The little Alsatian village

Workshop topic: Traditional hand sewing
Languages: French flag
Nb of students: 20

You’ll learn how to reproduce a schematic that you’ll use to build your landscape. You’ll make templates for certain parts using tracing papers. Then you’ll methodically place all the village’s component parts on a textile background. Then I’ll teach you how to place everything in place while you wait to appliqué the whole thing. I’ll teach you how to appliqué stitch all these parts. This work requires a bit of meticulousness, but I’m here to guide you and help you avoid the pitfalls. I’ll also teach you lots of tricks to give certain details their guaranteed bluffing effect. Details will also be embroidered and will give the essential touch to the success of your appliqué. At the end of the day, you’re guaranteed to have work that’s built, with a few areas built up but ready for sewing. This village is a joy to make, and don’t forget that you can make new ones representing different seasons. I’ll also give you tips on how to incorporate it into various finishes.

Where: 7a route de Rombach-le-Franc 68660 Lièpvre | Salle Polyvalente 2

List of supplies
  • sewing needles
  • thread matched with fabrics
  • thimble
  • pins
  • fabric scissors
  • paper scissors
  • template material
  • eraser
  • paper pencil
  • tracing paper
  • quilter's ruler
  • small garbage bag
  • rotary cutter
  • cutting mat
  • embroidery threads to match
Required supplies
  • Bring with you a base of sewing threads or threads to match your own fabric choices
  • several sheets of 24x32 tracing paper
  • 1 old large cardboard calendar for setting up and punching without damaging the table
  • 1 CLOVER punch needle
  • CLOVER special appliqué needles with 2 cm heads
  • 1 CLOVER mechanical pencil and coloured leads
  • 1 pair of small scissors
  • 1 quick cutter
  • 1 Tweezer
  • special CLOVER appliqué needles
  • embroidery needles
  • your usual sewing kit
  • if you have a CLOVER spatula
  • building thread
  • I never use fabric glue. If you do, bring it along
  • the fabric kit does not include Mouliné embroidery thread take 1 sky blue, 1 duck blue, 1 dark brown, 1 medium, 1 light, of course if you do not choose to take the kit adapt to your colors
  • 1 special fabric felt-pen color medium gray.
Fabrics to bring + lengh
  • Only 100% cottons
  • a basic white cotton canvas 46 cm x 13 cm
  • a blue fabric (bubble pattern)
  • white for the houses approx. 40 cm x 8 cm
  • a fabric for the tiles in the small check pattern, predominantly red, (please don't use printed tiles, as they may be too large!): 30 cm x 4.5 cm
  • Steeple: 4 cm x 4 cm in dark brown
  • 4 different greens for the trees
  • These dimensions are indicative: you can bring a little more, but try to choose your fabrics harmoniously.
Kit
+ Content

Optional kit (30€) : all necessary fabrics, with all essential color shades for the project.
Does not include embroidery or sewing threads.

The teacher

After dedicating myself to sewing clothes and utilitarian objects for a long time, patchwork gradually became a significant part of my life. For about thirty years, I have been creating textile works, initially with a machine and then by hand, with sizes that gradually reduced to allow for more personal expression. My creations, similar to painters' canvases, use fabrics and threads as a color palette. I specialize particularly in depicting houses and city center facades, capturing various rural or urban, regional, and architectural atmospheres. My style, often naive or stylized, aims to simplify and clarify lines. Through my works, I tell stories in a simple and direct way, often with a touch of humor. I build my landscapes on a textile base, gradually applying fabrics, and then adding embroidery that animates and brings the scene to life. In my hand-embroidered appliqués, I use a multitude of techniques, from the most traditional to the most modern, including reverse appliqué, which gives perspective to my paintings. I have exhibited my works in numerous places, mainly in France at major fairs or smaller regional exhibitions, and sometimes internationally. Having been a teacher for twenty years, my work is constantly evolving, always seeking to innovate and respond to new inspirations or experiences. I enjoy using leftover materials and maximizing the use of what I have, predominantly favoring cotton and linen. Paris, as well as authors and artists like Zola, Colette, and Coco Chanel, have greatly influenced my work.