Old Blue

I love the stories - I love the memories of the color - everyone seems to have reached back as far as they can remember - many going back to their grandmothers jewelry box, or the color of their first house, or family trips through the Southwest, or the sight of the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It's not even fair to have to pick the best story or even the one that captures the color turquoise the most vividly. Maybe the memories are the best prize of all.

BUT....if I have to choose just two (since I have two kits left)...I choose Robin Thomas for being able to remember how she felt at three years old posing in a studio in a blue velvet dress; and Dorylyn Thomas for telling the story of how she used to sit next to a fancy guest at Thanksgiving and hold her hand just so she could closely inspect the beautiful blue trinkets dangling from her arm. I related to so many of the stories - especially these two - they both spoke of how the color turquoise left an impression at an early age - and how they never forgot the feeling. To the two Thomas gals - please send me your address and we'll send off a bracelet kit to each of you. Merci!

Madame Bleu's Giveaway

This month, our notion collection celebrates all shades of blue - especially the old turquoises. Our jewelry workshop this month , made up this lovely bracelet - Blue Coeur. Since I never know exactly how many people are going to show up for one of our workshops -I often make too many kits and then they sit around the shop until some curious crafter is willing to try a random kit - just for the fun of it. Last week, in our charming bracelet class we had two - (read 'em and weep) - two students! So - I happen to have a couple of extra kits that need to be made up and worn out about town. If you love the color of vintage turquoise, aqua green and old tourmaline - leave me a comment about your first memory of this great old color - and we'll pick a lucky name for our Bleu Coeur Bracelet Kit. Bonne Chance!

Shout Out to Molly

My sisters, Mom and I all had a long weekend together in San Francisco a couple weeks ago. We visited SCRAP, ate at Tartine way too many times, drank David Bruce pinot noir and hit the Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale - favorite things to do! We also stopped by Molly's studio for a visit and I was amazed and overwhelmed at all of the great work she is doing. Molly calls her work historical fiction - she creates pieces of art using old found bits and scraps - the things left behind. This is a photo of one of the pieces I fell in love with. All I have to say is..... Molly will you please come teach this workshop at French General? When, what time and how much? We are patiently awaiting your arrival! See some of Molly's small works of wonder here.

Chateau Dumas, part deux

Chateau Dumas: 1800-2010

by Lizzie Ezekiel

The details of Chateau Dumas’ 13th century origins are a little sketchy, but we know quite a lot about life at the Chateau in the 19th century.

In the early 1800’s, Baron Henri de Cruzy, Marquis de Marcillac, and his wife, Leonie Vialette de Mortarieu, lived at the Chateau with their 4 children: Marie, Elisabeth, Gaston and Marguerite. They seem to be a mismatched couple. Leonie was pious, rose every morning at 6am to help at Mass and embroidered religious capes with gold thread in her spare time. Henri in the meantime gambled away the 10 tenant farms on his property (Leonie bought 4 of them back!) and hunted in the forest with his friend Charles Durieu, a bachelor who “preferred a pleasant mistress to a detestable wife”.

Their resident staff included Mathilde the cook, Jean the coachman, Marie-Girard the chambermaid, Antonin the gardener and Mariosou his wife and Poncet, the groom in whose arms Henri died. The wet nurse Calinou Lagane lived in Auty and came just when needed.

Son Gaston took over the Chateau when Henri died. He married Edith de Cambolas, a stylish and beautiful woman who was “never ready on time, always late”. She was keen to preserve her figure and climbed the stairs ten times a day in order to preserve her flat stomach (tried that and it doesn't work!).

Gaston donated a parcel of land for the construction of the church in Auty. The vicar baptised the bells Francois and Renee after Gaston’s godfather, Francois and godmother, Renee de Cruzy.

Ownership of the Chateau changed hands several times during the 20th century. At one time it belonged to an Italian family, then it was a pig farm and at one point it nearly became an old people's home. It was finally rescued by the Constantins, a Parisien family who fell in love with it and devoted 13 years to its restoration. Robert Constantin, a talented artist, adorned the walls with trompe l'oeil designs (still there!).

