Traditional Breton Dancing

I am not going describe these photos, they are able to speak for themselves. I would like to mention a couple of facts though before your feast your eyes.

Each area of Brittany has its own destinctive lace cap for the ladies and they range from the simple to extremely elaborate - these caps are relatively simple. All the lace is handmade as are their lace gloves, and Brittany lace is quite famous in Europe.

Costumes also vary from region to region, but all the ladies wear black dresses under their aprons. In fact, wedding dresses used to be black and the wealth of the bride's family was determined by the amount and quality of the (black) embroidery it carried. I have seen wedding dresses so encrusted with embroidery and beads I don't know how the bride managed to make it to the altar ! Just imagine what that must have done to their eyes !

One of the nicest things about the Bretons keeping alive their Celtic traditions is, as you will see, that support comes from both sexes and all ages, shapes and sizes !

So, if you'd like to come along next August and try it for yourselves.....

....this is the village B & B

.......and I am sure the flags will all be out again to say 'Bienvenue' !!

French Fete Days

'Fete' , a little French word with many meanings, and it comes from the verb 'feter' which means to celebrate . It does actually have an accent like so ^ over the first 'e' but I can't find it on the keyboard when I change from English to French!!


It means a religious feast day as in ' la Fete de l'Assomption', a Catholic feast day celebrated all over France on 15 August ; a public holiday as ' la Fete Nationale 'on 14 July ; 'la Fete de Noel' for the celebration of Christmas , and so on.

In France every day of the year is dedicted to a saint, and should you share your christian name with one of those saints, then you also get to share their 'Fete' day , and it is the custom to be wished ' Bonne Fete' on that day. For example, if my name had an 'e' on the end of it, then I would share a Fete Day with St Anne, which is 26 July. In fact 'Bonne Fete' cards are more common in this area than Birthday Cards!


It also means a festival, and we have Fete du Pain (bread ) Fete des Jumeaux (Twins),Fete des Fraises (Strawberries ) etc, etc, and August in particular, because it is the main holiday month in Europe, is a great time for Fete Days !!!


LIZIO

A very pretty village near to us , held a Fete des Artisans (Craftsmen/women) yesterday, and as I had been a good girl and taken all my meds (!) DH agreed to take me there for half an hour. Now this is nowhere near enough time to see everything, but I jumped at it because it was the first time in over 3 weeks I've had that kind of offer - well, to be honest it' s the only offer I've had. (LOL!).


These are just a few of the crafts represented at the show that I managed to see :


There were Spinners


...Artist working with metal....





















and in wood...

.........he made this..

....which stands in front of the church .

Then there were some cushions .........

.....and I don't quite know what this was in aid of, but I certainly hope he hasn't annoyed her !!!!

According to the programme, there were also potters and basket-makers; glass blowers and jewellers; embroiderers and patchworkers ( I couldn't find them close by and my walking was restricted - Shame !!) Painters on canvas, glass, roofing & ceramic tiles ; makers of wind chimes, umbrellas/parasoles and wooden toys. Add to this bread baking in a tradional wood oven, threshing with a steam driven thresher, demos of roofing , face painting and pony rides. Models of everything bar the kitchen sink - there was even a scale model of EuroDisney Paris with all the rides intricately reproduced , put it all together to make a fabulous day out for eveyone in the family !! In fact if you could think of a craft - it was there !! We were only there for just under an hour (well , I had to try for some extra time didn't I ???) and the village was chock-a-block!!!

Finally, there were Breton Folk Dancers !

I have so many lovely photos of these dancers and their costumes that I will put them in a seperate post, tomorrow maybe, but right now its time for the dreaded nebuliser session and DH is already pointing to his watch so I'd best get out of here !!

Growing Your Own !

I'm afraid that neither DH or I are what you would call 'gardeners' . Don't get me wrong, I like to be surrounded by flowers and shrubs and we both do our bit to keep the grounds looking pretty good but - we both lack the passion that makes what I think of as a true gardener !

Since moving to Brittany we've noticed that lots of our fellow ex-pats have taken up the tradition of a French 'potagerie' ( kitchen garden) and grow their own vegetables ,which they (admittingly) wouldn't think of doing 'back home' ! Me, I have nothing but admiration for them as I hate the thought of all that weeding so we don't have a veggie patch !!!

