Aquitaine yarns

Lovely sunday dog walk:-)

2011-07-03T09:39:00.001+02:00

Loving those smells!

2011-05-05T10:42:00.002+02:00

2011-05-05T10:33:00.001+02:00

What a lovely day! Out dog walking.

2011-05-05T10:26:00.001+02:00

Such a lovely Spring Day

2011-04-16T12:34:00.004+02:00

Just had to take a few pics today, the flowers looked so lovely and they last such a short time!
What a wonderful Spring Day. Wish this would last all year. lol

2011-04-16T12:34:00.001+02:00

2011-04-16T12:33:00.002+02:00

Autumn again

2009-11-09T11:50:00.004+01:00

It does not seem possible that we are in Autumn again and it is ages since I posted. The leaves this year have turned the most beautiful colours so I thought a few photos were in order, both of the vines on the house and also the ones in the vineyard which this year seem to have turned into a sea of yellow.

We have had so much rain this last week that is a wonder we have not floated away, but it is still mild so some of the flowers are still surviving amazingly.

I have at long last got back to weaving again, so hope to post some photos of finished items soon.

Still not back to weaving, too hot for that but I have Good News

2009-08-06T11:12:00.003+02:00

I am an Auntie! My lovely brother and his wife had a baby boy this week. His name is Leo and he is just the cutest. Tamsin popped in to see him yesterday and took this photo which we just have to put on here for all to see.

Gosh it is hot!!

2009-07-22T14:48:00.003+02:00

Suddenly I realise it is quite a while since my last post. The weather is really hot just now and in the afternoons I have to hide inside where it is cool or have a dip. Today thunderstorms are forecast so maybe things will cool down a little.

Life has been pretty busy. There is always a lot to do in the garden at this time of year and if it is not weeding then there is plenty of fruit to pick and things to bake or jams to make. We had a great crop of apricots this year and so plenty of apricot jam, ( my favourite) and also some apricot sponges. Then the plums started to ripen. Last week I made a spicy plum sauce a la James Martin which was lovely with magret on the bbq and also I used one of Jamie's recipes for Plum Bakewell which got the thumbs up from everyone and I ended up making another! Still lots of plums to pick so ideas required. lol

This last week I have had visitors and it was just wonderful to have family here and people to chat to and cook for. Jill and Ian and Tamsin and Mike had not met up for a couple of years so lots of catching up to do. Tamsin had the sun and heat she wanted and she and Mike had a great time. They did a bit of exploring locally both in the car and by bike

Sadly I had to take them to the airport this morning . Why does time always pass so quickly. lol Anyway they took me out to dinner last night and we had such a lovely time, and for once it was a treat not to have to cook.

I took a few pics and will post them now. Now of to catch up with the laundry I guess and watch Le Tour!!

June Galgo Rescue

2009-06-08T16:34:00.009+02:00

I have just returned from a trip to Spain with a friend and others from the Organisation of L'Europe des Levriers. The reason for the trip was to bring back rescued Galgos and Podencas (Spanish hunting dogs) to the safety of France and onward to their new forever homes. The people in the refuges work selflessly with very little money to do what they can to right the wrong of the barbarism of the Spanish hunters who do not even acknowledge that the Galgos are dogs but use them as tools for hunting to discard at whim year after year. The people that help do such a great job to rescue them and need all the help they can get.

These dear dogs are regal and gentle and don't deserve to be treated in such an awful way. It is only in Spain and Portugal that this type of hunting is still legal and much is being done to try and change this but it is a long and tortuous task to try and change the mindset of these people who seem to enjoy nothing so much as cruelty to these animals . The hunters take along their young sons from 4 years old I was told, so the way of life becomes so entrenched in them generation after generation from an early age. They only use the dogs for hunting in the season and each hunter can have upwards of 80 -90 dogs who are thrown in a barn when not working and often only fed bread and water. At the end of the season they don't wish to keep them until the next season so the old way of dispensing with them is to hang them from the olive trees. If they have been a good hunter they hang them from the top so they die quickly, if not they hang them lower so their feet just reach the ground a little and they die slowly. They also throw them down wells, from cars and various other barbaric ways. The dogs discarded every year is upward of 50,000!!

