As you know, I have way too many WIPs but this is impossible for me to stick to just one project. I do make significant progress on each one though, thanks to my last year's resolution.
Lately, I have cleaned up my sewing room and have arranged my fabrics by style (Japanese, country, repro...) and by colour. That made me realize I had quite a big stash of Japanese fabrics.
So, inspired by the Farmer's Wife Quilt made by Sakae from Pink Caramel, I have started making blocks using my Japanese fabrics. It is going to be a long journey as I make only one or two blocks a week, but that's what I like with this project.
Not only am I learning more about Japnese fabrics and how to use them, I am also using Marti Michell's templates and Nat's (from Les Ouvrages de Nat) tutorials. This means I am piecing the blocks by machine which is quite unusual for me but this is the perfect exercice to get better and better at it.
This is my favoutite block so far :
And here are the other blocks I made :
Last weekend, I had friends from Portland who came over. What a great weekend it was! We talked and talked, had great food and wine, went to the farmer's market and we even visited Toulouse on Sunday afternoon.
Thanks Dean, Laura, Collin and Rachel for coming over. I'll see you again in Portland, hopefully soon ;-)
That made me realize that I should try to go to Toulouse with a tourist eye more often. I took pictures and thought it would be nice to share them with you, mainly for my overseas readers who don't know my little corner of France.
Toulouse's city hall, streets, buildings and river banks :
Can you see why it is called "La ville Rose" (the pink city) ?
Finally, I also wanted to share with you a new dish I tried a few weeks ago. It was a quinoa salad with grapefruit and mint leaves, pan-sautéed prawns (lightly "breaded" with quinoa flakes) . Healthy, light and so yummy..... I served it with some ratatouille made with our garden's vegetables. Give it a try...
I should be back very soon with my Stitched Me Club project completely finished ;-) and some quilt book reviews.
Now that back-to-school rush is over, I will probably post more regularly.
Until later,
Lately, I have cleaned up my sewing room and have arranged my fabrics by style (Japanese, country, repro...) and by colour. That made me realize I had quite a big stash of Japanese fabrics.
So, inspired by the Farmer's Wife Quilt made by Sakae from Pink Caramel, I have started making blocks using my Japanese fabrics. It is going to be a long journey as I make only one or two blocks a week, but that's what I like with this project.
Not only am I learning more about Japnese fabrics and how to use them, I am also using Marti Michell's templates and Nat's (from Les Ouvrages de Nat) tutorials. This means I am piecing the blocks by machine which is quite unusual for me but this is the perfect exercice to get better and better at it.
This is my favoutite block so far :
And here are the other blocks I made :
Last weekend, I had friends from Portland who came over. What a great weekend it was! We talked and talked, had great food and wine, went to the farmer's market and we even visited Toulouse on Sunday afternoon.
Thanks Dean, Laura, Collin and Rachel for coming over. I'll see you again in Portland, hopefully soon ;-)
That made me realize that I should try to go to Toulouse with a tourist eye more often. I took pictures and thought it would be nice to share them with you, mainly for my overseas readers who don't know my little corner of France.
Toulouse's city hall, streets, buildings and river banks :
Can you see why it is called "La ville Rose" (the pink city) ?
Finally, I also wanted to share with you a new dish I tried a few weeks ago. It was a quinoa salad with grapefruit and mint leaves, pan-sautéed prawns (lightly "breaded" with quinoa flakes) . Healthy, light and so yummy..... I served it with some ratatouille made with our garden's vegetables. Give it a try...
I should be back very soon with my Stitched Me Club project completely finished ;-) and some quilt book reviews.
Now that back-to-school rush is over, I will probably post more regularly.
Until later,
I love your farmer's wife blocs ! Great looking in japanese fabric :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks ;-) Not easy for me to work with my MAC...
DeleteC'est aussi ce que je fais, je ne vais que rarement à Toulouse mais j'en profite comme une visiteuse... C'est beau ! As-tu remarqué les fenêtres du Capitole, nouvellement repeintes en bleu grisé ? C'est bien mieux qu'en blanc !
ReplyDeleteMerci pour ces belles photos et bravo pour ces blocs, tu sais très bien manier ces délicates teintes.
J'avais remarqué que quelque chose avait changé mais impossible de dire quoi!! C'est donc ça! Le résultat est superbe. Merci pour ton gentil mot sur mes blocs.
DeleteWhat a great idea to do the Farmer's Wife blocks in Japanese fabrics. And how gorgeous they are too!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tour of Toulouse. What a beautiful city it is.
Lovely to read your news.
The colors in the quilt blocks are lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Toulouse. How beautiful. I love the pink city!
