The Warp and the Weft

Let the Workshops Begin!

2012-01-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

It's time for our annual Art of Craft event this weekend! Three days of creative workshops taught by friends and artists from near and far. If you haven't been to a workshop at French General and would like to try one - this is the perfect time. Project based classes, each three hours long and all the materials are provided. We still have a couple of spots left and would love to have you join us! Please call the shop to sign up and we'll save you a seat!

Molly, the Magic Coat and an Ikat

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of summer's ago in France, we were digging at a flea market in Caylus, and I came upon an old quilted coat. I wasn't sure if I liked the idea of a quilted coat, but I loved the idea that there were two different fabrics, the liner and the outer fabric. Both fabrics, I thought, I could use for our Moda fabric collection. I took the coat back home to the chateau and showed it off during our show and tell time before dinner. Molly immediately gravitated towards it (or did I make her put it on?) and modelled it for everyone to see the beautiful details and masterful stitchery. We laughed and laughed and then, somehow I put the coat away and almost forgot about it.
Until a week ago, when I was sorting through a pile of old fabric from France, looking for inspiration for our new line, and found the coat. The first thing I did, was put it on and was instantly reminded how much we laughed that summer in France when Molly would wear the coat - just to stay warm at night! We made up fanciful stories about the old, grand chateau owner, who had no heat and resorted to having one of his 18th century quilts made into a robe or smoking jacket...just to stay warm.

Pulling the magic coat out, I realized I had forgotten that inside the lining of the two fabrics, was yet another fabric - one that had been covered up by a 19th century floral. I spent a weekend (yes, a whole weekend!) completing the task of pulling out each and every stitch so I could remove the outer layer of fabric and get to what had been hiding underneath. I had no idea what I would find, but after seeing a small corner - I knew I liked what I saw.

What I found was an 18th century French linen ikat - in perfect shape, not a hole to be found. I think it had probably been covered simply because someone was tired of the design and wanted to update the quilt.
An ikat fabric is woven using a very complicated dyeing technique. The dyes are applied to the yarns prior to weaving which will create designs on the finished fabric. Depending on the pattern, specific areas of the warp and/or weft threads are are protected from dye to prevent them from absorbing color. When the threads are dyed, each thread will have different color pattern along its length. When the threads are ready for weaving, each thread has to be lined up perfectly on the loom. The warp thread is first to be set on to the loom, and then one must keep all threads in position very carefully to achieve the desired pattern in the final weaving of the textile. There is natural movement in these threads, which give an slightly feathered, or blurred look to the final textile.
To say I was blown away - is to put it mildly! Funny how one little textile can create so much excitement and then spur me on to search for as much information as I can get my hands on. The funniest part of the magic coat story is that I would have never known the little gem that was hiding inside had I not been curious...and taken the coat apart. So, I guess the moral of this story is....always look deeper, there may be something beautiful hiding inside!

Working on a Notion or Two....

2012-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

The new year has started off with a bang - and a whole lotta work! We've finished all of the final details on the new paper crafts line and are getting ready for the launch at CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) at the end of the month. CHA is a yearly show held in Anaheim, California that showcases all sorts of paper, fabric and jewelry crafts for the trade.

EK Success asked us to help make a short video featuring the inspiration behind the line, as well as some fun, creative ways to use the collection. Luckily, my brother-in-law, Ryan, happens to be a talented film and video master, so we were able to work together to create a snappy, fun video showing off the Jolee's Boutique French General line.

After working on the collection, for almost a year, I am excited to see if everyone out there will have as much fun with the line as we are having. The notions and embellishments are some of my favorite bits...and makes me remember (almost 15 years ago when we opened French General) my dad saying - "Are you really sure this notion idea is going to work?"

I'm hoping it does work! We'll have plenty of samples in the shop in the next few weeks, so please come by and see what we have been up to!

Friday the 13th and other Fears

2012-01-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

Wow - I am overwhelmed by the honesty and insight from so many people who left comments. Thank you for digging deep and writing down your desires, dreams and fears. To our lucky winner Kate, I think at one point in all of our lives we have all felt this way - the good news is, once you leave behind the fear of being yourself, you will soar and become the person you were meant to be. Good luck!

Un, Deux Trois Club Giveaway

2012-01-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

For the past few years, we've had a jewelry club at French General called Un, Deux, Trois, which consists of a necklace, bracelet and earring kit that can be worn together. It's been a fun run and we've designed over 40 sets that have been filled with vintage glass, old brass findings and charms.
But, alas, all good things must come to an end...the Un, Deux, Trois Club will be around for just three more months. If you would like to sign up for our last three months, you have one more chance!
In celebration of something new and exciting coming from something old, we thought we would give away our January Un, Deux, Trois Kit. The Fleurs de Nuit kit has all the soft shades of old white accented with brass flowers and old Japanese glass pearls. You need just a couple of jewelry tools and a bit of glue to create this set of jewelry.
Leave us a comment about what you are leaving behind to make way for something new in 2012 - we'll chose one lucky winner on Friday, January 13th.

Bonne Chance!

Where Did the Time Go?

2012-01-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

The last time I looked at a calendar it was December 21st...I was throwing our annual tamale party - which had been scaled down due to the fact that everyone I knew was sick or about to be sick or just getting over the sickness. How does that always happen right around the holidays??
It was just that kind of Christmas. Christmas Eve at my parent's house and a couple of weeks spent walking, talking, eating and relaxing. A friend texted me and said, "You're not in college anymore Kaari - you can't just move home for two weeks!" But I said - yes, yes you can. All seven of us moved home for the long haul.
My parent's live near the beach, so a lot of time is just spent looking south out their windows, towards Catalina Island. It's an amazing view - it's hard to take for granted. "Oh look there goes another pod of dolphins...or whales..." You can understand why we don't get much done - besides walking the beach, sitting at the kitchen table, eating and looking out the windows.
After doing this for two weeks, you start to forget about regular life. You forget about work, school, deadlines and any sort of stress. It's a great way to start the year - I highly recommend it. Then New Year's rolls around and I thought I had everything back in order only to end up cancelling our New Year's Dinner because there were too many sick guests! Welcome 2012!

Visiting Los Angeles This Weekend?

2011-12-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

Just in case you happen to find yourself in Los Angeles this weekend and are looking for a bit of crafty holiday inspiration - why not join us for our Gilded French Holiday Workshop on Saturday, December 17th from 4-9! Join Shea Fragoso, Debbie Murray and myself as we each teach three festive workshops - an ornament, a tree and a bracelet! We'll have plenty of holiday cheer, as well as some of our favorite students in the house, for an evening of fun! Sign up at frenchgeneral.com or give us a call at (323)668-0488.

Shea Fragoso's Sparkle Ornament

Debbie Murray's Lace Tree

Kaari Meng's Ruby Bracelet

Paper Arts and Crafts

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

After years of thinking about it, mapping it out in our heads and dreaming up all sorts of creative inspiration...we have finally designed our first paper arts line!

Filled with all of the old bits and pieces from another time, our first collection, with EK Success for Jolee's Boutique, will be available in all the best craft stores, including Michael's, in the Spring of 2012.

Although this line is perfect for people who love to scrapbook, I hope that it translates to all other sorts of paper crafts - packaging, collaging and decorating your favorite inspiration boards.

All of our favorite old textiles and patterns have been reproduced onto beautiful card stock as well as textured adhesive backed paper.

And of course there are lots of tags, notions and old French paper bits - with twine, ribbon and lace included to make sure everything feels authentic and very French General.

We've worked hard on this collection to make sure everything layers and mixes well - and hopefully you will enjoy crafting with it, as much as we enjoyed designing it!

A Bundle of Winners

2011-12-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

As always, I am amazed at all the wonderful comments and inspired by everyone's holiday inspiration - thank you for playing along in the Moda Blog Hop! To make it easy on myself I randomly picked four names to receive a bundle of our red, green and winter white fabric - hopefully to be used for your holiday sewing! Michelle Olsen in Washington, Rachel in Canada, Jenny in Indiana and Judy in North Carolina are the four lucky winners chosen - please write me at notions@frenchgeneral.com and send me your mailing address and we will send out a bundle of colorful fabric to you.
Warm holiday wishes to all!

Moda Holiday Blog Hop

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year - lot's of red (my favorite!), holiday cheer and some fun from Moda! Today is the third day of the Moda Holiday Blog Hop and it's our day - as well as a few other friends! We've got one of our favorite holiday recipes, a block pattern and a wonderful holiday give-away on this exciting day!
I usually get all uncreative at this time of the year. I think I've worked with so many beads, buttons, fabric swatches and paper embellishments...that I burn out. I used to really dread it - but now I kinda like it - it feels like my August. Everyone has an August - that time of the year when you get to relax before it all starts up again. But the funny, is that it's the busiest time of the year - so I am trying to relax while all this energy in me knows there is so much to do...so much to get done...the holidays are here!

Some of my favorite holiday inspirations....

Fresh Herbs Tied up with Ribbon

(photo from Homestead Gardens)

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

(photo from Erza Pound Cake)

Creatively Wrapped Packages

(photo from Style Me Pretty)

Homemade Anything

(photo from Food Network)

Speaking about food...cause really...isn't that what we all love about the holidays?! Here is one of my favorite holiday recipes - the classic French Crepe! Crepes can be filled with anything from fruit or simple powdered sugar and lemon - and served for breakfast or dessert.
Inspired by the crepes, Moda has helped us design a block to go along with our recipe:

French General Crepes

How about a holiday giveaway - just to keep things fun! Leave us a message about your favorite holiday inspiration....and we'll choose a couple of lucky winners to receive a box of holiday fabric from French General and Moda - a bundle of our classic reds, a bundle of old greens and a bundle of winter whites - just in time to start another holiday quilt or a stocking or two!

And be sure to follow the Moda Holiday Blog Hop the rest of the week:

Today
Bonnie Olvason of Cotton Way
Liesl Gibson of Oliver+S
Karla Eisenach of Sweetwater
Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread

Tomorrow
Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms
Kathy Schmitz' of Kathy Scghmitz Studios
Edtya Sitar of Laundry Baskets Quilts
Kate Spain
Lisa Bonegan of Primitive Gatherings

Friday
Jen Williamson of Basic Grey
Jan Patek of Brannock & Patek
Sandy Klop of American Jane
Sandy Gervais of Pieces From My heart

Art of Craft Workshop 2012

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our third annual Art of Craft Workshop has been planned for January 27th-29th, 2012. Coinciding with the CHA show in Anaheim, we will also be hosting out Sunday Soiree with Jo Packham on Sunday, January 29th from 6-9. This year we have some fabulous new teachers coming into town, as well as a couple of our old favorites returning - Molly Meng, Anna Corba, Michelle Jorgensen, Charlotte Lyons and Pam Garrison are all coming to teach their craft and share a few hours inspiring us all.

Sailor's Valentine
Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons

12 Month Pocket Memory Book
Molly Meng

Valentine Chocolate Truffle Box
Michelle Jorgensen

Beeswax Journal
Anna Corba

Old Button Bracelets
Kaari Meng

Sign-ups begin today and seating is limited to 30 students per class.
Come for the craft - stay for the day!

Creative Work and a Video Workshop

2011-11-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to join in on Christy Tomilson's new holiday video workshop, The 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas. I don't know if Christy realized this before asking me, but I have never done a video workshop - and wasn't even really sure what one was. After much digging around on the internet, and asking a couple of friends, I learned that a video workshop is a short demonstration of a technique or craft. Easy - I can do that!
Not so easy - a week later and I was still figuring out a holiday ornament - let alone understanding how to film and edit a short video! The project was the first obstacle - the ornament had to be pretty, and have some new technique, not too religious, but universal, and are red and green too predictable?? I wasn't even sure if I had ever made a holiday ornament before!
Then, just when I needed it, I read this quote, from American Life host, Ira Glass:

Click on image to read the small print - it's important!

