Bons adieux a' la France.....

 

I recently returned from a dream stitching vacation in France.... My traveling/stitching friend Cheryl and I patiently waited three years for this 'must experience' trip to happen. The adventure checked all the boxes for a first time orientation of a new destination.... Paris, Bayeux and Chantilly. Great hotel locations, tours, food (lost a few pounds) and wonderful embroidery classes with experts in their techniques... Everything a serious embroiderer could ask for.... Most important, it has reignited an excitement in life in general, after such a long period of isolation with only a few short trips since Covid took over our lives....

I have found that arriving a day early for tours is a good idea. I spent my first 8 hours in Paris walking a few streets near my hotel and stopped for a bite at the Cafe' de la Paix with a view of the the Palais Garnier/Opera House above. The food was fresh, a fruit bowl and croissant for breakfast, while I patiently waited until I could order from the lunch menu..... a Caesar Salad with grilled chicken and poached egg... How glorious to spend several hours at a Cafe', 'with a view', which is considered socially accepted here..... After 22 hours in route to your destination, it is a much deserved respite and ALL anyone needs... Several women in our group came from Australia/New Zealand and spent days in route so I am not complaining..... Note to self, next time only direct flights to Europe...

Our embroidery classes began with two days of goldwork from the Rochefort Gold Embroidery Studio of Sylvie Deschamps. I have completed goldwork in the past, including a week with 'Hand and Lock' of London at the Williamsburg School of Needlework, but it was wonderful having a class in French.... What an experience communicating needlework technique with a language barrier... My instructress Marlene Rouhaud (their star 'professor') was wonderful. At this point I need to add that European studios stress a uniform/exactness in embroidery. An individual 'hand' is frowned upon, a concept some Americans, at first, have issues with..... Below is the Level 3 Design, along with a rare picture of me at my chair. Marlene insisted taking the picture so I relented... We wasted no time after class, by walking to local alleyway shopping before dinner... Two Paris venues had been cancelled.... Maison Sajou, which closed during Covid and Au Ver A Soie, closed for their vacation. I was a bit disappointed, but found on the Sajou Website that La Bon Marche' had a display of their products. Cheryl and I walked there one evening which was a fun diversion.... and I found a few items not offered in the states....

I need to add pictures of the 'hotel food'. While in Paris we also enjoyed 'Tea at the Ritz' and dinner at Cafe' au du Paix... I'm only adding one dessert pic...

I love the stone architecture of Paris and appreciate the building ordinance which restricts a buildings weight. It allows the sun to shine on everything and makes one appreciate the few exceptions i.e. Notre Dame below in scaffolding, possibly for several years, due to the fire in 2019 (note that the exterior has been scrubbed clean). Also, the Galeries Lafayette whose interior dome is incredible, followed by its roof top view of Paris and one of several meat counters....

On our way out of Paris we stopped at the Bohin Needle factory which was a fascinating tour. I love Bohin needles and enjoyed seeing the glass head pin and needle manufacturing process. 

I could have watched the woman below packing needles all day..... seriously. I purchased a pair of silk fabric scissors, souvenir needle packages and glass head pins.... next stop Bayeux.....

I have been looking forward to this part of the trip for two reasons: to see the Bayeux Tapestry (which is actually embroidered) and to see the Beaches of Normandy. My Dad (Arnold H. Stade) was there on D-Day, June 6, 1944 with the 116th Infantry (29th Division) on Omaha Beach. He survived the landing needing only superficial 'field dressing' but was seriously wounded at St. Lo. and hospitalized for several months in the UK before making it back to the States. He had planned to return someday, but never made it back, I'm happy to see a location which has a history with my family....A view of sacred ground below....

Bayeux is simply a charming small town, ageless because it's all in stone. I completely loved walking the streets and the lively local restaurants, some pictures below...

Although pictures of the Bayeux Tapestry are not allowed, there are many articles and books which give a detailed (depending on the propaganda slant) story of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Before I arrived to see 'the original', I had read Jan Massent's book, The Bayeux Tapestry, Embroiderers' Story. A copy of 'the original tapestry' was stitched in the UK and her book describes details such as the argument of whether 'outline' rather than 'stem stitch' is 'correct' to outline the embroidered characters. Bayeux local 'Atelier maitre artisan d'art', Chantal James teaches in her classes that 'stem stitch' should be used to outline the figures, because the over all 'look' of the original has a curvier feel, an effect the 'outline stitch' will not give. Expert embroideress Chantal taught a half-day class instruction on the Bayeux Stitch, she holds the license to sell reproduction kits of the tapestry.... I finished my class piece (mythical figure) shown below and purchased another kit which includes three elements which I find intriguing from the original: horses, chainmail and the characteristic funky trees. I may finish this kit as a bolster pillow...It's actually quite large 33 x 24 inches.