And now of course there's us, an English family with French connections whose aim is to celebrate the beauty of Chateau Dumas by sharing it with others. I hope you are able to come visit this summer with French General - we are planning a week of inspiration and local flavor - I'll hold you a room!

Meet me in St. Louis!

I'm getting ready to head back to St. Louis at the end of April - I know it sounds like it's years away - but to me, it's right around the corner! Mary Englebreit and Barbara Martin, former editor of Mary Englebreit's Home Companion Magazine have organized a jam-packed creative weekend - including studio tours of Mary's creative space. I am teaching two different classes - each twice - a jewelry class - where we will be making this charming turquoise bracelet - and a millinery flower class - where we will be creating fabric flowers out of our new line of fabric, Rural Jardin. It will be a grand four days in St. Louis and some of my favorite people will be teaching, speaking or even sitting on a panel - Amy Butler, Marcia Ceppos from Tinsel Trading, Margo Tantau, Wendy Addison, Kathy Curotto, and Charlotte Lyons - among many others. I've heard there are still a few spots left, so if you're in need of a creative get together - please join us! Read more about the weekend and sign up here. See you in St. Louis!

Crazazy

I have something for quilts. Actually, I have something for crazy quilts - those wacky looking bed covers that seem to have no pattern or design sense - but make me feel like home every time I see one. Sometimes, it's the silk and velvet that I love and other times it's the primitive embroidery - outlining each scrap of fabric. I've been looking at quilts since I was young. I looked at my aunt's collection, I looked at my mom's collection - I used to go look at Laura Fisher's collection on Bleecker Street. When we moved French General to Crosby Street, I used to walk home north towards Spring Street and look at Paula Rubenstein's collection of quilts, blankets and coverlets - she was the best in show back then. So now it's time to start designing quilts and all I can think of are the good old crazy quilts. I want to mix the old French hemp with the new Moda cotton and see what happens. I want to mix collections - and fibers. Is it possible that they can all live together? Although I feel like the newcomer on the block in the quilt world - I already want to break all the rules and start mixing it up. Slow and steady - stay calm and carry on - or go crazazy?!

Chateau Dumas

Our wonderful host in France, Lizzie Ezekiel, has written up the provenance of Chateau Dumas - our home for the Chateau Getaway this summer - hope you enjoy a little history...

Chateau Dumas: 1300-1800
Chateau Dumas is a stunning property with an intriguing past, but piecing its history together is no easy task. When we bought the Chateau five years ago we inherited a history file and from that we established that there was a Lord Pons of Auty in the 13th century, but we know nothing more about him. The first official record of the Chateau dates from 1347 when Auty village and the surrounding land were given to Bertrand de Prez, Lord of Montpezat to repay him for services rendered during the Battle of Crecy.

We assume he built a Chateau because of references to it over the next 400 years. It seems to have stayed in the same family until 1777 when it passed to Jacques de Beaumont de Verneuil. He had 12 happy years there until disaster struck in 1789 when the Chateau was set on fire and all but destroyed during the French Revolution. Fortunately Jacques de B was away at the time, but he vented his feelings fully in a letter he wrote to the authorities. Even though it’s a copy of the original, it’s wonderful to see his beautiful, flowing handwriting written with a quill pen.

We’re pretty sure that some architectural elements survived the fire - such as the big stone staircase pictured here - and these we think were incorporated into the new Chateau when it was rebuilt in the neo-classical style favoured by Napoleon.

At some point the Chateau was declared as ‘national goods’ by the administration (quite common post-Revolution) and sold off and this is where the de Cruzy family enter the picture. Thanks to the records they kept we know a lot about how they lived and the servants they kept from Calinou Lagane, the wet nurse to Poncet, the groom, but I’ve run out of room here so you’ll have to wait until the next post to hear about them!

