA

Exhibition in Langlade, Gard

2010-06-10T03:21:00.000-07:00

I have received an invitation about an exhibition in Langlade, the heritage day at the local windmill. I wish I were visiting next week when this is to be held ! For textile lovers, there is a collection of traditional shawls in cashmere, there is a market of local products and of course meals and music. If you will be nearby, go if you can ! Langlade, 19 and 20 June 2010.

Provencal Scraps

2010-05-31T05:18:00.000-07:00

I had a small bag of scraps of provencal fabrics bought at a quilt show, none of the pieces were very big and I wanted to make the best use of them. I pieced a top hardly cutting the fabrics at all, just rearranged them to make the most of them. I used the top a few times to transport my boutis, and yesterday I decided to finish it. Simple quilting, because this quilt is only going to be used to roll up and protect the boutis !!!!

Boutis Finishing CLass

2010-05-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a finishing class in West Pasco, with 10 delightful ladies participating. While I did take my camera, I forgot to take any photos.
As I was setting up the handouts for the class, I realized how very many options we have for finishing a boutis, much more than I had originally thought. I enjoyed the class a lot and hope the ladies who participated will continue on with the boutis and love it as I do. We had one lady who had made another version of the beginner class project stuffed with colored yarn, which gives a soft shadow effect on the finished piece. It was very pretty and she had done such a good job !

Pour nos amies en France, je vous souhaite une bonne fete des meres - j'espere que toutes les familles sont ensemble et vous passez une bonne journee.

Happy Mothers' Day Bonne Fete des Meres Beste Wuensche zum Muttertag

2010-05-09T05:46:00.001-07:00

Happy Mothers' Day to everyone ! Not much blooming outside just now, but these flowers are for all of you. We have all experienced a lot of joy with our children, and some heartache too. I hope yours have all remembered you today, and I wish you a wonderful day with your families.

Procrastinating Quilters Retreat

2010-05-04T04:11:00.000-07:00

Every year our quilt guild spends a weekend down at Dayspring in Ellenton for two days of fun, stitching, eating ......you get the idea. This weekend we were wondering just how long we have been doing this, and I think it is at least 8 years. I set up the first one when I was guild president, and I am pleased to say that the tradition has continued

We are spoiled, we stay in little cabins, and have three meals a day cooked for us. No cleanup necessary ! We have a large meeting room to set up our sewing, and we can sew to our hearts' content.

Here are a few pictures of the projects that were finished, and some of the ladies busy at work, so you can get an idea. I am already looking forward to next year !

Oh, the red quilt center is what I was working on - this is just the center, I have made many more blocks but did not have time to put them together yet.

Hearts from Pierrefeu

2010-04-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

With great delight I received the hearts from Pierrefeu. Thanks to Lou, who collected the hearts for us and sent them over. Some of them have wonderful Provencal lavender inside, they smell heavenly.

I really enjoyed doing this, so if Henriette plans on it again for next year, we will certainly participate. There is nothing happier than the sharing of a hobby, as I am sure all you quilters and boutisseuses will agree LOL

Un grand merci a toutes les dames qui ont fait un travail superbe. Nous allons conserver precieusement les coeurs que vous avez fait pour nous.

Mystery Quilt Day

2010-04-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

The quilt guild I belong to has a mystery quilt day each year, one Saturday in the spring. I have not always been able to go, but have always enjoyed the ones I attended. This last Saturday was the mystery day this year, and here are some of the photos of the finished tops (some of them are even quilted too !) The mystery is planned by a group of ladies in the guild, and this year's theme was "waste not, want not" - the idea was to use up fabric you already had in your stash. I used lots of different blues, and will show you mine when it is finished (I hope you are prepared to wait LOL !)

Anyway, I am sure you will agree that they came up with a great idea, and it was a fun time.

Boutis Show Pierrefeu du Var

2010-03-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the association Lei Roucas dou Barri had a wonderful boutis show in France. I wish I could have been there ! The next best thing though, has been to look at the beautiful photos of fantastic boutis pieces. We are lucky that www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com has provided us with a lovely album to look at. Go to Lou's blog and click on the link in the text for "Exposition Pierrefeu". Nini also took lots of photographs, and she kindly made an album for others to enjoy - go to her blog at www.ninipetitsboutis.blogspot.com and click on the link "ICI quelques photos" and you will find her pictures.