And I realized, I couldn't quit - I had to push through the uncomfortable phase, the worrying about the technique - was it too simple? Was it too complicated? And the part where everything was falling apart in front of the camera and JZ and I were arguing about why I couldn't act more serious and just say the opening line without a smirk on my face.
I pushed through - thanks Ira. So it's finished, done, we did it - our first ever on-line video workshop...it's a whole new world! I guess we all need to be reminded: DO NOT QUIT!

The 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas
A Five Day Mini Workshop
$19.95You will receive your welcome email withing 2-3 business days. The class will officially start on December 5th and you will receive your log-in and official welcome email with class info on the morning of December 5th. You will receive your supply lists in the classroom.

More details:

Each Artist/Teacher will show you how to make a creative handmade ornament or holiday decor using fabric, metal, paint, glass and more - all in fully detailed videos...plus we will have a some suprise bonus projects as well!
It's a 5 day workshop starting December 5th! Each day for 4 days, 3 new ornaments will be posted by 3 new teachers.. and on day 5...we will feature some bonus projects and downloads, exclusive to the workshop from the different teachers. This workshop will actually be availble for 6 months...so you will have plenty of time to go back and watch videos.
Artists included in the workshop: Donna Downey, Margie Romney Aslette, Jeanne Oliver, Chrissy Gardner, Shea Fragoso & Debbie Murray From the Gilded LIfe, Kaari Meng, Junelle Jacabson, Alisa Burke, Danielle Donaldson and Kelly Barton.

An Unexpected Treasure and an Estate Sale

2011-11-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

I am at heart, a digger. I get my biggest thrill when I am out digging through the past and uncovering some hidden gem, secret or inspiration. Estate sale signs send me into a tail spin and when I can afford to stop and do a deep dig, I am satisfied for months - maybe even years. And although I have been to many sales over the years, I have never actually gone through a home of someone I knew well. Needless to say, it is a very different experience and everything is looked at through different lenses.

A year ago a friend of mine, who was an artist, collector, and mentor to many, passed away - leaving a house stuffed full of collected art, craft supplies and history. This past summer, her daughters asked if I would be interested in coming over and taking a look at the collection as well as packing up anything that I might find useful and or inspirational - in lieu of a trade. I knew it was going to be a deep dig, going through years of collecting and dare I even say hoarding - but I had no idea what I was in for - and how layered and deep one woman's collection could be. I spent a couple of days going through room after room - the bedroom alone took me five hours. I made piles of anything and everything that I might find useful or inspirational and then I waited. I waited for the daughters to look through it and decide if they were also ready to let go of the history. Weeks later, I received the call. They had gone through the boxes and were ready for me to pick up what I wanted. I went over and filled up the truck - packed up old photograph books, spools of ribbon, boxes of hand written letters, and an endless amount of craft supplies.
I walked through the whole house and snapped pictures of all of the art that hung on the wall - many pieces that had been given to my friend from various artists as a thank you over the years. I wanted to pack up each and every piece and hold on to it - keep it safe from falling into oblivion. The reality is the girls need to let go of the collection and have decided to have an estate sale. They have hired a company to come in and price everything in the house that is worth more than $5.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, and want to peek into this house of treasures, the sale continues tomorrow, Sunday, November 13th from 9-3 at 5029 Westpark Drive, North Hollywood, 91601. See you there!

Holiday Crafting at French General

2011-11-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Our first ever Gilded French Holiday Workshop is shaping up quite nicely! Join French General and Debbie and Shea of A Gilded Life as we celebrate all things festive! We've got three fun projects that will be taught over a period of five hours on Saturday, December 17th from 4-9. We'll have plenty of holiday cheer and bubbly for an evening of creative inspiration! To grab a seat for this workshop, sign up at French General.

A Gilded Life

French General

A Gilded Life

First Dance

2011-11-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

There's not much I can say about this picture - except, I think Sofia was happy to wear her very first corsage. Sean and Sofia went to the homecoming dance as friends, but that didn't mean there weren't nervous laughs all around...and certain people feeling quite a bit OLDER!

Open Saturdays

2011-11-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

French General will be open Saturdays in addition Mondays from 11-4 during the months of November and December. Come by for your holiday crafts, a glass of cheer or just for a bit of inspiration.
See you soon!

Field Trip with the Girls

2011-11-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

The other day I had a day out with Pam Garrison and Amy Hanna. I met Pam and Amy a few years back and every time we see each other we say "When are we going on a field trip together?!"....and then time slips away and we never get around to it! Finally, after a handful of e-mails back and forth, we planned to meet down in Orange for an afternoon of hunting for treasures.

I found all sorts of beautiful patterns and colors - lots of good inspiration for textile and paper designs.

After a full day of hunting with Amy and Pam at Country Roads, I wandered over to my favorite shop Down Home, and finally found my one and only purchase - an old hand-sewn, cadet blue and white quilt - with a grand price of $11.95. A day well spent when the quilt costs less than lunch!

Teen Angels

2011-10-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

First there was the search for the dress...it had to be silver and somewhat celestial.

Then came the paint smattering and glitter throwing - covering the dresses with a galaxy of tiny stars.

A tub of Rit Dye to color the sneakers midnight blue and then a spray of sparkles.

The driveway after a day or creating.

And finally, the costumes were donned - glittery dresses, cut short at the last minute, silver garland as headbands, and the eyes. Yes, the eyes.... which took the majority of time! Every last star had to be placed perfectly to complete the perfect teen angel or galaxy girl or celestial goddess....take your pick!
Happy Halloween...hope you had fun creating a costume or two!

A Gilded French Holiday Workshop

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

We are busy planning our Gilded French Holiday workshop here at French General! On Saturday, December 17th, please join The Gilded Life and French General to celebrate the holidays and make some pretty things! A five hour event filled with three workshops, inspiration, holiday treats and champagne - think of it as a holiday treat for yourself!
To save your seat, please sign up at French General
Seating is limited.

Creativity Defined

2011-10-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail

- Edwin Land

All ideas from Li Edelkoort

My Frugal Friend

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is a photograph of my favorite frugal friend - Elizabeth Baer - or Buff to those of you who can say they have been in her cellar! For the past ten years, Buff has been teaching me the importance of saving every scrap of antique fabric that falls into my hands. I love this picture, because it shows Buff doing one of her favorite things - sewing with the fragile bits and pieces.

Here's how I imagine it:

On one of her many buying trips to France, Buff finds an abandoned 18th century chateau. After finding the linen sheets in the armoires, Buff spots a pair of chateau curtains in the grand room that had been hanging for over 200 years. Partially bleached and badly weathered, Buff cuts down the panels and returns to her home in Bath. She cuts the panels into 16 equal pieces and creates elegant chair covers for her 16 dining room chairs. With the extra scraps she either sews a patchwork dog bed or a set of curtain swags for her granddaughter's room on the third floor of her 18th century Georgian home.

Buff's whole home, including the four large wine vaults in the cellar are filled with her handiwork and collected French textiles. Well known decorators, actors and editors flock to her home regularly to pick up the latest 17th century hemp sheets, embroidered curtains and hand-blocked fabrics. Buff and her husband Derek, 93 years young, travel back and forth between England and France to find the best of France profound - the rural life of France.

My mom originally found Buff for me - she sent me an article in a old issue of Victoria Magazine, which featured Buff and her piles of ticking that she had uncovered in an old barn in France. The Queen of Ticking they called her! The next time Molly and I were headed to London to shop the flea markets, we called on Buff, who immediately invited us both down to Bath to stay the night. After being picked up at the train station and brought home to her estate, we were shown to the vaulted cellar rooms - where I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Room after room after room was filled to the beams with piles of hemp, linen and even thistle. We sat and enjoyed tea and crumpets in the cellar until I could no longer contain myself - I had to start unfolding, touching and smelling the fabric. I wanted to remember all of the fine details about each piece - not knowing if I would ever return. Many of the ticking we have designed for Moda have come from this very first visit to Buff's.

Years later, I have not only returned to visit Buff and Derek, but have become good friends with them and treasure every visit. I am way overdue for another visit and have to make the trek soon - to learn a handful of new ideas - she is a wealth of information on all things textile related. I would love to plan a group tour of the area with visits to Buff, The American Museum in Bath, Christine from Cabbages and Roses and my old friend Polly Lyster, a master natural dyer. Anyone want to go to Bath?

A quick look at Buff's blog and I noticed a patchwork of posts with titles like: Embroiders Follow the Thread, Linen is for Life, A Fling in France, Kelsches are in Fashion, France is Only a Long Swim Away and Stains on the Characters. Enjoy!

Bryan Ferry Love

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

There's no hiding it, I've had a couple of musical crushes over the years - there's Bono and then there's Johnny - but Saturday night I got to experience Bryan...and he may be my favorite one yet.
To kick off my birthday week, John Cohn took me out for dinner and an evening at the Greek Theater here in Griffith Park. Although I grew up listening to Roxy Music and then Bryan Ferry, I never quite realized his style range. He rocked the Greek for over two hours with a ten piece band - all the while jumping between musical instruments. It's nice to know you never have to give up your early crushes - they just keep getting better and better!

The Becher Idea

2011-10-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ever since we started designing fabric for Moda a few years ago, I have wanted to design a quilt, but have found it extremely difficult. I can design jewelry and fabric...but a quilt...not so easy! As I was walking through the MOMA last weekend, I stumbled into the photography gallery on the second floor and saw a collection of Bernd and Hilla Becher prints.
Bernd and Hilla were German artists that worked together as a collaborative duo. According to their biography: They were fascinated by the similar shapes in which certain buildings were designed. In addition, they were intrigued by the fact that so many of these industrial buildings seemed to have been built with a great deal of attention toward design. Together, the Bechers went out with a large 8 x 10-inch view camera and photographed these buildings from a number of different angles, but always with a straightforward "objective" point of view.

This idea of different angles, but with a straightforward point of view intrigues me. Like the Becher's, I love the idea of the handmade traditional quilt - and I also relate to the basics, nothing too complicated, the straightforward "objective" point of view.

I was immediately inspired to design a collection of quilts using the Becher idea as my starting point. Contemporary, yes, but with a look back to the classics - finally a quilt idea I can sink my teeth into! Jody can you hear me?!

Framework Houses is the first publication the Bechers produced. The work is a beautiful documentation of German timber houses, but also iconic images as they relate to the Bechers' lifelong project. The "Framework House" depicts a stout but strong architectural symbol, starkly framed with a muted gray sky and dramatized by the black and white process.

KC Willis Workshop

2011-10-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Driving across the country eight years ago, from New York City to Los Angeles, we stopped in Santa Fe for a few days. It was late Spring and there was snow on the ground. Besides visiting the Tesuque Flea Market - I dragged Sofia and JZ in and out of all of the American craft galleries I could find. In one gallery I saw a piece of stitched work that really resonated with me. It was a pictoral collage about an early cowgirl and the road she walked (or rode). Maybe it was the old ticking or the old burlap used in the piece, maybe it was the hand-stitched lettering and parchment paper - whatever it was, I was immediately envious of the artist and knew she spent hours creating small stitched stories. KC Willis - she burned a whole in me.