Fleurs d'Haiti

Donating money to Haiti right now is the best way for us each to help in our own small way. I donated to Partner's in Health, an organization run by an old friend Ophelia Dahl. Ophelia has worked with PIH for the past twenty years as well as worked closely with the founder, Paul Farmer. Paul's work is the subject of Tracy Kidder's 2003 book Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World.

Partner's in Health mission statement:

Whatever it takes
At its root, our mission is both medical and moral. It is based on solidarity, rather than charity alone. When a person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well—from pressuring drug manufacturers, to lobbying policy makers, to providing medical care and social services. Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own family—or we ourselves—were ill.

Still searching for a way to use my creativity to help Haiti, I found an answer in my new friend, Rebecca Sower. I got to know Rebecca this past November while we were both teaching at Silver Bella in Omaha. Rebecca has been visiting Haiti for years and supports an organization named Haiti by Hand . Rebecca goes down to Haiti and sits and teaches crafting skills to help empower women to bring in their own income to provide for their children and families. When she returned from Haiti this past month, Rebecca opened an etsy shop showcasing handcrafted pieces created by this group of artisans in Haiti. Since the terrible earthquake destruction a week ago, Rebecca has sent out a call to artisans throughout the United States. Haiti By Hand will now host a community of artisans who are donating their work to be sold with all sales going directly to Haiti By Hand.

I knew this was the perfect way for me to donate my creativity and to make a small impact somewhere in Haiti - with the help of Rebecca. I just sent off a dozen Fleurs d'Haiti bracelet kits to the Haiti By Hand etsy shop as well as the above finished bracelet to be auctioned off. If you would like to purchase a bracelet kit - which will help a group of Haitian artisans survive right now - please keep an eye out for the kits on the Haiti By Hand etsy site. I am hoping Rebecca sells out of the kits and I have to make up another box next week! Merci!

Button Winners

I saw this poster for a mourning warehouse and almost flipped - can you imagine - getting it all in one place - oh to dig in that basement for a while! I like how they offer merchandise for both families of the highest rank and to those of limited means - I guess no one escapes it. Thanks for entering our little button contest - two lucky names were drawn out of the old black hat - Babsarella and Kelli - so please drop me a note and I will put together a little package of mourning buttons for you to craft with. Merci!

Treasured Notions

It's so exciting right before a new book comes out. Patiently waiting for this next book, I completely forget about the angst that went into crafting, shooting and writing it. I think about how thrilling it's going to be to look at each page - to try and see it as if it was the first time. I guess it's like giving birth - as soon as we finish a book I say - "Well, that was so much fun - Let's do it again!" Funny how during the middle of it I usually have a break down - but I can't even remember that part right now. Now, I am in that happy place - waiting for a box of Treasured Notions to arrive so I can sit with it for a while and just breath a sigh of relief. To answer the typical e-mail we have been receiving: I believe this next book - which is completely inspired by Tinsel Trading's basement (pre-move) - will be available in April. You can pre-order a copy on Amazon now - or wait to order a signed copy through us. I think it's a gem and hope that you will too.

Mourning Paraphernalia

I am normally not a big fan of the color black. In fact, I didn't even know it was a color until my friend Megan (I think we were 5 or 6) told me her favorite color was black. Odd...I thought.
But.... I collect mourning paraphernalia - which seems like a contradiction, but color collections know no boundaries.
First, I started collecting mourning stationery - the paper cards that were sent out after a woman had lost her husband - the width of black ink around the border of the card denoted the length of time one had been in mourning - the wider the band the closer to death. Eventually a woman would write all of her correspondence on a card with a very narrow band of black ink around the edge - I guess so everyone else knew she was in mourning - for the rest of her life. I've just started collecting mourning handkerchiefs - which were probably used mostly by women - again lots of different widths of black to show how long a woman had been in this dark period. I love how the mourning period was turned into a fashion culture. What about the woven hair lockets? Or buttons made with photos of the dearly departed? Maybe my favorite are the jet buttons that were sewn onto their mourning attire. Those clever Victorians.
My favorite old bead dealer just unearthed a box full of glass mourning buttons - on cards. If in need or curious, leave us your name and Sofia will draw a lucky winner out of an old hat on Friday.