It is so inspirational to be able to see such exquisite work, imagine how many hours went into making these pieces ! As I looked at them, I decided to try harder to make my work as exquisite - it's good to have a goal !

We participated in the heart exchange (you will see photos of the many hearts on the red wall in some of the photos) and I hear that there were 170 hearts ! These were then exchanged, so we are waiting excitedly to see what comes back from France for us here ! It was such a great idea of Henriette's to do this, now we will have contact with other ladies in France who share the same passion.

Merci a toutes pour l'inspiration, je suis completement eblouie par ces ouvrages, tout si parfait et original.

Boutis Class

2010-03-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I taught a beginning boutis class at the West Pasco quilt guild. They have been very supportive of my boutis efforts, and welcomed Nicole to teach there last year (it is almost a whole year ago - amazing). I enjoyed the class a lot, the ladies were interested and were doing very nice work already - it is such a pleasure to teach a motivated and talented group ! Thanks to Anne for the photo.

In a couple of weeks I will be teaching a finishing techniques class. It seemed to me that finishing techniques are often ignored in beginning classes, as there is very little time to cover everything and get some stitching done in one day. I have developed a notebook style class in which we will cover about half a dozen different, interesting finishes.

So if you are in the area and want to take a class in boutis, let me know !

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T07:29:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone ! I hope that whatever you are doing today, you have a moment to be happy and joyful with someone you love, whoever that may be ;-)

One more heart !

2010-02-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here is Catherine's heart for Pierrefeu - hope to get two more tomorrow and then I will mail them all. Catherine made a little map of Florida on the back of her heart, it's very cute.

Boutis Owl

2010-02-11T02:43:00.001-08:00

Here is another beautiful boutis made by another lady in our small group, Catherine. She entered this lovely little owl in a local show and won three blue ribbons ! Congratulations to Catherine, who is at home now recuperating from surgery.

Hearts in Boutis - Part Deux !

2010-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

I received these lovely photos today from Sharon - she is one of the earliest members of our little group here and does glorious, careful work. The second photo is of her completed piece from Nicole's beginner class here in March 2009, which she entered in the Manatee County Fair - and you can see that it won first prize ! I am very proud, because I feel that the work we are doing in our little group is of very high quality and in respect of the tradition.

The first photo is of Sharon's heart for the Pierrefeu exchange - another beautiful piece of work. Congratulations to Sharon for her prize and her lovely heart - she has big plans for her next pieces so I look forward to showing those !

Hearts in Boutis

2010-02-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Our little group here is participating in the exchange of hearts for the mur d'amour at the boutis show in Pierrefeu du Var next month. We have to get ours ready early because of sending them to France. I did post about the show a few times, but you can also visit the link at right (mame83).

These are the first two, Janet's and mine, and I will post photos of the others as I receive them - we are planning on having 6 to send so keep your fingers crossed that everyone has time to finish !

Unsere kleine Gruppe hier beteiligt sich an der Auslosung von Boutisherzen bei der Ausstellung in Pierrefeu naechsten Monat. Wir muessen natuerlich eher fertig sein, weil ich sie mit der Post schicken muss. Ich habe schon ueber diese Ausstelling geschrieben, aber wer moechte, kann den link rechts besuchen (mame83

Diese sind die ersten zwei, von Janet und mir, ich werde Fotos von den anderen zeigen wie ich sie bekomme - wenn alles planmaessig laeuft, werden wir 6 schicken, also drueckt uns die Daumen dass alles zeitig fertig wird !

Voici les premiers deux coeurs pour l'echange du mur d'amour a l'exposition Pierrefeu du Var. Nous voulons envoyer 6 coeurs, j'espere que tous seront bientot finis !

