Aussie Travellers' Blanket & France Tour

I have been hand stitching another Travellers' Blanket whilst watching the tennis ( after watching Tomic play so well last night a thought passed through my head that maybe I should call this blanket the A-Tomic travellers' Blanket because surely he will travel far!). The colours are much more subdued than  my other travellers' blankets and much more Australian. I am also trying something different in the background to suggest creeks and water as the rounds remind me of little micro-climates or water holes.Also whilst there is an underlying grid on the fabric I am making up the embroideries as fancy and colour take me- I am enjoying the process!

And on that note that will be another on-line Travellers Blanket Class commencing on 17 February,here is the information;

Creating a Traveller’s Blanket On-Line Class

Cost $50 AUS

This class explores hand stitching and creating fragments of memory. It is inspired by the idea of the silk road and the great travellers ,like Marco Polo who travelled the road in order to source silk, eastern spices and other treasure. If you travelled that road and you could not write but wanted to keep memories of the  fabrics and silks you encountered, and wanted to remember the patterns and stitches and wanted to keep warm at the same time- what better way then, to sew fragments onto a blanket- a visual aide de memoire. The texture is created with simple running stitch and the embroidery on the fragments of fabric likewise employ simple stitches. This piece is about the rhythm of the stitching and to create decorative effects yet keeping things easy.

Any kind of stories can be incorporated- you may wish to use scraps of fabric that belong to family, you may use fabrics that have been given to you, you may use findings from the beach and create stitching around that, you may choose a favourite motif. You can use square shapes or round shapes or any other shape  that you feel drawn to. You can use the motif in the appliquéd fabric to inspire your embroidery. You will find the blanket starts to dictate the story to you and that is part of the fun of the process.

Email me if you are interested

Also I shall be guiding a tour to France commencing on 11 April 2012.It will be a fabulous trips with lots of highlights. This is the itinerary:

Wed 11 APRIL MELBOURNE / PARIS

Day 1 Depart Melbourne with Emirates Airlines to Paris via Dubai.

Thu 12 APRIL PARIS / VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 2 Upon arrival into Paris you will be meet and assisted to the Paris CDG train station with in the

airport. 2nd Class train from Paris CDG airport to Lyon is 462 kms and takes about 2.00 hrs. Upon

your arrival into Lyon train station you will be meet and assisted to the coach for your transfer to

Villefranche sur Saone. 32 kms / 0.30 hrs.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Fri 13 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 3 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After breakfast, you will be meet and transferred

to the Quilt Expo Beaujolais. Includes entrance fee. Remainder of day free.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Sat 14 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 4 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After breakfast, you will be meet and transferred

to the Quilt Expo Beaujolais. Includes entrance fee. Remainder of day free.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Sun 15 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE / LYON

Day 5 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After checking out of your hotel you will be

transfer by private coach to Lyon. Transfer from Villefranche to Lyon. 32 kms / 0.30 hrs. Remainder

of day free in Lyon.

Lyon Overnight Mercure Lyon Charpennes (B)

Mon 16 APRIL LYON

Day 6 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. This morning includes a morning visit to the Lyon

Silk Museum. Entrance to Musee des Tissus et des Arts Decoratifs de Lyon. Afternoon free in Lyon.

Lyon Overnight Mercure Lyon Charpennes (B)

Tue 17 APRIL LYON / PARIS

Day 7 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After check out you will be transferred by coach

to Lyon train station. 2nd class TGV Train from Lyon to Paris. 462 kms / 2.00 hrs. Upon arrival into

Paris you will be met and transferred by private coach to your hotel. 5 kms / 0.30 hrs.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Wed 18 APRIL PARIS

Day 8 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. Full day sightseeing using Paris Pass. Issue of

6-day Paris Pass. Morning Seine River Cruise. View the main sights of the city from the River Seine.

