Off to Cordes-Sur-Ciel

This morning we headed off on a field trip to the fortified town of Cordes-Sur-Ciel. Built in 1222 by the Count of Toulouse, the town was revived in the mid-20th century, by artists and other visitors who noticed the towns beauty. Albert Camus visited it in the 1950s and remarked that “In Cordes, everything is beautiful, even regret”.
So up the cobblestone streets we walked to a small studio owned by Rowena Maybourn.  Rowena is a textile artist who carves medieval images and prints onto Irish linen - a process that sounds pretty straightforward, but has taken her years to master and now, is the only artist who uses a special layering technique to creat her designs inspired by the middle ages. Rowena's studio is located in a 13th century home - filled with light and color. We were given a short tour and then taken up to her studio on the second floor where we were all able to block print on a small piece of linen.  It's been so inspiring to see these local crafts and the process the artists go through in order to produce their work - it gives a whole new meaning to French inspired crafts.

Day Three

We had a bit of a leisurely sleep in this morning - had a wonderful breakfast out on the patio and then retreated out to Lizzie's craft room - an open space with natural light which she has built in the barn adjacent to the coach house. After looking through our craft bags, we decided to give wool felting a try first. Ever since I took a class at Reform School in Silverlake, I have been hooked! I filled everyone's bag with natural dyed alpaca wool roving - and gave everyone a quick warning about the needles. Before I knew it, everyone was creating a small beauty - without too many needle stab sighs! A local lunch filled with pates, cheese and fruit - and a spot of local wine.
After lunch we headed over to Septfond where we visited Chapeau Willys - one of the oldest hat factories in the areas. Since the factory was over 200 years old, I started looking around for the old stuff. I looked and looked and couldn't find any trace of the old flowers or straw or stamens or ribbon - where were they hiding it?? Eventually in my very bad French, I asked the owner, Isabella where the "old stuff" was and she told me the sad story of how about four years ago there was a robbery and then a fire and the fire had wiped out the fingerprints so there was no way of knowing who robbed the building. Tragic! I looked down on her desk and noticed piles of old spools of ribbon and flowers and wondered if she would part with a few. Without a beat, she told me that this was all that was left and they were her memories of the past - she wouldn't part with one - and I understood why.


We took a fascinating tour of the factory and learned about the production of the panama hat as well as Willy's specialty, the braided straw hat. Cathy spotted a vintage straw hat hanging on the wall and was dead set on buying it - but alas, Isabella wouldn't part with anything that was made before the fire. So....she offered to make Cathy a hat just like the old straw hat hanging on the wall. We all got so involved with designing the hat - from the color of the straw, the grosgrain ribbon around the brim and the vintage washed out flowers for a spot of color - before we knew it we had been at the factory for almost three hours! It was a fascinating day!

Day Two at Chateau Dumas

The breakfast bell was rung at 7 and we awoke to a wonderful meal of fresh baked croissants, home made jam and coffee. Everyone piled into the coach and we sped away to St. Antonin for the early Sunday morning farmer's market. About 30 farmers come into to town every week to offer up their finest fois gras, bread, vegetables and fruit. We had a great time tasting some of the local flavor - as well as buying the melons, fruit mustard and fresh honey. With baskets full, we headed back to the chateau to drop off our market finds in the kitchen.
The flea market in Toulouse happens on the first full weekend of every month - Friday through Sunday. The vendors are local folks who have been selling their wares at this particular market for years - so there is a great air of friendship and familiarity throughout the loop. (The market is set up in a loop - like a track field with a sausage and frites "kitchen" at either end). Everyone went to work immediately - hunting for old textiles and digging for small treasures. Lizzie helped out with the French bargaining and I did my best with a pad of paper and a a bit of "Bon prix s'il vous plait" I think the vendors were happy to see us all and everyone in our group walked away with some great treasures.

Chateau Getaway Begins!