Enter Facebook and friends of friends of a friend of a friend and I see one of her stitched pieces on my page - and I thought "I could be friends with her!" Eventually, I wrote to KC Willis and asked her is she would ever consider teaching a class at French General. Low and behold, she wrote back and said she would love to! She's on her way out West this month!
KC created a hand-stitched book workshop that we are honored to present on Saturday, October 29th from 10-4. If you know KC's work or would just like to come and experience her method, please join us! Feel free to bring any personal photos, paper or notions that you would like to incorporate into the project - but of course, we have plenty of materials to work with should you want to arrive on your horse!

For more information about KC Willis and to sign up for the workshop, Le Book Class Extraodinaire, visit her site. If you scroll down a couple of feet, you will see all the details of the workshop. Seating is limited.

Small Details, part quatre

2011-10-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Just returned from almost a week in New York City - and feel so inspired! The weather was perfect and I spent my days looking at old textiles, visiting friends, digging for notions and wandering through the MOMA. If you happen to find yourself in NYC between now and November 7th, run (don't walk) to the Willem de Kooning Retrospective on the 6th floor of the Museum of Modern Art. This is the first major exhibit devoted to the full scope of his work - and the amount of his work will amaze you. I think he must of gone in to his studio everyday and just painted until he was exhausted - such a prolific artist.
As I wandered downstairs, I was struck by the modern masters and how many were speaking to me...Rauchenberg's bed with his own quilt, Mondrian's quilt like patterns, Leger's hat, Torre's-Garcia's grid like pattern of familiar objects, Schwitters collage, and Burri's burlap and thread on canvas. I had never looked at these pieces through a crafter's eye before and all of a sudden I saw a whole new way of separate but similar concepts coming through. And then I saw Cornell's work...but that's for another day.

Calling all Chocolate Lovers!

2011-10-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ok - I had no idea there were so many guilty chocolate lovers! Let's just say, since everyone loves chocolate it is not a guilty pleasure - in fact, it sounds like a national pastime! Collecting fabric, well yes, I am guilty of that too...but I like to think of it as building my archives. Amazing - I guess we are all alike after all!
Now down to the winners - I can't promise you will all get precuts - but you will love what you get - I promise!
*Patti who steals moments of bliss when she shouldn't.
*Joanna who enjoys a glass of merlot in the middle of the afternoon.
*Miss Melis who loves homemade bread and jam.
*Sherryl who spends time re-watching favorite old movies all by herself with a rum and coke and a big bag of salt & vinegar chips that she eats until her tongue hurts!
*Karen whose biggest guilty pleasure is fresh red raspberries with cream and sugar. (Karen - that is not a guilty pleasure - that's breakfast!)
Thanks Moda for the fun hop and for supplying me with wonderful giveaways! Lucky winners, please shoot us an e-mail with your address at notions@frenchgeneral.com with Blog Hop Giveaway in the subject line and we will ship out a French General surprise box. Thanks for playing and sorry about the tardiness of the post last week - but I think I caught it just in time!

County Fair Blog Hop

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow - good thing I checked my blog! I thought I had this scheduled for 8am this morning....oops, it's like the alarm that didn't go off!

It's my turn on the Moda blog hop! After 23 hops, you've finally landed here! Hopefully I will be able to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about me...but didn't want to ask! I've had fun reading all the designer's blogs this month...now here are my answers to the Moda questions, whether you want to know them or not.....

What's your favorite fair food?

Any day at the fair is a good day - because of the food! After walking around the livestock, craft and artisan areas, I wander over to the food area. Since I only find myself at a County Fair once in a blue moon - I go for a bit of everything. My new favorite fair food is the chocolate bacon - a bit of salty and sweet all at the same time - sometimes it's even frozen...why not?! I also love the deep fried cheese curd - a specialty at the Wisconsin fairs. Oh, and the cotton candy - who can resist the cotton candy! There is no such thing as moderation at the fair - is there?

State Fairs have become known for what they can FRY? What do you fry?

I fry french fries and serve them with mussels cooked in a white wine and garlic sauce - known in France as Moules-Frites. One of my favorite Moules-Frites recipes is here.
My favorite place in the world for french fries is at L'Entrecote in Toulouse (they also have spots in Paris and Bordeaux). The best part of L'Entrecote, besides the fact that you don't have to order off of the menu - everyone gets the same meal....entrecote, french fries and salad - is the fact that they keep returning to fill your plate when it is empty. And the sauce, the secret sauce they pour over their meat - no one can figure out what it is - even though many of us have tried...and you know who you are.

What's your guilty pleasure?

Big surprise here.....more food! My guilty pleasure is(are) Jelly Bellys - I can sit for hours thinking up new flavor combinations - and then being the official taster, this usually results in me feeling sick and swearing off of them for a year! I also love a good bottle of French wine - but I do not love these two culinary treats together - definitely not!

Enough about food.....

What's on your bucket list?

I would like to take a textile tour of of India - the tour would include nothing but sitting around and watching fabric be blockprinted, woven or dyed all day, everyday. In the evenings, I would stay at an Indian palace and learn how to cook Indian food. I would watch a lot of Indian movies and wear a sari. I like the idea of living in a different culture for a while - learning to live in another world. JZ doesn't think I will ever be able to do this since I can hardly wait 30 minutes for a bus. But I have faith.

What inspires your work?

My work is inspired by an old house in the middle of the South of France surrounded by lavender fields. And stripes - I love stripes. Every time I see someone dressed in stripes I feel good - there is something fresh, simple and clean about stripes...they are timeless.

Coco in Stripes

What movie do you watch again & again?

Coco Before Chanel
and

The Great Gatsby
and

Jules et Jim
and

Bright Star

What's on your night stand?
(I really wish I had a picture of this - but my computer is on edge and I can't download anymore pics!)
Lavender sachet, stack of Cote Sud magazines, pictures of Sofia, and an old wooden jewelry box - filled with all sorts of old beads, rosaries and other charms I have collected. I also have a book or three - one that I am reading, one that my mom gave me and one for inspiration.....The Root of Wild Madder by Brian Murphy, Tattoos on The Heart by Father Gregory Boyle, and Summers in France by Kathryn Ireland (thanks Mogull!)

Tell us about your pets...

This is Sofia and her pet chinchilla - Aladdin. Actually he doesn't live with us, we just sponsor him so he can live in a natural habitat at the Moorpark Training Zoo. We are allowed to visit him once a month - which we have done once - he's cute and very soft.

This is me at an angora goat farm we found in the South of France this past summer. This isn't really my pet - but I loved this little baby kid and would have loved to have taken him home with me! He fell asleep in my arms - and I fell in love.

In real life, we have two cats, Johnny and Boots - both found us - while looking for food and love. Johnny is the tough boy and Boots is the show cat - well, at least that's what we tell them. This is a picture of Johnny sleeping - something he does very well.

What creative plans are in your future?

Besides Rouenneries Deux being released in the Spring 2012, which is very exciting, I am working on a paper arts line for EK Success which will also be available in the Spring and a home decorating fabric, trim and wallpaper line which will be available in the Spring of 2013.

Best of Show!

Ok - enough about me! How about a fun County Fair project designed with our new collection, Rouenneries Deux! This simple project can be made out of all the scraps you never want to throw away. Use these pins to commemorate special events or tie onto packages for the holiday season.

Download Ribbon Pattern Here

Now...for the really fun part! (And we're almost done here!) I have a handful of precuts to giveaway to a few lucky winners - all you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me what your guilty pleasure is! As long as you know all of mine...I may as well know some of yours! Thanks for playing along and be sure to visit Lisa from Primitive Gatherings tomorrow!

Au Revoir!

Last Call for Woad!

2011-09-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

We have a spot or two left in our Woad Workshop this Saturday, October 1st. If you are interested in learning about the ancient art of dying with this vibrant weed, please call the shop or e-mail us. We are excited to have Denise Lambert return to the US from France. After teaching workshops in both New York and San Francisco this month, Denise is back in LA!

See more pictures from the New York Woad Workshop here, all photos by Colin Cooke.

Summer in France!

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...we're starting to make plans for our Chateau Getaway Summer 2012. We've got two wonderful weeks planned for next summer - both involve lots of flea markets, food markets, crafting, and eating!
Week one, we are excited to have The Gilded Life in France, with Shea Fragoso and Debbie Murray coming along to teach us how to uncover gold (in the name of old textiles, paper, notions and jewels) and then craft the gilded way. Shea and Debbie (a fabulous mother-daughter duo) have been crafting and creating for years - you can read more about The Gilded Life on their blog What Happens Next.
Week two, we are thrilled to have American Quilt Retailer return again and host Handmade in France, a creative week featuring artist Charlotte Lyons, who will teach her inspiring stitching workshops. You can read Charlotte's musings' on her blog House Wren Studio.
If you have dreamed of living in the rural countryside of France, with a house full of like-minded women, surrounded by sunflower fields, then you will love our week in France. For more information or to sign up for a spot on our Summer 2012 Chateau Getaway please drop us a note at notions@frenchgeneral.com and we will send you all the information.
See you in France!

Molly and Stella

2011-09-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm really not sure if this is right or wrong - but it cracked me up. Molly, my sister, and Stella, her dog/child, are quite the pair - and for any of you out there who know Molly...well, this photo just kinda sums it all up!

Jewelry 101 NYC

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 7th I'll be in New York City at Tinsel Trading teaching our Jewelry 101 Workshop. If you have ever taken one of our jewelry classes before - you know the drill - but for those of you have wondered what it's all about - here is a quick breakdown of the basic techniques taught in the class:

We start with the chain, measure it to our wrist and then connect a clasp on one end and a jump ring on the opposite end. Next, we thread beads onto head pins and then cut and loop the headpins onto the chain, using a pair of round nose pliers.

After mastering the technique of cutting and looping to create the chain jangle, we make up a handful of old charms by gluing the glass cabochons (or stones) to the corresponding brass bezel - they fit together like puzzle pieces.

After the charms have set, we lay them out and begin designing the bracelet - moving around the parts until we find the right balance. Once we have all of the glass and brass charms in a pleasing order, we connect the charms onto the chain by using jump rings and a pair of flat nose piers. At this point, the bracelet is starting to come together and we could stop here...but if you are up for the challenge, we'll keep going....

Using eye pins, we will thread a series of beads onto each pin and then cut and loop the wire to each other to form what is known as a rosary chain. We will connect either end of the rosary chain to opposite ends of the charm chain to make up a second strand.

And voila - the bracelet is finished - with very few tears! For a special finishing touch, we will add a bit of silk ribbon so that the bracelet can be worn as a necklace by tying the ribbon around your neck.

That's it - simple and beautiful - and all hand made by you! If you live in the New York area and would like to join us for this special evening,, sign up at Tinsel Trading or please call 212 730-1030 to reserve your spot. Merci!

Off to St. Paul!

2011-09-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am packing up and getting ready to head out to St. Paul for the week to attend Jo Packham's Creative Connection Event. Last year I met so many creative and inspiring people that I am really looking forward to it all over again. This year, I am teaching two different classes with Wendy Addison: the Bibelot Charme Workshop and the Boite de Bijoux Workshop - both include a beautiful piece of handmade jewelry (taught by moi) and an embellished jewelry box (taught by Wendy).
Marcia Ceppos, of Tinsel Trading, will also be in our workshops running a petite Tinsel Trading Emporium - so you can pick up all your favorite vintage crafting supplies!

Who else is going to be at the event - or rather - who isn't! The event is attracting more and more people from all different creative fields: Charlotte Lyons, Brenda Schweder, Betz White, Shea Fragoso and Debbie Murray, Jenny Heid and Aaron Nieradka, and Heather Bailey - are just a handful of some of the teachers teaching creative workshops. Then you've got Vogue Knitting, MaryJane's Farm and BlogHer also pitching in and offering different panels, classes and demonstrations. It's sure to be a fun-filled few days - there is still time to make a reservation if you just can't miss it!