The people in the refuges rescue all they can as indeed they do rescue other breeds of dogs discarded in Spain and do all they can with only mostly voluntary donations, to restore their health and find them permanent homes. These homes have to be outside Spain in countries where people treat them with the love and care as we do to our pet dogs. If they are left in Spain, come September the hunters will break in and try and steal them back for another season of hell.

I found the trip emotional of course but educational and rewarding. Between us we brought about 17 dogs back to France and many were reserved for the next trip in a months time when they have their pet passports. Most already had been adopted and have homes all over France to go to and a few went into foster homes. They were such lovely dogs and so amazingly kind and sweet when you think what their life has been up to now. I will certainly go back to help again and when finances and the situation here permits I will adopt one myself, in the meantime I mean to spread the word so anyone who is interested and will help in some way however small.

I took many photographs and have loaded some here. Anyone who would like to see them all go to my facebook page and there is a whole album there.

These first photos were taken at the first refuge we went to on the way to Seville.
Many dogs were here all wanting to find homes, but the men there were caring for them as best as they were able , keeping the pens clean and feeding them and none were hungry and all seemed to have a rapport with the men caring for them under such difficult circumstances.

This photo below shows some being fitted with Scalibor collars which are designed to control sandflies, the vectors of canine Leishminiasis and tick infestations for up to six months.

The three below are the first ones we brought back this time.

The next few photos come from a small refuge north of Cordoba run by a Dutch lady who keeps the pens spotless and cares for as many as she can but still many frightened dogs needing homes.

The two above on the right were so nervous they would not approach very far at all, so sad to see.

One of the bitches had been in pup when she was rescued so there are nine little angels soon wanting homes too!

These next pics came from another refuge north of Cordoba , a very small one.

We took quite a few dogs from here, and here is a pic of them being prepared for the journey. One or two had damaged their tails from being in cramped conditions and needed them treated before we took them onwards in the cars. We took a very old Podenca from this refuge who had arthritis and had to be lifted in and out of the car. He was so lovely and so interested in all he saw, just magic. He has a lovely home to go to in Normandy where I hope he has a wonderful time in his twilight years. His name is Sleepy and there is a pic of him at the end.

When we had collected all the dogs we drove north of Madrid and took them to a private kennel to have a peaceful and comfortable night before the onward journey the next day. We were very tired and ready for a meal and a good nights sleep too!

The next morning we were back to the kennels early to collect the dogs and start our homeward journey.

Here are some of them loaded up and ready for off. The red Volvo is the car we took with our 4 passengers in the back.

During the trip we stopped once to take the dogs out for a walk and give them a drink and then later on when back in France not far north of Bayonne we stopped at a house of a fellow galgo lover where we could let them all out in her garden for a while to rest and stretch their legs before the rest of the journey.

It just shows the gentle nature of these dogs that they all ran around, mixed with her dogs and no problems at all. All had fun.

This white Galgo lived here and was adopted 6 months ago. She is still very nervous but making a great recovery. If you look carefully at the photo you can see the scar around her neck where she was hung by the hunter. Luckily a rescuer found her and cut her down and carried her to safety and she recovered!

Here is the lovely Sleepy that I mentioned earlier. Isn't he just so sweet.

After we left here I was dropped off at Bordeaux to go home and the dogs went on to Niort for a night at the home of my friend Beryl and then they went on to their new homes the following day.
Hopefully they all enjoy the rest of their lives, they deserve it so much!

Hoopoes

2009-05-19T15:48:00.004+02:00

The weather has been so miserable there has not been much to photograph lately, but, it has encouraged the hoopoes to feed near to the house as we have been inside more than usual. They have had one brood this year and are now on the second and are flying backwards and forward with food at a great rate and working so hard. A parents lot is a tough one. LOL

Still it rains!

2009-04-28T12:37:00.003+02:00

April showers still continue!! Where does all this water come from. I hate it when it starts to spoil all the lovely flowers we have waited so long for, but c'est la vie I guess.