January Workshops

We've gotten into the swing of things with our classes at French General - instead of Thursday nights - we've switched most classes to Saturday mornings - we found that some people we're having a hard time getting to class after work. We've planned a few great classes this month - including a special workshop by a visiting friend and artist, Tracie Huskamp. I met Tracie at Quilt Market in Houston and when I saw her work I knew she would be the perfect paper artist to teach at French General. Tracie, inspired by nature, incorporates paper scraps - old ledger paper, photo mats, dictionaries and books - and teaches a technique how to sketch from a photo - as well as incorporates poetry and prose into small artwork. If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to join us - sign up for this workshop at frenchgeneral.com. We've also got Jody Rice coming in - which is exciting - since she's gone back to film work full time. Jody is teaching a millinery flower class - always a big hit, once people's flower unfolds in front of their eyes. Finally, our jewelry class- a charming Valentine bracelet - sold out within a couple of days - a first! Look for our February workshop schedule soon - lot's of hearts to come!

New Year's Eve 2009

I'm not one for big New Year's Eve parties - in fact, ever since I completed my last chemo session on December 31, 1999 - I have preferred sitting around with friends and sharing a good bottle (or two) of cava and enjoying some fine food. This year, friends are gathering at our house for roasted chicken, french fries, arugula salad and truffled macaroni and cheese - my favorite side dish of all time. Here's the recipe for white truffle mac and cheese I found on-line at foodnetwork.com - it's really dreamy - especially since Sofia and I decided we should add an additional 1/4 cup of truffle oil! Lucy's bringing the flourless chocolate cake and Ryan is making hoop-la's - here's to ten year's!

Lumiere de Noel

It's Christmas Eve and I just received another beautiful box of fabrics from Moda - our Holiday 2010 line - Lumiere de Noel. Filled with lots of red and white (big surprise), tea stain and a dash of green - this is one of my favorite fabric lines so far (I know - I said that last time too!) With this group - I am finally beginning to feel as if the old French reds look as if they are right off of an old boutis quilt. Actually this large floral print is right off of an old quilt we bought in France this summer at the flea market in Toulouse from Antonia. An old textile dealer, Antonia speaks French and Spanish - but no English - so all of our bargaining is done in a flurry using all of the languages and plenty of charades. One summer, we traveled a couple of hours south of Toulouse to have lunch with Antonia in her home. She proceeded to fill us with her cassoulet and plenty of home made wine - so that when we finally went downstairs to her cellar to dig through her collection of textiles - we cleaned her out...every last scrap we could find!

Although this line won't be available till summer - I am already starting to design some beautiful holiday patchwork stockings and quilts. I guess the inspiration funk has passed for now - and I can get back to work in the new year!

Happy Holidays to all and thank you - again and again - for reading, supporting and encouraging me to continue doing what I love to do. Merci!

Inspiration

Sometimes - I am totally uninspired - empty, negative, nada. It feels strange, uninvited and foreign - I don't like it. It creeps up on me out of nowhere and sometimes sticks around for a long time - even longer than the time before. When this happens, I think of a couple of people that I have known (and a few that I haven't) and I wonder if they ever feel this way. I'm not sure - but I am hoping that every once in a while Johnny Cash had those days when he couldn't produce anything - couldn't write, sing or even communicate his message. How does one find the inspiration to be creative when it just doesn't come naturally? And what is an acceptable amount of time before we should worry about our lack of inspiration - does it always come back? Anyway - not the sort of thing we should be worrying about in the middle of the holiday season - but sometimes the funk comes out of nowhere and I know if I just put a little Johnny on...it will be alright. The circle won't be broken.....