Well, we've arrived at Chateau Dumas and all is well! I spent the day Saturday meeting everyone in Toulouse and then we drove the hour north to the small town of Auty. Waiting at the airport, I spotted a few of the women right off - Cheryl and Sandy from Moda, a great old friend Cathy from Santa Barbara and a couple of gals who had taken a workshop at French General years ago. Everyone else who walked off the plane spotted me and soon we had our whole group - not one missed flight or connection - just a lost luggage that still has yet to be found! Chateau Dumas is everything you imagine a 17th century chateau to be.....grand, old rooms appointed with period antiques in the foyer and comfortable couches in the sitting room, oversized windows with pale blue shutters and lavender everywhere. Each bedroom has its own personality - some with great views of the lake and others with a view of the coach house. Chateau Dumas was originally built in the thirteenth century and was burned to the foundation during the French Revolution. It was rebuilt on the original footprint in the late nineteenth century. The Baron, who owned the Chateau, was a card enthusiast who continually gambled away the local farms he owned. His wife would then repurchase them the following days.
Our first meal together was shared outside on the veranda overlooking the local farms - fields of grapes, wheat and sunflowers. We sat down for a hand cooked meal prepared by Mamajo - Lizzie's mum - the resident chef.  Plenty of local wine to ease into a good night's rest. An early night to bed - tomorrow we are up at the crack of dawn for a trip to the St. Antonin flea market and then down to Toulouse to my favorite flea market. Bonsoir!

Ville Rose

I'm in Toulouse for a couple of days before beginning our week at Chateau Dumas. Toulouse, known as the pink city - or Ville Rose - for it's distinctive brick architecture - is one of my very favorite cities - it's large enough to get lost in, but small enough to find your way back home if you wander long enough. I passed through the old winding streets and came upon an old mansion on Rue Velane which housed an antique shop owned by Laure Baudet. Filled with old gilt framed mirrors and pierced metal tables - this was a treasure trove of objects that had all been hand-picked by Laure over the past 30 years. Born in the house, Laure now occupies the mansion and fills it with whatever she likes - and she likes a lot! 18th century chandeliers, hand-carved Napoleonic beds and the occasional stuffed raven and crow. When I stepped into the foyer, I felt like I was home - as if I had just been absent for a very long time. Good antique shops do that to me - they make me feel like I belong - even if I am thousands of miles away from home.  I asked her if she had any old textiles and she told me to come back on Saturday - she would bring down a sack full of old materials that her grandmother used to sew with.  Somehow, someway I need to return on Saturday!

Anglet Flea Market

On Saturday, we drove about 45 minutes north of San Sebastian to the small city of Anglet, France and visited another great flea market - this was a combination market of some really old treasures mixed in with newer pieces. It was a bit of a deep dig, but I still managed to find some great old cotton convent slips, linen bed sheets with huge monograms and a trunk full of old ribbon and trim. I also found a dealer that had dozens of my favorite French wine glasses - the early 19th century heavy glasses that were originally used at the vineyards for tasting the local grapes. Here are a few photos of the day - be sure to check out our website soon where we will be listing all of our flea market finds.

Giuseppe and La Chavalilla

I have a very old friend, Giuseppe Avalon, perhaps one of the greatest period costume designers ever. I met him over ten years ago, when he dated a friend of mine. Last night, Giuseppe and my old friend, John, arrived in San Sebastian for a few days of sun and fun. This morning we headed over to my very favorite antique shop in town, and luckily - it was open! Open only by chance - I usually walk by everyday waiting for the small curtained door to sit slightly ajar. Owned by a 90 year old woman, known as La Chavalilla de Sunbilla, Angeles Ganboa was a servant for many years and now offers up 17th and 18th century treasures that her past employers have left to her. A tiny shop filled to the rafters with crystal chandeliers, linen bed sheets and religious tapestries, it is a diggers delight! As soon as Giuseppe stepped inside, he was mesmerized, and together, Angeles and him discussed every historical clothing detail they could get their hands on. Here is a photo of Seppe holding a 19th century opera cape, hand beaded with jet and fringed with ostrich feathers.
There is an upstairs loft at the shop - and, according to Angeles's daughter, no one has ever been upstairs in 30 years, except for Angeles. Every year I visit the shop I ask to look upstairs, just look, not even touch anything - and every year the answer is the same - no. I imagine there to be trunks full of old textiles, silk ribbons, and flowers, When I have exhausted Angeles, she usually climbs the staircase and digs around for a bit then descends the stairs with her arms full of old bits and pieces.
After an hour of looking, Giuseppe and I had made a small pile of special pieces. We were told to come back in a day or two after Angeles had thought about the prices. She then explained to us that it is not because of money that she sells these precious items, it is because of her love affair with the past. Giuseppe and I both knew exactly what she was talking about.