L' Adieu by Marie-Thérèse Saint-Aubin
The picture makes it look so small! To give you an idea of the size of the finished design, the fabric I am working it on is cut to 20" x 20" (Natural Undyed Belfast). Stitch count is 208 X 222. I already have a spot picked out for it on the wall of my living room and constantly visualize it framed and hanging there .... simply mounted on another piece of linen with no hemstitching, etc. just raw edges, surrounded by a mat and a simple wood frame. Can you tell how much I dearly love this beautiful design? I wish you could see the flowers. I wish I had a bigger picture, but you can see one here, along with some other exceptional works by this true artist of cross stitch.
The poem, by Guillaume Apollinaire, (my translation unfortunately) reads:
I have picked this sprig of heather
Autumn is dead you must remember
We will not see each other again on earth
Scent of time sprig of heather
Remember that I wait for you
If I have totally mis-translated this poem, please reprimand. But this is how I read it and how I love it. If ever it is finished, and framed, I promise to post a photograph.
Meanwhile, Ms. Hana (or my "slave labor" as she calls herself) is coming home this next weekend to put together all the kits for our special little Christmas ornament kit and I am working on Good Yule, moving some things around and changing some things I was unhappy with on the stitched model. It's very difficult to draw a piece, chart it and then send it off to someone to be stitched. Quite often it comes back looking very different from what you had envisioned. Not the fault of the stitcher. Just the difference between paper and linen, pencil and silk. This one has a few little areas that need tweaked, and so I will spend a good part of next week ripping out and re-stitching things that could use a bit of refinement.
It's cold and wet here today and I have been debating all day if I should go take the normal Sunday hike with the dog. I've been trying to talk myself out of it with various excuses, but I have to remember that the weather is just downhill from here and I have to get used to spending some time getting bundled up and braving less than perfect weather if Sami and myself are to get any exercise this winter. I do have a treadmill, but use it grudgingly, only in the worst sort of weather, simply because it's mind-numbingly boring. I'm not much of a TV watcher and I find it difficult to read on one of those things. I'm an "in bed with a big bowl of popcorn" reader. But I do resort to the treadmill every so often. We have two of them. Side by side. One for me and one for Sami. Don't ask :-) But my daughter does wonder frequently what I am going to do when that old dog finally has to leave for what ever heaven waits for him. She keeps saying "we have to get mom a new one before he dies" but I don't think so. Not yet. Not yet.
So, down we go to dig out the raincoat and find a hat in the pile stashed away in the "winter" closet. It is a good thing .... to get away from this computer and out into it all.
See you soon, ci vediamo a presto, à tout à l'heure, gauw tot ziens,
Cynthia
Cynthia, it's the 'tweaking' you do that make your charts stsnd out so much from the rest!
ReplyDeleteI too, hate walking my dog in the cold, but I find once I'm out in the blustery weather, it is quite invigorating. Of course, it doesn't get much below 60f, so it isn't really that cold...
Marie-Thérèse seems like a really sweet lady, from the little interaction we had at the Festa - and what a unique style. Your picture will be lovely when it's finished.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried audiobooks while walking? I've become an addict....I get them from the library. The treadmill is still awful, but better with the book!
ReplyDeleteCynthia...love this needlework...is this design something which anyone can purchase? Also...when is your Christmas ornament to be released? Love your work.
ReplyDeleteHer work is beautiful, isn't it. I posted a link to her catalog on the blog. Click the "here" on "but you can see one here". There it says you can order them directly from her and to send an email saying which you are interested in and your address. Each one is listed with a price. L' Adieu is listed at 10 euro which is about $15 US. She also says that for shipments abroad, they accept Pay Pal. Neither her or her husband speak English but perhaps they will understand what you want. She also has many beautiful books in print (try Amazon.com france or Canada). If you like cats, google her name and "cats". You're in for a treat.
ReplyDeleteOh, the ornament, now titled "Peace and Joy" will be released in early November. I planned to release it earlier but had a little set back with the hands. Still time to get one stitched up for Christmas I think.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this information. I have seen her website and her work is a dream come true as is yours! Will have to put her books on my Christmas list:)
ReplyDeleteHeard from a fellow New Hampshire stitcher that you're working on a Reticello design for Celebration of Needlework in May 2010. I wouldn't mind learning from a pro! Your Persian Pocket class looks to be interesting too. Sigh...perhaps I'll just have to sign up for both. P.S. Looks like Colorado won the first snowfall title in 2009; NH got hit Oct 18.
ReplyDeleteThis piece is lovely. And I like your translation of the verse. Friends of mine went to Paris a year or so ago and brought back severl of Marie-Therese's books. I really liked the cat on and the bird one. Her designs are so graceful and delicate. I haven't added them to my collection yet, but they are on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog...triple love your designs. Went back and read to the beginning...sorry for all the small-mindedness and for your health-care troubles. As a nurse, I think everyone is entitled to the same healthcare. It drives me bananas when we get VIPs...shouldn't everyone be treated the same?
ReplyDeleteDebra Scott