Star cushion

I am pretty sure that the people I made this for don't read my blog. I hope they don't anyway because I would like this to be a surprise. I made them a star quilted cushion cover and I am very pleased with the result. I love the way the light falls on the quilted lines. I hope they like it. I hope they can live with it. My son thinks it's a star fish and that has given me ideas for other quilted projects...Une housse de coussin pour des amis qui, je l'espère (pour une fois), ne lisent pas mon blog! Je suis très satisfaite du résultat. J'adore la surface ondulé et sa simplicité. Bizarrement le point de départ de ce project était du "ric-rac" (espèce de ruban en zig-zag) orange que j'ai fini par ne pas mettre du tout. Mon fils pense qu'il s'agit d'une étoile de mer et ceci m'a donné plein d'autres idées de projets.

More fruit and veg

So on Monday I took girlie to the Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower while little brother was enjoying his last day at the creche (he used to go just on a Monday). Of course I left my memory card at home and so was unable to capture the "Oh Mummy it's like a dream" moment!

We also went to a Japanese bookshop to look for some clothes-making books for me - I particularly wanted one with patterns for men's trousers - but I actually didn't find any that I wanted to buy. While I was browsing though, daughter had the time to look through loads of craft books and came up with a pile of ones she wanted - a book about different ribbons, a book about how to make tiny cakes and sushi out of fimo, a book about how to make tiny and elaborate handbags (!) and plates of food (!) out of beads (why?!!) so I vetoed all those ones but did get her one about how to make tiny animals out of beads - the why question stands but at least the diagrams were simple to follow and some of the models are fairly cute.My daughter (almost 7) managed to start off a heart very well but then got bored of counting beads and since then has been stomping about in a grumpy, foul mood (on the outside at least but I secretly suspect she is enjoying being a little horror).
I, whilst reassuring her that I don't want a replacement daughter, have been busy making a strawberry and a carrot! And in answer to my own why question... it's actaully quite theraputic and relaxing to craft small fruits and vegetables out of beads!

Happy Days

You wouldn't think so, looking at this guy's face (methinks he knew what was coming)...
Malgré l'expression de ce visage (il connaissait son sort je crois)...we've "bean" having some good times round our way (yup broke out the paddling pool today).
nous nous amusons bien par ici. En commençant par la piscine gonflable (merci voisin pour le prêt de la pompe!).

Apron!

I have just finished making this "apron" as my daughter calls it (humpf). In fact it is a wrap-round tunic and the idea is that I am going to layer it with various other articles, like the pictured sundress. I like it a lot but it is a bit tight around the armholes so I am trying to muster enough energy to cut away and rebind. The pattern comes from this book from which I have already, recently, made some trousers and a dress that I will surely blog about soon.

Je viens de terminer cette tunique (que ma fille a appelée un tablier, merci fille!). Je l'aime beaucoup et je suis sûre que je la porterai souvent. Souvent, si je suis cap de conquérir ma tendence naturelle de passer à autre chose dès qu'un projet est (presque) fini, car elle me serre un peu au niveau des aisselles (vous avez déviné que je ne connais pas le mot pour le trou où passe le bras!!!). Bref... j'adore coudre. Quoi d'autre? Um. Rien. Sauf que le patron vient de ce livre.

It's Freitag!

I've been waiting since Tuesday to say that! This baby is the beautiful Freitag bag that my lovely brother (one of them anyway) surprised me with this week. He knows I love the concept = each bag is made from recycled long-distance truck tarpaulins, recycled bicycle inner-tubes and recycled car seat belts. The company was founded by the Freitag brothers and is based in Zurich, where said brother lives.

Lunch Bag

My friend commissioned me to make her a lunch bag - she was fed up of taking her re-heatables to work in a plastic bag. This is a simple black tote, made to her specifications and lined with a pale pink polka-dot fabric. She let me decide what to put on the front and after much deliberation and a week spent trying (unsuccessfully) to come up with lunch-related word play that could stand frequent revisitation, I opted for the simple "RV@12H" which means "rendez-vous à midi" which translated means something more jingley than "meeting at lunch time".

Ma copine (coucou copine!) m'a demandé de lui faire un sac pour transporter son déjeuner au travail. Parfois (ndlr: jamais) un sac en plastique ne fait pas l'affaire. Ceci était le résultat - un sac noir, doublé en rose pale, avec un message très pertinent mais, j'espère, discret sur le devant. Un projet comme je les aime.

The Club part 2

Did I really write a post that long and boring about a chair?!! Gosh sorry about that. Getting back to the point therefore... I had made a "toile" (i.e. a mock cover in cheap fabric) but was putting off tweaking the design and cutting into the real fabric and my Mum helped me get my act together. It was only while doing it that I realised my procrastination was a blessing in disguise because it is much easier to manipulate so much fabric when there are two of you. Also my Mum really helped me with the construction detail and I was glad to have her experience on my side. You can see the finished cover above and I am very pleased with it. You can also see our new statue on the mantelpiece - it's made out of resin and was cast from the original Modigliani. My orchid is rather nice too...

I can't do a post about club chairs without mentioning my favourite place to get a coffee in Paris: Le Train Bleu. This is an amazingly decorated café-restaurant in the Gare de Lyon station. It is pricey but for 4.70euros you get to sip a coffee sitting in a fantastic winged club chair (my favourite spot) looking at the most ornate interior imaginable. I could never live in a place like this (I am not after all Marie Antoinette) but I am able to briefly appreciate the oppulence of the place. I took my brother and his friend when they came to stay this last week. You can see my brother's arm below.
This next photo is of the scene just over my shoulder... The link above has lots more photos. Go there next time you are in Paris.