A la Francaise: A Quilter’s Holiday in France

Bonjour! See How We See readers. I am recently returned from my fantastic French holiday and ready to share photo highlights of the journey. Although I never did walk into a fabric shop while there, I did find much inspiration in France’s flora, fauna, and history. Few words today from me, just images starting with my lovely niece and her handsome new spouse (BTW: scroll to the end for the recent giveaway winners) . . .

French Food–Yum!–Salade Italienne, the classic Steak Frite (steak and french fries), and the results of a strawberry festival. No, I did not eat all of this! The salad and strawberry chantilly crepe thing was mine (I shared!).

French Sites–A walk along a 16th-century tannery row after that large lunch. The pretty cottage is a converted tannery–a wholesale change from centuries past when tanneries were noxious commercial zones. Next is the view from the climb up to a crumbled medieval fortress overlooking the town with the tannery river walk.

Art in unexpected places–the well cover at the crumbled castle. It’s a loonnng pebble drop . . . glad they had the cover.

Brittany Road Trip–medieval towns of Lannion, Dinan, and a coastal fortress with castle vegetable garden and manicured hedges.

Part tourist site and private home–the manor house is the residence of the owners.

Reverence and Piety–Faith is strong in Brittany with a private family chapel behind a painted red door as you’ll see below, and religious art in unexpected places like a storage shed next to a farmhouse.

The “Real” French Country Style–Sublime lace curtains soften the starkness of  gray stone houses. This picture-perfect cottage dates to the 1650s. I found a supplier of lace curtains in the walled city of Dinan. The dancing boy and girl curtain is handmade in France and costs a pricey 50 euros a meter!

I close with two of my favorite “things” from my journey:  French roses in bloom in Brittany and a friendly house rooster we met while visiting family. This funny little cock hung out with his two house-dog buddies and a slew of cats. Reminds me of the line from the first Ghostbusters movie: “. . . dogs and cats (and roosters) living together . . .” as a sign of imminent Armageddon.  Nah, it’s a miracle of nature just like the roses. Au revoir France! (Keep scrolling for the giveaway winners . . . nearly there!)

Giveaway Winners!

We’ve had a bonanza of giveaways lately and now it’s time to let the winners know.

Barbara Jansz is the winner of the mega-giveaway with her poem:

The Friendship Quilt Guild would love to win All the surplus items in your Goodie-Box-Bin. Members who’ve made quilts for Project Linus Will be rewarded generously for their quilting kindness.

The Peg Conley/Clothworks giveaway winners are Jane from MA and Quilting Tangent (who, coincidentally, penned a poem about how she never wins giveaways–well, Ms. Tangent, the odds are now running in your favor!)

Later, gators!

#France #giveaway #travelinspiration