While in Bayeux we enjoyed a two day class of 'painting with thread' with Catherine Laurencon, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2011. I have several pictures of her beautiful pieces, amazingly stitched with DMC cotton threads.... Anyone who knows me, knows I have sworn NEVER to take any class with cotton threads. I'm a silk snob..... Well.... never, ever say never... Below right is my very French girl stitched with DMC cotton floss in class... I purchased a second kit of Edelweiss flowers, no threads included, so I'm debating to match the colors with silk or use cotton.... time will tell!! On the left, sadly, the final two day class of the tour which took place in Chantilly. Actually, a class in whitework, but the leaves are green so??? Again, stitched with DMC cotton floche.  I actually like the overall look and coverage of the areas I have finished.... I tried to keep an open mind to new techniques and thus have learned a lot on this wonderful trip....

On route, out of Bayeux, we traveled on local roads giving a view of the hedgerows my father had described of his experience of the terrain... Continuing on to Chantilly we stopped for several hours at Monet's Gardens, with lunch at the cafe'.... Below are several views of the gardens. It's easy to see the inspiration for his wonderful paintings... a real treat... and Monet collected Japanese prints, interesting.

The big attraction of Chantilly is the Palace de Chantilly, the incredible building beginning this post. Our hotel is located at the gates, giving us access to the grounds of the Palace and the extraordinary 'horse stable'... We had a private tour of the Chantilly Lace Museum. My sister loved Chantilly perfume, which I remembered on seeing its' pink package on our tour. A view of a street and the museum follow....

The food at our Hotel was probably the best yet, but all the food in France was wonderful....Check out the two salads below... Yes, that's caviar... and our server wasn't bad looking either, some say (Cheryl) a George Clooney look alike....

Our last day in Chantilly was a free morning. We had a choice of staying around the hotel or we could catch the early train back to Paris. The owners of Au Ver A Soie had returned from vacation and would open for us..... YEAH.... so the next morning four of us decided to go. I'm happy I experienced taking the train, which if traveling with luggage, is a bit awkward. When arriving in Paris from the airport a taxi is a better idea.... So happy to finally experience Au Ver A Soie. I now have a signed copy of their recent published Designers Book featuring Tricia Nguyen... All the boxes are now checked, a wonderful trip and fantastic memories'..

I am very happy to have escaped for over two weeks from my present location. Everything I enjoy completely shutdown the past two years. People who believe their singing will somehow be entertaining, make me want to scream...  I'm bored with the narcissistic behavior of our media, bored of people singing (in most cases, badly), bored of interviews with sports personalities (who really cares), bored of advertisements of Law firms and sports gambling APPs... It was wonderful to escape to a country with real people, where history was made, with beautiful architecture, wonderful food, and very talented artisans willing to share incredible talents....

                                                    Fini...

Reproduction Samplers....... off again on another tangent....

As 2020, moved slower and slower into Fall and Winter, then 2021.... I sorted through my stash of reproduction sampler kits and thought about the samplers which started my embroidery path. Seriously, I've been thinking of the bucket list items. To reduce anxiety... I watched ALL 40 seasons of 'Survivor', then, Startrek Discovery and Picard and if that wasn't enough, joined The Royal Oak to escape into the wonderful lectures they made available.....I culled through stitching related items and released many no longer wanted to Fireside Stitchery for their Ebay auctions (shockingly I made almost $400)....Visited over a dozen Frank Lloyd Wright sites..... and listened to many books on tape, all as I began stitching my newly designated 'need to complete' items.... After finishing the Black Bird sampler above, I wanted other simple/easy projects to 'just pick-up and not lose my place', while in bed listening to the latest Covid 19 news etc. in the evening and early morning.... While reorganizing probably four score (using that term so my hording sounds less crazy) kits, as I've done dozens of times in the past, I found pieces which reminded me of my friend Linda Hysler. In honor of Linda, I decided to stitch samplers of three teachers Linda loved best; Eileen Bennet, Darleen O'Steen and Joanne Harvey....