I can never resist taking photos of flowers so have been out in the garden to take a few pics despite it being wet everywhere, just chose a short dry interlude! The wisteria is at its all-time best this year. They say it takes a long time and I planted it 17 years ago !

The veg are potted up waiting to go in the veggie patch, but ground so sodden at the moment it is impossible to work on it. So far I have toms, courgettes, chillis and peppers waiting to go out and I want to plant some runner beans too and this year for a first I am having a go at hops. Not for future beer, but to use to promote sleep . It is supposed to work well and we shall see.

April Showers!

2009-04-15T14:39:00.004+02:00

Wet wet wet in 33 this Spring, just as the saying goes April showers. Still to be expected after such a lovely March I guess.

I have not progressed much with the weaving since my last post, as for the last three weeks we have been giving the kitchen a much needed makeover . I would have loved new units but as this was not to be in these times I stripped down the old ones and painted them. So fed up with the brown stained wood which we have lived with for so long and wanted to brighten everything up. Also I regrouted the tiled work surface to make it fresh and nice and then of course the walls etc needed doing. It is almost done except for the painting of the main door and the welsh dresser which should not take long when we get a couple of dry days. I have posted a couple of pics so you can see what I have been up to and I have to say I am very pleased with it all and do feel it all looks lighter. Now to save up for a new cooker!

The garden is coming along nicely but have not had time to plant up the veggie patch yet as H has scaffolding on it for roof repairs. Hopefully we can get all that finished this week and the tomatoes etc can go in. The bulbs seem to be over very quickly this year, but the clematis montana is doing well for the first year and the wisterias are coming into bloom. Wouldn't it be nice if the flowers lasted longer. lol

Weaving again at last!

2009-03-20T16:22:00.005+01:00

Well what with one thing and another it has taken a while, but at last the loom is warped and I have started weaving again. Am using up some stash to make some towels in linen and cotton and for the first time I am trying waffle weave. It looks ok so far, but, not having done this pattern before I guess I wont really know if all is well until I have taken it off the loom and wet finished. Fingers crossed.

With all the lovely weather we are having needless to say lots of washing is getting done and it is a joy to be able to dry outside. Yesterday I had a purge on all the dog beds. When they were dry I put one on the stairs ready to take up with me next time I went upstairs. Later I was looking everywhere for Bianca and look where I ended up finding her.

Today they are being far more sensible and enjoying the sunshine.

Catching up!

2009-03-08T13:01:00.003+01:00

I dont seem to have had much to write about on the blog lately, but am making an effort today to update. The weather is much improved and it is lovely to see the Spring flowers coming out. The first blossom has appeared too , on the mirabel tree so thoughts turn more to gardening and what to grow this year. I think lots of us will be making the most of our veggie patches this year to eke out the pennies, and it all tastes so much better anyway when you can just pick and cook.

I dont have a lot of room but certainly will do the toms and runner beans, french beans , peppers and chillis as well as lots of basil. I am going to have a go at hops this year too. I understand the shoots and leaves are tasty in salads, and mostly the flowers when drived aid sleep, soo am doing this project for my Mum who has problems sleeping. It is a long haul as it will be a couple of years until the first harvest but will be fun no doubt.

I have started weaving again now as at last we saved up for a fuel delivery and the house is warm again. Nothing scintillating but some waffle pattern that I have not tried before for towels. I am only just warping up so will let you know how it all goes.

Feels like Spring!

2009-02-16T12:55:00.003+01:00

Well what a wonderful day, sunshine and blue sky and I have been working in the potager, digging and pruning. Really warm now, although frosty first thing. I have seen several groups of grues flying over, leaving Aquitaine for their summer breeding grounds. There must have been well over a thousand of them in the three groups so they obviously agree and think it is Springtime. As soon as we hear their familiar noise as they fly over we think either Winter is close or that Spring is coming. They go over the house twice every year, same route , it really is quite amazing.

Would love to have got some photos of them but sadly far too far up for my little camera to get a decent shot.

Still I did take a couple of pics whilst out in the sun.

The first few flowers just appearing. The daffs wont be long, they are in bud.

