...puppets and fetes....

Thus ends another fab workshop with Julie Arkell.  What a gal!  And what a group!  Dauntless in the face of hail storms this part of France hasn't seen for years, and flooding, damp trips to the Maison de Maitre for meals, and tight quarters on the music night.  

Julie getting in the spirit

Not a brilliant advertisement for Les Soeurs, you would think, except that it didn't seem to matter a dot to our enthusiastic stitchers!  Everyone was determined to have a good time - and good time was had indeed.  

Supper outside on a rare warm evening.

In fact, the extra time indoors simply meant our busy ladies were even busier creating beautiful puppets and bunting (apparently Americans only know them as "garlands" so were a little apprehensive about what they would be expected to make).  The final show was fantastic and stories behind the characters produced, a delightful bonus.

Some finished puppets

A visit to the local marche and our secret brocante was de rigeur  where endless treasures in the way of linens, cotton reels, buttons, boxes, you name it, were to be found and fought over.....  suitcases were filled to the brim -  some participants actually had to send back boxes with things they just couldn't squeeze in.

Talking of entertainment, Dave and Woody and Steve popped over for an evening of music and by the end of the session everyone was up reel in' and a'rockin', in fact  generally dancing their little socks off.

Dave on banjo, Woody on washboard (Steve just out of shot on right)

After the "grand tea-party" on the last afternoon, members of Les Soeurs team enjoy a rare photo-shoot

This'n'That

If any of you are wondering what we get up to at Les Soeurs Anglaises in between work and meals, here are some photos to give you glimpse. Amongst other things we have a secret brocante where we always spend a morning during the workshops; it is full to bursting with everything from old quills to 1930s vegetable catalogues to laundered linen coulottes, and there's generally a bit of a bun fight over the odd antique tea towel. It is usually followed with a show and tell of treasures found back at l'Espace. Past participants might recognise the establishment......

We also try to spend at least one evening at a local restaurant, and for our last workshop we chose Le Chateau de Mas de Montet (where, aparantly, Mitterand used to helicopter in for weekends with his mistress - oo la la). The hotel has recently passed into new ownership and the service and food have greatly improved since our last visit. We chose a beautiful evening and had a whole room to ourselves.

There was even an opportunity for a game of chess with a familiar face.

But then it was straight back to work the next morning, and whilst the sun had gone in for a few moments it was still plenty warm enough to have our fabulous new doors open with inspirational views of the valley below.