In France

As you complained about my lack of blogging, Ant, I am putting a few photos on for you to see. It takes an age, though, as we're not on broadband here!! Sam is enjoying himself in the garden - lots to do whilst I cook and sew to my hearts content!! The walnut tree hasn't produced may nuts this year - it was a bumper year last year so it's having a rest!! We're quite relieved really as we spent a month last October gathering nuts and ended up with sack fulls!! This year there are just enough for us to use this winter.
We've had a lovely few days and went to Val Andre this morning- walked the cliffs to Dahouet and across the beach - sat outside in a cafe and watched the world go by whilst drinking chocolat chaud - lovely way to spend a Sunday morning!

Haven't lit the fire much yet but it's a nice thing to do on a wet day!!
These are the indigo dyed pieces I'm working on at the moment. I used wax as a resist before dying this one and am now quilting it - very subtely with red thread - doing my usual thing of just seeing where it takes me.

I tied this fabric into a parcel before dying it - the parcel was too tight and didn't let much dye through but has given an interesting effect - I love all the crinkles and am enjoying playing with lines!!
They are quite large so will keep me busy for some time!!
This is one for you, Gemma. Poking its head out of a barn - just down our lane - so cute and just a tiny kitten.
The farmers are cutting all the maize by us at the moment - huge machinery which clears whole fields so quickly. We are getting views back - before we couldn't see across the countryside for miles as we an usually because the maize grows so tall. We're going for lots of walks as I'm determined not to put on weight whilst over here as I did last year - it's a struggle though as I do have a sweet tooth!!
I'll try to update this more often, Antoinette - before you get on to me again!!!!!

We've just come back from spending 4 days in Herm at the White House hotel - a lovely break. the Battle of Britain annual air display was on whilst we were there - the views were a bit distant but i took a few photos of the red arrows. We stood on a hill above the hotel - quite a climb up but well worth the views! The photo below is from our hotel room looking north.

The view north from the hotel look out point where we stood to watch the air display.
Chanook (don't know how to spell it) helicopter and condor!



I'm going to try to turn this view into a contemporary embroidery!!!

When we arrived at Belvoir, we were the only ones on the beach until about 10.30 am - then there were only about 20 people there all day. I had 2 swims in my own private beach pool!!!

A view from Herm looking towards home - just behind the trees!!!
View from our hotel room looking west.
We had a lovely break - lots of walking, food and wine!! We're off to France next so I have to sort out my textile work and decide what to concentrate on whilst in France. I think I'll take indigo dye stuff, discharge stuff, silk paints and wax pot and see where I go from there!! Hope you like the photos Ant and Gemma - bring back holiday memories?

I tried to edit the wedding blog I posted last week and ended up deleting the lot - so here are a few different wedding photos!! The men all looked very smart . Antoinette and Gemma's friend, Helen were bridesmaids and both looked beautiful. You can see one of the bags I made hanging on Antoinette's right arm. You can tell Ant and Gemma are sisters - both have the curly payne hair!!
This photograph shows Mum, Gareth, Antoinette, Tim, Gemma,Myself, Sam and Dad.
This is a picture of the Payne side of the family-unfortunately, Antoinette and Gareth are missing.
This is a ckose up to show my hat - it was made for me by a local milliner and was a real work of art. Gemma helped to choose the style and I was delighted with the end result! The photo is of myself with my niece, Rachael.
Gemma and Tim outside the church- I had an old horseshoe from one of Tim's horses so I covered it in ribbon and stitch small white sea shells onto it - we collected the shells in Herm last year! I also made Gemma's small jacket which she wore for the church service.

This photo was taken as everyone threw rose petal confetti at the same time - it looked lovely!
Antoinette helped hand out the rose petals to everyone as they came out of the church. Antoinette was a real hero during the week before the wedding - helped cook, clean and prepare various bits for the wedding.
Sam and I looking very relieved that the day was going smoothly - after all my needless worries!!
This is a photo of Gemma's godmother (our friend), Diane, who was such a help in the lead up to the wedding - kept me sane most of the time!!
It was a lovely day and it's now back to normal. I'm looking forward to going to Herm for 3 days next week - a treat after all the wedding hype. We are also going to France towards the end of the month and can't wait to get there - I want to get going on various sewing projects but have to decide what to concentrate on first! After visiting the Quilt Show at the NEC a couple of weeks ago I'm full of inspiration but should really set something out on paper first - something I'm not very good at as I'm too impatient to plan properly and end up with too many confused ideas - not getting started on any one thing properly!! Help!!