Your Farmer's Wife blocks look wonderful in Japanese fabrics David. Lunch looks delicious and how lovely to have friends visit from far away. I read about Toulouse in a writer's portrayal of her 6 month stints there in a house she bought. It looks like a beautiful place. Thank you for photographing like a tourist ! Have a good productive week.
ReplyDeleteSalut from Germany, I just have found your blog and think your work really cute.. Nice to see the pics of Toulouse again, I lived there for one year, may I ask where do you buy your Japanese fabrics ? A bientot, Ewa
ReplyDeleteI buy my Japanese fabrics both at my local quilt shop and on the Internet. There are many sites who specialize in Japanese fabrics both in France and in the US.
DeleteHi David, thank you for sharing the pictures of your "corner" of the world! I always love to see the places where people live and create :-) I also think that japanese version of Farmers wife is the best one, I will be considering it too :-)
ReplyDeleteIl promet d'être magnifique avec ces tissus japonais.
ReplyDeleteGreat blocks and Toulouse looks like a beautiful town. It is always fun to see friends from far away again, isn't it? The food looks great, is there a recipe? I cooked with quinoa for the first time a few weeks ago and liked it , so am looking for more recipies. I have had lots of succes with your previous recipe (the prawn curry in coconut milk, yum!)
ReplyDeleteMmmm...le Farmer's revisité avec des tissus japonais ! Pourquoi pas ?
ReplyDeleteJ'ai hâte de voir le résultat...Bonne continuation !
Your fabric selection is so wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, Thank you for showing great scenery. :))
bonjour David ,
ReplyDeleteMErci pour ces belles photos de Toulouse prisent avec "un regard de touriste " !
C'est ma Ville de Region ... et comme toi je la trouve belle sous le soleil de septembre !
Je ne cuisine que peu le Quinoa , ta recette m' intéresse donc Car c'est une graine bénéfique pour notre corps .
Your Japanese choice does look gorgeous ! Well done on working with your sewing machine, it must be a great challenge when you are not used to it ! Sharing time with lovely people from far away is such a treat. It reminds me of my Kiwi friends visiting us last May :-)
ReplyDeleteWould love the Quinoa recipe - never given it a try so it would be nice to taste it !
Beautiful blocks of your Farmers Wife. I saw then by Sakae, she make also beautiful things.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of Toulouse are great! Thank you for sharing.
I love the profile picture of you, it's always nice to see the face behind this blog.
Have a nice week, Evelyne
Lovely blocks, always a joy to see what you have created.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of Toulouse, I visited as a child in the early sixties. The food looks very yummy indeed:):)
Take care,
Anétte & Skruttan
Qu'il fait bon vivre chez toi...
ReplyDeleteДавид!Меня зовут Лариса и я из России,из Санкт-Петербурга. Я восхищаюсь Вашими работами! Блоки очень красивые, ткани подобраны гармонично. Недавно заинтересовалась японским пэчворком,Заказала первые ткани,жду их с нетерпением. С удовольствием буду к Вам заглядывать. Тулуза прекрасна!
ReplyDeleteJ'ai aussi un petit faible pour les tissus japonais...et ai bien aimé vos coloris pour le patch de l'atelier perdu..Toulouse, nous avons adoré y vivre il y a quelque temps maintenant...surtout son animation nocturne contrairement aux villes du Sud Est qui s'endorment au premier frimât!
ReplyDeleteYour Farmers wife blocks look lovely in that fabric.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos of Toulouse, thanks for sharing them with us. Glad you had a good visit with your friends
Your quilt blocks are beautiful and your favorite is my favorite, too! Really pretty. Love the pics of your beautiful city!
ReplyDeletei'm looking forward to watching your progress with the Farmers Wife quilt. It will be quite a change from the usual reproduction fabrics that I have seen it made in.
ReplyDeleteLes tissus sont splendides et le projet intéressant, je suis curieuse d'en voir plus.
ReplyDeleteJe ne connais pas Toulouse alors merci pour ces jolies photos.
Beautiful blocks and such lovely photos - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Tatyana
I found you through Pink Caramel - I will be back to see your interesting blog - love the photos
ReplyDeleteYour Japanese blocks are beautiful! Toulouse looks lovely, I have not been that far West. Thank you for the photos!
ReplyDeleteMerci pour ta visite David, cela me fait vraiment plaisir.
ReplyDeleteDe voir tes beaux blocs me donnent envie de me remettre à mon Farmer's Wife lâchement délaissé pour mon Jardin de Grand-Mère, comme toi, je ne sais pas dire non à tous ces beaux projets qui nous sont présentés!
Bises