Summer Sunday

We have a beautiful day here in Clearwater, very hot and sunny and I expect we will have the usual thunderstorms later.
I am stitching on my large boutis, so nothing to show yet.  I am on the last two borders, then will follow at least a year stuffing I think.  Large pieces take their time, but in my opinion are totally worth it.
I was able to purchase an antique petasson recently, a very nice quality piece with fine stitching and stuffing.  I bought it because I liked the unusual corner motifs, plus the fact that the workmanship is excellent.  It came from Aix en Provence, made for a little girl,  but I do not have a date.  I would say around 1900.

Lovely unusual corner motif.

Center

Border

Recently we went to a Hibiscus society show here locally.  Just happened to see the notice in the newspaper, that the local show and plant sale was taking place that Sunday.  I persuaded my husband to go with me and he was thrilled at all the very unusual varieties there are, some blooms are as big a as a dinner plate. I had not seen the unusual grey flowering varieties before.   Of course, 3 different plants came home with me, this is the first one to bloom:

 Beautiful, isn't it ?

Off to do a little boutis stitching now, plus handsewing the binding on the quilt shown above underneath the boutis.  Happy Sunday stitching to all !

Boutis expo at Pierrefeu du var March 8-9

The traditional Provençal association Lei Roucas dou Barri hold an annual boutis show in March.  This past weekend was the 9th edition.   Janet and I sent a small boutis item for the exchange, this year the subject was "butterflies".
Some of our boutis friend were there with their booths, and it seems it was a happy, friendly show with good exchanges between our boutisseuses.  I am posting links to their blogs so you can take a look at the wonderful photos and enjoy the quality and broad scope of the boutis shown.

Lou who took some fabulous pictures
Nini who had a booth
Henriette the amazing personality behind all the organization
Marie who also had a booth for her beautiful original designs
Lei Roucas dou Barri the association
Les boutis de Chateau Gombert who make wonderful boutis

There will be more, I will update the list as I see them.  Enjoy - you will see why this is a passion I will always have.

Small boutis (petasson) Finishing

Finally I have finished stuffing this small petasson, and decided to finish it in the traditional way with a taped edge, a "tresse" in French.  All of my old small pieces are finished in this way.  I have made some  pieces myself which I finished with an embroidered edge, or a fancy hem, and large pieces with a straight border have been finished with a small hem, as is tradition.  The tape utilized is a kind of lingerie tape with a knitted effect, not a tight weave twill tape.

I have been taking a few pictures as I went along, to show you how I do this.  I am sure there are many other ways, but this works for me and as far as I can tell, is the traditional method.

Here is the completed stitching, with the excess fabric still attached.

I will be working from the right side initially.

Pattern from Boutis Traditionnel by Christiane Vignal.

Materials used here are my stitching thread (for this small piece I used Gutermann hand quilting thread, 100% cotton.  It is quite strong and fine.  I usually use  Dual Duty handquilting thread with a polyester core, which is very strong).  You can see the white tape I am using for finishing.

I am pinning the edge of the tape to the last line of stitching, working from the front.  You can see that the tape is facing downwards, so I can flip it up and over to the back when the first line of stitching is complete.

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This is the back, you can just see my pin mark on the outer edge through the last line of stitching

 And here it is stitched all the way around.  I use a small back stitch on the edge of the tape (no, I did not whip or use an applique stitch for this part).

The tape will stand up a bit from the work.  Be sure to follow the original stitching line (I stitch exactly on top of it)

Here is the"dangerous" part !!  You have to trim the excess fabric away.  I do this from the front so that I do not accidentally cut into the tape, and I keep the work on a flat surface.  I trim to about 1/4", and I clip the inner curve 3 times - once in the middle, and then one clip either side of that, about 1/8" apart.  Do not clip too close to the stitching.

 All that remains now is to fold the tape to the reverse, and pin.  You will stitch in the "ditch" of the last line of stitching.  I use the applique stitch for this and my same quilting thread.  If some of my seam allowance is peeking underneath the tape I just sweep it in with my needle as I go along.  Alternatively you might trim a little closer (I do not do this).

Just for comparison:  this is an old petasson, reverse side.  You can see how this one is finished with the tape.