Fil Blanc (White Thread) of France Boutis

2010-02-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

In the latest issue of Fil Blanc (No. 9, 15 Jan 2010) Annie Noual of France Boutis, and Claude Pasquie of Loisirs en Garrigue, were kind enough to write articles about my visit last October. I wrote about this when I got back from France, and the pictures are there (Oct 2009 - check it out) It was such a wonderful time, and so much fun to share a common interest with the ladies who have done so much to keep the boutis alive and growing. As Annie says, I was a little apprehensive about learning how to make the lampshade, but under her expert tuition, I was able to complete it and hand-carry it all the way back to Florida - it only suffered *slightly* when I sat on it in the plane :-) Lou at http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/ got everything ready for me so I wouldn't have to bring so much (and she didn't sit on her lampshade ! - and even made by hand the beautiful pottery base for it - go and look at her blog).

Spoiled even more !

2010-02-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

We have just spent a long weekend on a cruise from Tampa to Cozumel - here are a few pictures for all of you buried in snow still. It was a quiet few days, and great weather until yesterday, where we had a long and rainy day at sea. What this has to do with the boutis ? Nothing, except I did spend the rainy afternoon working on my heart for Pierrefeu - got most of the stitching done, too !

Spoiled !

2010-01-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky enough to have received two gifts this week - wonderful handknitted socks from http://www.onlyangelika.blogspot.com/ Angelika, and a beautiful book from Nicolehttp://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/ with lovely projects I can use some of the Rouenneries fabrics with. Thanks so much, it has really cheered me up. What would we do without the kindness of friends, the world would be a sadder place !

Rouenneries Fabrics

2010-01-24T03:42:00.000-08:00

I am so delighted with the new fabrics I ordered and just received - they are absolutely to my taste and just gorgeous ! The line is Rouenneries by Moda, I have been thinking about ordering these since about November, but with all the holidays, etc. it wasn't a good time. Now I have got them, I want more ! In my opinion, these are the best and most authentic looking French designs I have seen in a new collection, and the fact that they have a cotton-linen blend toile that is wider is very French. I should probably say that I have no affiliation, etc.etc. LOL

I think a pieced quilt would be great for these, and I have been looking at all the wonderful patterns Bonnie Hunter shares on her website http://www.quiltville.com/ Bonnie has a great system for scrap quilts, and if you visit her site you will see what I mean - be prepared to spend some time reading about how best to use scraps !

Ich bin vollkommen begeistert von den neuen Stoffen die ich gerade bestellt und gleich erhalten habe, sie entsprechen ganz meinem Geschmack und sind sehr schoen. Es handelt sich um Moda Rouenneries, und ich habe schon seit November vor, diese zu bestellen, aber mit allen Feiertagen usw. ging das nicht. Jetzt wo ich sie habe, will ich noch mehr ! Meines Erachtens sind sie die besten und authentischsten franz. Muster, die ich in einer neuen Kollektion gesehen habe, und ich finde es sehr franzoesisch, dass es sogar einen breiteren Baumwoll-Leinen Stoff mit Toilemuster gibt. Vielleicht sollte ich noch sagen, dass ich keinerlei Verbindung zur Firma habe LOL !

Ich denke, ein Patch waere am besten, und ich habe mir Bonnie Hunter's viele Muster angeschaut http://www.quiltville.com/. Bonnie ist die Koenigin der scrap quilts, ihr werdet sehen - frau soll einige Zeit einplanen, um durch die vielen Beitraege zu stoebern.

Voici mes nouveaux tissus Moda Rouenneries - c'est absolument mon gout et je trouve qu'ils sont tres reussis, enfin les nouveaux tissus dessin vraiment francais. Je pense un Patch serait tres beau, et je suis allee voir http://www.quiltville.com/ les bons patrons de Bonnie Hunter - la reine des scrap quilts ! Il faut rester un peu chez Bonnie, lire toutes ses astuces a propos des scraps, et voir beaucoup de jolis patrons.

Happy Sunday - hope everyone gets some time to sew today !