Double Trouble Winners!

2011-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

I loved all of the second time around stories - each one gave me a bit of hope! To choose four winners for our Rouenneries Deux Giveaway, I started with my favorite number: 21, inversed it: 12, added them together: 33, and then multiplied by 3: 99.
Four winners - count 'em out - and then e-mail me your details!
Thanks for playing along - sorry to make you work a bit for fabric - although you might get to read the comments for the second time around!

Photo of the Iron Jaw Kimball Twins, 1920s
Via Lens, the NYT Photo Blog

~~(Did you get the same winners as me? 21: Lesly in Ontario, 12: Nancy in Wisconsin, 33: Kathleen Grace in Michigan and 99: Leslie Quinn)~~

The Country Fair Blog Hop

2011-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today's the first day of Moda's Country Fair Blog Hop featuring all of their fabulous fabric designers. I've never done a blog hop before, but I'm up for anything new these days! For 27 days you can hop around and see all sorts of fun projects inspired by the country fair, learn interesting, little known facts about your favorite designers, pick up new project ideas and maybe even win a prize or two! It's gonna be a fun-filled month with lots of inspiration from the fair!

We'll be back on September 29th with our Panier de Fleur project and some fun giveaways...hope to see you then!

Meanwhile, here's the line-up and the blogs to follow:

September 6th Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart
September 7th Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs
September 8th Barb and Mary from Me and My Sister Designs
September 9th Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms
September 10th Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts
September 11th Basic Grey
September 12th Polly and Laurie from Minick and Simpson
September 13th Sandy Klop from American Jane (Post will be featured on Moda's blog)
September 14th Liesl from Oliver + S
September 15th Joanna from Fig Tree and Co.
September 16th Lynne from Kansas Troubles
September 17th Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs
September 18th Aneela Hoey from Comfortstitching.com
September 19th Barbara Brackman from Barbara Brackman, of course.
September 20th Bonnie from Cotton Way
September 21st Christina from Cabbages and Roses
September 22nd Deb Strain
September 23rd Jan Patek of Brannock and Patek
September 24th Lauren and Jessi Jung
September 25th Stephanie from Lily Ashbury
September 26th Julie from Cosmo Cricket
September 27th Kate Spain
September 28th Karla, Susan and Lisa from Sweetwater
September 29th Kaari from French General
September 30th Lisa from Primitive Gatherings
and the fun continues into October
October 1st Kathy from Kathy Schmitz Studio
October 2nd Liz from Liz Scott Designs

Rouenneries Deux Giveaway

2011-09-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here we are...doing it all over again! After our first Moda fabric collection, Rouenneries, was such a wonderful surprise, we thought....why not do it again? We've picked out the best prints and added a handful of new designs all in classic shades of juicy reds (Penny's description), faded reds, dusty hemps and tea stain - with a bit of blue and grey touches thrown in to freshen things up. We've even added a cheater cloth - a patchwork design using some of our favorite prints.
I'm getting a little ahead of myself, since Rouenneries Deux won't be in quilt shops until March 2012.... but, thanks to Moda, I have a handful of precuts that I would love to giveaway - so you can get a head start on your favorite Rouenneries projects. If you worked with the original Rouenneries, released in Fall 2009, you know that this collection of fabric is perfect for quilts, clothing and home accessories. For just some of the beautiful projects designed using Rouenneries, look here.
Leave us a comment with your name and if you like, tell us your favorite second time around story. You'll be entered in our drawing for one of four bundles of Rouenneries Deux. Isn't it always better the second time around?! Bonne Chance!

Where Did the Summer Go?

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

It just went too fast this year - but it was long enough to realize it was a really good one!

The Woad to France

2011-08-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

After the success of our last Woad Workshop here in Los Angeles in April, we knew we had to do it all over again. So...this coming October, we will be hosting dye master, Denise Lambert, who will be traveling from France to the States, again, to teach a handful of lucky students the art of dying with the ancient plant of woad. Although we are sold out of our special workshop in Los Angeles, we are happy to announce we have collaborated with two groups of textile enthusiasts who will be hosting their own Woad Workshop in September.
Old friends Colin Cooke and Ellen Silverman will be offering the Woad Workshop on Sunday, September 18th at Colin's home just north of New York City. If you are interested in participating in this special day, please e-mail Colin at colincooke@earthlink.net to sign up.
The weekend after, September 24th, Denise will be traveling out west to Northern California where she will be offering the Woad Workshop at the Civic Arts Center in Walnut Creek. Sign-ups for the class are here and read more about the day in the Civic Arts Education Catalog - just click on the catalog button in the left hand menu and then scroll down to page six.
If you are still on the fence as to whether or not you should experience this magical class - you can read more about our adventures with woad here, here and here.

Open Craft Day

2011-08-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Erica Wilson's Stitch Sampler seen on Cathy of California

Well, we are still at it...French General is open the last Thursday of every month (except when we happen to be in France!) for our open craft day. So far, we've had a great mix of quilters, collage artists, jewelers and stitchers...all who come to spend the day working on their craft. It's a fun day filled with a wide assortment of people from all over Los Angeles who set aside the day to work on a project or two. Feel free to come on by if you happen to be in the neighborhood tomorrow, Thursday, August 25th - more information and sign ups here.

First Day of High School

2011-08-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's happened, the day has come...yesterday was Sofia's first day of high school. All dressed up in her uniform, Sofia was ready for her 7:30am (!) carpool pick-up. It might have been a bit dramatic when I told her "today is the first day of the rest of your life!" Bonne chance Sofia!

Small Details, part trois

2011-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

Spent the day at the Huntington Garden last week with four teenagers: Sofia, Willow - her good friend from Los Angeles, India - her old friend from New York, and Sara - her second cousin from the Basque Country. The girls were visiting and moved in to the house for two weeks - when they weren't swimming or working on their tans, we tried to get them out for a bit of culture in Los Angeles.
We sat for a couple of hours at the Huntington Tea Room eating scones, cucumber sandwiches, sipping on Earl Grey tea and making friendship bracelets (yes, I have a new hobby!). Afterwards we walked through the galleries and noticed all the beautiful details in the paintings. I sometimes forget we have such great art - right here at our fingertips!

The Document: Close Up

2011-08-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

There is something about finding an old textile and then getting other people excited about it.
Years ago, I bought an old pincushion from my friend Polly Lyster in England. It's simple design and old faded red color have made it one of my favorites. This past Spring we decided that the lady depicted on the toile scene would make a great design for a rubber stamp, so we set to work dissecting the textile. We needed to separate the front of the cushion from the piping so that we could get a good flat image. We had no idea how old the piece was and soon realized that it was practically shredding in our hands. It literally took two people, mom and brother John to hold the piece together while one of them carefully unstitched the seams. In the end, we ended up with not only a wonderful 18th century rural countrywoman design, but an elegant flower design as well.

Then there was the quilt we bought in France this summer- I say we because a group of us went in on it and decided to cut it up! After much head shaking and many ghasts, I convinced four women that we should cut it into fourths and each take a small piece of this amazing print. Nilda set to work cutting it up and decided she needed two pieces, so Alyse was out, and Cathy and I each got our quarter...although I had to promise Alyse I would send her a few yards once I reprinted the design!

Once we each had our own piece, we realized that the backing, the blue and red paisley was just as beautiful as the front of the quilt. So, once again, many hands set to work dissecting the quilt - we literally took out each stitch to remove the batting so we could get the better side of the paisley - which had probably been block printed over 200 years ago - but looked as if it was printed yesterday - it was so bright and vivid.

Sometimes I think we could all be textile conservators if we had nothing else to do - document textiles, when looked at closer, tell such good stories!

And the Living is Easy....

2011-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing like spending a week on the lake with your whole family....we swam, we rode, we ate and drank, and then we slept - a lot!

50 Years and a Log Cabin

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

We've loaded up our cars with inner tubes, backgammon boards and bug spray - we are headed to Yosemite for the week to celebrate my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Twelve of us will be living together - telling stories, laughing and cooking up a storm. No cell phones, no internet connection - just the great outdoors and a log cabin filled with family! More when we return....

Lost and Found

2011-08-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

1925 Margaret Preston

I loved reading about all the great finds - it seems, if we are looking for something, whether we know it or not, we may just find it! Gina's comment really struck home with me as I loved the idea of following through on a hunch. Gina wrote:

'This one is easy. I found an autograph book from a young woman in a Swiss university from the 1920s. On the page opposite the autograph is a small photograph of the person. The book fell open to a picture of a beautiful woman sitting on a big old couch covered with tapestries sitting on an oriental rug. It looked straight out of Sigmund Freud's office. On a whim, I googled the woman's name. It turns out that she and her husband were both psychoanalysts who studied WITH FREUD, and that they emigrated to the United States before WWII and had a son. The son is a professor of psychiatry at Tufts. I emailed him the picture and the autograph message and it was his mother!'

Thank you all for playing along - next time I will have to ask for pictures to go along with all the fun stories! Gina please e-mail us your address and we will send off a box of treasures found in France!

Merci!

Mending in French

2011-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about early French life is how the women would repair a textile over and over again, giving it a whole new life...

The French would mend or patch a cloth until there was more mending than original piece. A really well-mended quilt might end up looking like a haphazard patchwork quilt. No more of the original fabric to mend the quilt? - no problem, just use Pierre's butcher apron. No thread to match the original weave? - don't worry about it, just use what happens to be threaded in the needle. The more primitive the better, if you ask me. Now when I find myself digging through old textiles, I am looking for a patch or a repair, something that shows me that the piece was used to death - a small clue into the past life of the cloth. If it is a beautiful, fine reweaving of the original cloth, I think maybe the woman went to convent schools and was taught by the nuns. If the repair is rough and simple, I wonder if it was a young girl in charge of the textile repairs for her home. The amount of time and energy they put in to salvaging their household textiles is staggering - but if you figure they may have only had one quilt, two torchons and a single sheet (for life) - I guess they had no other option than to live by the golden rule, make do and mend.

Found in France Giveaway

2011-07-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than going to France and digging out treasures - than the day the treasures arrive back in the states. Last year, I lost a box of beauties, it just never arrived - "fell off the truck" was all the shipping company could say. Meanwhile I envisioned some lucky person "finding" a box full of 18th and 19th century French fabrics and having a field day! So this week, when I got the call that the boxes were ready to be delivered, I dropped everything, and ran to the shop waiting patiently for everything to arrive safely.
It's such a thrill to open boxes and see old bits of French history come to life again in a whole new environment....17th century land deeds, hand scripted on paper that has been waxed so it can be reused for years; early 1800's silk pin cushion that advertised a cashmere company in Toulouse before the cashmere trade was shut down by the Marquis; a piece of primitive thistle fabric probably from the late 1700's (given to me by one of the guests at the chateau!); and even an old, turn of the century, wooden toy - which if used improperly could take a finger off. Unwrapping each item, I wondered how each had been kept safe for so many years, who had taken care of each small trinket and what history had been passed on with each treasure.

In anticipation of our upcoming month at French General, Found in France, I thought it would be fun to give away a box of old French treasures - old silk hat labels, bits of ribbon, beads, antique paper and some faded millinery flowers. Leave us a comment about your favorite find ever and we'll pick out a lucky winner or two to receive some of our luckiest finds this past summer in France. Thanks for playing along!

