My Love of Peonies

Minneapolis - En Avant!

Just flew in to Minneapolis from New York for the Quilt Show at the Convention Center. After I helped Joanna Figueroa in her booth for a bit, I walked around the Center...and what do my wondering eyes should appear - but a beautiful quilt made out of our Rural Jardin collection! The booth was half set up - so I don't know who designed or sewed the quilt - but I thought it was a beautiful piece, showing off all of our latest fabrics! I'll fill in the name after I meet her - or him - lots of boys are quilting these days! I'm here signing our new book, Treasured Notions, tomorrow in the Brewer booth at 11 and the Moda booth at 3:30 - stop by and say hello if you happen to be close by!

Dust off Your Sewing Machine - We Have a Winner!

Ok - the list keeps growing and it's getting a little overwhelming! I really just want to send out a bit of fabric to everyone - but I know that would be crazy! Moda sent me a box of scraps - and I mean scraps - so I thought I would choose two names for some proper scraps and another two names for the scraps Moda sent me. I think Moda bagged up all of the edging of the fabric they cut for the Maison de Garance quilts they sewed for Quilt Market. So - if you happen to be a lucky winner of the scrap bag - I sure hope you like to do little work - 2x2 patch squares would work perfectly! Here we go....the lucky winners of the proper scraps from French General are Lorrie who is going to gussy up her dining room and Victoria Cullen who is going to cover her walls! The winners of the Moda scrap bags are Marie Pilgrim -I know she will use every scrap to make a tote bag - and Emma who is going to make an antique strippy quilt - perfect! Thanks so much for all of your ideas - they all sound perfect - and I hope some of you send me photos if you do end up sewing out of Maison - I think you will be happy with the new line - I know I am!

If you happen to be one of our lucky winners, please send your address to me: notions@frenchgeneral.com

A Soiree in New York

Join us Saturday, May 15th from 3-5 at Tinsel Trading for an afternoon of fun! Marcia and I will be signing copies of our new little book, Treasured Notions - and all sorts of creative friends will be around to help celebrate! If you happen to be in the city - hope you can stop by for a bite to eat, a bit of bubbly and a chance to visit Tinsel Trading!
If you would like to stay and take our evening jewelry workshop from 5:30-7:30, please sign up at frenchgeneral.com - we still have a few seats left!

Maison de Garance Giveaway

I've had so much going on around here that I almost forgot to put up pictures of our new Fall 2010 fabric line, Maison de Garance. This collection grew out of a conversation Cheryl, the Moda design director, and I had last summer while sitting in her room at Chateau Dumas, overlooking the fields below. Cheryl pulled out a brown and white transfer ware plate she had bought at the flea market in Toulouse and we were both enamoured with the deep chocolate color -and thought it would be the perfect compliment to the old French General reds. Turns out - it is a beautiful combination. Maison de Garance is a collection of fabrics filled with our classic reds, rich browns and a natural tea stain color...and the leaves are green! I am just crazy about some of the florals that are embellished with color - I can't decide if I like the reproduction or the original better - that's a good sign!
To celebrate our upcoming Moda group, I would love to send out some bundles - to add to your stash pile! Leave me a comment about your Maison de Garance ideas and we'll choose a couple of names in the coming days. Bonne Chance!

The Creative Connection Event

Just back from St Louis and I am already planning my next kit for a big event happening in September in Minneapolis. Jo Packham and Nancy Soriano have teamed up together to plan an inspiring four days for creative women to gather and do what they do best. Besides wonderful workshops, Jo and Nancy have planned entrepreneurial panels, a handmade market, and one on one and small group discussions with innovative people working all aspects of this great big craft world.
Planning a project for a teaching event usually puts me over the edge - I want to bring so many elements into a kit - but I realize that I only have 2-3 hours to introduce the project, walk through the techniques and keep my finger's crossed that everyone finishes the project. After I have settled on one idea, I start to think about color, texture and materials. Using my old stock comes in handy - I usually end up making 100 kits of each design.
I'm teaching two classes at the event - a Bohemian Charm Necklace Kit and a Petite Gypsy Heart. The necklace kit is a great basic jewelry workshop - with lot's of looping and charm making. The Gypsy Heart is a jewelry inspired workshop with a small cushion that is pinned with all sorts of jewels and charms - the kit will make over 4 pieces of jewelry. I am really wrapped up in the Gypsy mode wight now - small amulets and trinkets, good luck charms and talisman's - the idea that everything had to be moveable at a moments notice. I imagine the caravans all had these small bits hanging from the gilded ceilings.
Hope you can make it out to Minneapolis to take a couple of workshops - there are over 30 classes being taught at the Creative Connection Event - in every sort of medium! See you in September!

Crafting in St Louis

I just returned from a wonderful four days in St Louis, where I taught two different classes at Mary Englebreit's Home Companion Workshops. The weekend was filled with old and new friends - including some of my favorite people and some friends I hadn't seen in years. I taught a jewelry class and a millinery flower class and both went well - the students came from all over the United States and all were eager to learn new techniques and skills. The jewelry class was based on a kit for a charm bracelet - easy enough. The flower class used all sorts of our prints from the Rural Jardin collection - each flower turned out unique and different - beautiful blooms! We all stayed at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel and enjoyed each other's company at a cocktail party Thursday evening and a fabulous lunch on Saturday afternoon. During the lunch, Margo Tantau moderated a discussion about the future of craft - the panel included Mary Englebreit, Dena Fishbein, Marcia Ceppos and Amy Butler. It was fascinating to hear how each got started in the creative world and where they are headed next. I love attending and teaching at these events - I learn so much and they give me the fuel I need to navigate my next steps. I also love running into the same people over and over - ever since I taught at Silver Bella last November, I have been lucky enough to get to know some of the women that are the faithful followers of craft - they travel all over (including France!) to learn from some of the best in the business. They are quietly creating their own network of women who create. Hats off to some of my favorites - Rachel, Meleen, Jemilla and the handful of others who have supported me and are always there to greet me when I arrive!