Boutis Show Pierrefeu du Var

2010-01-17T15:25:00.001-08:00

If you get the chance, please go to this wonderful show in Pierrefeu of boutis exhibited by the ladies of Lei Roucas dou Barri - I wish I could go, but I am participating by sending a heart for the mur d'amour du boutis exchange. These ladies do very beautiful work, and I am sure you will not be disappointed if you can go. If you have questions, contact Henriette at mame83@free.fr.

Boutis heart - revised

2010-01-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

I have redrawn the leaves and I like them better. Now it looks like something is missing at the bottom of the heart. I will have to think about that !

Boutis Heart for Pierrefeu du Var exchange

2010-01-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have procrastinated long enough about drawing a heart for this exchange (for details visit Henriette's blog - see the link boutis de mame 83 at right) and I was quite happy with this attempt until I took the picture ! I don't mean about it facing the wrong way (I am a bit edit challenged) but the whole balance does not seem right to me now I have seen it. Those leaves stick out too much and look stiff, I think they should curve downwards, possibly upwards, and I will try that next.

I am really glad I took the picture, because I was going to start stitching tonight - but have to fix the leaves first !

Antique Needlework Tools

2010-01-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

I love small needlework tools in silver, and I do wish I could have a large and varied collection. However, these things are hard to find, and of course are expensive. This first picture shows everything together, I do have two contemporary thimbles and their cage in this picture, as well as a reproduction silver needlecase, the rest are antique. The front needlecase is Dutch silver, which I have had for many years and was my very first purchase of this kind,
These are the new thimbles, thimble case and needle case I added to my collection for Christmas. I was delighted to be able to find them, and just love them for what they are - I do not have a system of types or manufacturers, just what appeals to me at the time - most of all, I love those that have been used - paradoxically, these are not as valuable generally as the pristine examples, but, as my friend Sharon says, they already know how to sew, and that is why I love them.

Here are some close ups - the needlecase on the left is from Birmingham, England, hallmark dates to 1899. The thimble in the middle, also Birmingham hallmark 1891, is my favorite, as it is the most worn along one side, just the way I stitch myself.

Aren't they beautiful ?

I hope you are enjoying the start of 2010, I went shopping yesterday with my friend and am now set for the New Year ! As with most people, I have a vague list of resolutions, but have purchased calendars, to-do-lists, and notebooks because I am determined to be better organized this year. Of course, I have a long list of works in progress and UFOs, at the very TOP of this list is finishing my large boutis, which has had no attention for some months now. Hope you all get some sewing time today !

Happy New Year Bonne Annee Prosit Neujahr

2010-01-01T05:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2010 to everyone, wishing you health and success the whole year, and plenty of stitching time !

Merry Christmas Frohe Weihnachten Joyeux Noel

2009-12-24T10:02:00.001-08:00

To everyone, may you enjoy a peaceful and joyous Christmas with your families

Symbolism in Boutis

2009-12-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have been showing a lot of pictures of late, so I thought that, with a nod to the time of year when we think more about traditions, I could discuss a few of the symbols associated with the boutis. The wonderful thing to me about this work is that, in addition to the fine needlework and exquisite finishing that we admire, the pieces had real meaning to their makers. Sometimes we talk about our needlework being cheaper than a therapist, or helping keep us sane, but I think with the boutis a lot of hope was stitched into the work, at least that is my interpretation.

Designs used for marriage "jupons" and "vanes", for example hearts, all kinds of flowers for example cornflowers symbolizing the enchantment of love, fruit like pomegranates, vases and jars, shells meaning hospitality (especially the scallop shells marking the pilgrim trail of St Joseph of Compostela), fans, keys (for power and prosperity) and lyres (divine power, poetry music and harmony). There were often geometric forms such as squares and lozenges, and stars, all of which could be stuffed with smaller geometric shapes. When you look at a boutis, the types of flowers chosen and their individual meanings, as well as other designs (such as ears of wheat signifying wealth) will reveal a lot about the hopes and dreams of the "boutisseuse".

Some flowers and leaves were reserved for the petassons (petassoun), the small presentation boutis for the newborn, which were decorated with acanthus or oak leaves (meaning strength) and acorns, marguerites, dainty daisies (purity) and hydrangeas, sometimes birds. The central motif of the petassons could be a stylized star, with the channels usually running diagonally across the piece, and a scalloped edge richly stuffed. The symbolic designs used in the vanes and jupons will not appear on the petasson.