Spending a Week in France

Someone called the shop the other day and asked me what it's like spending a week in France at Chateau Dumas. Inspiring, energizing and relaxing were the first words that came to mind. Inspiration surrounds you in France - the history is deep and rich; energy abounds when you spend a week with a dozen creative women, and finally, relaxation comes easy in the elegant Chateau Dumas when you are sipping a local wine on the terrace at sunset.

Last summer was our first Chateau Getaway - everything was new and a learning experience for all. This summer, we're heading back for more adventures and comraderie. We'll be exploring medieval villages like Cordes sur Ciel, collecting old treasures at the brocante in Caussade, tasting fois gras at the farmer's market in St. Antonin, and dying our old white linen beauties in the woad bath at the chateau. We still have a handful of spots left and would love to have you join us and a chateau-full of creative women who come to craft, relax and soak up the culture of the rural French life. If you are interested, please e-mail me, we would like to have the trip fully booked by the beginning of the year so we can start our travel plans. Au revoir!

A Winner...Thankfully!

Well...it's taken me quite a while to chose just one winner for our Charming Giveaway - an almost impossible task! When I asked people to let me know who in their life they are thankful for - I had no idea the overwhelming response would be our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters - which is so wonderful - so many people want to thank the women in their lives. This was a tough giveaway - at one point Sofia got ready to throw everyone's name into the hat and randomly choose a couple of names. Gathering around our kitchen table this past weekend, we all read and re-read many of the comments and after much debate and discussion, I think we were all able to agree on a few thank you's that seemed much needed and would make someone feel appreciated for what they have done to help others. Megan's appreciation of her step-mom who cooked, cleaned and crafted while running a household of ten; Kathy G's note about her mother-in-law who took her to chemo when her own mom couldn't; and Cindy's thank you to her mother-in-law - who fills in for her mother who has passed away - all seemed like thank you's that you don't hear very often. I hope you agree with us. If you are one of our winners, please e-mail me your name and address and we will send off a bracelet kit. Merci!

Charming Giveaway

I've finally unpacked the boxes shipped back from Silver Bella and lo and behold I found a handful of our bracelet kits from our Charming Bracelet Workshop. This was a great first class for learning jewelry techniques - charms to glue, plenty of jump ring work and some of the girls even got fancy and linked a strand of cranberry glass beads for an extra bit of color. Since it's a special week of thanks, leave me a post about who you would like to thank - maybe you would even make the bracelet for her - and we'll pick a lucky winner (or two) on Thanksgiving. Merci!

Career Switch

For years, all I ever wanted Sofia to be was a botanist. I dreamed we would move to Paris and she would study at some old Royal Jardin Academy. She would discover new types of fiberous plants and develop an undiscovered weave - something as light as linen but as hearty as a hemp. We would discuss colors of leaves and learn the Latin names for the roses - it all sounded right up my alley - and living in Paris suited me just fine.
Last Tuesday, I changed my mind - I have a new ambition for Sofia. Classical Pianist. That's right - I bought a piano and Sofia bought a dress and together I think they make the perfect pairing. Somebody told me I could set my mac on top of the little upright piano and youtube would actually teach Sofia to play - voila! I also asked Sofia if she would consider being a personal assistant since she was able to order a dress online and it fit perfectly. She told me she would have a personal assistant but she would not be one. Oh - maybe she is capable of choosing her own path....after she practices her scales!

Holiday Workshops

As if things aren't busy enough....I thought I'd add in a few holiday workshops for the month of December. If you happen to have some extra time on your hands over the next few weeks, sign up for one of our workshops being offered at French General every Saturday. Just for the fun of it, we've added in a girl's day on Sunday, December 6th, where we'll be making up pretty jewels and then decorating sugar cookies. Since I don't love spending my weekends away from Sofia - I am trying to figure out how to incorporate workshops and Sofia - so a holiday cookie party seemed to be in order! We've also got an angel ornament class, a millinery flower class and a sugarplum necklace class. Our classes run from 11-1 on Saturdays and the shop will be open till 4 (or 5) for a little holiday cheer. Sign up for a class at frenchgeneral.com and come enjoy a day of crafting at French General!