Alphabe Thursday

Today it's 0-day. O for oublié, that's the French word for forgotten.
I forgot to tell our master Jenny that I could not visit the class last week because I was in Nantes. I hope she's not too angry.......
Last week was the letter N and I love to tell you about my friend Natasha, so I'll do it now. It's all a bit confusing but next week I promise to be there in time......

So, my friend Natacha, here she is...... 82 years old and always very energetic. She was born from a Russian father and a French mother who belonged to the nobility.

She lives about 1 kilometer from here since 20 years, before, she lived in Paris in an apartment.

There, she and her husband were already active in a club to preserve old and regional fruit trees.  

When they moved over to the country they immediately started to plant fruit trees, especially regional varieties.  

In there garden there are now 300 fruit trees of which are  242 different varieties..... 

An example: she has 176 apple trees of which are 140 varieties.!! There are pear-trees, plum-trees,peach-trees, cherry-trees, apricot-trees, quince-trees, walnut-trees and chestnut-trees.   Imagine the beauty when they are all in bloom.

Her husband died 3 years ago , she has a gardener now twice a week for some hours, but she still does   the mowing!

 

Natacha also has chickens and she has 2 beehives. So there are 'homemade' eggs and there is delicious honey.

Yes, life in the country is a very happy life......

If you want to vist the other participants, go to Jenny....

Garland

I made two garlands for a cute little boy's birthday in Holland.

I also made a bag to keep them clean.

I'll hope they like it....

Nantes

I came home with many ideas, and of course fabric and books.....

This blue and green fabric with the white pattern is called toile de  Jouy. It's a canvas weight quality.

These are pieces of wool  to applique with. The colors of the silk and rayon threads and ribbons are difficult to see, but believe me they are gorgeous. 

This is all Japanese fabric in  blue and rust......

And two books. the new Sue Spargo book with many patterns and a bag book.

Nantes

I was in Nantes, a beautiful town. Weather was lovely, the squares were full of people, drinking and talking in the sun. I visited the 'Jardin des Plantes', with all the camelias, so many different varieties. It was really a short holiday....
In this arcade, the Passage Pommeray, built in 1841, I bought Arche shoes, I love Arche shoes , they are soft and very elegant .

And of course  the main reason why I went to Nantes was the fair/show Pour L'Amour du fil. 

It was great, I met very nice people, we changed blog addresses and promised to visit our blogs.  

I also met Sue Spargo, you already know that I am a fan! We talked a bit and she made a picture of the bag I made, inspired by her work .  Here she is:

 

And here is her work:

This is the quilt she made when she was 50 years, there are 50 birds and a lot of embellishments!

Tomorrow more about the fair.....

Pour l'Amour du Fil

I  shall be in Nantes for some days to visit the fair 'Pour l'Amour du Fil' (for the love of the thread).
Here are some pictures of the quilts you can see there.

Vintage ribbon

I bought some beautiful vintage ribbon for myself and for my Etsy shop.

If you are interested, email me !

Alphabe Thursday

M is for MANGU, one of my donkey's. There are two of them, the other is called Orphée.
First thing i have to do in the morning is feeding the animals.

 When  I open the barn where the cat sleeps, she immediately goes to Mangu to say good morning. It's so cute to see them caressing each other, the donkey with his big head and large nose and the small, small cat . I cannot show you a picture because when I come with my camera, they finish immediately . It's really their moment of intimacy. Here is a picture of the cat sitting in the hay while the donkeys are eating!

Years ago  in France the donkeys worked on the land , they were very strong and much cheaper than a horse.

In France there are still several donkey races. Mangu is from this region, he is an 'Grand noir du Berry' (big black from the Berry).

 This is the donkey from the Provence, he worked with the sheeps in the mountains.

This donkeys is called 'le baudet de Poitou'. he's also called the Rolls-royce of the donkeys. He was already known in the Middle Ages.

Each year sur L'isle de Ré, you can see donkeys with trousers (ânes en culotte). It's an old tradition to protect them against insects. 

If you want to  try  something different this year , come to France for a walking holiday with a donkey. There are various options for a donkey trekking. A donkey can carry about 30/40 kg of luggage. A holiday like this is very destressing......

Vintage knitting patterns

What do you think of these knitting patterns?

The  blouse is crocheted in bleu marine et blanc.

This is 'Thea', a knitted 'deux-pièces', very chique.

'Henny' is a pattern for sportswomen

This pattern is 'Marie-Louise', very elegant.

Shop update

I made these pincushions for the shop. they are handmade with wool felt and embroidered with silk thread and beads. I am inspired by Sue Spargo.

New bag

I made a new bag, not for the shop but for ME.
I embroidered the bag with silk thread and there are some beads to complete the design.

Alphabe Thursday

Today it's  the L for LENTILLES, the French word for lentils.
The region where i live is also called the BERRY. Today I'll talk about the green lentils from the Berry. Of course there are also the famous lentils from le Puy, but here we are proud of our lentils. They even have a  'label rouge' qualification.

A group of 40 lentils growers in the Berry area produce these green lentils. Grown in the local Berry soil, they have a mild flavor with a hint of chestnut taste. 

Each year the second weekend of september there is the 'fête de la lentille' in Vatan, a small town in the Berry. There even will be chosen a Miss Lentille.

In front of  the townhall in Vatan.

The beautiful old market hall in Vatan.

Green lentils from the Berry have important nutritional value. Rich in fiber and vitamins B, the lentils are also an excellent source of minerals, especially calcium and iron;

Green lentils may be prepared in a variety of ways. 

I'll give you a salad recipe.

• 1 cup dried lentils (preferably small French lentils)
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3/4 lb tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
• 4 large scallions, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

preparation

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan with lentils, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain in a large sieve, then transfer to a large bowl.

Toss hot lentils with tomatoes, scallions, dill, basil, vinegar, oil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste. ( 4 to 6 persons)