The examples mentioned are by no means exhaustive, there are many wonderful pieces to study and many more symbols to unlock. Even today, those ladies practising this art in its original home consider that a boutis design has to be considered, mulled over and carefully designed, as it is not a work to be undertaken lightly if one is to truly respect the tradition.

Small Finish

2009-12-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

I have finished the first pochette, but I am not happy with how it turned out. However, I did learn something about how best to put one together when using mixed fabrics. I did think about taking it apart and redoing, but honestly, it was a learning experience and I will put that to good use on the next one. So here it is !

Ich habe das erste Taeschchen fertiggenaeht, bin aber damit nicht zufrieden. Ich habe allerdings etwas dazugelernt, wie man das am besten anpackt wenn man unterschiedliche Stoffe nimmt. Ich habe mir ueberlegt, ob ich nicht alles auseinandernehme und neu mache, aber so schlimm ist es nicht und ich mache das Naechste bestimmt besser - also entscheidet selbst !

Thankful !

2009-11-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

We have wonderful neighbors, and for the past several years, we have shared our Thanksgiving meal together, both cooking and eating together. We eat at our house, and this year we also had some lovely things from France to add to our menu - caviar d'aubergines, anchoiade, and calissons, as well as the wine we bought in St Emilion and some interesting aperitifs. As usual, we stuffed a big turkey, made sweet potatoes, the traditional green bean casserole, corn souffle, cranberry sauce, cauliflower and broccoli, gravy, rolls, our daughter made pumpkin pie, and I made some red wine pears, a favorite for dessert. Here are a few photos of our feast- and I am thankful for all of it !

Wir haben sehr nette Nachbarn, und seit einigen Jahren feiern wir Thanksgiving zusammen, teilen das Kochen und essen zusammen. Wir essen immer bei uns zu Hause, und dieses Jahr hatten wir auch sehr schoene aus Frankreich mitgebrachte Sachen, z.B. caviar d'aubergines, anchoiade, und calissons, sowie Wein aus St Emilion und einige schoene Aperitife. Wie immer, haben wir einen grossen Truthahn gefuellt, haben Suesskartoffeln, ueberbackene gruene Bohnen, Maissouffle, Preiselbeersosse, Blumenkohl und Broccoli, und Broetchen vorbereitet, unsere Tochter hat Kuerbispies gebacken und und ich machte noch Rotweinbirnen, ein Lieblingsnachtisch. Hier sind einige Fotos von unserem Fest - und ich bin dankbar fuer alles !

New Pochettes

2009-11-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

After Lou http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com encouraged us to show the pochettes we have made, I decided to set up a couple as I had been wanting to do this for a while. Because of the time of year, I chose a horn of plenty for one (the photo doesn't show the color well, it is a brighter blue), and a compilation of flowers for the other - this will have the body of the pochette in a print, and just the flap will be white batiste.

Nachdem Lou http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com uns gebeten hat, unsere Taeschchen in diesem Muster zu zeigen, wollte ich noch etwas vorbereiten, was ich eigentlich schon lange vorhatte. Wegen der Jahreszeit habe ich ein Horn of Plenty (mir faellt nun das deutsche Wort nicht ein) in blau fuer eine Tasche ausgesucht - die Farbe ist staerker als auf dem Bild zu sehen - und Blumen fuer die andere.

Lampshade in Boutis

2009-10-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Nicole persuaded me to try a lampshade class in boutis during my trip. She was even so gracious and stitched the boutis for me so we would be ready for class. Of course, the day we did it I was not feeling too well - something about too much cheese and wine on vacation ;-))

I really had fun doing this and definitely will make another one. First I have to find the necessary supplies. What do you think about how it turned out ?

Thanks to Annie Noual for the class and her hospitality.