I will post a final picture later when I have stitched down the final seam.  The next part will be to wash:   start with a soak in cold water for several hours to remove any remaining marks and help close any needle holes from stuffing, then wash in hot water with a mild detergent or Marseille soap.  Then lay out flat to dry on an absorbent towel.  I turn mine over once the top feels dryer, so that it dries evenly.  Sometimes I will pin to ensure the piece dries straight. 

I use a frixion marker to trace the design, which I remove by running a hairdryer over the piece before washing.  Better than ironing - remember a boutis must never be ironed.  I use this method for my applique too, it avoids the annoying white mark that these markers can leave.

Any questions ?

Here it is pinned, ready to finish

Finshed !

Wrong side view of edge

Complete piece against the light - the true boutis, relief and transparency.  It is now soaking in cold water.

2nd National Boutis Salon - France Boutis

Next year France Boutis will be hosting their 2nd National Salon.  I went to the inaugural one in 2012 and it was fabulous, a must for boutis lovers, so go if you can.  The list of exhibitors has not yet been released, so I will post that when it comes out.   Mr Cabanel is well-known for his collection of courtespointes and boutis, which he has amassed over many years.  Parts of his collection have been featured in a number of books and referenced in many others.  I will be there for all three days (more about that later) so come by and say hello if you visit.

Petassouns, old and new

Recently I was able to acquire two old petassons/petassouns, infant lap pieces, pieces piquees, or whatever name is most familiar to you.  They arrived today, and I am looking at them and thinking over what they can tell me.   Although these are not the work of professionals making very grand pieces in an atelier, they are the kind of work I like best - those made at home for family, showing different levels of needlework skill.
 One is very damaged, the fabric has completely worn through in the center, rather like another one I bought before. However, the stitching is very fine and it is obviously the work of an experienced needlewoman.  It has other condition problems, there are rust marks, a pen mark on the back which I hope will wash out, and holes in the edging - one corner of which has been patched with another piece of old embroidered edge.  It is very old, it has survived the ups and downs of more than a century, and has undoubtedly passed through many pairs of hands.

On the left corner you can see the repair with another piece of embroidery.

Here you can clearly see the many worn areas.  The fabric has simply worn away with wear, but the piece itself is firm, well stitched and stuffed.

I will be reproducing this one, I think I will not change anything about it, its design is simple and elegant.  Size: 17.75 x 20 inches, without the trim.

The second piece is different.  It is stitched well, but the channels are wider, the design is not as balanced and I think it is a later piece.  It too has a border of trimmed batiste, and I cannot decide whether or not it was added later.  It is the same color, so perhaps it was made this way, certainly there is no tape or other finished method before the lace.  The stuffing is firm, the stitching is fine, and I will also reproduce this one, although I may modify the design a little.

Size 19 x 20 inches, without the trim.

In the last photo you can see the difference in quality of work, the piece on the right is much finer.

And last but not least, I have made a little progress on my small petasson from Boutis Traditionnel.  The stitching is complete, and I have started the stuffing.  I used the Frixion pen to mark, and when I have finished stitching, I run the hairdryer over it to remove the marks.  I find I am happier working on the stuffing with the marks gone, I can see the stitches better.  Now I want it to be finished so I can wash it !

Recemment,j'ai trouve deux vieux petassons qui viennent d'arriver chez moi.  Tous les deux sont abimes, mais pour moi dans ce cas ca sont des pieces pour apprendre et reproduire, et franchement j'aime les pieces faites a la maison par les familles.    Le premier est tres fin, le travail super bien fait mais le tissu du centre  est dechire au fil du temps.  Le deuxieme est peut-etre plus recent que l'autre, le piquage tres bien fait mais le bourrage plus epais, et je ne suis pas sure si la broderie autour etait fait au meme temps que le boutis, malgre le fait qu'il n'y a rien d'autre pour la finition, pas de tresse, etc.  Si quelqu'un a un autre avis ou bien quelques informations, n'hesitez pas a m'ecrire, je suis toujours tres heureuse d'apprendre, merci.

Profile of a boutisseuse - Marie Silvestre

It is always fascinating to me to observe how others approach designing their own boutis.  Marie has just completed a beautiful, original boutis which will be displayed at at upcoming show.  I have had the pleasure of seeing her work before, at the first salon of France Boutis in May 2012.  Go over to her blog and take a look at her latest works, then go back and browse older posts with some of her other projects.  Don't forget to leave her comments, she loves to hear what people think of her boutis.

