Flax Festival in Routot

The whole area between Pont Audemer and Rouen is filled with fields of plants about two and a half feet tall with blue flowers. They're flax! There's even a museum devoted solely to flax in the village these pictures were taking in - Routot. We had a wonderful time on Sunday looking at all the fashions and food and everything else made of flax. There was even farm equipment straight from the fields. The cat in the top picture was sleeping in the window right near all the hubbub. We thought it was cute.

The looms and such were inside the museum, which was open for the festival. They had several antique looms and a huuuuge warp frame.

This man was flaying the linen to reveal the fibers for spinning and weaving. I'd never actually seen it done.

War Memorial

This war memorial is on the hilltop above la Bouille just north of Rouen. We saw it on our way home from Rouen on Saturday. Anyway, it's not from World War II. It was originally erected for the Franco-Prussian war and then names were added to it after World War I, when the site was used as a gun emplacement overlooking the Seine. Kind of cool looking, I thought.

Midi Flowers Done

I finished the Algerian eye flowers on the top arches this week and did some backstitching in gold. There's not much to do before I can -finally- go on to part 3. It's only a year since the group started....

Remember This?

It's been a while since I showed a picture, but this is the Huswif Mystery from Carol Tinson. It's getting there. I think the band I just finished is the last really large one. Maybe I can work on it more this week.

Flowers

Just some flowers by the side of the road on a walk. I think the yellow ones are clematis, but they're on bushes instead of vines. Either way, they're pretty.

Back to Stitching

This is what I was working on, stitching-wise, this past week. It's the beginning of a round robin that I need to put in the mail today. This is the January square from Lizzie Kate's 2003 series. Hopefully all twelve will be done when I get it back.

Beuzeville Part 2

This is more of our walk in Beuzeville. It's the main drag and one of the streets off of it. The parking lot with the flags is where the market is held every Tuesday. Town's not too big, but it's got its charm, four bakeries, and about six restaraunts.