Nicole hat mich ueberredet, einen Lampenschirmkurs waehrend des Urlaubs zu machen. Sie hat sogar alles fuer mich vorgenaeht, damit ich nicht alles von hier schleppen musste. Natuerlich war es dann auch so, dass mir am Kurstag sehr schlecht war - die allgemeine Meinung war, zuviel Kaese und Wein im Urlaub (koennte ja auch stimmen ;-)

Entgegen meiner Erwartung hat es viel Spass gemacht, und ich werde sicherlich noch einen machen. Erst muss ich alles Notwendige hier finden.

Danke auch an Annie Noual fuer den Kurs und ihre Gastfreundlichkeit.

Merci Annie Noual pour ce stage et ta gentillesse. Je suis tres contente de l'avoir fait, et je voudrais faire encore un. Il faut trouver les fournitures ici.

Antique Courtepointe

2009-10-19T15:58:00.001-07:00

Nicole www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com and I went shopping in St Remy - and the first thing we saw, literally the first thing when we got out of the car (my husband was very patient with our shopping and always let us out before having to look for parking), was this wholecloth quilt. It is old, the fabrics are sturdy but not very inspiring, but the pattern of the stitching is very nice. It is made in the traditional French way with edges folded in not bound, and I really like the unusual pattern. I have washed it several times (it was very dirty) and there is one small spot, but otherwise it is in good condition. I am going to trace a quarter of the pattern, it is so nice it is worth making again !

First Prize Miniatures in Jacksonville !

2009-10-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely delighted that this small boutis won first place in the miniatures category at the Jacksonville show www.quiltfestjax.com The basket of flowers is the original class piece designed by Nicole for the classes she taught here in March at West Pasco, and she offered me the piece as a gift. I thought that I might surprise her and entered it in the show (together with my large piece that I wasn't able to finish), and I was very happy to find out, when I got home from vacation, that it had won ! And even nicer (if that's possible), there was a money prize too !

Ich bin uebergluecklich, dass dieses kleine Boutis den ersten Platz in der Kategorie Miniatur bei dem Jacksonville Quiltfest gewonnen hat. Der Blumenkorb war das von der Nicole entworfenen Muster fuer ihre Klassen hier im Maerz bei West Pasco, und anschliessend hat sie es mir als Geschenk angeboten. Ich dachte, ich kann ihr eine kleine Ueberraschung bereiten und habe es fuer die Austellung eingetragen (zusammen mit meinem grossen Stueck, das ich leider nicht zeitig fertigstellen konnte). Ich war total begeistert als ich, nach dem Rueckkehr aus dem Urlaub, erfahren habe, dass es gewonnen hat. Und noch viel besser (wenn das moeglich ist), hat es obendrauf einen Geldpreis gegeben !

Je suis tres contente de vous dire, que ce petit boutis que Nicole m'a offert en mars a gagne la premiere place dans la categorie "miniatures" en Jacksonville cette annee. Je l'avais fait comme petite surprise pour elle, parce que son travail est vraiment magnifique. Venez visiter son blog a www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com

Boutis in Provence

2009-10-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

We just got back from France last night, and I had to work today already. I wanted to show you something from our trip. I was very kindly invited by the ladies of Loisirs en Garrigue to visit their meeting in Nimes. On Thursday afternoon Nicole and I were welcomed to boutis, patchwork, tea and cake. I saw some very lovely boutis in progress and was happy to see that some ladies enjoy patchwork and quilting as well. I was treated to a wonderful welcoming speech in English (thank you, Annie) and was presented with this wonderful gift of local specialities. Ladies, this was a very special afternoon for me, thank you for your kind welcome and sharing your exquisite work with me.

Bonjour a toutes les dames de Loisirs en Garrigue, un grand merci a vous toutes pour cet accueil si chaleureux. Un seul apres-midi passe chez vous etait trop court, et je me remercie pour le cadeau avec les specialites regionales. N'hesitez pas a m'ecrire, et j'attends avec impatience vos commentaires ....

Fabulous Boutis

2009-09-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Go and visit Lou http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com
She has a post about a wonderful small exhibition held over the weekend in Langlade and she made a diaporama of the beautiful boutis shown there (so click on the diaporama)
She added the comments that very beautiful boutis have been stitched by Chantal Geoffroy, and says that this lady not only does wonderful work, but is very modest indeed.