Steel Cut Beads and Other Stories

2011-07-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Marcia and Wendy waiting patiently to get into the hat factory

We were lucky enough to have Wendy Addison and the infamous Marcia Ceppos of Tinsel Trading join us the first week of our Chateau Getaway this summer. Although, by about day two I wondered why in the world I had invited two of the most prolific treasure hunters to dig with me at the French flea markets! Within minutes of being at any one of my favorite stomping grounds, I would look over and see Wendy and Marcia, arms completely full with antique French ______________(insert almost any treasure here), and smiling from ear to ear. Well, Wendy was smiling from ear to ear and Marcia, the more practical of the two, was shaking her head and probably thinking: there goes the bank!
Marcia and I had fun telling each other stories about the history we each knew of different old bits and pieces. After visiting Cathy Brocante, and finding a box full of old rusty French steel cut beads, we were ambling back home to the chateau when I decided to tell my story about these small unassuming beads - once all the fashion in Paris.

Told to me by the great bead dealer, Ben Eagle, the story goes something like this:
During World War II when the Germans were in France, they came upon the last known steel cut bead factory still in production when they decided to take the machines back to Germany and manufacture the beads there. After loading all of the factories' machines onto the freight train, the train was unexpectedly hit by an errant bomb and the machines were completely destroyed - and there have been no more steel beads manufactured since.
I thought Marcia was going to fall out of the car - she just kind of looked at me and starting cracking up. "Are you kidding me?" she said, "No - I'm not - that's the story I heard and I'm sticking to it." Well that was it for Marcia, she couldn't believe that I would fall for a story like that - but she also didn't have another one to tell me - so I decided I would just have to be comfortable with the bead lore I had heard from my old friend, who always has a good story to tell.
Provenance is funny that way - you really don't know much more than you are told, unless of course you can look it up somewhere - which I still haven't been able to find anything to verify or nullify this story - some provenance is just passed down through word of mouth.
Speaking of which, I hope Marcia and Wendy have come up with some good stories to tell about the treasures they found in France - nine or ten suitcases in all, brimming with beautiful ribbons, trims, pom poms and labels.

The Art of the French Deal

2011-07-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Tearing through the back roads of France, I usually keep my eye out for a particular sign - not a directional sign (although those are necessary to master when you are traveling off-map) but a brocante or vide grenier sign. A brocante is an antique or second hand shop and a vide-grenier is like a garage sale - but loosely translated means a cleaning out of the attic. As soon as either one of these signs is spotted, I have been known to follow it for miles and miles and more often than not, the conversation in the car sounds something like this.....

Molly: Was that a brocante sign I just saw?
Kick: YES!
Me: Which way was the arrow pointing?
Molly, Kick or Cathy: Left or maybe right - go left!
Me: Ok, how old do you think the sign was?
Molly: New
Kick: Old
Cathy: This week for sure

After about 45 minutes....

Me: No sign of any brocante, should we turn around?
Molly: No
Kick: Yes
Cathy: Let's just go another mile or so and turn around
Me: But there is no way to turn around - we are on a 5 foot wide single lane highway
Cathy: Keep going.

An hour later....

Me: I think I see an old barn ahead.
Molly: That's it!
Kick: It looks like an abandoned house.
Cathy: Park - let's check it out.
Me: Wait - there's another brocante sign!
Cathy: Follow it!

Another 45 minutes later....

Molly: OMG! I knew it - there it is - that old garage there on the left - pull over!
Me: That's it - it's a brocante - we did it - we found it!
Kick: Is that the one we were looking for??
Cathy: It doesn't matter!

And on and on it goes - each time we all get in the car and go off on one of our brocante adventures! Once we actually get into the brocante and meet the dealer, the real adventure begins - digging through boxes and boxes of collected bits and pieces, sorting out the good, the bad and the ugly - and all the while, not letting a squeal out - which will give it all away.

Old or young, French dealers have seen almost everything there is too see and nothing really impresses them much - unless of course it is something they are extremely attached to due to family history or, as in Guy's case, (the owner of the infamous hat factory) business history. Guy is perhaps the only French dealer I have ever met who will sell you a carton of 19th century silk hat labels for a couple of euros but will not, under any circumstances, sell you the tape measure used to measure the brim of the hats....even though the tape measure can be picked up at the local sewing shop for a euro or two.

After we have scoured the brocante and made our pile, the real fun begins....negotiations can last about as long as it took to find the place! French dealers understand the system better than anyone - and almost expect a bit of haggling back and forth. Not that they wouldn't love it if you handed them the asking price, but then the game is over, and why not play just a bit longer? A French deal might sound something like this - I'll spare you my bad French and write it in English:

Me: Oh, this quilt is beautiful, how much is it?
Dealer: 100 euros
Me: Wow - that's high
Dealer: No, not really - you said it was beautiful!
Me: True, but it is still too much for me - how about 65 euros?
Dealer: What? Are you kidding - do you know how old this quilt is - and look at the little stitches and you also get the fabric on the back!!
Me: Yes, but it is only worth 65 euros to me.
Dealer: 90
Me: 70
Dealer: 85
Me: 75
Dealer: 80
(I Pause here, realizing this is a very good deal - but unable to stop the game)
Me: 76
Dealer: 79
Me: 77
Dealer: 78
Me: (realizing there is nowhere is to go) Deal!

(Heavy breathing, hand flapping at wrist and eye rolling from both myself and the dealer)

By the end of negotiations, hands are shaken all around and euros are exchanged. Hopefully everyone feels they have made a good deal and plans are made to return next year. There may even be an offer of lunch or a drink at the local cafe - in fact, one year we traveled an hour from a brocante to visit the dealer at her home for a pot of home made cassoulet and a bottle of wine...then we were taken to the overflowing basement....but that's another story.

Often, but not always, a dealer will throw in a cadeaux - a small gift - something that you may have been looking at or perhaps he just found in the back of his van - nothing to him really, but he knows it will make you happy. With dirty hands and a smile on your face, you feel as if you have mastered the art of the French deal!

Couleur Francaise

2011-07-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite things to collect in France, old photographs and old textiles - they seem to blend perfectly together to tell the whole story.

Couronne de Fleurs

2011-07-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

Antique crowns found in France

I have been collecting old wax flower crowns for a while now, the delicate orange blossom head bands that were made for brides in the late 19th and early 20th century. Often in France, I will find a couronne de fleurs that is still completely intact and displayed under a glass dome for safe keeping.
So of course, I was over the moon when Wendy Addison taught us her own version of a waxed flower crown at the chateau. After dipping old silk and linen flowers in beeswax, we carefully wrapped each stem around the wire crown. Not the craftiest one in the bunch, I worried that my crown wouldn't be up to snuff. What I soon found out was that each and every crown was absolutely stunning - we learned a centuries old technique and made it just a bit better by adding our own twist.

Woad Me Again!

2011-07-04T03:39:00.000-07:00

Denise Lambert, the master woad dyer, visited the chateau on Thursday for a day of woad dying. While I was dipping in some old hemp torchons and aprons, I asked myself, can one ever woad too much? After woading (is that a verb?) for the sixth time in the past few years, I quickly decided - no! One can never have too much of this beautiful French blue in their lives!

Nadette's Lavender Farm

2011-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when we first discovered St. Antonin's Farmer's Market, I found a woman selling the purest lavender oil I had ever smelled. I bought a bottle of her oil and used it sparingly until I finally eeked the last drop out. I have spent the last six years looking for the woman who sold me the oil - searching markets and and following any lead I could sniff out...but to no avail. Until this past week, when on a tip from Charlotte the chef, we found Nadette - the woman I had met in St. Antonin all those years ago.
Not only did we all get to visit Nadette on her lavender farm and walk through her fields learning about the different types of lavender she grows, we also got to view a demonstration of how she makes her special indigo and lavender soap. As a treat, Nadette gave us each a bar of soap and cut us a bundle of lavender to take home. It was so inspiring to see a woman who literally eat, breaths and sleeps her passion - lavender!

Cyanotype Blues

2011-07-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

Not only are we lucky enough to have Wendy Addison and Marcia Ceppos of Tinsel Trading come and teach at the chateau this week, we also have the special treat of having Monica, Wendy's daughter, come and teach us a class on a 19th century photographic printing - known as cyanotype.
"The English scientist and astronomer Sir John Herschell discovered this procedure in 1842. Though the process was developed by Herschel, he considered it as mainly a means of reproducing notes and diagrams, as in blueprints. It was Anna Atkins who brought this to photography. She created a limited series of cyanotype books that documented ferns and other plant life from her extensive seaweed collection. Atkins placed specimens directly onto coated paper, allowing the action of light to create a sillhouette effect. By using this photogram process, Anna Atkins is regarded as the first female photographer."
Monica took us down into the cave below the chateau to coat the paper and then the following day, we exposed all sorts of treasures onto the treated paper - botanicals, stencils, lace and even old negatives we had found at the flea market. The process was magical and the color was a magnificent cyan blue. Our workshops at the chateau this week have been inspiring - and with each one we are learning more about how people made do with what was available to them to create beautiful works of art.

Making Foie Gras

2011-06-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Cooking with the chateau chef, Charlotte, in the kitchen, is not a bad way to spend our first Monday at the chateau. After learning the French technique to preparing a foie gras, we all donned our kitchen gloves and canned a jar. Although foie gras may be a bit squeamish to some, the French have a way of breaking it down into a culinary science - and the end result is pretty fabulous.
Afterwards, Charlotte, led us through a step by step lesson making French moutarde - the real stuff - complete with both yellow and black mustard seeds. Whipped into perfection with an electric whisk and bit of tasting all around the table, the mustard was then jarred for each of us to take home for a small memory of the cooking at the chateau.

Miel en France

2011-06-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Rambling along the back roads of France, we happened upon a honey farm with old bee skeps, boxes and smoke cans strung about the ancient barn. We learned a bit about the history of the land and the different types of honey the bees produce; and then when we could no longer understand the conversation, bought a jar of Acacia Honey and said our goodbyes. We are learning that discovering the old rural farms is a real treat, but give a French farmer an inch and they may take a mile - everyone loves to tell their story and whether or not we understand is of little importance. A yarn is a yarn....

A Good Brocante

2011-06-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing much needs to be said when you happen upon a really good brocante at the end of the day and find all the things you were hoping to find - old paper, pottery and maybe a road sign or two...all of this comes in second though when you find a really good dealer - someone who gives you the story you were looking for and is willing to bargain like the best of them....thanks Guiliame - we loved your eye!

La Ferme = The Farm

2011-06-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Deep in the heart of France, we went on a wild goose chase - or maybe I should say a wild goat chase - through the back roads along the River Aveyron.
After searching high and low for an angora goat farm, I had heard about from my friend Karen, we finally found the sign, La Ferme Chevres Angora, and entered down the mile long driveway - having no idea whether they would be open for visitors at 6:00 in the evening. When we arrived, I jumped out of the car and figured, we've come this far, may as well knock on the door and see if we can meet a goat or two. Rudolpho, one of the two brothers who manages the farm, came out of his 14th century stone house and was happy to show us the lay of the land.

First we visited the atelier, filled with handmade scarves, blankets, socks and mittens - all in the most beautiful shades of reds, browns and blues. They also sold skeins of mohair all freshly cleaned, carded and spun - ready for knitting.

Then it was time to meet the goats - all 200 of them. 150 of the goats are raised for their milk and the remaining 50 are raised for their wool. We spent some time getting to know the baby angora's, and then it was time to milk the goats. Along with Rudolpho and brother Frank's help, Molly and I both took a turn learning how to milk the goats - which has to happen fast if you don't want to get kicked. Drinking fresh goat milk straight from the udder was something new - and had my mom practically running out of the barn - she grew up on a farm and wanted nothing to do with the milking!