Marie gave me permission to describe how she designed this boutis so you have some idea of the time and dedication involved.  In October, there will be a boutis festival in the village of Calvisson, Gard, as there is every 2 years (see the link to the right, La Maison du Boutis).  The challenge presented by the founder  Mme  Francine Nicolle, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the boutis association,  was to design and execute a boutis on the theme of "In the Gardens of the King".

Marie started work back in March.  She knew what she wanted to draw, and avoided any problems of perspective by making her work an aerial view.  After a number of hours spent on drawing the designs, she transferred them to a large sheet of paper.  She says this was not easy, but she is patient.  To give you an idea, she spent 60 hours on the design.  Tracing onto fabric took another 8 hours.  She started stitching on April 10 and finished on August 24, taking a total of 551 hours to complete the entire piece.   "My Royal Garden" measures 74 x 63 cm.    Fabulous, isn't it ?

Boutis Exchange Pierrefeu du Var March 2014

The next boutis expo of Lei Roucas dou Barri will take place on the weekend of 8 and 9 March 2014

Every second year, there is an exchange of boutis pieces.  The other years, there is a challenge to create an original boutis based on a theme.

These are the rules for 2014:

Boutis in white cotton sheeting, batiste, silk, linen etc ......

Stitching and Stuffing:  white or color

Size:  8 x 15 cm (no smaller, no bigger) - approx. 3.15 x 5.9 inches

Shape:  flat or with volume (eyes and antenna how you wish)

Examples:  pincushion, scissor case, frame, lavender sachet, heart, .....

There will be a jury to avoid "unequal exchanges" which will check stitches, quality of stuffing, size according to the rules.  Butterflies which don't fit the criteria will not be shown.

For the 9th Boutis expo, the organizers are counting on the competence and earnestness of each individual to have an exchange worthy of the name, respecting the rules, which are there simply to ensure that the items shown and exchanged are of equal quality in research, harmony, precision, originality and fineness of work.

The theme is  A BUTTERFLY



The Association protects beautiful pieces - to give or exchange a boutis is to design and make it as one would wish to receive it.

Three of us from here are definitely going to take part.  In other years we have exchanged hearts, and small pouches.  There is plenty of time to think of a design, and I am looking forward to doing this again.

Le Boutis Ouvrage Divin

On Friday, just in time for our lovely long weekend, I received a parcel from Lou   It was a delightful book that I recently read a review of in the Fil Blanc, and know is very hard to get now.  I asked her if she would send me one if she could find it, and honestly, I did not hold out much hope - but, here it is !!  Thank you Lou, I love it.

The book does not have patterns, rather it is a selection of pieces from the author's collection with information about their provenance where available, size, and materials used.  My favorite is a lovely wedding vanne, made by a young girl in Draguignan, who lived in extremely modest circumstances.  Sadly, her fiancé did not return from a war in 1870, and her vanne was put away.  Later in life, due to financial constraints, she was forced to sell the piece to one of the families she worked for as a laundress.  I am not usually a very sentimental person, but I found this story very touching and thought of the sacrifice involved in buying the materials and spending many hours stitching this glorious design, after a long and laborious work day.

I was thrilled to find that I actually have the pattern for this piece in my collection of all things boutis, and so it is now on the list for "someday".  It is large and will be quite a lot of work.

New Boutis Pouch

Winston loves anything to do with sewing and often helps out when working on projects

You can see he is a big encouragement !

Our Guild retreat sets a theme as a challenge each year - at the last retreat the theme of Dresden Plate was chosen, and three of us have made a small boutis pouch with a Dresden plate pattern.  I used a batiste on the top, and apple green cotton underneath and for the front - so pale green shows through the batiste.  Roni and Janet have almost finished theirs, so will show pictures of theirs soon.

The pattern was originally offered in the Fil Blanc of France Boutis, design adapted from Hiromi, a pattern with birds in a nest drawn by Isabelle, and the directions (French version) written by Lou and translated by me - so a real group effort !

