Happy Birthday Mamie!

My Grandma ("Mamie" in French) turned 97 last Saturday!
Since she gets easily tired, a card was better than a phone call. So I sent this to her last week.

I'll be offline from Wednesday to Saturday, so don't worry or be offended if I don't reply to your emails nor leave comments on your blogs!
(my parents are spending a week's holiday in their country house in the Straights of Dover, and since I don't have any other engagement till the end of the week, I believe I'll be more efficient in my work over there - it's so quiet and peaceful!) I'll miss you all!
I'm taking the JCS Ornament magazine and my Silkweaver cuts with me...

A lovely surprise from Holland!

... Or should I say, several lovely surprises? My friend Anneke from Holland sent me totally unexpected gifts! Look what I found in my mailbox yesterday, after a long day...

You really have to click on the picture to see how beautifully both ornaments are stitched!

The Britty Kitty is my favourite design in the 2005 JCS Ornament issue. Now I won't need to stitch it for us! It is so cute!

The other piece is a Prairie Schooler design. Anneke's over one stitching is so neat! That ornament is so dainty and delicate in real life. Anneke backed it with the same Xmas fabric as the kitty.
Although it isn't Christmas yet, I want to display them straight away!

Anneke also sent me a card that really speaks to me: a cat sitting on books! Anneke knows me well doesn't she!

Thank you Anneke, I didn't expect this at all and it has warmed my heart so! Today I'm still all cheerful and happy thanks to your gifts and kindness! I remember reading on your blog that you were stitching something for a friend, but I was miles away from imagining it was for me!
I decided a while ago that Seb and I would have a few stitched ornaments for Christmas, and your gifts will really contribute to our having a lovely little tree this year.
The more I think of it the more touched I am... You told me you'd been careful not to stitch the ornaments for which I had ordered Silkweaver's cuts... When I think of all the thoughtfulness and care and kindness that went into your choice and your stitching, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

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Talking of ornaments, I finished stitching my Exchange ornie this weekend! But as you know I can't share pics... I also stitched a first ornament for Seb and I a couple of weeks ago, but - gasp - haven't taken a picture yet! It is "Santa's Trimmings" by Mosey 'N Me (from the JCS 2004 Ornament issue).

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Thank you all for your comments on the two wallhangings! Wow you're so kind!

Next time I make such a wallhanging, I'll take pictures to show you how to make one.

And to answer Ann's question: interfacing = entoilage in French. To be more specific, it is fusible (thermocollant) and you use it to add some body to a fabric. It comes in different weights. For wallhangings I use a medium weight. In garment-making, most of the time, you need a lighter interfacing. It is useful to add body to armholes, necklines, etc. (I cut out a dress yesterday and will fuse some to the neckline and armholes)

Happy Birthday Mandy!

Thank you all for your lovely, lovely comments. They mean so much to me! And you make me want to make more and more gifts! Thank you!

Dear Mandy's Birthday is not till Saturday (same date as my Grandma!), but she received her French little giftie early! I was afraid she wouldn't get it on time as I sent it only on Tuesday, but her parcel made a very swift travel to the North of England! I guess the Birthday Fairy took care of that.

Mandy loves Tatty Teddy and collects the toys and cards, and a few months ago I'd spotted a collection of teddies designs that were rather close to them. I only had to change the colours and add a few shaggy hairs to the design, and voilà! (click for a bigger pic)

(I also stipple-quilted the center of fabric before embroidering it, so that the batting and the fabric were tied together)

Hey Mandy, I'm so glad you like it! Happy Birthday to you!

I actually made another gift in the same spirit for my sister and brother-in-law, who signed a civil solidarity pact last Tuesday. (I didn't want to show it to you before, so as not to spoil the surprise for Mandy in any way!)

The civil solidarity pact in France is something that replaces a wedding for people who are not believers (I am the only believer among my siblings), and who wish a less formal kind of commitment than the civil wedding. My sister and BIL wanted a very simple ceremony (only the two of them), but we did celebrate them last weekend. More for their love and happiness together than for the contract! This is a keepsake for them, which I tried to keep in accordance with their wish of simplicity.

Gifts sent and received

Hi everyone! It has been such a tough week. I'm at my parents' in Lille now. I left after this morning's seminar (the one that prevented me from going to San's and to Ally Pally...).

Violette wanted to go with me:

She really wasn't happy when I filled the suitcase and she couldn't get inside anymore. But Seb is staying in Paris, he holds a workshop all weekend in the "Fête de la Science", at the Cité des Sciences.

A few gifts I made 2-3 weeks ago reached their recipients this week - Zalita in Malaysia, and Raymonde in Normandy. But... Raymonde's parcel took almost a week longer to reach Normandy than Zalita's to reach Malaysia (Raymonde's town is 250 kms from Paris)!

Zalita was interested in the Rooster & chick quilting pattern I offered a few weeks ago, and she told me she wanted to send me a few goodies too... Well I was spoilt indeed! Look at what she sent me!

There's the Sloe Fairy kit which was in a magazine (oh I so love fairies!), a purse that is a local handicraft in Malaysia. How cute! There are also a few blank cards where I can insert embroideries! And cute, cute buttons - Zalita uses them on some of her stitching and she remembered I loved them but couldn't find such pretty buttons in France... How thoughtful! Zalita, I really love what you sent me! Thank you!

Along with the quilting pattern, I sent her what I like to call "sweet nothings".

