December catch up

Have just returned from a lovely break in the UK . It was lovely to spend time with Tamsin and visit some friends and family. It was also great to be able to have sausage and mash and fish and chips! Lovely. lol Funny the things you miss being in France.

It was especially nice to meet up with cousins, some of which I have not seen for years, so I took a few photographs and thought I would put them here.














Much as I love the animals it was also great to have a break from the alarm and mucking out every morning! I had a bit of a nasty shock when getting back to the airport in Bergerac to find the power steering had died on my car. A bit pricey getting a taxi home and then H arranged recovery for it the next day, so it could do into the local garage and that bill was horrendous so it will be a belt tightening Xmas I think. Good job most of the prezzies already made or bought.!

Christmas weaving

I have just finished weaving a runner for Tamsin for Xmas . She wanted black with a bit of sparkle soooooooooooooo not having a lot of time I had to use what I had in my stash. I used a 20/2 tencel for the warp and 50/50 wool/silk mix for the weft. I used a little sparkle in the borders just to lift it a little and make it festive. The pattern is a snowflake pattern and despite being black on black shows up quite well so I think I have fulfilled the requirements. It is all wet finished and pressed and hemmed now and ready to wrap and it looks quite nice.

Just going to post a photograph, and then on to planning the next project. Not sure what yet, may give it a break until I get back from the Uk in a couple of weeks time.

Sunshine has returned.

At long last the rain seems to have stopped and it has turned cold and sunny and really lovely. Today we have the huge flocks of starlings around us all joining together for their trip to warmer climes no doubt. The size of the flock and the volume of their singing is quite amazing. I was walking the dogs earlier and seemed to be almost enveloped by the them at one time, it was magic as they soared up and down in the vineyards and then perched in the trees, only to take off a few minutes later and do it all again.



I have just been out and tried to get a few pics of them but they don't really do justice to it all.

November !!

Gosh here we are in November! Still it has been a wonderful Autumn, with colours on the trees and vines seldom seen. Now it is mostly about raking them up. The weather has been pretty wet wet wet, but luckily not too cold as yet.

Not a lot of news. Have been weaving for Xmas now. The dreaded X word creeping up fast. I have just finished a chenille scarf with a silk warp in a mix of lovely purples and dark pink. The fringe decided not to behave when I wet finished it which is a first, so had to undo that and re twist but I think it is fine now. I have taken a couple of photos.








Now I am just trying to design the right runner for daughter for Xmas and there are more scarves and bits to make so busy busy.

Autumn is here

The nights sure are starting to get very chilly, but the days are lovely. Sad to see the end of summer and all the leaves turning. It is a beautiful time of year but it does not seem that we really had much summer this year.

The grape harvest has started and yesterday they were picking in the vineyard opposite us so I took a few photos that I thought would be interesting to those that have never seen it before.







The machine straddles the vines and works up and down the rows picking the grapes. The grapes land on a conveyor belt which takes them up to the top of the machine and drops them in the storage bins.














The tractors and trailers wait nearby and as the bins fill up they are emptied into the trailers, which then swiftly take them back to where the grapes are being processesd. This is sometimes the owners chateau or with others to the local coop.

A bit more weaving

It seems a while since I have posted any weaving pics but I have been busy trying to build up a stock for my Etsy shop , so you can see what I have been doing by clicking on Aquitaine Weaver, in the Etsy link to the side of the blog.

I also have woven a cashmere scarf for a present which turned out well. It was done on 16 shafts and in three colours in a colour and weave star pattern. I found the pattern on www.handweaving.net and then adapted it for 16 shafts. The texture was lovely so I think I will do it again but in different colours and maybe a different yarn.

What Pasta Dish are you?

Just had to add this!! This is what they came up with for me, why dont you have a go?

You Are Fettuccine Alfredo

Compared to most people, you have rich and decadent tastes. If you can afford something, you'll go ahead and indulge yourself. You are a true foodie. No food is off the table for you. You're the type most likely to appreciate every aspect of a five star meal.

What Pasta Dish Are You?

Lovely quilt

Have just been visiting the blog of a quilting friend which reminded me I have not yet posted a photo of the quilt given to me for my birthday by my dear friend Pat.
It really is lovely and temporarily on my dining table but I think I will make it into a wall hanging which will be superb.

August catch up

The last week or so has been busy with visitors which was lovely. The weather was good nearly all the time thank goodness, and sometimes even a bit on the hot side for me.
Now to catch up with housework and gardening and weaving. Things seem so quiet now we are on our own again. lol C'est la vie.

I took some pics and even got one of H smiling so have to post some here.



A nice lunch in the square in St Emilion. My day off!





Sarah makes friends with Bianca, who really loved all the attention, and, as you can see below likes to be comfortable.