Boutis Expo at Pierrefeu du var

As every year for the past 8 years at this time, the association Lei Roucas dou Barri held a boutis show this past weekend.  There were 24 individual exhibitors of boutis pieces, as well as two shops for supplies and a bookstore.  The show is organized by the wonderful and lively Henriette, and always includes either an exchange or a challenge on alternate years.  This year was a challenge to design a bag with the theme of the "sea" which should be all white and completely stuffed. The items were displayed in a "pointu" small boat - such a good idea.
Several ladies were able to take photos and have posted them on their blogs.  Here is a brief list -go and look at them, and enjoy the beautiful, traditional boutis - which I am pleased to say is alive and well in Provence.

Henriette

Lou

Boutis divins

Marie Silvestre

Lei roucas dou barri   for this one, look for the photo albums to the left of the page

Boutis exposition Lei roucas dou barri .....

In March each year, the wonderful ladies of Lei roucas dou barri have a show at Pierrefeu du var.  On alternating years, there is either a swap project (last time it was small pouches or purses), or a challenge with certain rules.  The project challenge for 2013 is to create an original design on the subject of the sea, a bag,  all in white, completely stuffed.  Henriette has shown hers today on her blog.  She has made a charming bag to store slippery scarves which otherwise fall on the floor !
You can also see what Marie made on her blog.  I am sure there will be many more elegant examples.

Here is the poster for this year's exhibition.  There will be 20 exhibitors of boutis, 2 stores, and one bookshop.  If you are in the area, go !  You will be assured of a wonderful exhibition and magical welcome from warm and talented boutisseuses.

Henriette  says that she works on a smaller project while also keeping a big project going.  I was thinking about that this morning, so I decided to set up a small and simple boutis to get me up to speed with my large project.  Since it is Superbowl Sunday here, I will get some stitching time later LOL !

Pattern is Magali from the book Boutis Traditionnel by Christiane Vignal

 Swiss batiste front and back, cotton handquilting thread.

Henriette also has kept a memory book where she records all her projects, when she started them, how long each step of the process took her, as well as photos of the finished item.  I have not done this but find it a wonderful idea and I am starting today !  I will also go back and take pictures of my other pieces, both collected and made myself.  No one else knows their story, so I am thinking about keeping this for my daughter.    The small petasson took me 2 hours to trace and baste.  I will keep a notebook in my sewing basket now to keep track of how long I work on each thing.  It will be especially important to look at for my large vanne !

First Stitches on my boutis ....

First, meet Winston, our daughter's cat.  He came to spend the weekend with us,  he is beautiful and sweet, also a cat who likes quilts and helped me yesterday .....

All the fabric cutting was tiring, so he chose a piece to rest on .....

And finally, this afternoon I went outside and started stitching my beautiful boutis.  As you can see, it is a glorious day and perfect to start a big project.  I am sitting on our terrasse under the palms.

Et enfin, apres un long delai, j'ai fait les premiers points dans le grand boutis.  Aujourd'hui il fait un temps parfait, je suis assise au dehors sous les palmes.  Les points ne sont pas tres jolis, pas assez petits,  mais j'espere redecouvrir le rhythme - c'est bien longtemps depuis mon dernier boutis.

January 2013

A rather belated Happy New Year to everyone !  I hope you all have a good, healthy and happy year, with plenty of stitching time.
I have been setting up some new things to stitch, and have made a little progress on older projects.  I received some lovely gifts from afar which I want to show, and my new project for the year is a large boutis of an original design which I commissioned.  I have finished tracing it and basted it yesterday, and I even enjoyed doing that because I looked at the design more closely.
Hiromi send me a lovely gift of a silver sewing set from Ireland, plus some Japanese fabrics and beautiful little pins.  She bought herself and Lou the same, as she says the 3 boutis sisters !  I love that since I don't have a sister ......
Lou sent me an antique handkerchief with an elaborately and finely stitched monogram.  It is amazingly fine, and I am in awe of the ladies who stitched these fine pieces in candlelight or daylight, without the benefit of the superfine needles we have today.

Looks like I will have to post the photos later, blogger won't let me access the photos on my computer .....Update:  I am still not getting the option to upload photos from my computer - Monika told me that others have had this problem.  How did you solve it ?  For now, I made a Picasa album and uploaded from there.