Aix en Provence - Footsteps of Cezanne

The final port of call on the cruise was Marseilles which I decided to bypass in favour of Aix en Provence http://en.aixenprovencetourism.com/aix-en-provence.htm, a town a short drive away and birthplace of Cezanne, an artist I love.  What a charming town!!  From the port, we caught a taxi to the Marseilles bus station and then a local bus "up the hill". The bus dropped us near the centre fountain.  The first statue we came across was of Cezanne himself where I realised we'd forgotten the camera!!  Luckily we were travelling with friends who were so accommodating and took lots of photos of my favourite bits and pieces (more doors, cobblestones and lamp-posts!), so I will end up with a record of my visit.

Armed with a map of Cezanne's haunts we walked in his footsteps for the day, meandering around the town past cafes and houses where he frequented.  Stopped for a fantastic lunch on the main street - the wine in Europe is so light and easy to drink! (And it's the cheapest beverage!) We came across the market - unbelievable and it's there every day!!

I insisted on buying a baguette and walking around with it just to feel like a local. I bought a cheese and punnet of fresh raspberries (yes, perth-ites, fresh raspberries for about 3 aussie dollars!! - note for non Perth people - not possible to do here! You are lucky to get fresh blueberries at extortionist prices, otherwise we rely on frozen berries and fyi blackberries are on the no-grow/pest/banned list here.  Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a couple of late blackberries with my cousin Sarah in the woods at Welwyn Garden City!!!) to take back to the ship and have with our evening cocktail!  Deee-lightful-deee-vine! 

Now I want to go back and study French in Aix en Provence!  My bucket list includes learning at least one foreign language.  I learnt German at school and have studied French and Spanish at different times.  I am hopeless at French pronunciation!!  Absolutely pathetic.  Here are my bucket list language ideas - German in Vienna, Spanish in Madrid or Seville and French in Aix en Provence.  I'm also interested to learn Arabic...perhaps Casablanca?!  Although my sister is moving to Qatar, so who knows! I would love to be multi-lingual!

So it was a gorgeous day.  And I have this lovely French throw to remind me of it.  I spied a little shop with wonderful homewares so ducked in and in all of 5 mins, picked a throw, paid for it and left - by then we were needing to get back to the ship. So here are pictures of the detail.  It is covering the sofa in my mezzanine space - it's a perfect fit!

Scrappy Hexie Patchwork Quilt Progress Report

Recently I took all my hexies over to a friend's house and put them up on her design wall to have a look at my progress.  It was very exciting stepping back and seeing it all - it's so different than spreading them over the bed or floor. It's now been 21 months in the making (probably at least that to go!!)  I haven't stitched a stich in months, but am keen to make a bit more headway over summer. I'd like it to be big enough for a queen bed.  The pattern is completely random.  I toy with the idea of a second one with a pattern to it, or one made from my Liberty Tana Lawn stash, but that's a way in the future (possible) project.

I started using scrap fabric from all the quilts I've made to date, then I visited my mum who gave my hexies my grandmother had made in the 80s and 90s that hadn't made it into any of the quilts she made before she passed away, so I've added those in too.  Mum also gave me some old pieces of fabric from dresses we had as children so I've put those in as well. It's fast becoming a nostalgia quilt! Typical of me.  I'm very sentimental in many ways.

Contemporary Crochet - Pumpkin anyone?

I get such a buzz from seeing crafts used in retail any where - hark back to my touche crochet post.  Here is a jewelley shop in Paris using crochet veg in their window display! Isn't it fun? 

I saw lots of crochet brooches for sale in London as part of the 5 a day healthy eating campaign.  I think it was seeing it in mainstream retail outlets that was so cool.  It's not something you would see here - I don't think - but correct me if I'm wrong.  Don't get me wrong you can buy crochet brooches and all sorts at our wonderful handmade fairs but not in retail chain stores.  Perhaps it's coming, but I'm not sure - I felt generally there is a greater freedom of expression, call it quirkiness, individuality to expressing oneself via fashion in Europe.  We seem more conformist here?  Maybe it's simply the larger population and climate compared with us?  Perhaps it's our new, young country - still emerging and forming its identity. My daughters commented on it to though too and loved it and happily embraced it.

And that really had absolutely nothing to do with halloween!! just coincidence there's a crochet pumpkin in my day after halloween post!!!  I don't even know how subliminal I am.