First, Eileen Bennett's 'Elizabeth Meadow' in miniature. This class was offered through my Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild in Michigan well over a decade ago. The Meadow sampler is the earliest of around a dozen known English samplers dating from 1691-1711 with ties to Iuda (Juda/Judith) Hayle and her school in Suffolk, UK. Much has been written on this group of samplers, which is not the scope of my discussion. Eileen's interpretation is on a 40 count linen stitched over one thread. Obviously, this version is a simplification of the original sampler, which made me consider decisions made of how to chart a reproduction sampler. I have eight reproduction sampler kits attributed to Iuda Hayle: Six from the Fitzwilliam Museum, one from the Abby Aldridge Folk Art Museum, and one from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Several are chart/kit's from teachers I am familiar with, along with Eileen Bennett, Joanne Harvey and Margreit Hogue to name a few... I decided.... since Eileen's kit of the Meadow sampler swapped the schoolgirls name for each contemporary students, I could use my 'interpretation' of the famous verse below because a precedence was set.....

Deborah..... Stade Schoenek.... is my name and..... with my needle.... I wrought the.... same in memory... of Juda and her.... fame....DSS....EB (Eileen Bennett)....this sampeloar (sp)

In the cartouche I used EM (Elizabeth Meadow) and IH (Juda Hayle) in case someone in the future is wondering what it was originally attributed to.... I will attach a note in the back of the framed piece for documentation, my framed piece is depicted below.

Next, I stitched a Darleen O' Steen sampler titled 'The January Sampler' I purchased on Ebay several years ago. January is both my daughter and my birth month, plus it is much smaller than other sampler's enqueue on my bucket list. Darleen's samplers are new designs, which teach old techniques of European band samplers from the 16th-18th centuries. Darleen had been ill for sometime and passed in the Fall of 2020. This is also in memory of her, she will be missed by many embroiders. I believe 'The Proper Stitch', her must have book, is still available. My January sampler is below... just as Darleen interpreted the timeless motifs.

The last sampler group I finished brings me full circle to my long friendship with Linda. We both possessed a stamped version of 'The Chase', a 70's kit from Paragon, obtained from our Aunts. I additionally purchased Joanne Harvey's 2006 version in 2018 from the Craft House in Williamsburg. When Joanne originally taught the piece at the 'Just X Stitch Seminar' I was in a Merry Cox class so I decided I would only concern myself with the Paragon Kit. Almost a decade later, I just had to try Joanne's meticulous directions. It has delightfully become a wonderful learning experience. Joanne charts ALL errors that little Mary Starkey made in the original sampler. The 1970's paragon stamped design has all the little flaws corrected and sadly changed the rice, satin, queen and several other stitches into cross-stitch or a very simplified satin. This corrupt interpretation of the original is almost criminal..... I have to admit, I too corrected the right side of Joanne's kit where the original band is 'off' by a stitch and centered bands for symmetry. I'm sure this was something little Mary was bothered by every time she looked at her work, and I just couldn't bear leaving that flaw in my version. I also swapped the stamped Paragon kits' cotton Luster thread with Needlepoint Silk, this allowed my version to be completed with one strand rather than the 2-3 requested in the original kit. If anyone out there wants my Luster threads, contact me, you can have them! Joanne Harvey has blessed us with keeping 'errors' in her directions, allowing each embroiderer to decide her interpretation. Joanne is understandably appreciated in the area of reproduction samplers, for her incredible attention to details, however small..... My interpretation of Joanne's kit is below, minus the surface embroidery, which I'll get back to after I take a break....  I have invested almost 5 months of stitching into the two versions of this sampler! This past February 2022, while attending the Needles and Sins Seminar in Williamsburg, Mary Starkey's original sampler was removed to the Restoration Lab and our group was able to view the back, an extremely rare event. Understandably, I drove home from the event very carefully, thinking 'this is a very BIG closure item', which Linda may be blessing me with....I am very satisfied with my Needlepoint silk thread choice, Mary's original is very delicate, a lighter touch is a better match....

Linda's family kindly sent me her unfinished Paragon piece. Linda displayed her Aunts finished piece in her home and I enjoyed seeing it. I would comment to Linda, "we need to finish ours", when visiting. That wonderful sampler has stayed with Linda's family. Originally I thought, I would finish Linda's for her.... but have decided to frame it, along side both my finished Paragon piece and my finished Joanne Harvey 2006 version. I have never found any of my Aunts Paragon samplers, which may still be in attics of homes in Macomb County Michigan. Aunt Jean stitched them for a friend, who gave them to customers of their Victorian home restoration business.... I remember my Aunt's comment that she was paid $50 for each one she finished... probably 10 cents/hour.. This past year has been a wonderful journey for me, which many have taken, due to a much loved sampler little Mary Starkey completed centuries ago. It has influenced so many memories, touching the lives of six women in my bubble.... Linda and my Paragon pieces are pictured below....I did, however, add the following to Linda's sampler, her name and birth date and the date 'she parked her needle'. Four more items I can confidently cross off my extensive bucket list.... more detailed images below...

