Before, After

Our very first picture together, taken in January 2009:

Our latest picture together, taken last Tuesday:

Stop the clock, she's growing up too fast!

******

La première image, c'est notre première photo ensemble, prise en Janvier 2009.

La deuxième, c'est notre dernière photo ensemble, prise mardi dernier.

Arrêtez l'horloge, elle grandit trop vite!

Colors

I've been playing in the sewing room! I tried a version of a technique that I remember when I took a basic drawing class when I was in my teens. The teacher told us to not lift pencil from paper as we drew, to force us to conquer our hesitations, if I remember right. I wanted to see how it would turn out if I applied that to my sewing-machine drawings. I also abandoned making a rough sketch on the fabric before sewing. I just went at it. Then I took a cue from Abby Glassenberg's blog post about using color, and brought out the paints and brushes. I'm thinking I could frame these in embroidery hoops, like in the last photo.

What do you think?

******

Je joue! J'ai essayé une version d'une technique que j'ai appris pendant un cours de dessin dans mon adolescence. Le professeur nous a dit de ne pas lever crayon de papier, pour nous forcer à la conquête de nos hésitations, si j'ai bonne mémoire. Je voulais voir comment cela se passerait avec mes dessins faits avec une machine à coudre. Je n'ai pas fait un croquis sur le tissu. J'ai foncé! Puis je me suis inspirée par le blog post de Abby Glassenberg sur l'utilisation de la couleur. Je pense que je pourrait encadrer ceux-ci avec des tambour à broder.

Que pensez-vous?

Vote for Me!

It's Euro Week over at Etsy land, meaning the site is promoting Europe-based sellers this week, and they've even put together a Voter filled with all kinds of goodies from over here. My Mushrooms pillow is included. If you're loving it, can I ask that you give it your vote by clicking here ? Thanks!

******

C'est Euro Week à Etsy! Le site promeut les boutiques qui se trouvent en Europe. Ils ont même mis ensemble un Voter rempli de toutes sortes de bonnes choses d'ici. Mon coussin Coprin Noir est inclus. Si vous aimer, puis-je demander que vous lui donnez votre vote en cliquant ici? Merci!

Well, Hello There!

It's been two weeks since I've last been here, sorry about that. I guess I was in the end-of-winter doldrums, mad at the weather for literally blowing hot one day, cold the next; so I had not much energy to do things. It even snowed here in the south of France last week! Nobody can remember the last time that happened here in March...

Finally though, this week it seems that the sun is determined to stay. It was hot enough that I was walking around in just a T-shirt and jeans yesterday. To celebrate the warmer days, I thought I'd share some good news I got at the beginning of the year.

My handmade books were featured in Little Thing, a gorgeously artsy magazine distributed in major Chinese cities. I really regret not having enough time to make more of my books, but I am certain that this is something I'll come back to one day soon.


And, closer to home, my shop was featured as one of artist Claire Rougerie's recommended addresses in the January-February issue of Marie Claire Idées. Quite a thrill, because not only am I regular reader of the Marie Claire, I am also a big fan of Claire's!


Promise I'll begin posting here regularly again, so see you soon!

Guess What?

More birds, that's what! Toying with the idea of making plush objects that double as decorative throw pillows, I came up with this flock. They're starting to fly into the shop.

******

Piou, piou! Jouet et coussin à la fois, une autre volée d'oiseaux arrive à la boutique. Suivez-les par ici.

In the Shop

Maybe I'm spending too much time on Twitter, or eating too many sweets. Whatever it is, on my sewing machine these days, I am going tweet tweet tweet!

These colorful mini frames are in the shop:


And so is this:


And this:

*******

Il y a quelques jeux de mots qu'on peut pas vraiment traduire... Pour faire simple, ces petites choses sont dans la boutique!

Lock and Key

Just thought I'd share a photo I took this last week for the vintage shop. Only one of these padlocks is still left unsold. It seems people like keeping things under lock and key...

******

Je veux seulement partager une photo que j'ai prise pour la boutique vintage. Un seul de ces cadenas reste encore invendu. Il semble que les gens aiment garder les choses sous les verrous...