mercredi 15 juillet 2026

GIFTED GORGEOUSNESS 07/26


It's always nice to make gifts, nice too to receive some
and use them in our stitching projects.     
                 
It's great and fun to show all this and the perfect place is
on Jo's blog Serendipitous Stitching on the 15th of each month
for the Gifted Gorgeousness post.
Jo gave a new turn to her blog those past months
but I'd like to keep posting about GG on the half-month day


*
Cadeaux donnés ou reçus, toutes les occasions sont bonnes
pour partager nos coups de coeur et participer au "Gifted Gorgeousness"
de Jo - Serendipitous Stitching.

Jo a donné un nouveau tournant à son blog mais j'aimerais
continuer à parler cadeaux faits maison chaque mi-mois.







June ended with Capucine 10 years birthday
I finally chose to make kind of a fortune wheel she can turn
proposing 9 ideas of hobbies for the days when she doesn't know
what to do, the 10th will be a ? (she can add a list inside the card)





I have also started another project for her
"layers of atmosphere" I have seen many on the net
and couldn't wait to make one.




You won't believe that the hardest part of it is to find
the right numbers as everyone gives a different mesurement
but honestly, give or take ten kilometers you cares?

Pour fêter les dix ans de Capucine, une roue de la fortune
avec neuf idées de loisirs et un ? vers sa liste personnelle
également en cours : une petite maquette des couches de l'atmosphère
j'ai vu ces projets sur le net et j'avais très envie de lui en fabriquer un.
Me croirez-vous si je vous dit que le plus compliqué est de se mettre
d'accord sur les chiffres à ajouter, chacun donnant un calcul différent
franchement à quelques kms près, qui compte ?


Côté feutrine, pour la cuisine de Soline
épi de maïs, finalement assez amusant à fabriquer
tranches de melon et nid de tagliatelles au basilic.


I wanted to try felt corn for some times
and I'm glad with the result and it was quite fun to do
So for Soline's doll kitchen




Two slices of melon





and some tagliatelle nests with basil





Knitting the blue angora scarf for DD1 started in April...
was part of the FIFA challenge
 we have a finish!



Ma deuxième écharpe réalisée avec la laine angora de Sandrine
est terminée, 




No progress on cross stitching due to the heatwave we are experimenting since too many weeks
To tired to be as precise as countstitching requires


I have some other secret gifts projects I started during
Melissa's  FIFA challenge so some stitching on Vichy
and drawings in progress




Don't forget that you can travel with me around my country
with the 7th edition of my Tour de France
stage 9 already...   Monday's post


a new clue tomorrow morning...

N'oubliez pas que je vous invite à vous promener avec moi
à l'occasion de la 7ème édition du Tour de France
Etape 9, premier article lundi dernier
et demain un nouvel indice...




mardi 14 juillet 2026

6/ FIFA WITH MELISSA

Sixth show about FIFA World Cup event with Melissa from Measi.net

From 11th June to 19th July


I have given a call to my journalists friends who usually hosted the TV show for the OG : Nelson and Gérard and my couple of mice as the fan team to support the players.


Depuis le début de la Coupe du Monde de Football le 11 juin dernier Melissa de chez "Measi's musings" organise un nouveau challenge pendant la compétition.

J'ai invité mon équipe de journalistes et mon couple de souris rebaptisé "aficionados" pour l'occasion.


Nelson:

So it looks like we are still in! Two more steps to get one more star!


Gérard:

Yes! Semifinal in a few hours. Very busy day : our national day Bastille day, DD1 birthday (38), her son's birthday too (15) and a place in the final game!


Nelson:

I do hope so! Allez les Bleus !


Gérard:

Well, 

So let see how our mascots are progressing on their goals


Clutch is in charge of knitting 


Our main goal is reached as
the angora scarf is done












but as the second goal is to empty those full bags of wool
and crochet is easier since I have noticed that the high temperatures often lead me to be less attentive, I'm using up the leftovers of pastel-colored yarn to make kind of a collar for a future top.


And I also feel I'll have fun with some doll dresses


(to be honest the FIFA challenge is twinned with the cyclist Tour de France I can watched on the afternoon, most often football games are at night not a good hour for DIY)


Maple is the team coach of fans

and papers works

I'm making some patterns for
small pockets in the shape of matches pockets for a secret project.






Zayu was taking care of white embroidery on Vichy.
My five projects are done.

So I thought for something new and I have that bag of golden paperboards I kept for cutting stars for a Christmas garland. 
What a good omen that stars
for a third one...  on the jersey!








lundi 13 juillet 2026

ETAPE / STAGE 9/1

 


As we do every Monday we are looking for a French department

so a new number to discover.










dimanche 12 juillet 2026

STAGE / ETAPE 8/3

 


Département  32    Gers

New department visited!

The town name is :       Montaut les créneaux

Montaut "the battlements"

also meaning in French "parallel park" with a car   (do a "créneau")



Rappel des indices / Some explanations about the clues

1/ On the goose game you had to find the space with 4 ankle boots so it was on space 32 which means department 32 Gers.

2/ Climbing on ramparts was supposed to lead you to battlements and the view on Auch city - south - was another geographic information.


1/ Pour trouver le numéro 32 vous deviez trouver la case contenant les quatre bottines sur le jeu de l'oie.

2/ Grimper sur les remparts devait vous mener aux créneaux et la vue vers le sud sur la ville d'Auch vous apporter une information géographique supplémentaire.


Occitanie aera





Our guide was Princess Merida from the Disney movie named "Rebelle" in French and "Brave" in English - 2012. The choice was made by Capucine my great daughter!

Notre guide fût la princesse Merida du dessin animé Disney Rebelle sorti en 2012, choisie par Capucine ma petite fille !





Some stitchings about weaving, spinning, carding, embroiderer,








I want to share some French expressions that came from Middle Age as

"Avoir maille à partir",      

Pas de maille de tricot cette fois, mais une monnaie valant un demi-denier sous les Capétiens. De valeur trop faible pour être partagée d'où le conflit généré par l'action de départir (attribuer en partage).

"avoir maille à partir" with someone

no knitting stitch (maille) here, but a coin used in 12e century with a small value hard to divide between people leading to quarrel.







I have linked this stage with cross stitched castles, patchwork, fabric

J'ai choisi d'associer cette étape aux châteaux brodés, dans les patchworks et sur les tissus.




















grille gratuite de Frimousse


les châteaux sur une toile de Jouy

















A little wink to the felt sand castle I made for the beach set for Soline

Petit clin d'oeil à mon château de sable en feutrine réalisé pour la plage de Soline













J'ai aussi l'intention d'utiliser l'idée pour de futures cartes d'anniversaires dépliables pour de jeunes chevaliers

A folded castle I'd like to make for young kids birthday soon.






castle cake, I made one for DD1 years ago, very funny



et bien sûr quelques constructions / some other fortified buildings


The special shoe horn today is ...      garlic

Petit lien inattendu avec ...    l'ail


No special cross stitch about Gers   unless...

I found an unexpected garlic basket about violet garlic of Gers
apparently sold on July market of Peyrehorade!





On Monday, put on your apron, we're going to cook!

Lundi, mettez votre tablier, nous allons cuisiner !