Linocut

I love linocuts and woodcuts.  It's funny how we're just drawn to certain things.  I always have been - from high school art classes to present day.  So I've done a couple of weekend workshops at the Fremantle Arts Centre in linocut.  So fun!.  The apple above is the result of one workshop.  I've printed up about 30 tea towels in various configurations - all over designs to motifs randomly placed. I'm using them as gifts - part of my "using up reserves" pledge!  So lookout friends and family - one is headed your way this Christmas!

On the subject of tea towels, another one of my great loves!  I have quite a collection and can't resist them.  My favourite Perth homewares shop "Bed, Bath and Table" always has a wonderful selection.  In saying that I have resisted purchasing any at all this year  (mmmm - just made the mental connection....is that why I've made my own?), but when we head to Europe in 3 weeks, I may not be able to resist a couple of souvenir versions!!  My lovely neighbour Rachael, returned from London with a gift for me of Cath Kidston tea towels!  How did she know!  They are much coveted and yet to be used.

Pattern Inspiration

When I look around I see pattern everywhere.  Our trip was rich in pattern and here are just a few pictures taken on our travels.  Pompeii was an amazing source palette photo opportunity.  I was issuing instructions to the girls to take photos (I was sacked)!  But the mosaics, the streets, the tiles, staircases.  I want to turn them into a quilt so that I can wrap myself up and take myself back there in my mind until I can venture back for real....

A day of firsts

First Breakfast at Paul in South Kensington

First tube ride - Gloucester Rd to Camden Town

First of many stunning hanging baskets

First (and only) lock

First (of endless!) cobblestones

Travels

I don't know where to start with photos from our European adventure.  Every moment was precious... so many sights, smells, tastes to just soak up.  London was absolutely amazing - the weather was a freak Indian summer with glorious sunshine and blue skies. Flower baskets still hanging everyone and crowds gathering outside pubs and cafes of an evening.  It was magnificent.  Its parks were stunning with so many flowers still out and deckchairs to sit in, with squirrels scurrying around. Everyday was jam packed and still we didn't begin to scratch the surface of all London has to offer. These taxis were calling to me and my girls - in fact they were screaming stay, stay, stay!

The food everywhere was delicious... I think we sampled every gelato shop we passed in Italy - at the very least we went in to admire and drool over the display and check on all the flavours on offer so we didn't miss any.  The job became too big and we missed heaps. Georgia and I voted the best to be seaside in Messina, Sicily.  It was to die for and being our last Italian stop, we went back for seconds!

I've long had a love affair with donkeys - since my first visit to Greece when I was 14.  I just love their faces and for some reason they just make me laugh.  Their nature can be so contrary!  I had an hilarious riding experience on them in Eqypt, riding out to the Valley of the Kings.  My donkey completely went at its own pace, there was absolutely no controlling it... it ambled exactly when it wanted to and galloped at precisely the moment it wanted to, so I was never with the group - I was either way out in front or way way out the back. I laughed 'til I cried.  Another time I woke up in a paddock in Crete with one licking my toe.  All my encounters have been interesting and never dull. So imagine my thrill and squeals when we came across several around Mallorca!  All the memories came flooding back.

It's all in the details as the expression goes... the lamps on the streets, the cobblestones, the shutters, doorways, the bollards!! Everywhere oozes charm and history and layers of time.  It was sheer heaven.  I'll be back with more as I re-live my holiday through the 1000's of photos.

Inspiration for my latest quilt

Isn't this fabric divine? Well me thinks so! So much so I think it needs its very own quilt based around it... a tribute to yet another divine fabric design.   I've begun with a fat quarter square in the middle and started stripping around it.. and here are the first 4 rounds...and I'm in heaven...

loving it, getting right into it - it's looking so luscious!

The perfect Kitchen Aid Accessory

Tonight when I was out and about running some errands with my girls...I or rather we found the PERFECT accessory for my kitchen aid....

the heel or the wedge....

summer or winter...

aren't they just to die for....

all I need now is the perfect apron, a bit of red lippy and you have one domestic goddess - ha I wish!!

Blue and Brown

Make the world go round and round ....and up and down.   Another finished top. Backing and wadding are set to go.  It's another big one.  This one was a free downloadable pattern from designer Valori Wells "Olive Rose" http://www.valoriwells.com/downloads.php. Sorry peeps photo is bad as per usuarl....