As you can see, Kassique could hear the camera focusing and was not impressed, tooooo scary! I love horses but they are daft sometimes and panic at the oddest things.

Hope you are all having the lovely weather too.

What a Storm!!

2009-01-27T07:42:00.003+01:00

Well Friday night and Saturday here was pretty rough. We were alerted by the meteo that a storm was passing through but we did not expect it to be so bad , and in fact with winds up to 170kph and torrential rain it was as bad as the storm 10 years ago. It was quite frightening lying in bed in the early hours listening to the roaring of the wind and hoping that the roof would not take off and all would be safe. We were very lucky and apart from a few tiles moved which H will need to go up and put right when all is calm and dry ( he is not to keen on going up there LOL ) and a plum tree at a 45 degree angle and various branches etc all over the place we and the animals are all ok. The electricity went early on and then later the water so it was a challenge keeping warm etc and made us realise how we so easily take for granted running water from taps, loos that flush and fridges that keep our food fresh. We had to buy masses of bottled water to tide us and the animals over but luckily we have a gas cooker so we could heat water and cook by candle light.

Guess what, yes we had visitors for the weekend over from the UK. They arrived Friday afternoon, which was unduly calm and mild and was not quite the weekend they expected. Good job they are old friends.

We also lost the phones, not unexpectadly but at least the mobile signal stayed on which was something.

All around the area trees were fallen and blocking roads but it is amazing how quickly they get sawn up and moved . The essential services and all the locals with a tractor were out and about putting things to rights. Many houses around had roof damage. Small holes and tiles blown off but the men soon seemed to be up there putting things to rights. We had a small blip of electricity on Sat evening and thought all was being fixed but in the end it did not come back on until Sunday evening, just in time for Lark Rise to Candelford!! All in the freezer was ok so luckily no hassle of getting rid of all that and no insurance claim although I am sure the insurers of Aquitaine will have many many claims.

So all in all we are glad to be more or less back to normal apart from the wettest soggiest ground ever and hope all our friends reading this are safe too. I notice quite a few of you are not back online yet so we are thinking of you.

Happy New Year to All

2009-01-06T11:53:00.004+01:00

I know it is a little late. Have been meaning to update the blog for a few days and just got around to it, mainly inspired by all the white stuff lying about today. Yes, it has snowed already for the second time this winter, quite amazing for this part of the world. It surely will not last for long so I have been doing a bit of happy snapping just to prove it is cold in this part of the world and that global warming feels like a myth!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We did here and ate and drank too much as usual so now time for a bit of weight watching . We had some family staying over Xmas and then friends around too on Boxing Day which was fun. It even snowed a little then for a few hours!

The weaving has been neglected I am afraid, but as soon as we are restocked with oil and the heating can be turned up a bit I will be brave enough to use the studio again. At the moment times are very hard for expats relying on UK pensions, we are now a third worse off than a couple of years ago and things are getting worse. Lets hope someone with some sense takes charge in UK in the very near future and sterling goes up in value again. We can but hope!

December catch up

2008-12-12T10:23:00.003+01:00

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

2008-11-27T13:29:00.002+01:00

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.

2008-11-26T10:52:00.003+01:00

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 !!

2008-11-12T11:36:00.004+01:00

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

2008-09-28T10:30:00.004+02:00

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

2008-09-28T10:23:00.004+02:00

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?

2008-08-31T07:34:00.003+02:00

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

2008-08-13T13:07:00.002+02:00

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

2008-08-13T12:52:00.003+02:00

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

2008-07-29T11:13:00.003+02:00

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

2008-06-18T14:19:00.004+02:00

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.

2008-05-25T07:46:00.001+02:00

Recent weaving

2008-05-09T10:40:00.003+02:00

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

2008-05-09T10:19:00.003+02:00

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!

2008-04-27T14:33:00.003+02:00

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.!

2008-02-29T10:39:00.004+01:00

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!!

2008-02-24T11:39:00.004+01:00

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.

