Playing Catch Up

The last guests have gone, the house has gone very quiet and Autumn has arrived overnight. 67 blog entries to read, Tonya's Take the Leap Challenge to finish and must get Alex ready for Rentree on Monday. Will catch up on the reading and will hopefully post later this week with, hopefully, pictures of O's and X's. A bientot.

Bienvenue a Bordeaux II

A truly amazing city and we are definitely going back.

We found a lovely typically French bar in the Place de Grand Homme which is in the really posh bit of Bdx (where it seems they spray the streets with perfume).  Bar was the cheapest one we went in.  Saw an amazing really really posh wedding - some of the guests looked as if they had just walked out of the pages of Vogue!
Did the whole of Rue Ste Catherine, but in two hits.  University end a bit seedy, but still amazing.  The gallery at the top end was beautiful with what looks like the oldest toy/model shop in France.  Noses pressed up against the windows in delight!
Tourist office somewhere behind the Bourse area had the most amazing pictures/exhibition of old Bordeaux and its history.  We thought oh not another tourist office, but it isn't!

We did not have a fixed plan and all we did was walk and walk and walk. Not even Alex complained.




 Round every corner was something else to look at - architecture, a window, art nouveau - Jane, Denny and I keep on saying we could have spent a week there.



Round the back of the Hotel de Ville is the most amazing Art Deco museum in the Hotel de Lalande.  This is a must see - it is free and is truly fascinating.  There is an armoire on the ground floor with doors similar to our front in the kitchen.  It is Louis XV so goodness knows how old ours is!

Anyway, guests demanding attention so will stop waffling.

Stitches

Just found this brilliant link via the Embroidery Guild http://www.embroiderersguild.org.uk/stitch/stitches/index.html

Bienvenue a Bordeaux!

Step daughter and her partner arrive this evening at Angouleme TGV station (from London Waterloo on the Euro Star via Lille). They are treating us to 2 days and a night at Bordeaux so we are off there tomorrow morning and back late Friday. This is a first for us. We have driven round the Rocade (ring road) on numerous occasions to go to IKEA, the Airport, etc, but have NEVER ventured into the city itself (tell a lie - we did on one occasion but they were building the new tramway and Bordeaux was one solid traffic jam). Anyway, hope to get lots of pics and take a stroll down one of the longest shopping streets in Europe - Rue Sainte Catherine which is about 2 kms long (apparently there is a fabric shop there (VBG)). Lots of things in the offing quiltwise, but as most of them are Christmas surprises can't upload piccies for you. Tonya's Take the Leap Challenge is looking good. Only 2 more blocks to go and then I can start the sashing. I have a good idea for the border. Oh and for Tonya. As you will soon be a Parisienne, did you know you are only about 3 hours train journey from London (which means Liberty prints!)? A Samedi.

Fabric Swap

I've been sorting out the stash and Little Miss Unorganised is now well and truly organised (for how long I ask myself). Old clothes, sheets etc all sorted in to their own boxes, as is the denim, and 2 separate boxes of fabric. Whilst sorting out I found this at the bottom of one of the boxes. I forgot I had it! Sorry about the picture quality - I need to get new recharge batteries. Anyway, I can't see me using it so it is up for grabs if anyone wants it in return for material that you think I might like. It is about 2 metres I think (seems bigger than 1).

If anyone is interested, PM me with snail mail address and postage/custom requirements if necessary. On another note, did I hear right that foie gras has been banned in Chicago as it is cruel to geese? How PC can you get!

Interlude

Busy with Tonya's Challenge and one or two other bits and pieces. Just to brighten up the pages, here are some photos of our local town, Brantome.

This is my favourite - The Abbey.

This is the church on the other side of the river to the Abbey. The weekly market is held in the car park and the square behind it.

On the left is the Moulin d'Abbaye which is quite a famous restaurant (you need a second mortage to eat there!). On the right is the Pavillion de Renaissance. In the front is the famous Elbow Bridge. This is the oldest bell tower in France - dates back to Charlemagne. The church is on the right and on the left you can just see the Renaissance hotel de ville which was the Abbey.

I've Weakened!

Had to go into Oasis in Perigueux as have snapped my last 80 machine needle, got some hand quilting needles as well and "looked" at rulers as mine is getting smaller with every cut (thin plastic). Then I thought, what the heck, I need to get some more material for The Challenge and they just happened to have very nearly the exact same colours (5 Euro a metre) and then I saw the "coupon" section and everything was half price so I got at least a metre of plain, bright orange cotton for 2 Euro and the same in very pale violet.

O's and X's

First go at Tonya's Take the Leap Challenge. The one on the right probably needs to be made a bit bigger, but not bad for a first attempt. Amazing how quickly they grow!