We are very lucky though in respect that our French neighbours are generous to a fault ( also probably feel very sorry for our inadequacy !) and keep us supplied with a steady stream of seasonal produce. Lettuce by the bag full ; tomatoes by the bowl ; beetroot, radish and 'baby' new carrots by the bunch soon to be followed by courgettes (zucchini), , French beans and peppers ! Early potatoes are grown in the potagerie , whilst the main crop comes out of the field in mid September - last year we ended up with 6 sacks full for 2 of us !!!! So you can see that really we have no need to 'grow our own' vegetables and in my (lazy!) view this way is a lot less hard work !! However !! Like all the British ex-pats that I know, we do make one concession - and that is to grow a row of Runner Beans!!!

I can't even try to explain the difference between French beans and Scarlet Runners, but it's there ! At the moment our little row is producing so many beans that its our turn to supply the neighbours with 'English' beans, and they are going down a treat ! This is today's crop, a bit down on the last few days, but already we have a home for them with our biggest convert from 'French' to 'English', my 74 year old neighbour !!! Well , why not - after all there are only so many beans you can eat in a week !!!

I've managed to stay upright (!!) for 3 days now but am still on 'light duties', so I 've had a little time in my sewing room but have kept to smaller projects not to tempt fate too much !

A couple of Runaround Bags , such a lovely, easy and quick to make pattern, I just need to find my 'box of goodies' to make something to put on the zipper tabs.

QA inspection by the big boss, William !!

Plus a couple of trial Snap Happy Pouches

So not a totally wasted week after all ! Today I hope to finish off a couple of wall hangings that have been around for some time now !!!

Just to mention that I've had the results of my test, a couple of problems but nothing big, so I will write more about that later!

From Bad to Worse !!

Just when I was starting to think I was getting over the dreaded bronchial infection - wham !! - back it came again and this time even worse !! I really am fed up with feeling so terrible all the time, not to say feeling sorry for myself (and for DH who is getting the full force of my displeasure !!) Bed rest is all very well and good, but so BORING!!!!, there is only so much reading one can do and very little else !! At the moment I am waiting for the results of more blood tests to try and determine the cause of all this - honestly, I am begining to feel like one of Dracula's victims the amount of blood being drained from me !!! Moan! Moan!! Moan!!

I have to admit though that Sunday and Monday I had no ambition to get out of bed and that is a very bad sign (!) as normally I have to be strapped in, but all the coughing is really tiring me out( and making chest Xrays a bit difficult ) to say the least. Today is a lot better so far (dare I say it !!) so maybe the treatment is kicking in at last ! Its ironic really though - all this bed rest has given me such a bad backache, now I don't know what to hold when I get a coughing fit !!!

Sewing - well, that's become a thing of the past for the time being, but I did manage to get my Miniature Booty swap quilt finished and it will go off in the post some time next week. Also managed to get my August Birthday Block out in the post today as well as some red/white blocks for Clare . Not a great deal to show for 2 weeks is it , and no photos either I'm afraid, but just a little something to keep my hand in (when DH is not around standing guard !!!) . I did get a great big parcel yesterday with my batting and thread from Asding in the UK , so now I have no excuse not to get quilting once I am able !!!!

Summertime Blues !!

It seems ages since I blogged - in fact it' s ages since I did anything at all !! I 've missed all the lovely sunshine , and haven't been further than the bottom of the garden in over a week, and no, there weren't any fairies to be seen anywhere when I got there !!!

Seriously, though, I am feeling a lot better than I did a few days ago and I am hoping by the weekend I can get back to some kind of normality ! I am the world's worse patient for sure, and I am so glad this last week is over !!!

Nothing to report on the sewing scene other than I have made a start on my Miniature Booty Swap Quilt, but not worth showing at the moment. I did make a number of 'resolutions' whilst lying around doing nothing (VBG!) not the least being that I MUST do something to reduce the ever increasing number of UFOs, and I did manage to order a load of batting from the UK !! The idea is that this should arrive just about the time I am feeling well enough to start crawling around the floor and get some quilts put together - well, that's the master plan !!!

Best Laid Plans !

My intention this week was to try and get the Churndashes flimsy well on the way to being quilted and the binding on - but like a lot of plans, this didn't happen - in fact nothing did !!

I have spent the last 2 days confined to bed , doped up with antibiotics, trying to combat yet another bronchial infection !! I started feeling a bit 'off' over the weekend but thought it was just the start of a summer cold - Wrong! It has turned into the real thing !! Today I do feel a little better, but still very groggy and have the most awful sounding cough you can imagine (!) so its back on the old inhaler, cough syrup and any other drugs thought likely to put a halt to it !!!