Autumn colours

2007-11-04T11:31:00.000+01:00

What a lovely autumn we are having, helps make up for the wet summer! The weather is just lovely and the colours of the leaves surpass anything seen in previous years here, guess it must be all the dry weather.
Needless to say a few photos were necessary
On the weaving front things have been a bit slow. I am just warping the loom with 10/2 tencel and am going to use a 60/2 silk weft to make some upholstery fabric for a friend who is reupholstering a very old bedroom chair. It will be a while before I see if it all comes out as planned with all these 1800 ends to thread.

While taking the pics I noticed that at last my cobee has started to flower. I sowed the seeds back in the summer, hoping for lots of flowers in the autumn but, guess the weather was too bad, so now it is catching up. I just hope now it is a while before a heavy frost finishes it off too soon.

Vendange

2007-09-20T12:59:00.000+02:00

Its that time of year again and the grape picking machines are going full pelt bringing the harvest in. Sadly it is not going to be very good this year as we have had such beastly weather. The weather is really autumnal and very chilly in the mornings but by midday it is nice in the sun.
At least the gardening should slow down a bit now and maybe I will have more time to catch up with the weaving.

Poor Connie has been in for an operation this week, as she had a lump in her neck that was just getting bigger and bigger. The vet thinks it is just a cyst so fingers crossed that the results will be good. She has made a great recovery and is as bright as a button so I took a pic of her this morning after changing her bandage.

Wet wet wet again,

2007-08-19T16:39:00.001+02:00

so a day for weaving indoors.
The curtain fabric is going well and I remembered to take a couple of pics of work in progress.
The warp and weft are 20/2 silk and the pattern is a 24 shaft flowered satin pattern from the handweaving.net site.

Summer at last

2007-08-18T10:40:00.000+02:00

August has at last seen some summery days, albeit not the sort of temperatures that we are used to. Life has been busy with visitors as Tamsin and Mike and his parents came here for a while, luckily whilst the weather was good.

All meals were eaten alfresco which was great , and makes life easy for the cook!

One evening we had a trip to St Emilion and a lovely meal there. It really is such a lovely place which I never tire of visiting.

And, at long last I have got the loom warped and have started weaving the fabric for my new dining room curtains. Will take a pic later to post to blog.

Off to make some chutney now, with surplas tomatoes from the veggie patch!

Time marches on

2007-07-19T08:02:00.000+02:00

Goodness, towards the end of July already and we are not having much of a summer.
We did have a few nice days at the end of June when H's daughter and grandchildren came to visit, so that was really nice. They had a chance to rest and relax in the sun and even have a dip.

I took a few pics of our time together.

These first two are taken in a lovely little restaurant in La Sauve

The next are just a few relaxing in the garden at home.

A bit more weaving!

2007-06-05T22:11:00.001+02:00

At long last I have got around to making the bedroom curtains I wanted from the last piece of fabric that I wove. It could really do with a much larger window to show off the lacy pattern, but this window needed curtains so Voila!

I have also done a few towel recently from weaving up some 8/2 stash cotton with a cotton chenille weft. It was a bit of an experiment, and the towels are fine and functional but not as thick as I had hoped and they were very boring to do. It will be a long time until I do plain weave again but we live and learn. I got so bored it quite put me off and hence took ages to complete. Still now I have a few projects to plan which are interesting. One is to make fabric for dining room curtains, then a throw for a friend and then some upholstery fabric for another friend. That should keep me busy in the heat of the summer, if of course the summer ever arrives!

A few more pics

2007-05-20T07:37:00.000+02:00

We had a bit better day yesterday, at least it was dry and the sun came out for a bit in the evening so there was a buz of lawn mowers all around including here LOL. The gardens were starting to become a bit like a jungle! Today the rain is back ........dismal. Anyway I started to take a few pics of the zoo and then the light got a bit low so will have to do the rest later.Here they are.. Hope you are all having better weather than us.

Long time no post!

2007-05-14T10:43:00.000+02:00

Well it seems time has flown by yet again and I have not found time to post here. We have had some lovely hot weather in April but now it is May and really quite chilly . Usually May here is one of the best of the year and really hot.

However, the flowers are liking it and the roses are flourishing with all the rain so that is great. I took a few pics this week but must take some more as I have not had any of the zoo lately. lol

Weaving, well it is very slow. I have been weaving some towels and what with it being plain weave have got a bit bored and found it hard going, really must make an effort to finish shortly and get onto something which is a little more inspiring.

