Stitcher's prayer update 2

Here is my progress on "Stitcher's prayer". Tonight we'll have a crepes party at Lili's, and I hope to finish it today. And move on to "School of Needlework".

The verse is finished, the stitcher as well. The eyes are a bit weird. I made them more separated from eachother because the original very narrow ones looked a bit silly and weird. Guess what? too wide doesn't work either, so this is a nice compromise. I think what I feel is odd is the colour. But I will keep it this way for the moment. I might get used to it.

Yesterday afternoon DBF and I went to Menin with Lili and her DH. Both men are into video games, so we must be a weird ensemble.

The main purpose was of course to go to Het Atelier, an Ali Baba cave kind of LNS. We told the men there was a movie figurines store nearby so they would come with us. But it was still bizarre to have those two waiting in the store talking video games, movies and what they might stitch (!!!) in the middle of the store.

Once again it was the nice young lady (although I think she's older than me!) and not the anti-french speaking old lady. At one point she asked me "are you looking for something? ribbons?"

She blew my mind, because that's exactly what I was looking for !!!

Ok, I had a book about how to make birds and blossoms in silk ribbons (I can't wait to try that!!!) in my hands, but still... attention to details.

I also got a few fabrics to make Spring cushion (most of my fabrics are Christmas related!!!)

We then walked in Menin, and got waffles and chocolate in a TeaRoom before being slightly lost in the residential area looking for the car (guys didn't pay attention which way we went, Lili and I remembered a church with a square...) But we survived ok;)

To finish, a little "philosophical reflection", tell me what you think about this.

I notice that many people arrive on the snowman freebie post directly, and don't visit around. I don't really mind, I didn't post the freebie for any sort of gain, but I wonder why people don' look around. I'm the kind of person who likes to see what the person likes to stitch, and, let's be honnest, to see if there isn't any other freebie around ;)

And you, are you a "come and go" person, or "visiting" person?

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Mon progres de Stitcher's prayer, que j'espere finir aujourd'hui, a la crepes party chez Lili. Thes mots sont faits, la bordeuse est faite, meme si les yeux ont l'air un peu bizarre... surement leur couleur claire.

Hier Lili et moi avons emmene nos hommes a Menin ou il y a une boutique de broderie, en disant qu'il y avait aussi une boutique de figurines de cine.

Pendant que les hommes parlaient cine, jeux videos et ce qu'ils allaient broder (pour le fun...), on a parcouru le magasin ou c'etait la jeune vendeuse, et pas la vieille pro flaminguante. Elle m'a soufflee en me demandant si je cherchais des rubans, ce qui etait exactement ce que je cherchais. Faut dire que j'avais un livre sur la broderie au ruban dans les mains...

Apres une balade en ville, on a mange des gauffres et bu du chocolat avant de se perdre un peu dans Menin a la recherche de la voiture. Les hommes n'avaient pas fait gaffe a la route, et Lili et moi on se souvenait d'une eglise avec un square.

Mais on s'y est retrouves quand meme.

Pour finir, une reflection philosophique: J'ai remarque que pas mal de gens arrivent directement sur le blog par le post de la grille du bonhomme de neige, sans visiter le reste. Fondamentalement ca ne me pose pas de probleme, mais je suis du genre a jeter un oeil au reste du blog dans un cas pareil, pour voir le style de broderie qu'aime la brodeuse, et, admettons-le, pour voir s'il n'y a pas d'autres grilles ;)

Et vous, etes-vous du genre a venir et partir, ou a continuer la visite?

A day in town - post 2

This post is just to show what I got yesterday.

First you can see what I think is the most amazing thing: a silicon thimble, with flowers on it. I seem to be one of the few still using this tool to stitch. But when you use the sewing method and push the needle with your middle finger, it's a must !!!

She had red, yellow and blue as well, but I have a thing for the colour orange...