Loose Stitches

2009-09-13T05:38:00.000-07:00

A few of the ladies met here in my kitchen at the beginning of September for our Loose Stitches meeting. Everyone has been busy over the summer and some are still traveling, but a few of us made it. I took a couple of photos and wanted to show you - look at the fabulous owl (pattern from Hubert Valeri's book).

Einige der Loose Stitches Damen haben sich Anfang September hier in meiner Kueche getroffen. Alle sind im Sommer voll beschaeftigt, und einige sind noch unterwegs, aber es waren ein paar da. Ich habe einige Bilder gemacht, die ich zeigen wollte - schaut Euch mal die Eule an (Muster aus dem Buch von Hubert Valeri)

No meeting next month here - I will be in France !

Lei roucas dou barri Pierrefeu du Var

2009-09-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

These hearts were made by Lou

This association has a wonderful exhibition planned for March 13-14, 2010. I heard about an interesting challenge from boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com that will form part of this show. It is called Boutis Wall of Love and the rules for participating are as follows:

Boutis hearts will be suspended from the wall, with the address of the participants on the back, as well as a note to the recipient. On March 14 there will be a drawing, and each heart will go home with someone other than the maker - that is, an exchange. If you are interested in participating, contact mame83@free.fr

The rules are as follows:

A heart in boutis, your own work, design of your choosing, size 7-20 cm (in inches approx. 2 3/4 x 7 3/4), made of batiste or cotton, white or color, stuffed with lavender, cotton, or other stuffing.

What do you think ? I hope that some of the ladies here will participate, there is plenty of time, and what a great concept. I am thinking about what to put on mine .......

Small Projects

2009-08-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have been amusing myself with working on a couple of small things this week, they go fast and that is good sometimes. I have been working on a big vanne for a long time, so it was nice to have a break !

Diese Woche habe ich mich mit diesen kleinen Sachen amuesiert, es ist manchmal recht gut ein schnelles Ergebnis zu haben. Seit langem arbeite ich an einem grossen "Vanne", und die kleinen Naehaccessoires waren eine willkommene Abwechslung.

Welcome Lou to Blogging !

2009-08-27T04:04:00.000-07:00

When you have a moment, go to visit http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/, my friend Lou, who has just started her blog. She is sharing her favorite hobbies, boutis, stitching and pottery. Don't forget to leave her an encouraging comment, we all want to see more of her lovely work !

Wenn Ihr etwas Zeit habt, besucht http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/ meine Freundin Lou, die gerade mit dem Bloggen angefangen hat. Sie teilt mit uns ihre Lieblingshobbies, Boutis, Kreuzstich und Toepfen. Nicht vergessen, ihr einen freundlichen Kommentar zu lassen, da wir noch mehr von ihrer tollen Arbeit sehen wollen !

Si vous avez un peu de temps, venez visiter Lou sur son nouveau blog http://www.boutis-et-cie.blogspot.com/. Elle partage avec nous ses loisirs favoris, le boutis, point de croix et la poterie. Ne pas oublier de laisser des commentaires, nous voulons voir ses autres ouvrages !

Boutis Book

2009-08-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Nicole sent me this glorious book for my birthday, I absolutely love it because it is completely my taste in the boutis, the traditional patterns and forms. It would be fair to say that I want to make ALL of the patterns in this book - which should keep me busy for some time !

Birthday Gifts

2009-08-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

Angelika (http://www.onlyangelika.blogspot.com/) sent me this beautiful cat cross stitch for my birthday. She knows about the three spoiled cats who live here, and rule the roost !

Progress on stuffing

2009-07-27T04:07:00.000-07:00

I have been making progress on stuffing my big vanne, but it is slow work ! I think the best way is just to set aside a certain amount of time each day and do it then, but I have been busy the last couple of weeks and haven't done anything. There is a great deal more to do and my plan was to have it finished in a couple of weeks, but unless I don't sleep between now and then, I won't make it !