Lots more curtain fabric needs to be made and other bits so must try harder to get at the loom and not spend ages in the garden. That is the trouble with this time of year the veggie patch and flower borders seem to always need weeding!!

Spring is here

2007-03-06T15:04:00.000+01:00

Hi there, don't seem to have found the time to post much recently and here we are in March already. The weather is very wet here but mild so the spring flowers are starting to look lovely, so I took a couple of pics today.

I have just taken my latest piece of curtain fabric off of the loom and think it is going to look nice. So far I have just wet finished it and pressed it and hope to do the sewing shortly, so I took an interim photo. It was my first venture into network drafting and this time I used huck which I thought would give me just what I was looking for for the spare bedroom curtains. If it all turns out ok of course! I used a French Navy linen/cotton slub at 12 epi.

February already!

2007-02-03T11:45:00.000+01:00

Well Feb is here and the snow is just all gone to be replaced with grey and fog. Hopefully the sun will eventually find its way through it all. Still only one month for us SAD's to go and we can think of Spring. LOL

The hand towels are finished and ready to put in the post and this time I rememberd to take a pic of the finished item. All were done on a cottolin warp but the ones using a cotton weft turned out nicer than the one with linen I thought. I expect the linen needs a lot more using and washing to soften up, but thats how it seems at the moment.

Now I am going to do some studying of my books etc with a view to having a go at network drafting which I have wanted to do for ages. I rather like the idea of using a network drafted pattern for the curtain material that I want to weave next.

Still got snow!

2007-01-26T10:47:00.000+01:00

However, it is nice and warm indoors and just looking out at it. LOL
The horses cant even step outside their stables today as so much ice, and I have just taken the dogs for a walk and in the wind it is perishing cold and no thaw yet.
Back to make some soup and weave.

Here are a couple of pics of the hand towels I have been making for Jill. They are of cottolin and 8/2 cotton and using a 16 shaft pattern I found in Handwoven for linen towels , same threading and different treadlings for some nice patterns. These are blue and yellow as requested but think I may try some with white linen weft as well. Will see how they are when all finished and wet finished.

Close up of above pattern

What a surprise!

2007-01-25T12:13:00.000+01:00

Well there was a surprise in store when we awoke this morning! I know snow had been forecast but we usually only get a sprinkling here, not today. LOL

Here are a few pics before I go off to my loom

First four chairs finished!

2007-01-17T18:19:00.000+01:00

Fun was to be had recovering the chair seats, as the next ones needed all the webbing replacing, but, thanks to ebay I found some at a good price and now have managed to finish the job. Even though I say so myself, I think they look good and am pleased with the end product.

There are still 6 more chairs to do, which are slightly different but they need more repairs so will have to wait until the weather is better and they can be seen to outside.

A couple more pics

2007-01-13T13:04:00.000+01:00

Well I dont seem to have had much to write about lately . I have loaded a pic of the two chenille scarves I have just finished. The red was done on a 20/2 tencel warp and the pink was on an 8/2 tencel warp. Both came out really soft and lovely after careful wet finishing and this time of course they dont have chenille fringes which I thought would make them wear better. We shall see.

Weather here damp and mild, not like January at all, but it does save on the oil for the central heating so that is good. The horses dont understand it and I have been clipping them again already as they were too hot. Seems odd being out in the garden in a t - shirt at this time of year, and there is so much gardening to do but at the moment all is a bit soggy so the loom is winning!

Happy New Year to All

2007-01-06T18:01:00.000+01:00

Just got around to posting for the first time this year.

I have finished weaving a chenille and tencel scarf for DD to take skiing. Just got to do the fringe and wet finish it. Here is an interim pic.

I also have made a start on recovering the seats of my dining room chairs, which is a job I have been meaning to do for ages, since I finished weaving the fabric. The seats were very old so had to find new stuffing etc and then the fun of fixing it all on as tight as I could. It seems to be looking good so far. 1 done and 9 more to go. LOL!