Also finished in 2020-2021 due to limited travel, cancelations and restrictions, several other projects from my 'traveling' stash bag... now substituted with fresh items. Spring 2021, I attended a reschedule of one of my 2020 classes at Salty Yarns, Jackie Du Plessis's Case Study #1 & #2 pictured below, finished! Along with several pincushion's from Joanne Harvey (a Winterthur kitted piece), scissor slippers of Tricia Nguyen, an on-line mini shaker basket of Merry Cox, four study classes of Catherine Theron and Sherri Jones's 'To Pair a Pear with a Parrot' surrounding a box design of Blackbird... 

Now, well into 2022, I have followed up with finishing the interior of 4 folk art painted boxes of Elsie Di Cassio (to store my Au Ver A Soie silk and metal threads) and three hat boxes to fill with Dr. Nguyen's finished petite projects. I had these items with the finishing silks in two 2 x 2 x 3 foot storage containers now repurposed.  Matching the folk-art motif are three Ellen Chester kits from my stash... A huswife, a thread pallet storage book and an actual stitched book of Alphabets which is assembled as book signatures (a bookbinding adaption). All finished, giving me a great feeling of accomplishment.... yeah me!!

Book Binding a Rare Find

It has been six years since I attended the annual Louisville JASNA summer event in which I had my first experience making hand marbled paper.  A wonderful introduction into the technique which has created an appreciation of marbling for me. As a first attempt, I was not impressed with my final product. To this point, I've purchased marbled papers for finishing the interiors of both my caskets.... In the summer of 2019 this continuing saga changed ....

I joined the Chester County Historical Society following a field trip with my local Sampler Guild. The group pulled pieces to inspect from the CCHS collection. We enjoyed examples of pinball's and other family heirlooms donated to the Society of several locally connected early American embroiderer's work..... A few months later, I received a member brochure. Listed were Thursday evening summer tours of Chester County boroughs, several 'Arm Chair' lectures of local history, information of folk art festivals and local sites I could tour. One Lecture was of Historic Sugartown. I stopped in last fall to tour and found a wonderful spot for children's field trips along with a reproduction 'book bindery' which blew my mind, not 15 miles from me!

I was amazed to find a huge collection of embossing tools and a set of beautiful leather books on display..... If you believe in fate/destiny, you can understand I experienced another, one of now many, epiphanies ..... The docent mentioned they offered classes, so I signed up as soon as I had a free weekend... You see, I knew that book binders made carrying cases for caskets, from Dr. Tricia Nguyen's research, and I need two....

The first class I attended was embossing/gilding on leather, not as easy as one would think. I have pictures of a period carrying case, decorated with perhaps 3 patterns, built up to form larger designs.  This piece is not gilded, thank you, because it would almost be impossible to keep up the concentration needed to complete a whole case. Second, two in-depth paper marbling classes, one with contemporary paints and the second making traditional historically accurate paints. We went through the process of grinding gems, mixing a binder of water, glue and gum tragacanth.....prepared a glazing paste of beeswax, potash, and olive oil soap .... and finally the addition of ox gall... I found through this process, being too timid with color was my previous error. I now have a nice selection of marbled paper for a few books and to cover the interior of my casket cases... 

The last classes, to complete my casket cases, was experience with leather, actually becoming comfortable bonding leather to boards..... I signed up for a bookbinding weekend last March, which as fate would have it, turned out to be the weekend after everything shutdown for Covid....... What a bummer!!!! As I stitched most of the summer, I stayed in contact with Sugartown, waiting until I could take the classes I was now obsessing over... Well, the time finally came a few weeks ago. I finished Bookbinding I, a half binding. The following weekend I completed Bookbinding II......

I'm now educated and have a 'hands on' appreciation of the fine art of bookbinding..... I have sewn signatures together, attached cords, glued and beaten them round (rounding and backing)..... I now know how a spine should look and the details of attaching a colorful headband (very beautiful in silk) ..... pasted end papers..... completed both half and full bindings .... and had the experience of applying my own marbled papers to my books... Overall an experience any lover of books should be blessed to have.... I know I would like to return for more, because there are so many other fine details I now have the passion to explore ...... life is going to be a bit too short.....