What else did I get in K'Thylda? French charts I drooled on visiting French Blogs like Lutine's from "Coeur de Lin", Symphonie de points and Harmonie de frises. And also a Patricia Ann design, Honey hive harmony.

I also got some fine linen (16 fils, I think it's 36 or 40 count), some Spring green cloudy linen (32ct), some size 26 and 28 needles, and some fabrics.

In the Furet du Nord I found this "Country au point de croix" book, from an American designer living in France. It's all 4 seasons in a very American style.

And when we went food shopping I got 2 French magazines as well, one Cross Stitch, and the other traditional embroidery.



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Des photos de mon shopping... Le plus etonnant pour moi est ce de a coudre en silicone orange avec des fleurs. Je me sert de mon de a coudre tout le temps pour broder, donc c'est une decouverte important pour moi.

Sinon j'ai aussi pris des grilles, dont certaines que j'avais envie depuis que je les avais vues brodees sur des blogs francais, comme celui de Lutine. Plus du lin 16 fils, 12 fils, des tissus et des aiguilles.

Au Furet j'ai eu le livre de Country au point de croix, qui est les 4 saisons style americain.

Et finalement 2 magazines....

A day in town - post 1 of the day

Yesterday morning when I woke up I had no idea I was up for a raid on the town... About 3pm, I suddenly decided to go to K'Thylda, an embroidery and patchwork shop (rue des Arts in Lille).

I only went there once, because even if they have the most gorgeous things, and display stuff they made themselves and such, things are expensive.

Not their fault, the rent in the neighborhood is so high, and stitching stuff is very expensive in France in general....

But that wouldn't stop me if it wasn't kind of badly situated if you circulate by car. But let's take a minute to thank DBF who drove around a very jammed town, where parkings were all full.

For me, I enjoyed visiting the Vieux Lille by car (less tiring than walking, and not as cold !!!). We got lucky: we made a wrong turn, we had to turn around, and the parking in front of the shop finally got spaces !!!

So we spent some time in there, DBF playing with his PSP and me, well... shopping.

I will show that in next post. The lady is very nice (I first made her laugh on the phone by asking her what time she was closing today, if she was opened !!! Irony !!!), and the shop is like a stitcher's fairyland. The major advantage is that you will find some charts you can't find anywhere, including touristy stuff like a kit of the Grand Place (you can see and purchase them on their website).

We then walked in town a bit, went to the Furet du Nord (biggest bookstore in Europe) where I found a cross stitch book). Then we tried to find a bakery to rest, but there were too many people... We finally took some stuff in a local bakery and went home...

All in all, no stitching for me !!! it's terrible ;)



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Hier on a ete a K'thylda, quasi sur un coup de tete. J'ai quand meme appele la boutique avant de partir, demandant a quelle heure ca fermait, si c'etait ouvert aujourd'hui. L'ironie de la phrase nous a fait marrer toutes les deux. Il faut dire que les boutiaues en France, et particulierement dans le Vieux Lille ont tendance a fermer sur le temps de midi ou debut d'apres midi, ce genre de truc....

Donc, comme c'est un endroit pas evident a atteindre en voiture, mieux vaut prevoir. Et il faut dire que ce coup-ci DBF etait super, tournant dans le Vieux Lille pres d'une demi-heure a la recherche d'une place, pour finalement se tromper de route juste assez longtemps pour que le parking le plus proche se libere un peu.

Vu l'emplacement et le prix des choses, je n'ai ete qu'une fois a ce magasin avant (Le prix est pas vraiment leur faute, vu le prix des trucs de broderie en France et le loyer monstrueux du Vieux Lille !).

Mais ca vaut la peine de se deplacer pour toutes les belles choses qu'on ne trouve pas ailleurs... Allez sur leur site pour voir les kits touristiques regionaux par exemple.

Ensuite on a ete en ville se balader un peu, au Furet du Nord, tout ca.... Et du coup, pas de broderie pour moi hier !!!