It's Not Just White!

I decided not to go with white sashing for my Embroider-Bee blocks!

So off I went, without the blocks (duh!), to my LQS to choose a soft dusty 

blue.....

And some multi-coloured spot in red, pink, blue and green for corner stones!

I really like how it has come together...

showcasing some of my favourite things!

I think these two blocks, in the top right hand corner of the quilt are my 

favourites!

No surprise that they both include the Eiffel Tower!

I'm going to hand quilt this - I think it deserves it!

Happy Sewing!

SUZ

PS- Did you get my little joke in the title of this post?

Words or Pictures

When you are following a pattern, do you use the pictures...

Or the written instructions?

I am mainly a visual learner, so why I persisted in focusing so much on the 

written word this time, I am at a loss to say!

Anyway.....

The written instructions were WRONG!

UGH!

Anyway, I would love to honestly know, from you, my friends, whether these 

incorrectly pieced blocks, which should be a wonky half log cabin, look a confused mess...

Or are they redeemable and worth persisting with??

Happy sewing!

(Just not for me!)

SUZ

Embroider-Bee 2

I participated in my second round of the "Embroider-Bee" Swap over on 

Flick'r!

I even took one of my blocks to finish and posted it from France!

And all my blocks were waiting for me when I returned home from my holiday!

Individually, here they are.....

(I do love owls!)

Not just one Eiffel Tower...

but 2!

Aren't they pretty?

They will be added to some I received from the last round of swaps and some I 

made myself....

I have been playing around with their placement...

Any ideas on this or sashing -


( I was thinking white with maybe some coloured 

corner blocks?) 


would be gratefully received and considered!

This is the closest I have come to sewing...


still trying to get back into some sort of routine!

Happy days!

SUZ

Paris by Night!

Safely back on Aussie soil...

Jet lagged and noticeably colder!

The highlight of Paris for me was seeing it at night!

The Pont Neuf

That meant walking the streets until after 11pm...

A touch of the Impressionists, don't you think?

and catching the Metro home!

The classic architecture contrasting with the modern artwork!

We found a good vantage point to see the Eiffel Tower aglow...

and then watch it sparkle, on the hour, for about five minutes!

which was pretty special!

Quite a contrast to the weather on our last day...

As can be forecast here...

 It rained ALL day, and I didn't get a chance to take one photo!!

Which about takes us full circle...

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on my 'travelogue'!

We had a fabulous time, didn't we?

Maybe tomorrow I might do some sewing!

Happy days!

SUZ

On the Road again!

Today we leave Paris...

But photos are going to have to wait, I'm afraid!

The internet is VERY slow this morning!

I have tried for half an hour just to upload ONE photo, and still it didn't work!

Sorry!

We are packing up, checking out and having one last dash around before heading to the airport this afternoon!

The weather is wet and dull!

Ugh!

If you are interested, the Tour de France hits St Paul Trois Chateaux today!

That's where we cycled our 75km last week!

See you back in Melbourne soon!

SUZ

Murs

For the last three days we have been staying outside the tiny village of Murs,  


high above the Luberon Valley....

at this pretty little bed and breakfast....

where the only sound is the summer cicadas chirping!

We spent a wonderful Bastille Day in Avignon..

with its half bridge that goes nowhere...

and the amazing square with the Palace of the Popes

where all Popes resided until the about 14th century, I believe.

There was an arts festival in the town with buskers and performers everywhere!

Yesterday we travelled to Aix-en-Provence where we met up with Kirsty of "You 

had me at Bonjour", a great blog with amazing photographs!

Baby No. 4 due any day !

We spent a very happy couple of hours together sharing stories and having a 


coffee!


And can you believe, even though she is not strictly from my home town, she 


was born in the hospital about 3km from where I lived!!


It is indeed a small world!

Aix-en-Provence is a pretty town....

with yet another market!


Today we went on our last bike ride, before we return home on Tuesday!


We rode to, among other places, Rousillon...

renowned for its rich deposits of red ochre pigments found in the clay!

All the houses are made from it!

The nearby town of Gordes is also quite amazing!

And because this blog is about craft and fabric, here is what I bought in Aix...

Although it is a little more mauve than blue!

And this I bought in Orange!

And I haven't even told you about that town!!

Off to Paris tomorrow..

Until then...

Happy days!

SUZ

Durance

I was pretty excited to find the lavender company "Durance" has a 


factory outlet just up the road from where we are staying...

Well, 20 km up the road!

Luckily I have a very accommodating husband, so we visited today!

And not only did we buy a little something for him....


...Oh, he whisked that away before I got a photo!!

And a little something for me....

And a little something for the house......

I love this poppy fabric!

I've been wanting to make some of these, now I can copy this one!

But... 

We bought some.....

(Have I built the drama enough?!)

FABRIC!

A metre of pretty Provencal print which was an ABSOLUTE bargain!

So FABRIC + BARGAIN = A happy girl!

(I would have loved to have bought more but I am getting seriously concerned 


about excess baggage!  I haven't got to Paris yet!)

This fabric has been added to these two little pieces I bought yesterday!

Happy days indeed!

SUZ

Vive La Tour!

We are staying right in the heart of a pretty little town where Stage 18 of La 


Tour starts next week!

....in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux,

 
and we did a small part of the route to Nyons,


via...

The town of Nyons was abuzz with Sunday morning market!

I was quite pleased to be back at the hotel...

after 75km and nearly 1500 calories!


Happy days!


SUZ

Arles

Today we spent a lazy, hot, summer's afternoon wandering around Arles!

What a fabulous town!

Colour everywhere.....

This fabulous shop specialized in decorator fabric napkins, aprons, tablecloths and 

placemats!

And all I bought was a recipe book!

And this was the hospital where Vincent Van Gogh spent some time as a patient...

(painted in recent times, I suspect, in colours favoured by Van Gogh)

And the beautiful courtyard...

Here is a 'bust', in another garden, dedicated to him!

And these caramels are a speciality of the area!

(And NO- I didn't buy any!)

Lots of colour inspiration in this old pair of shutters!

And that pretty red door!

This town is full of Roman ruins too!

So much to take in!

Mr PnP found an icecream shop, of course!

And this was in the local market of Generac where we are staying...

We bought some tasty smoked almonds to have with our beer!

Sadly no fabric purchase today- I found a shop which specialized in Provence fabric but it was WAY out of my budget!

Cheers!

SUZ