Fortschritte habe ich beim Stopfen der Motive gemacht, aber es geht sehr langsam. Am besten plant man einfach taeglich dafuer etwas Zeit ein, aber ich hatte einfach viel zu tun in letzter Zeit und habe nichts gemacht. Es gibt noch jede Menge zu tun und ich wollte es bald fertig haben, aber das klappt nur, wenn ich nicht mehr schlafe !

Favorite Books and a New Project

2009-06-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite books on boutis, mostly in French and all gorgeous. I love books, and never get tired of looking through all the patterns, thinking about how to combine the different elements to come up with something new.

I also recently gave in to temptation (ok, didn't resist too long !) and bought a boutis pattern online, it was during a promotion where the batiste was offered free along with the pattern (if you want to be tempted too, go to http://www.boutis.fr/ the promotion is over but there are still very pretty things - no affiliation, etc). It arrived today, and is very beautiful, and I am already thinking about how that one will be stitched .... my big courtepointe is stitched now and ready for stuffing, it has taken a long time. With the big pieces, you really have to be disciplined and do some every day, but of course that's not me, so it has taken longer but has been a real pleasure to stitch. I will post some pictures when the stuffing has progressed.

Sharing our Passion / Leidenschaft teilen / Partageons notre passion

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

I would like to find out if anyone else would like to meet others interested in the boutis. It would be so great if people stitching on their own could find someone in their area also interested - before you know it, other boutis groups would be born ! I am looking for a French club wishing to exchange with our small group Loose Stitches here - please write to me via the blog. Anyone in German speaking countries ? Let me know - I would love to make this blog an international meeting point :-))
Ich moechte herausfinden, ob es Boutisbegeisterte gibt, die gerne andere ebensolche kennenlernen wollen. Ich faende es toll, wenn einzelne Boutisstickerinnen Anschluss in ihrer eigenen Region finden koennten - wer weiss, es koennte neue Boutisgruppen geben ! Ich suche auch einen franzoesischen Club, der gerne einen Austausch mit unserer kleinen Gruppe hier machen moechte - bitte schreibt mir ! Auch fuer deutschsprachige Laender - hat jemand Lust, mitzumachen ? Lass mich es wissen, es waere super, wenn dieser Blog zu einem internat. Boutistreffpunkt sich entwickelte :-))
Je cherche pour notre petit club ici en Floride un petit club boutis francais avec envie de faire un echange avec nous ici - soit pour les idees, soit pour les experiences, les astuces, et peut-etre meme pour une visite ? Qui a envie ? Nicole nous a fait appetit avec ses stages, nous voulons plus apprendre. Ecrivez-moi ici, merci.

Happy Mothers' Day !

2009-05-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

I just added the link http://www.boutis.org/ which is a wonderful selection of boutis photos from an exhibition at Pierrefeu du Var end March of this year. There are several pages of wonderful photos, interesting ideas and fabulous work quality for us to aspire to ! When you get to the bottom of the first page, click on "cliquez ici ......" and then for subsequent pages on "suivante" (for those non-French speakers !)

And also, send me your comments ! Ask questions, send me links to interesting boutis sites, add some history, that would be great !!

Boutis Exhibition in Generac France

2009-05-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have just added a video link of a wonderful boutis exhibition in Generac, France, where France Boutis (see link at right) was the guest of honor. Please take a moment and view the video, it really is wonderful ! (By the way, it is the clip with the smiling Annie Noual !!)

New Techniques

2009-04-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

We learned a lot during Nicole's classes, and what I most enjoyed was focusing on new techniques and updating methods. I was not very good at making the Rosette de Petite Camargue, but now I have to say things are much better ! I set myself a goal of practising 10 at a time, which didn't take as long as I thought, and now my work has really improved.

Wir haben von der Nicole viel gelernt, und was mir am besten gefallen hat, war die neuen Techniken zu lernen, und bessere Methoden auszuprobieren. I habe die Rosette de Camargue einfach nicht gemeistert, aber nun geht alles viel besser. Ich habe mir ein Ziel gesetzt, 10 auf einmal zu ueben, was nicht allzu lange gedauert hat, und die Arbeit faellt jetzt wirklich besser aus.