July

I wasn't at the July meeting and so I don't know what they were all getting up to but I can tell you what I was doing.  I was in France with Crafty Retreats enjoying a whole weeks workshop with Cas Holmes.  I also had a day in Paris before I started on the workshop then traveled down on the train to Limoges where Phil picked me up and took me to the lovely home she shares with Fran.  There were seven of us on the course two German ladies who live in Hong Kong, one lady from Australia who was there with her husband (he spent a very relaxing week reading, drawing and writing) and four from the UK.  Cas kept us very busy the first few days but we got a day off to go to Aubusson to have a guided tour round the weaving factory. There are some good tutors going out next summer if you fancy a week away and still a few places available.  If you don't want to go quite so far, Fran and Phil also have a studio in Cornwall where they offer week long courses during the winter months.  Either way, the food Fran cooks will be wonderful.

Some photographs of the lovely area around Mallety.

This was in the Aubusson factory.  There were rooms full of threads on spools like this one.  Every colour and shade that you could think of.