Hope everyone had a good Xmas

2006-12-28T11:16:00.000+01:00

Well it has been a lovely Xmas, even though it was just the two of us and the animals. Plenty of lovely food and wine and even a White Xmas. Not snow, but frost and ice for many days. Looks lovely but a bit chilly. Took a few pics just to prove it was white in SW France. lol

A bit of weaving was done as I made a scarf for a friend in tencel and singles cashmere, but sadly due to haste in wrapping I forgot to photo this one. It turned out nicely but I was a bit worried it was a bit loose, but after wet finishing and hard pressing it was just lovely. I have a to start a couple more in chenille this time, for a ski holiday for DD, so had better get organised.

Home again

2006-12-12T13:49:00.000+01:00

Just got back to France after a lovely trip to Uk to catch up with family and friends before Xmas. Had a wonderful time and remembered to take a few photos. Weather was pretty grim and wet most of the time so it was nice to come back and see the sunshined and blue sky. LOL

Tamsin and Mike, and the runner recently completed.

Tamsin and Mum .

Julian and Nicola , relaxing after we had a lovely dinner. Followed by a pic of Tamsin there too.

Another runner completed, now running short on time

2006-12-05T12:27:00.000+01:00

Well where does the time go. Just managed to finish another runner this week. I did the same pattern as the last one but this one was woven from 8/2 tencel in purple. So busy have been working up to midnight to try and get next warp on and woven. Off on holiday for a few days tomorrow so not a lot of time left before I go.

December already!

2006-12-01T10:47:00.000+01:00

Just finished a Xmas runner for Tamsin. Took a pic whilst it was on the loom and then forgot to photograph the finished article would you believe, and now I have given it to her. Perhaps I can get her to do a photo of it on the table.

This was woven from a 20/2 red cotton used double for the warp and from a poppy coloured 16/2 linen for the weft. The pattern was taken from the Twill Thrills book and is a turned twill on 16 shafts. It was fun to weave and especially to see the circles emerge as I was weaving.

Family and friends

2006-11-30T13:35:00.000+01:00

Not much weaving has been done in the last week, but have had a lovely time with family and friends over the weekend. We all got together for a bit of a celebration a month early as we will all be apart at Xmas.

Just a few pics. LOL

A happy Tamsin at the bar!

Harry, Karen and Ian

Tamsin and her Grandma with Connie peeking in!

Upholstery fabric

2006-11-20T07:39:00.000+01:00

My next challenge was to weave some upholstery fabric with which to recover the seats of our dining chairs. I wanted it to be hard wearing and to fit in with the recent decorating and furniture painting. After quite a lot of research I decided to us a wool/silk combination in lemon for the warp and pale blue for the weft. The yarn was called Zephyr by Jagger and was set at 30 epi to make it stable for seating. The pattern was one from http://www.handweaving.net/ and is a fancy twill on 16 shafts.

The warp was a real challenge to wind on as it was very sticky, and then to my horror the computer dobby decided not to work. It took quite a while to sort out as being August the loom manufacturers were on holiday, however in the end we found out it was the circuit board that had died and a new one was sent for me to replace and from then on the weaving went well. I wove 11 yds of fabric and now have to wet finish it and upholster the seats. That is a job for when I have a bit more time as now it is a rush to get some commissions and prezzies woven for Xmas.

Table runner and mats

2006-11-18T07:56:00.000+01:00

My next project was to weave a runner and some mats for my DD for the summmer. The tencel is 8/2 and I used it for both warp and weft in the runner but changed to a coffee coloured rayon boucle weft for the mats. They were done in a silk damask design on 20 shafts and set at 24 epi..

This is a close up of the pattern

First post

2006-11-17T10:53:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone, just trying this out so lets see how it goes.

The first weaving I did this year was to make some fabric for bathroom curtains. I wanted to be able to see through it, but not too well if you see what I mean, so I chose panels of plain and lace weave alternating and made it from a linen warp and a cotton and linen weft. This was my first play with linen so interesting.
Here is a pic of it on the loom.

Here it is wet finished prior to sewing

And finally the end product. Quite pleased with this first attempt, will certainly try more similar I think.