We,ve been walking in the Peak District this week - beautiful views - once you manage to climb to the top!!! We walked early in the morning so it was just us and a million sheep!!
View from Dovedale walk.


Just a few of the sheep - I took lots of sheep photos - much to Sam,s amusement! Sam and I go home tomorrow - Gemma and Tim had a wonderful time in Croatia and their cats survived with us - thank goodness. I thought Sam was going to strangle them when they took to leaping onto his back from the other side of the room!!

I've just finished making a very quick bag for mum to use at Gemma's wedding. She is wearing lilac and 'heather' colours so this tones in well. She doesn't suit hats so i've managed to persuade her to wear a fascinator (?is that how you spell it?). It was white but i've dyed it lilac and green to match the bag!!
The wedding is getting very close now - 9 August! I'm beginning to get really excited and am looking forward to seeing Antoinette and Gemma together for the first time in ages! After the wedding, Sam and I are going to Derbyshire to look after Gemma and Tim's cats whilst they're on honeymoon in Croatia - i'm visiting the quilt show at the NEC - should be good!!!

It's Bordeaux Methodist Church flower/singing festival this weekend to celebrate the centenary of the church - I have been helping fetch and carry flowers/ pots/oasis all week but I am not a flower arranger and left that part to the experts - the church looks lovely! Sam and I went across this morning and listened to the choir. Gemma, the junior choir sang 'In his time' - I cried as usual - must get waterproof mascara for your wedding! Muriel was in charge of the flower arranging - so the church will look just as beautiful for your wedding. below - do you recognise (from the left) Bridget, Shirley, Lauren, Joanne and Jo.

The photo below was taken whilst they were singing 'In His Time'!
Lauren sang a few songs - her voice was lovely - it's matured a lot - lovely to listen to!
Joanne sang beautifully too - some lovely songs - over the rainbow and songs like that!
Had to take a photograph of the pulpit fall, of course!
Four weeks today will be Gemma's wedding day - I must not panic! Can't wait for Antoinette and Gemma to arrive to keep me calm - Diane will help too. In the meantime - lots of walks, swims and eating healthily so that I can still fit into wedding outfit - oh, and I must try to learn how to walk elegantly in my high heels!!!!!!

France

These photos are in no particular order - the top photograph is of the finished bridesmaid's bags. Are the handles what you wanted, Antoinette? I enjoyed making them and even found the right colour velcro to make a practically invisible way of keeping the top closed. The embroidery below was entitled 'What a tangled web we weave!'. I knitted two reels of hemp. increasing and decreasing at random and then layed the ecru colour over the green on a linen board with a layer of gold mesh material to give an added dimension. The hemp was then embroidered in buttonhole stitch - I love the 3D effect and intend to do a series of them - one is underway as I speak!

The farmers who use part of our land in France have been hay-making - our garden produced 3 bales!!!

Grandad, Sam and Grandma on our afternoon walk around the block!! It was very hot and I had just had a swim at Val Andre - the sea is a lot warmer in Brittany than in Guernsey although it's not so far away! Sam and I went over for the weekend to buy wine for Gemma's wedding and even though we had to pay the duty, it was still cheaper than buying it here. Having said that, with the boat fare it was really an excuse for a weekend in France. Mum and Dad joined us and have stayed on for 3 weeks - lucky devils!

The lanes near us are lovely and we see a lot of wildlife - there are beavers near here in a petit etang and we have seen hares running across the fields - even a baby deer. There are wild boar also though we haven't seen one - thank goodness- as they have been known to attack!!
Lose up of one of the bags - the embroidery is meant to represent seaweed and the shape of the bag is shell-like.
Hope these photos keep you happy, Ant. Have a lovely time in Thailand and keep posting photos on your blog. See you in 4 weeks!!!