At the end of our two hour visit, we had bonded with the goats and the brothers and promised to return soon - feeling an attachment to the land and the agriculture - which we hadn't felt before. This is the deep France experience - the France profound - that I have heard about and wanted to know more.

Back in France

2011-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

We've finally arrived back in France for the summer - and everything feels right again. The smells, sounds and flavors all come rolling back - just like we never left. Molly, mom and I have spent the past few days relaxing in St. Antonin, eating at some of our favorite bistros, visiting a couple of our favorite brocantes and getting lost on the country roads.
More to come....

The Creative Connection 2011

2011-06-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Bibelot Charme Workshop

I'm really excited to be returning to The Creative Connection Event again this September. This year, Wendy Addison and I got together and decided to try something new...instead of each of us teaching our individual classes and wondering where the other was all day...we decided to combine our classes and teach them ensemble. We figured we could spend our time enjoying our classes as well as seeing each other - the old two birds theory. And...we get a little extra perk...Marcia Ceppos from Tinsel Trading will be setting up a petite emporium of metallic threads, trims and sequins...our own private Tinsel Trading right in the classroom!

Boite de Bijoux Workshop

This year The Creative Connection is expanding to include three days of social media and business workshops, creative workshops, food panels and classes, pitch slams and of course the fabulous hand-made marketplace.

You can read more about French General, the workshop Wendy and I will be teaching and join a giveaway at Where Women Create and spend some time looking over The Creative Connection Event - hope to see you there in the Fall!

Table Time

2011-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

With just a week before we leave for the summer, my mind has drifted to the food of France. I stumbled upon these five key dates of French food, and it made me start dreaming about the fois gras, the fresh herbs, and the chicken cordon bleu...

1. 1533: Italian aristo Catherine de Medici marries into French royalty and, under her guidance, the Court gets passionate about its food for the first time.
2. 1691: François Massialot reveals the recipes of Louis XIV’s kitchen in Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois, effectively launching haute cuisine.
3. 1765: When Parisian soup maker Monsieur Boulanger offers customers at his tavern a choice of dishes, the world gets its first restaurant.
4. 1902: Auguste Escoffier pens La Grande Culinaire; 500 recipes of the rich, sauce-based cooking that would dominate 20th century French cuisine.
5. 1969: Food critics Millau, Gault and Gayot identify 48 chefs creating lighter food focused on fresh produce, recognizing nouvelle cuisine for the first time.

Turning 14

2011-06-01T08:00:00.001-07:00

I rarely let a day go by without remembering when Sofia was 2 or 4 or 10...she was so cute and confident. Remember when she said this...or danced to this song...or wore this...she was so young and sweet. I live in the memories of Sofia as a young girl - maybe it's because I was young too or maybe it's because it just seemed so simple then.
One of these days I have to accept the fact that I have raised a beautiful, talented and quite capable fourteen year old! But somehow - I still find comfort in knowing that she is just a young lass - still searching for her own way, creating her own artistic path and building her character step by step.
And....I kinda like that she is willing to jump into a cold pool...fully dressed in her school uniform - just puts it all into perspective.
Happy Birthday sweet Sofia - from someone who loves your creative spirit more than anything else.

Who Knew....

2011-05-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Come to find out, by way of Michelle scoring this treasure at her local auction in Stillwater, Minnesota, that I am from a long line of crafters - and from Dresden - no less!

Calling all (local) Crafters!

2011-05-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

We've started something new and different here at French General - something a little unusual and maybe a bit uncomfortable...but nonetheless somewhat enjoyable...an Open Craft Day. The last Thursday of each month is dedicated to local crafters in the area who would like to come in and share a few good hours of crafting together. We've been at this a few months now, and so far, so good. People bring whatever they are in the middle of working on, find a comfortable spot and get to work on their project - no questions asked. (Well, maybe just a few...because I need to know what EVERYONE is working on...)
If you happen to be in the area and would like to join us, even if you are just passing through town on the last Thursday of the month...please come and see what we are up to. RSVP here so we can be sure there is enough room for everyone.
See you soon!

To Market To Market!

2011-05-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

What fun we all had in Salt Lake City! The Quilt Market was filled with all sorts of beautiful fabrics, designers and old and new friends. Moda is really good at pulling together all of their designers and making them feel like we are at a 3-day party - thanks Cheryl and Lissa and everyone else who make it look so easy and fun. One new friend, Christina Strutt, turned out to be even better than I expected! Upon meeting Christina and her daughter Kate, from Cabbages and Roses, Christina immediately said "I hate you" to which I replied "I hate you too". We didn't really hate each other - I don't think - we were both just insanely jealous of what the other was creating. Sometimes jealousy hits me hard - the little green monster sneaks out - the one that makes me feel like a total failure standing next to someone who's work is so beautiful. It's ugly and I don't like admitting it - but I just can't control it sometimes.
Within seconds, Christina and I were laughing and the ice had been broken - we couldn't get rid of each other - even if we tried! Every morning Christina and Kate would arrive in their beautiful frocks, lot's of stripes, organza and linen - only to drive me more crazy - not only beautiful fabric, but beautiful clothes too! I think they are a great addition to the quilt world - and I learned (the ugly way) that there is room for everyone.

Dreaming in French

2011-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again...I'm starting to dream in French. With just a month left before we leave for France, I am beginning to look forward to the sound of the old villages, the scent of patisseries and the colors of the sunflower fields. Although I am not French, do not speak French and really have no ties to France other than the desire to live there - I seem to fit right in when I arrive. There is the local hotel in St. Antonin, the bistro in Caussade, the hat factory in Septfond, and the church in Montpezat...all welcome me as if I had been coming to this special area of France all of my life.
We're off to our Chateau Getaway towards the end of June for a couple of weeks with two wonderful groups of women who are eager to live like a rural Frenchwoman - forget their troubles, see the landscape, craft like bees and eat like queens.
Our Chateau Getaway for Summer 2012 is being planned now - please let me know if you would like to come and I will send you more information. You can either send us your e-mail at notions@frenchgeneral.com or leave us a comment here. Sign ups for Chateau Getaway 2012 are scheduled for early September. See you in France!

Lucky Number 16!

2011-05-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

There are sixteen pawns in a chess set and each player in a chess game starts with sixteen pieces.

Sixteen is the amount of waking hours in a day in an "8 hours of sleep" schedule.

There are sixteen ounces in a pound.

Caterpillars have 16 legs.

Sofia is already planning her sweet 16th Birthday Party - and she's 13.

Molly's favorite movie growing up was Sixteen Candles, with Molly Ringwald.

So....Molly randomly chose our 16th comment as our lucky winner.

Congratulations Becky! Please send us your information and your choice of either a stash of Panier de Fleurs fabric or a Panier de Fleurs Bracelet Kit. Merci!

(funny from Savage Chickens)

Panier de Fleurs Giveaway

2011-05-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm packing my bags and getting ready to head on over to the International Quilt Market, held in Salt Lake City May 13-15th. I'll meet up with the wonderful Moda team and be visiting the French General designer booth on both Friday and Saturday. The Spring Market debuts our Fall 2011 line, Panier de Fleurs, a collection of faded French red, navy blue and grey botanical prints - complete with ticking stripes. This new group of quilting fabric was inspired by the bountiful baskets of flowers and herbs I see at the markets in the South of France.
If your coming to the show, come by and say hello - we'll have a fun giveaway and I'll be bringing my market basket filled with some new ideas, including our county fair prize ribbons and Panier de Fleurs charm bracelet kits. If you can't make it to Salt Lake City, (thousands of quilters and I will miss you!) enter your name in our giveaway and you can choose your prize!

Straight from Woad

2011-05-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've loved seeing and hearing about all of the amazing creations that have come out of our Woad Workshop - fabulous knitted scarves with wool, upholstered dining room chairs with cotton yardage, baby clothes and pillows with linen! Denise Young came in today and showed us her newest creations with her tie-dyed woad - a collection of pillows that are perfect for a day bed or sun room. Denise has made up a handful of these blue beauties out of the linen she woaded. If you didn't make it to our workshop, this might be the perfect way to own a bit of woad! For more information write to deniseoon@hotmail.com

If you're still kicking yourself for missing our event in April, sign ups are now open for our September Woad Workshop - September 24th, 2011.

The Rug Auction

2011-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved to California eight years ago, by way of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada I have had a weakness for good old Navajo rugs. I remember picking up my first Ganado style rug at the Hubbell Trading Post and I've been picking them up ever since. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a tiny ad in the Los Angeles Times about an American Indian Auction being held in Pasadena - and I knew I had to go. I walked into the room and I instantly felt I had found my people and my rugs. Ganado, Klagatoh, Crystal, Two Gray Hills - all were represented by an old auctioneer and his family of traders.

I set my sights on a couple of beauties and picked up a paddle thinking I would dabble in the auction if the prices were reasonable. The auction started out with some sterling and turquoise jewelry from the twenties - "Who'll give me a hundred, a hundred, a hundred, ok - seventy five, seventy five, seventy five - no? Ok - fifty, fifty, fifty" - and finally someone would raise their paddle and the auctioneer would yell "SOLD!"

So, when it came time for the rugs - I half expected a similar pattern - but what I heard was "Who'll give me three fifty, three fifty, three fifty - no? Ok - move it out" Move it out? - but I thought there was going to be more of a game - what about 300 or 250 or 200? Sadly, no. What I learned at the American Indian Auction that day is that Navajo rugs are not given away - they are prized for their craft, beauty and history and there is a buyer who will always pay for a good rug.

When the next rug came up for auction, I was ready. The auctioneer said, "Who'll give me three fifty, three fifty, three fifty?" I slowly raised my paddle. SOLD! No bargaining, no bidding war, just me and the auctioneer. The result.... I am now the proud owner of a 1900 handwoven, wool, Crystal style rug (gulp). I guess I'll have to hit the road and see if I can find a bargain the next time. I'm thinking about a rug tour - a van, a tent and the open road, headed towards Taos. Anyone? Anyone?

Down By the Sea Workshop

2011-04-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm heading up towards Santa Barbara on Saturday, May 7th to teach this lovely necklace and earring set at Summerland Mercantile. Run by friends, Cathy Mogull and Stacey Crenshaw, Summerland Mercantile is an atelier, workshop and market filled with vintage finds, creative crafts and great food.

Join us for the day - sign up here.

The Lure of Catalina Island

2011-04-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Southern California, I could see the island of Catalina from our backyard. As a kid, we used to go over for the day to explore the island, run around, camp, and basically feel like we were in another world - just for a couple of days. This past week, Sofia JZ and I headed over on the ferry, the Catalina Express, for a short break - just 26 miles from Palos Verdes Peninsula.

I hadn't been to the island since 8th grade, when our whole class played hooky and spent the day on the tiny beach tanning (burning) ourselves in preparation for our graduation. The first think I noticed about the island were the beautiful, colorful tiles that seemed to be everywhere - along the walkways to the casino, on the beach benches and throughout the botanical gardens. 1920-1930 tile designs had been preserved or restored and gave the island a vintage feel - almost like nothing had changed since the twenties when Hollywood stars used to go over and dance at the casino for a night or two.

We found a couple of good restaurants - Sofia enjoyed her first pound and a half lobster, after she figured out how to eat it - and there were plenty of cafes serving the local fish. A visit to Catalina wouldn't be complete without a Pacifica and a basket of fish and chips, doused with vinegar, from the pier.

Pondering why I wasn't doing one thing everyday that scared me, I decided to join Sofia and JZ on a parasailing adventure one afternoon. Flying 1200 feet into the air, we were pulled by a small boat which gave us a birds eye view of all of Avalon. Slightly unnerving, but eventually exciting, we were amazed to see the dolphins and seals swimming below us.