I have to thank dear Harsha for the first one!

I first saw one of those purses on Harsha's blog, and Harsha's friend, who had explained her the how-to, directed me to a French website where it was explained.

I also made her a drawstring bag in organza and a tiny lace bookmark:

And here are Raymonde's gifts. Raymonde is a very, very dear friend, I think of her as my third grandma. You may remember she sent me a lovely gift in August? A purse that opened into a grocery bag. I started making her gifts months ago, and I finally finished them 2 weeks ago.

And I here have to thank Jo about the flanged pillow... The Sunbonnet was already stitched, and I was still unsure as to how to finish it. Then I saw Jo's lovely Halloween pillow, I had to finish this Sunbonnet like that! Thank you Jo, for the inspiration! (you always inpire me a lot!)

I also loved looking at Jenna's flanged pillow last week (check it out, it's a darling!). Jenna, I so love yours, and I had to smile as I had just finished one!

The little heart is a sachet filled with lavender from my Grandma's garden.

I was very nervous about those gifts, as Raymonde is a professional seamstress and does such exquisite work. Raymone received them yesterday night and told they had made her very happy!

One thing I love is that she told me blue was her favourite colour (like me!) - so the pillow was in just the right hues!

The little bunnies are for Raymonde's grand-daughters, and Raymonde told me I chose each one's favourite colour to stitch their name! Claire loves pink, and Lise loves purple! How lovely is that!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Cattitudes Round Robin: happy dance

I finished stitching my square on Gemma's Cattitudes Round Robin fabric yesterday!

Her fabric is a lovely café-au-lait colour (a bit darker than on the picture)... It brings out the ginger and browns so well! That's why I decided to stitch a ginger Cattitude rather than a black & white one. (not that the other B&W cats on her fabrics aren't lovely, though! But the warm coffee fabric just made me want to stitch in warm colours).
Gemma asked us to choose among the cats from Margaret Sherry's Cattitudes Calendar, and I finally chose one I had already stitched on my own fabric last January. Couldn't help it - this one is among my favourites! Besides, most of the other ginger kitties from the Calendar were already stitched. Which shows that our round robin is drawing at an end, and that we will soon all receive our own fabrics!

Everyone have a good week!

There are no words...

...To describe my emotion on receiving dear Becky's gift!

Becky's parcel arrived yesterday, and, although I had already seen it on her blog, I cannot believe how GORGEOUS the needlecase is. I still need to adjust to the fact that Becky did make this for me!

I'm afraid I will never get used to its beauty and delicacy... It is so carefully stitched and impeccably finished.

Blue is my ever-favourite colour, and Becky declined it in all its most subtle hues in making this needlecase - in her choice of linen, lining fabric and ribbon (it is a bit darker and subtler in real life).

Becky stitched my initials, IB... But I like to read them rather as "Isabelle - Becky"!

The parcel took longer than is usual to make its way from the US to France. Well, I don't wonder - I'm sure the mailmen wanted to keep it for themselves! But I sure am very sorry that it got Becky so worried ... But all is well now!

I also have pictures of a few projects to share with you... But they shall wait till another post: I wanted this whole post to be all about Becky's kindness and talent!

Big hugs to you, dear Becky!

Swamped...

Carol just left me a comment kindly asking whether I was swamped with my reading... She guessed it pretty well! To tell you all, I'm swamped with my reading during the day, and with bag-sewing at night!

Things have been so busy here since last week...
Since my last post, all my free time has been spent in sewing and in exchanging emails with friends willing to participate in Zoanna's project (in France, Switzerland, and the Reunion Islands).

As a result, a first batch of 40 bags shall leave France for the US tomorrow morning. I made 14 bags - it was my limit as my stash is all used up now! - and I received 26 more bags from a couple of friends. But I'm expecting many more in the next days/weeks! How wonderful!

Violette has been a very helpful assistant: checking the softness of fabrics, watching the cording process very closely (that twirling yarn was driving her crazy!), and finally inspecting each finished bag:

Here are my bags (click on the images to see larger pictures):

8 bags for ladies:

(we want each bag to be unique, so I embroidered them with different motifs)

And 6 bags for men:



Better picture of the bags in a dolphin print, embroidered with dolphins:

I can't wait for that first batch to reach the US! But to own the truth, I'm pretty worn-out now. I'm afraid I'll have to slacken my rhythm somewhat... Especially as I'll start teaching on Monday. And I really need to make myself a few new clothes. There's also a Round Robin I need to finish, and the Xmas Ornament Exchange which I can't wait to start!

Zoanna, I truly don't think you'll notice any difference in the next batch though... I shall try to sew a few, and I should have received more bags from 3-4 sewing buddies...

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Other news:
Jo sent me the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue, and I love it! Jo, again, thank you so much for being so helpful!

I also made a few gifts for friends last Sunday (but I'll have to wait till they have received them to show you!)
And I finished my first Christmas present: a mohair scarf for my little sister.
And I started stitching a Cattitude cat on the next Round Robin fabric...

How did I manage to do so much last weekend? Well, I had to attend a seminar on Saturday which lasted from 9.30 am to 1.30 pm. On this occasion, I was told that this seminar would be held again in two weeks... Meaning I can't go to the Alexandra Palace stitching & knitting show in London!
I was so angry that I decided not to work or read at all for the rest of the week-end... And was therefore quite productive craftwise! Wish I could do that every weekend now!