Summertime

Just thought it was about time I added a few notes to the blog. The weather here is much better now and really hot in the afternoons making watering the garden a necessity. The veggie patch is just starting to produce which is so nice, but not much fruit this year thanks to grotty weather in the Spring.

I have just had family to stay as it was a big birthday for me this weekend, and we all had a lovely time with a great meal in St Emilion on Sunday.

I will post a few pics underneath

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer.

New Family Member

A couple of weeks ago today we adopted a new family member. Her name is Bianca and she is a terrier/whippet cross or more commonly in Uk a little lurcher. We think she is about 18 months old and she was found totally lost in a village over the holiday period, presumed dumped as is so often the case over here. She had one of her back legs broken, so luckily a kind person found her and took her to the vet. She had an operation and the leg was plated to put it right and from there she was under the wing of Phoenix Refuge. The refuge is a wonderful place in the Dordogne, run by a couple of Brits who have turned their love of animals into a charity rescue and they do wonderful work with the help of some foster helpers.

I had been looking to adopt a girl to even the sexes out a bit in this family, lol and had been thinking of a galgo or podenca from Spain. The snag was that with them being such jumpers I would have needed to re fence the whole place to 2 metres instead of the 1.5 metres we have at the moment and that is just too expensive just now. I had a few tips as to where else to look for a dog and lo and behold found the little face of Bianca that grabbed my heart.

We took our boys over to meet her to make sure all would be well, and it was, so now she is in a new forever home. She is a dear girl, quick to learn, quiet and loving but able to put the boys in their place if necessary and an amazing turn of speed even with a leg that is mending, despite the fact that we try to keep her a bit quiet.

She goes back to the vet next week to have the pin out and hopefully all will be more comfortable for her then.

Here are a couple of pics.

Recent weaving

I have been meaning for a while to post some pictures of recently woven items, so here is the first.




It is a tote bag that I made for Tamsin, and she was pleased with it so I may try some more. The warp is a cream cotton and the weft is a combination of the same cotton and a navy blue cotton /linen slub which I had used previously for curtains. It made a nice heavy fabric which was just right for the purpose. The only thing is I think a new sewing machine could come in useful for sewing thick items like this. LOL but that will have to go on the wish list for now!

Home again

I have just returned from a lovely week in the UK, except for the weather which was pretty much wet wet wet. How nice it was to catch up with friends and family and not have to muck out each day. LOL


We celebrated Tamsins birthday on 30th with a nice meal at La Vista in the marina nearby.



Then at the weekend we went to my brother Julians wedding . It was really lovely and we certainly thought one of the best weddings we have ever attended. It was lovely to meet up with family not seen for ages and also to meet new family and friends. If you are reading this when you get home Jules, we hope you had a great honeymoon!!













The day before we came home we met up with other dear friends who we have not seen since before we moved to France, and yet another lovely meal! I think it will now be time to diet. lol

Sun at last!

I have not posted for ages but with the change in the weather and the end to the rain, for a bit anyway, I felt like taking some photos. I just nearly completed a new post here but managed to lose the lot so here goes again.








It is so great to see some colour in the garden , and also to smell the perfume of the lilacs and the wisterias. We have flung the windows wide to let some warmth into the house and are hoping summer is on the horizon.

I have been busy weaving and that is almost finished so will post pics of that next time. At the moment it is all go here at the moment as I am off in a few days for a weeks holiday in the UK both for Tamsins birthday and my brothers wedding. Should be a lovely week, lets hope the sun shines on us.!

Curtains finished at last.!

At long last I have found the time to make up the fabric I wove for the dining room curtains and have taken a few photos of them hung and a close up of the fabric.





















I also have wet finished the fabric I wove for a friend for upholstering her bedroom chair and taken a photograph of that. It will be interesting to see the finished product when she has finished the chair. Hope it suits.








Now the fun of thinking up the next weaving project! So much on the list, where to start. lol

Spring Already!!

It is ages since have posted anything and time has just whizzed by. Xmas is long in the past and Spring seems to have arrived earlier than I can ever remember before. The sunny days go on and on and I even had to water the garden yesterday as the daffodils etc were wilting. That's a first! The outside temperature has been reaching 21degs by early afternoon, so I wonder what summer will bring.

Not a great deal of weaving has been accomplished as have had a rather sad few months being very preoccupied with a poorly dog who sadly passed over a couple of weeks ago. Connie was 13 and much loved and much missed but will always be in our heart.

I have on and off been weaving some fabric to upholster a bedroom chair, for a friend of mine. It seems to be going well now but have had more than my share of broken ends on one side which is a first and caused a headache. I used 20/2 tencel for the warp with 60/2 silk as the weft . The tencel seemd more fragile than I remember. Still nearly done now and I hope it turns out well. I have wet finished the fabric I wove for curtains and now need to find time to make them up.