A perfect three day vacation, within an hour from Los Angeles - the lure of Catalina is still as strong as ever - I can't wait to go back!

Block Printing Workshop

2011-04-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Come learn the creative techniques of block printing! Wood block printing on wallpaper become famous in France at the end of the 18th century. ZUBER & Cie claims to be the last factory in the world to produce woodblock printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics...oh to get into that basement!
On Saturday, April 30th we will learn how to carve an image on a rubber block, what kind of inks to use and how to print an image on paper and fabric. Join artist Laura Palm as she teaches us about this antique method used to print text, images or patterns on textiles and paper. Bring in your own image to transfer onto the block or design your own in class - maybe you'll be inspired to print a roll of wallpaper!
Sign up here for this new French General workshop.

Hyperbolic Coral Reef Coming to Town!

2011-04-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Autry National Center, here in Los Angeles, has awarded Margaret and Christine Wertheim, co-creators of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef project, the first Theo Westenberger Grant for Women of Excellence, an honor that recognizes “innovation in any field of art” by a living female artist. On Saturday, April 30th the sisters will present a lecture about their five year project building a community project to help save our coral reefs.

Who would have thought that crocheting would lead to solving a 200-year-old geometry problem and then become a crocheting phenomenon. Designed and curated by The Institute For Figuring, Margaret and Christine have taught women throughout the world how to crochet a coral reef. By engaging local communities to crochet coral reefs, they have celebrated their beautiful diversity and addressed the urgent need to protect these vanishing ecosystems.

From the sisters' blog:
"THE HYPERBOLIC CROCHET CORAL REEF WAS LAUNCHED AS A RESPONSE TO THE DEVASTATION OF LIVING REEFS FROM GLOBAL WARMING AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION, THE CROCHET REEF RESIDES AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART, SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND ENVIRONMENTALISM. ENGAGING PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, THE CROCHET REEF IS AN UNPRECEDENTED INVOCATION OF A NATURAL WONDER THAT HAS BECOME IN ITSELF A NEW KIND OF WOOLY WONDER."

Check out Margaret Wertheim speaking about the beautiful math of coral on Ted Talks - one of my favorite places on the web for information and inspiring ideas.

More information for the Autry discussion on April 30th can be found here - hope to see you there!

Woad is Me!

2011-04-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

What a day we had this past Saturday - our Woad Workshop in Elysian Park was as magical as I could have hoped for!
Friday was a different story! I was a little worried, after Denise, our master dyer, had arrived in Los Angeles from France, called me and said pray for me - "pray for you?" - "no", she said, "pray for the mother vat." It turns out, a woad vat does not just appear with a bit of powdered blue dye and a bucket of water. Denise arrived at my kitchen early Friday morning and for the next six hours, she and JZ performed alchemy like I have not seen before! A little bit of this, a little bit of that, a bunch of gurgling in old pots, oh and where's the powdered lime wash? A few frantic runs to the hardware store, paint store and a building supply store and, voila! The mother vat was finished! What a vat it was - I hadn't seen such depth to the color blue since I began woading two summers ago!
Saturday was meant to rain, but the clouds parted ways and the sun shone throughout the day! We had over 1,000 feet of laundry line hung in the park and we dyed over 500 pieces of material - including skeins of wool, linen pants, hankerchiefs and shoes! Everyone learned something new and we all felt a kinship towards each other that one only gets with spending five hours in a field together. Thank you Denise for coming and thank you to all of the students who took a chance and signed up for our very first Woad Workshop - we're ready starting to plan the next one - are you coming??

The Number of Blue

2011-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

800 Feet of Laundry Line
500 Clothes Pins
100 Gloves
45 Blue Aprons
40 Students
20 Garden Sticks
7 Vats
5 Helpers
2 Editors
1 Dye Master

We did it! We sold out of our Woad Workshop to be held this coming Saturday in Elysian Park - praying for clear skies and dry ground, we plan to spend eight hours in the park learning about the medieval plant that has been brought 5,870 miles from the South of France to Los Angeles! Now if we can just try to dye the 14 different shades of blue - we'll have a wonderful day!

Paper and Labels and Tags...Oh My!

2011-03-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Back in the good old days, Molly and I used to run off to Paris and dig through basements, drink wine with French pickers and end up in back stockrooms - where we had no business being. By the end of our week running around, we would fill our suitcases with bundles of old paper, notebooks, labels and other bits of French ephemera and hope we could get through customs with it all!
The shelves of French General were stocked with all of our treasures - the gold we dug out of the flea markets and vide greniers were offered for sale....well, most of it anyways! Much of the old paper stock ended up in our private collections - the paper archives - if you will. Old Deyrolle notebooks, hat labels from the mid-18th century and large rubber stamps from a botanical press - all were deemed to precious to let go of - so we hoarded and stashed these scraps for years.

What could come out of all of this? Well a stationery line for sure and then perhaps a series of paper workshops - enter Molly Meng! For the past six years, Molly has been designing artwork and a line of stationery using all of the old bits she has been collecting for years - each little piece has found a home in one of her small works of wonder - where everything is layered and meaningful.

Molly has taught at French General before - and she's coming back - this time bringing all sorts of old scraps to teach a Concertina Workshop - an accordion book that is filled with beautiful old bits of history that will tell individual stories. If you love old paper and French words and scraps that tell about times gone by, then you will love this workshop. For more information and to sign up, visit us here.

Open Craft Day

2011-03-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

For a while now, we have been throwing around the idea of having an open craft day at French General - a day where local crafters could come and bring whatever they are working on and share some time with like-minded people. So, if you live nearby, or happen to be visiting, grab your knitting needles, jewelry pliers or sketchbook and pop in for a bit of a crafting bee this Thursday, March 31st from 11-4. Sign up to rsvp - space is limited.

Mrs. Rose and her 651 Quilts

2011-03-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting quilt shows to come around is here - well actually at the Armory in New York City. Mrs. Rose slowly collected hundreds of red and white quilts over the past twenty years. With a photographic memory, she has bought what she has loved and never repeated the same pattern twice. For her birthday, her husband has given her and the the rest of us a gift - an exhibition of 651 quilts to be hung at the Park Avenue Armory and open to the public for six days - free of charge - the largest exhibition of quilts ever held in Manhattan. By narrowing the focus of the show to a specific color combination, the curators encourage the viewer to focus on the design and pattern of each quilt. See the hanging of the show here.

According to the New York Times, it was Mrs. Rose who suggested the title of the exhibition: “Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts.” She said the inspiration was a line from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra:
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety …

So the quilts’ appeal is that they have retained their “infinite variety.” They have not turned “stale” with age.

To go or not to go - that is the question.

Flowers for Japan

2011-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

For the past eleven days, I have found myself at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and tearing up before I am able to finish yet another article about the tragedy in Japan. I have always had an affinity for Japan and the Japanese people - especially the Japanese artists - who seem to be such a rich part of the Japanese culture. My second job, after working at the museum, was event planning at the New York office of the Japanese advertising company, Dentsu. With my Japanese office mates, I learned to eat sushi, drink saki, fold origami and appreciate simplicity.
Years later, French General was discovered when we were in a little shop on Crosby Street - almost in the middle of nowhere - when Japanese journalists would come in and be in awe of what we were doing. They would go back to Japan and publish beautifully photographed articles saying something flowery about the shop.
Since joining the Moda team a couple of years ago, my fabrics have all been drawn and printed in Japan by a talented group of artists at the fabric mill. So, I am connected to Japan, through friends and experience, even though I have never visited the country.

After talking with some Japanese friends this week, I realized I had to design something that would help raise funds for a family in need. Flowers for Japan is a bracelet kit which features a tribute to the Japanese cherry blossom trees. Every penny of every bracelet kit sold will go towards helping people that have lost almost everything - except their dignity. I hope you agree with me that we can each do something in our own small way - if you choose to purchase the Flowers for Japan Kit - we are doing it together.
To read more and to purchase one of fifty signed bracelet kits - please visit us at frenchgeneral.com
Merci!

Pom Pom de Paris Quilt

2011-03-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Our new collection with Moda, Pom Pom de Paris, is arriving in quilt shops this week - all a flutter with soft pink florals, old yellow birds and our classic red rural prints. I'm loving this new line - it's soft and fresh and different. With the help of Penny Tucker and Debbie Thorton, we've designed a classic quilt to accompany the line - if you want to get a head start on fabric needed for the Pom Pom de Paris quilt, here's a little cheat sheet for fabric requirements. Our Pom Pom de Paris quilt pattern will be available soon - at your favorite quilt store or from frenchgeneral.com

The Blue Attitude

2011-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to walk into our local bookstore, Skylight Books, and see Denise Lambert and her woad workshop in the current issue of Cote Sud. Ever since meeting Denise a few years ago, I knew that she was onto something special - reviving a centuries old dying technique and pushing the boundaries with what woad could dye. The article mentions the current "Blue Attitude" and how it's become all the rage in France to dye with natural plant dyes. I couldn't agree with Cote Sud more!
We still have a few spots left in our Woad Workshop on Saturday, April 9th. If you are looking to learn from a master (which is something few people ever get a chance to do) and explore an arts and craft workshop with a group of like-minded women, please consider joining us on this special day. Not only will you go home with your arms full of French Blue textiles, you will leave with your soul filled with the essence of France - a rare treat.

My Kind of Fashion

2011-03-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Sofia and I took a field trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art - or LACMA as it's known to Angeleno's. For months I have been wanting to see the show Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail 1700-1915, an exhibition that traces fashions aesthetic and technical development from the Age of Enlightenment through World War 1, through transformations of the fashionable silhouette and evolutions in textiles, techniques and trimmings. The details of the show were amazing - all highlighted by simple mannequins strewn about in a maze with what looked to be shipping containers stacked up behind the displays. Each mannequin wore a simple white paper wig which added to the beauty of the clothing by not taking away focus from the textiles. After a bit of digging on-line, I found out how the wigs were made - which is something I am sure I will have to try out for Sofia next Halloween!
A fascinating textile show - not to be missed!
Fashioning Fashion at LACMA in the Resnick Pavilion through March 27th 2011.

So Many Gardens....

2011-03-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

So many pretty gardens and ideas of gardens to come...how to choose just one? I asked Sofia to choose a number between 1 and 99 and her number was 6! Jemellia - you lucky gal - I know you will enjoy every Botanical Charm Kit and I expect to see you wearing them all next time we run into each other! Please send me your address and we will start you off with our first kit, The Woad Garden. Thank you everyone for playing along - I loved hearing about your favorite gardens.

A few of my favorite gardens...

Wonderful Woad World

2011-03-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

With a little help from our friends, we have been able to bring the cost of our Woad Workshop down. I am really excited, because hopefully now, more of you will get to experience this magical workshop! Get ready to be amazed as you learn the ancient craft of dying with woad - a simple weed grown in the South of France - that produces the most amazing French blue color. Come join us for the day and bring anything you would like to dye - we'll also be supplying everyone with a large scarf for you to practice your new craft.
For more information and to sign up, please visit us at French General.

Botanical Charm Club Giveaway

2011-02-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

We're starting a new club over at French General - The Botanical Charm Club - a monthly bracelet kit club that features all sorts of old glass flowers, leaves, stamens, fruit, butterflies and bees - all of the vintage botanical bits and pieces that make up a garden inspired charm bracelet.
Whenever I find myself knee deep in a basement digging out notions, I always seem to be drawn to the floral and fauna - the old glass ladybugs, the brass sunflowers and the wire embedded apples. If you love old glass flowers and charms and dream about far-away gardens, then you will love this new club.
After joining the Botanical Charm Club you will receive a bracelet kit every month - you can choose to join the Annual Club for six months or dig in and join the Perennial Club for a whole year. Since much of the material we use to make our jewelry kits is vintage, there may be a substitution here and there - but we hope you agree that having a unique kit makes it all the more special.
To kick off our new club, we're giving away a six month Annual Club membership to someone who needs more botanical charms in their life. Please leave us a comment about your favorite garden and Sofia will pick a lucky winner. Bonne Chance!