The problem I had in January was bad enough, but then it was quite a hard winter, which would explain a little why one might end up with a bronchial infection - but do you know what is really bugging me now ? This is the nicest weather we have had so far this summer , temperatures are in the very high 20s, and me, I' m in bed through most of it !!!!!!

Liberated !!!

By now anyone dropping in to the Blog will have realised that I am a 'Scrappy' quilter, but I have read so much about Gwen Marston's techniques recently I got to thinking that anyone who could make me stop worrying about my points (not always good !!) was worth taking a closer look at ! Trying to find a reasonably priced copy of Gwen's 'Liberated Quilting' is like trying to find stardust as many of you know.However, I did put my name down on Tonya's virtual petition to AQS to try and get the book reprinted (the news at the moment is that there is a very slight definite maybe for a go ahead!!). So I bought this whilst in the UK , to get me going at least

Looking for something easy to start, I found this

and over the weekend made this

Not exactly the same quilt as in the illustration, I decided to make it square so that it can be used as a table topper, and of course, not quite the same standard of quilting :-) It is finished though and I am quite pleased with my first 'liberated' attempt!! What I've really got my eye on next is this, as I think this is one Wedding Ring pattern I might achieve !!

Mixed Bag

Firstly, a little of sewing , just to proove that I haven't been spending all my time gadding around the French countryside !!

A finish - Chunky Churndashes!!

Well, ready for quilting at least ! This is the third quilt I've made from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville site and I've been very pleased with all of them ! My first was the Scrappy Bargello, which now resides with DS1, then the alternative setting Pineapple Blossom which you can see here , and now the Churndashes, so I certainly have a lot to thank Bonnie for . Now to try and get it quilted and the binding on next week !!

An Addition!

Two more borders on the medallion flimsy !

It is starting to look a lot better now ! Next step is 80 Flying Geese !! I wish I could take better photos of these quilts , they are just becoming too big (!) , but I am sure you get the idea !

And some information for anyone looking something to do during the next few weeks (LOL!!) - have a look at this site and the wonderful free workshops that are being offered , there is something for everyone. I promise you it has to be worth a visit ! There is also a logo if you'd like to grab it .

Summer Has Arrived !!

Unlike our Summer so far this one is here to stay !

This is my 4 Season Quilt Swap for 'Summer' and made by Rose Marie from Toronto. It is absolutely gorgeous and the photo doesn't do it any justice at all !! The quilting is so detailed and most of it hand quilted at that ! You might be able to see some of it in this photo

and it doesn't stop there - just look at the label !

Thank you so much Rose Marie, I am just delighted !!! Thank you also to Margaret for all her hard work in arranging the Swap. Just one little regret - I wish I had known about the swaps sooner as I have really enjoyed 'playing along' !!!

One of my fellow British ex-pats here in France, Claire , has been posting views from her various windows - now I don't have such pretty views as Clare ,so won't be rushing around the house snapping from every window (!!), but thought you might like to see the view from our garden gate this afternoon

Yes, harvesting has started, the Combines are working all hours and the roadways are jammed with tractors & trailers of all ages, shapes & sizes !!! Most of the grain goes to the local co-operatives and you cannot imagine what a driving hazard this causes ! Now, please don't laugh, but this is the time of the kamakazi wood pigeons !! They flock onto the roads to get at the fallen grain, so driving at the moment consists of closing your eyes each time you come across a bunch of pigeons. They promptly take off as you approach, but goodness only knows which way they will fly !! Going up to Megan this morning I counted 42 birds in a couple of kilometres - so far I've been lucky and managed to miss them all, but one day ................!!!!!!

Keep forgetting to mention, just over 1 lb off this week (1 lb 6 ozs actually). It must have been the ice cream (Ooops !) last week-end that slowed me down (!!) but I am quite OK with that, at least its the right direction

Bastille Day.......cont'd !

You know I've just realised that there is a whole part of a paragraph missing from my last post!Whether this is operator error (VBG !) or by courtesy of Blogger I don't know, but it should have read :


"I have so many photos that to try and post them all would mean being here half the night (!!)so these are some of the other attractions parading the streets for our entertainment. There were troubadours and jugglers, archers and falconers, dancers and fire-eaters, fools and stilt-walkers and I could just go on and on ......................! "

It seems such a shame not to mention everyone and who knows, maybe one day I will get around to publishing all the photos on a Picasa album !!!