Pippa's Quilts

I came across Pippa on the About Quilting Forum. She lives north of Limoges which isn't that far away in French terms. She very kindly joined Expat Crafters (hi girls) and I have been looking at her photos of her quilts which are brilliant. I shall never ever have the patience to do something as delicate as that - I'm more of a bold block girl myself! Make it big - finish it quick and get onto the next one. I am loosing patience with Blue Jean Windows and am seriously considing breaking my rule and starting on another design (Sunburst). However, there is too much to do outside at the moment so it depends on the weather.

St Jean de Cole Foire de Floralies - Photos

The main square

Inside the Church

Inside the Church

Isn't this fantastic!

New Ideas

Mum has gone back to the UK today so as I am feeling a bit miz thought I would "chat" to you lot. I have taken some photos of my "ideas" which I sketched out whilst in hospital.

I have called this one "Sunburst". The pencil lines have come out a bit faint, but I tend to cut out the triangles, sew together and then quilt the lines in contrasting cotton i.e red on yellow and vice versa going outwards to create a sort of "sun ray" effect. Do I make myself clear? Probably not!

The next one I have called Peruvian Tapestry. Don't know why, but it just seemed to fit. A friend of my has got a bag that she bought in Chilie which is similar so that is probably where I got the colours from. The crayons were running out so the bottom is lighter than the top. Ignore the criss-cross lines across the blocks. I used them as a guide to get the squares correct. Blue Jean Windows has ground to a halt and I can't see it being finished now much before the Autumn - too much going on. No word on craft exhibition so I assume the idea has died. Oh and if there are any French quilters out there. Does anyone know if you can get quilting gloves in France? I am now off to plant out the Tomato plants which we bought at the flower fair at St Jean de Cole. Have I mentioned that? No! Anyway, its the local Chelsea Flower Show and is lovely. Got some beautiful plants and, for the first time ever, spent a fortune on Tomato plants Alexandra brought reams of paperwork back from school yesterday. It has all got to be read, signed or filled in prior to 14 June for her "rentree" into 6eme in September. Dictionary time I think! The pills are beginning to take effect (I'm doing my nodding dog act) so a bientot.

Testing the French Health System

Well where do I start? From the beginning I suppose! Monday felt really rough and started getting chest pains. Tuesday we rush off to Mr le Medecin and Tuesday afternoon I'm in the Cardiologie Soin Intensive at Perigueux Hospital. Midnight Tuesday I'm moved out of there into the Pneumologie (sp) unit cos the Cardio unit is full (bit ominous that). Wednesday is spent having tests and fielding telephone calls from various parts of SW France. Thursday was spent being worried silly. Blood pressure starts rising. No one about to answer any questions and then am told that the Doctors are en greve and if I want to speak to anyone it will have to be an intern. However, if I am patient (no pun intended) I can wait until Friday when the Doctors will be back. Friday I was given the ok to leave, but the downside is that I am off the booze for the foreseeable future, possibly forever. I am on Elephant tablets, monthly blood tests and blood pressure tests and am waiting for a rendez vous with the liver specialist in Perigueux. I haven't slept properly since Monday night as they put me in a room with a 90 year old lady who is dying and she needed constant care so being woken up every 3 hours did me the world of good (not!). Oh and I can thoroughly recommend Perigueux Hospital. The Pneumologie unit is not one of the nicest units in a hospital and the nurses were absolutely brilliant! As I had loads of time on my hands, I have been busy with graph paper and crayons. Will try and upload photos of proposed new designs (which will; probably end up as sofa throws) in the not too distant future. Wish I could have taken the sewing machine in with me. Blue Jean Windows would have been finished by now! In the meantime, it is going to be less of the blog, Yahoo! groups and the computer and more of the garden, exercise and making sure that my Alex will still have a Mum in 10 year's time.

Quilt Labels

I'm intrigued by this subject and sorry to sound a complete numskull on this. Do you all make your own up, or use software? Living, as we do, in the back of beyond in rural France (yes, some parts of the Dordogne are still very rural), it is difficult to get quilting software. I discovered that Hewlett Packard do a quilt labels package. However, I spend more time than I should on the computer so perhaps I should try making my own up. I have seen Serena's labels on her Stained Glass quilt, which, by the way Serena is beautiful. I would really be interested in some pointers on this subject.

Photos and Villars Brocante

While I am in the mood for uploading photos. Here are pictures of the orchids for Tonya and one of my Alex. The person she is talking to is Joy who some of you may recall posts infrequently on Expatcrafters. Just got back from the Brocante at Villars and took some pics of the lace stall there. Sorry that the pictures aren't very good. I'm still trying to get to grips with my camera. We have been hunting high and low for a typically French door knocker for our typically French farmhouse front door. I originally wanted one in the shape of a hand/fist, but they cost a fortune. Well, today I found one and its a frog. Its lovely and will upload a picture when we have scrapped all the yukky brown paint off it, polished it up and put it on our door. Blue Jeans Windows is on hold. Swimming pool is open and needs to be cleaned. Temp this morning was 19 degrees so we aren't too far from the magic 22! More as and when