The Woad Workshop

2011-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last summer, I wrote about our woad days at the chateau. I dreamt about being able to bring Denise Lambert, the master dyer, over to the states and have her teach the magical workshop here in Los Angeles to friends and artists that couldn't fly to France to learn the craft. We talked about it over lunch one day at the chateau and Denise said "Find me a group of women who are interested in woad and I'll come".
I've been talking about woad for a couple of years now, and everyone always looks at me like "what are you talking about - indigo, vegetable dye, Rit?" So - I decided it's time to find a group of interested women who want to know about the ancient craft of woad dying.
To my surprise and delight, Denise has agreed to come and teach. We are planning a full day workshop where one will be able to come and learn from the one of the few master woad dyers in the world - the world!

Woad, Isatis tinctoria, was known throughout Europe as far back as the Egyptians, whom used it to dye the cloth wrappings used for the mummies. In the Middle-Age, it was used for its medicinal and healing properties, and according to the archives of the city of Marseille, it was the Moores that introduced Woad to the south of Europe. In the beginning of the 15th century, Woad was found in England as well as in the northern part of Europe, where it was mainly used for dyeing. European Woad is the legendary blue plant dye from Europe and was prized by Napoleon to dye the uniforms for his army. Woad is the eponymous French Blue – a rich, soft shade with a touch of grey.

For our workshop, we will be dying in an old, historic area of Los Angeles - Elysian Park - less than a mile away from French General. In an old field, surrounded by trees, we will be treated to a lecture on the history and technique of woad and then, for the remainder of the day, we will dye together. Bring your old white linen, cotton or silks - anything that has seen better days that you would like to dye a beautiful French blue color. You can also bring skeins of yarn or ribbon - anything of natural material - linen, cotton, silk or hemp.
This promises to be a very special day and you will be amazed as you see your whites change from acid yellow to bright green and finally, by the time you hang your piece on the laundry line, a rich, deep woad blue.
I have dyed with Denise many times, and I still get excited about the process - it's not every day that one has the opportunity to learn a medieval craft. Class size is limited. Visit us at frenchgeneral.com for more information or sign up here for the workshop.
Woad It!

Design Inspiration

2011-02-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been sorting through all of my swatches and document scraps of fabric - the old French pieces that I can't bear to use. Sitting in the archives (aka the garage), pulling them out of the old files, rearranging them and looking at them all day long somehow seems to inspire me and lead me in new design directions. I've also been collecting all sorts of images that fit in well with my scraps - images found in favorite magazines or pulled out of an old French swatch book - anything that awakens something inside of me and says "yes - that's it!" I'm learning that inspiration for my design comes from so many places - whether it's a frayed old piece of tapestry or the weave in an old hemp sheet. These pieces, looked at closely are giving me a whole new way of seeing - which will hopefully lead to a whole new project. Stay tuned...

Beaded Posey Workshop

2011-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Back by popular demand - Shea Fragoso and Debbie Murray are returning to French General! Come learn the centuries old French craft of beaded flowers and create a lovely little bouquet of sparkling posies. Saturday, March 19th from 6-9pm. All materials included - just bring your glasses! Sign up at frenchgeneral.com

Pin Pillows

2011-02-10T22:48:00.000-08:00

I've been obsessing over pin pillows, or what we now call pincushions, lately - what they were made of, what they were filled with and how they survived so much pinning! I found this cute little ball in Omaha and have found myself going back to it again and again - the colors, the craftsmanship, and the filling - a light, fine sand. Isn't it funny how one small, seemingly insignificant object can give you a wealth of inspiration.

Merci Merci Merci!

2011-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

What a grand weekend we had here at French General! Workshops were filled to the brim in our little old shop - student's learning all sorts of techniques and creating the most beautiful of projects - and teacher's who traveled far and wide to be here - even braving snowstorms!
From the very beginning, I wanted The Art of Craft to be a creative learning experience for everyone involved - students, teachers and all of us here at FG. I loved sitting in on all of the classes and hearing other teachers teach - learning from them and a bit more about myself. I loved how my mom, Kick, was in the kitchen feeding all of us for three straight days - next time she'll craft more and serve less! I loved how my sister Molly came and was here from beginning to end and still managed to teach an inspiring class! I loved how JZ, Sofia and my dad showed up Sunday evening and helped us throw a soiree with Jo Packham! I loved how the girls, Dawn and Christine, worked the till till the end, and finally, I loved how the teachers and students gave and received so graciously. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

(photo courtesy of Charlotte)

Something New....

2011-01-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

I love it when a business model changes and evolves into something new and different - something to shake things up a bit.
This weekend we are trying something that we haven't tried before - and although it has been a lot of work in the planning - I think it's going to end up being a lot of fun - and that's what the big payoff is for me - having fun while doing something I love.
The Art of Craft is three days of creative classes at French General - coinciding with the Craft and Hobby Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. So besides it being a fun way to introduce all sorts of new crafts to people, I get to see a handful of old friends who are coming into town for the show and to teach workshops at FG. Shea, Debbie, Tracie and Marilyn, Anna, Molly and Charlotte - all wonderful friends and teachers.
We've reconfigured French General into a working workshop space - five long farmhouse tables, covered in old linen sheets - seating for up to 30 people. All five of our workshops have sold out - so I think we're on to something new here....more to come after the weekend!

The Dress-Up Trunk

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you get lucky and fit into all of the clothes in an old trunk...dress up the way it was meant to be!
Sofia in New York trying on custom made dresses from the forties and fifties.

Small Details, part deux

2011-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art - one of my favorite museums. Maybe it's because I met JZ there, or maybe it's because I worked in the Film Department and Jackie Kennedy was good friends with my boss Karl Katz - so I got to put her call through to him on a daily basis. Or maybe it's because I can lose myself for hours and actually get lost - have no idea of where the labyrinth begins or ends. On this visit, I found a room I had never been in before - the Museum Archive Room - just behind the Period Rooms in the American Wing. The Archive Room houses much of the collection which is not in current use - so everything that the museum is holding or storing for an exhibit in the future. It felt like being in the worlds greatest antique store - and it was filled with amazing small details!

Metallic Thread, Silk Flowers and Glitter

2011-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Visiting Tinsel Trading in New York is always a treat - but if you happen to be friends with the owner....well, then it's an extra special treat! For years I begged Marcia to let me down into the vault of her grandfather's shop - I wanted to see the boxes overflowing with turn of the century gold and silver trims from France. Eventually, Marcia agreed - although I had to secure a book deal so she knew I was seriously interested in seeing the goods. A few summer's ago, Molly and I spent days down in the basement which had been storing old decorative goods for over 70 years. Covered in dust and dirt, we emerged with handfuls of old beauties that we used in crafting our little projects in the book, Treasured Notions.

This past week, Sofia and I walked into Tinsel Trading and after we had said our hellos (we were only going to stay for a quick visit) I asked Marcia if we could go to the basement...just to have a little look-see.
Before I even had the chance to hear the answer - Marcia was leading us down the steps into the "new and improved" basement. Don't get me wrong, I loved the old basement on 38th Street, but in this basement, on 37th Street, you can actually find what you are looking for - be it crimped gold wire, ombre ribbon or pompoms - everything is labeled or at least organized by material.

As well as stocking aisles and aisles of beautiful old treasures from France - sequins, beads, metallic thread, silk flowers and glitter - Tinsel Trading has a secret atelier hidden in the basement. Behind an old piece of burlap, hides Wendy Addison's East Coast studio. Tucked behind all of the production and vintage materials is a small creative space where Wendy dreams up her fantastical art. Drawers of old labels, tassels and ribbon sit next to boxes and boxes of old glass glitter - all used to create Wendy's repertoire of goods. Each original piece, handmade by Wendy, is then set into production using all of Marcia's vintage materials. This combined effort, or harmony between the two, is seamless and produces some of the most exquisite, original collectibles, boxes and whatnots. To see some of Wendy's art, check out Tinsel Trading's website or visit Marcia's shop in Manhattan at 1 West 37th Street - you will be charmed!

A New York Bead Dig

2011-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

Sofia and I have been having a little fun - spending the last few days in New York City - seeing friends, visiting old haunts and eating at some of our favorite restaurants. On Monday, I snuck out for a bit and dropped in on my friend Mr. C who owns one of the deepest bead digs in New York City. Room after room after room after room - stuffed with boxes of old glass cabochons, beads, buttons and notions - Mr. C owns one of the last great places that still sells vintage by the pound. Whenever I arrive, and I have been coming here for years, Mr. C takes me into each room and explains where everything is - the pearl room, the chain room, the Napoleonic room, the Victorian room, the Austrian crystal room and on and on and on. The funny thing is - I know all of this already - I know exactly where I want to go and what I want to dig out - I probably hid it there the last time I was excavating. After Mr. C gives me the full tour and tells me to play nice - he leaves me to dig through the boxes to find the gold. I usually overspend and carry out way too many strands of old glass pearls - but I can't help myself - and it doesn't help that Mr. C is constantly reminding me that the supply is running out - get it while you can! It doesn't get any better than this - a true, honest to goodness New York bead dig - just what I needed!

A Handful of Winners

2011-01-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

Reading over all of the comments this past week, I was struck by how many people have resolved to start sewing with their daughters or granddaughters. Sofia has started sewing this past year, and continues to come up with her own creations every time I put a pile of scraps in front of her - over the holidays she dressed Mr. and Mrs. Mouse in their opera mode - seems they needed a night out on the town.
The lucky winners of our Petite Ecole Scrap Giveaway include lot's of sewing moms and a grandmother: Paperbird, Diedre, Chook, Maggie, Noah's Nest and Mary - please send us your address at notions@frenchgeneral.com and we will send off some fabric for you and your daughter to have fun with.
Thanks for all of the great craft resolutions - as for me, I will be finishing off my new sewing room (the garage) by installing french doors, lights and a heater or two! Happy New Year and thanks for playing!

La Petite Ecole Giveaway

2010-12-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Our newest fabric line from Moda, La Petite Ecole, has arrived! Our latest collection is inspired by the small prints, polka dots and stripes used by the school children in France to cover cahiers - their small notebooks. I love the faded reds, grays and blues in this line - the colors are perfect for a little boy or girls room.
If you need/want/must have more fabric to add to your stash collection -- leave us a comment about your New Year craft resolution and we'll choose a couple of lucky winners to receive a handful of Petite Ecole prints.
There's also a great block of the month designed by Anne Sutton that uses La Petite Ecole - just in case you can't get enough of this collection!

Joyeux Noel

2010-12-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

May your holiday be merry and bright - and filled with lots of old red dresses!

The Art of Craft

2010-12-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

Excited to announce our three days of craft workshops featuring Shea Fragosa and Debbie Murray, Tracie Lyn and Marilyn Huskamp, Anna Corba, Charlotte Lyons and Molly Meng. Each workshop has been created for our Art of Craft weekend - which coincides with the CHA show in January. Come for the craft and stay for the day! More details and information here.

Saturday Inspiration

2010-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hope your holiday season has been peaceful and calm. We're open today for inspiration, cider and cheer - hope to see you.

All photos are beauties from my favorite source of inspiration