Afternoon Visit to the Centre Pompidou. Some time for shopping in the local area.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Thu 19 APRIL PARIS

Day 9 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Enjoy a full day excursion to Versailles. Use of

6-day Paris Pass. Using RER train. Includes entrance to Versailles Palace and Gardens.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Fri 20 APRIL PARIS

Day 10 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day Visiting museums using Paris Pass. Use of

6-day Paris Pass. Includes entrance to the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay and the Dali Museum.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Sat 21 APRIL PARIS

Day 11 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Morning visit to Galleries Lafayette. Entrance and free gift to Galeries

Lafayette.

Depart: Wednesday 11 April 2012

Sat 21 APRIL PARIS….Continue

Afternoon wine tasting at 'O' Chateau. Includes entrance to the Wine Cellar and tasting session.

(3 French wines).

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Sun 22 APRIL PARIS

Day 12 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Tickets aboard the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. Morning Visit to the Paris Fashion

and Textiles Museum. Includes entrance to the Fashion and Textiles Museum. Remainder of day

free for shopping/exploring etc.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Mon 23 APRIL PARIS

Day 13 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full-day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Tickets aboard the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. Includes entrance to the top of

the Arc de Triomphe for a panoramic view of Paris. Afternoon visit to Notre Dame including

entrance to the Towers of Notre Dame. Remainder of the day free for shopping/exploring etc.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Tue 24 APRIL PARIS / ROUEN

Day 14 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Giverny. 77 kms / 1.20 hrs. Includes entrance to Monet's House and Gardens. We then travel to

Jumieges. 84 kms /1.20 hrs. Visit to the Jumieges Abbey and includes entrance fee. Continue onto

to Rouen 27 kms /0.30 hrs to meet our local guide for a half day walking tour. View the main sights

of the city.

Rouen Overnight Mercure Rouen Champ de Mars (B)

Wed 25 APRIL ROUEN / BAYEUX

Day 15 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Caen. 126 kms / 2.00 hrs. On arrival we meet our local guide for full-day Landing Beaches tour and

view the main sights of the city. Next we travel to Bayeux. 30 kms / 0.30 hrs. Tour of the Landing

Beaches and see the Bayeux Tapestry. Continue onto Arromanches. 9 kms / 0.10 hrs. to view the

landing beach at Arromanches including the Mulberry harbour blocks. Onwards to Longues-sur-Mer.

6 kms / 0.10 hrs. to view the German Gun Battery before proceeding to Colleville-sur-Mer. 12 kms /

0.15 hrs to see the American Cemetery. We then complete our tour with our trip to Bayeux. 22

kms / 0.20 hrs. for our overnight accommodation.

Bayeux Overnight Novotel Bayeux (B)

Thu 26 APRIL BAYEUX / TOURS

Day 16 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Mont St. Michel. 115 kms / 1.30 hrs. Includes entrance to Mont St. Michel site and abbey. After the

tour we continue onto Tours. 280 kms / 4.00 hrs. for our accommodation.

Tours Overnight Mercure Tours Centre (B)

Fri 27 APRIL TOURS

Day 17 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day touring the chateaux of the area. Tours to

Blois. 65 kms / 1.00 hrs to see the Chateau de Blois. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Blois.

Next to Chambord 16 kms / 0.15 hrs. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Chambord. We then

continue to d to Chenonceau 60 kms / 1.00 hrs. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Chenonceau.

Return back to our hotel. 45 kms / 0.45 hrs. Tonight we enjoy a gourmet dinner at a quant rural

and rustic French restaurant just outside of town.

Tours Overnight Mercure Tours Centre (B/D)

Sat 28 APRIL TOURS / PARIS / MELBOURNE

Day 18 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we will be transferred to Paris

CDG airport to board our Emirates Airlines flight to Melbourne. 262 kms / 4.00 hrs. (B)

Sun 29 APRIL IN TRANSIT

Day 19

Mon 30 APRIL ARRIVE MELBOURNE

There is a land fare only available for those not in Australia. Again if you are interested please contact me and I will send you the full details