Finished!

Finally, finally, finally (well top layer - rest can wait). Don't look too closely! I was getting seriously fed up in the end.

Da Dahhh

Well, I only been sitting here for over an hour waiting for these two pictures to upload! This is the second house - my favourite one is below. Because they were scanned in to the computer, the material has gathered up a bit which has added a sort of "wavy" effect. The sky materials were found in an annual clear out sale when I started quilting 2 years ago - they are not new I promise.

Great Fabric Depression

I've just read Vicky's Blog (I wondered what everyone was on about). I am having severe fabric withdrawal symptoms! The fabric warehouse is closed for the whole of August so in that respect I'm not tempted to get into the car and have a spend up, but the fact that I can't do anything new (apart from the odd house) and am stuck with BJW is driving me mad! I wanted to at least make a start on Sun Burst, but can't as I haven't got the fabric (sob). Still can't upload so you will have to wait until Monday!

Problems?

Is anyone having problems with Blogger today or is it my connection again? Cannot upload photos and I made a cracking house yesterday which I want to show you. Oh rats! A+

House Update

Alex has taken on the task of quilting and "decorating" the house. The quilting stitch is a bit wobbly, but good for a first effort by an 11 year old. Can't really say any more as she wants it to be a Christmas present for someone (sshhhhhh) Tonya - I'm really cross about the Gwen Marston book. I wanted to get it this last month (DH's private pension comes in quarterly), but the car had its pre MOT service which cost a fortune, as did the yearly car insurance. There may be a chance in October. However, we are going back to the UK for a family Christmas this year and I am hoping to get into Canterbury for some English retail therapy. I may get lucky in one of the many second hand book shops! I've just looked for it again on Amazon.fr. Are you ready for this - "neuf et d'occasion a partir de EUR 80.17". GULP!

Woo Hooo

First house! Not the World's best colour scheme I know and it all looks a bit sorry for itself, but I've done it. Roof didn't turn out too good and it's not so much square as rectangular/oblong, but hey it's the first one. Can't wait for fabric warehouse to reopen so I can buy up loads of funky material. This is made up from pieces from the scrap box! Signing off for the moment. Internet connection a bit on the slow side which is probably due to the security alert in the UK. Mum is supposed to be flying to Poland today for an Arab horse show. I don't think so somehow!

French Furniture

Our house dates back to 1777 and was finished just before the French Revolution. We are not sure whether the floor boards and some of the "built-in" furniture are the originals, but I thought you may like to see the three prize pieces. This photograph is of the "front" in the kitchen. I am led to believe that a "front" was originally built to cover a blocked up doorway which, in this case, seems to be accurate. We believe this is as old as the house, having been told that it is Louis XV or XVI, but are not too sure what the wood is - probably Walnut. Not in very good condition I'm afraid, but after 200+ years what do you expect! This has the normal kitchen clutter stored in it! This one is on the other side of the wall to the one in the kitchen and is made out of Wild Cherry. This is where all the glassware is stored A few years ago the centimes were running out and we considered selling the one in the kitchen. A professional came round to look at it and, because of the poor state in which it is in, offered us peanuts!. He then wandered round the house (as these people do) and latched onto the one on the salon. He offered us double the price for that. We decided we weren't that broke after all! And finally, we bought this armoire the first summer we were here. Again made out of Wild Cherry. You can just see the inside of BJW! We have the most stunning kitchen table, which doubles up as my work table in the summer. Will upload a picture of that soon. The photo's aren't that good cos the batteries on the digi camera are low, but they give you some idea of French furniture - very heavy! On our brocante/vide grenier travels we have spotted some lovely pieces, but the house is now full to bursting! Have started my first Tonya House. Instead of doing a door and a window, I'm doing French windows/doors and a window. Watch this space to see whether it gets unpicked or I like it! We have a rendez vous at 2.00 pm to get the controle technique (French MOT) done on the car so we are off into Perigueux. Luckily the garage is opposite the quilt supply shop! A+

Another Link

On checking Site Meter just now, I've found another quilt blog/diary, call it what you will, with a link to here (I hope you realise I'm not an expert - just a newbie trying to learn and have some fun at the same time). Anyway, the site is called The Quilter's Cafe and is a good read. Tonya - I'm going to start a house soon. Am gathering material from scraps as fabric warehouse is en conges for a month. Good thing I suppose as my scrap bag is getting rather full. I hate throwing bits away, however small.

There is life!

I'm here! I'm exhausted, but I'm here! The Meet was a great success, but has left me, Rex and Alex absolutely exhausted. We are now on a social whirl, as is the norm in the summer, so I will try to catch up and post some more as and when. Photos of the Meet may follow later. I didn't manage to take any so will have to ask persmission from those who did. A+