The French Needle Blog
the cumbrian way
Just back from a lovely ten days in the UK, lots of which was
hiking on (and off) the Cumbria Way in the Lake District of northern
England. Really sublime landscapes, flora and fauna (moss!!!) and the
all-important tea and scones.
We chose the "self
guided" tour which proved to be a bit much...from a navigational point..."through the field, past
the tarn, around the cairn"... and off the path we went. But over five
days we picked up some of the key words and mostly learne...
I think i have a fourth cone
nude in bath, pierre bonnard
First, a disclaimer. My entire scientific knowledge could be stuffed into a thimble with plenty of left over room for my finger. Frankly, the id...
Simple things for simple people
My current Favorite Thing in Embroidery is something that I did not invent and I don't think has a name.
But it sure is fun. Most importantly it involves lots of colors and supplies.
Find yourself a printed piece of fabric. I think two tone is best, and I
really like the weight of a cotton linen blend. But as with all great crafts,
there are really no rules.
Now, the fun part. Embellish that bugger
within an inch of its life.
I use as many colors as possible f...
La Charite Sur Loire
How could one not like a town called “La Charite” ? La Charite sur
Loire more precisely, was the site of our most recent family foray into
“la France profonde”.
I love this kind of trip: a few serious pretenses for being there,
but mostly lots of downtime for exploring, reading and stitching. And
lots of delicious food.
We were there on a quasi business trip and found people very friendly. Except one really nasty guy at the post office.
La Charite has...
The French Needle has its own kits
Figurines kits by Helene Le Berre for the French Needle
I have wanted to work up my own kits for a while. It is a bit difficult to find small hand embroidery kits in my experience.
Of course, I grossly underestimated the amount of work and detail involved in such an endeavor.
It was fun, though. First I found a young graphic artist in France
named Helene Le Berre. She has done several books I love…her work is
fresh and retro-chic.
Helene drew a whole set of what she calls “figurin...
Too Much Stuff
About three years into my marriage my husband
confessed he married me mostly because I was such a light packer…and I
am just fine with that.
Anyway, I am a great packer. After so many long hauls I have honed my minimalist packing skills to the Nth degree.
I can live three days off the contents of a small purse. And even
though I do usually check a bag ( I can’t stand to carry stuff),
everything wi...
Something Royal
Surfing around the net these days I have discovered my newest and
perhaps lamest obsession so far: Crowns and Tiaras…. I really do not
care much about the British Royal family but find myself oddly
obsessing over which tiara is on whose head and for what occasion… Some
of the papers report that the crowns are “loaned” and others say
“given”…I do hope at least the Royals are straight on it.
And the crowns have names. The Halo Tiara, The Meander Tiara, The
Russian...
C’est l’ete
11 pm June 2, 2011
Well something really fun about my life is I never know when I will
end up in France….that was the case for an unexpected ten days zigging
and zagging through Champagne, Provence, Normandy and Paris. And it all
happily corresponded with the longest days of the year…The trip was for
family business, business business, and plain family. It was fun,
productive, and, of course, delicious. When I get my ...
Sophie Digard – new accessories at the French Needle
Detail of soleil rose sophie digard scarf
No matter how many times I receive orders from Sophie Digard, when a new one arrives my heart beats faster.
Although I know Sophie designs flawless collections, many of the items I have ordered I have not actually seen made up before.
Sophie Digard accessories are custom made.
We choose design and color palettes and then they are crocheted on a
custom order basis. There are so many many colors and designs that the
selection is quite over...
French Squirrels
Sajou needlework box kits – great for gifts
Sajou box
The French must have all been squirrels in their past lives. They love packing things, putting little things into other little things, arranging things and generally squirreling their possessions.
And like everything else, they like to do so stylishly. Forget
designer handbags; the french have specific pouches, pockets or cases
intended for everything imaginable. They even have special envelopes
for their c...
Pink and red
NOTE: Originally posted in 2011
I remember it like it was yesterday…we were on our way to visit some
friends and I dressed myself in a glorious ensemble and completed the
look with a snappy white wicker purse shaped like a turkey.
As I strutted my four year old self to the door, I was met with
blank stares from my mom and my Nana. It was then suggested that I
rethink some part of my outfit because Pink and Red do Not Go Together.
And worst of all, I was appar...
It’s all good…
It is funny how things can develop right under your nose sometimes….
When I started the French Needle nine or so years ago it was all about needlework supplies.
Over the years it has morphed into something even closer to my heart.
In my attempt to sniff out really beautiful materials for people to use
in their projects, I have come across some amazing crafters who realize
their products soup to nuts.
To make something b...
