Boutis Show Pierrefeu du Var

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

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

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 !

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

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 !

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

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

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 !

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 !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Symbolism in Boutis

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

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 !

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

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

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

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 !