Yesterday, while wandering through the backstreets of a nearby town, I noticed this wonderful Hurtu treadle sewing machine.  

In need of a certain amount of tlc but gorgeous none-the-less.  

I just wish I had room for it!

 Inside the brocante is like an Aladdin's cave with interesting objets absolutely everywhere!

Yummy, another dye batch!

This time using a different set of primaries to give a totally different colour collection of fabrics and matching threads.

I've almost finished one stencilled 'leaves' wallhanging.  

Just a little added colour needed for the middle row.

Top row is painted after quilting, I used decourant paste for the middle row and the bottom row is Markal painstik.

The background is free motion quilted using a heavyweight thread.

 And here's the matching cushion cover.

  These aprons with quilted pockets are in heavyweight black cotton which will last and last!

Pébéo fabric paint, applied after quilting.

Jacquard fabric paint, applied after quilting.

Markal Paintstik stencilled motif machine quilted with heavyweight jeans thread.

And to a totally different subject - isn't he splendid as he scurries off into the grass!

Helicopters flying overhead, gendarmes moto headlights, sirens blaring - they're coming!

L'échappée with Europcar's Thomas Voeckler having a bite to eat and Team Sky's Kiryenka taking a drink.

Voeckler's PowerGel sachet and Kiryenko's bidon landed at my feet - nice souvenirs! 

Just over a minute later came the peloton with Astana at the head looking after Nibali in the yellow jersey.

The riders were strung out, climbing out of Pailhes towards 

Saint Girons.

 Suddenly I had to step back as a Movistar support car almost ran over my toes - crevaison!

It took only a few seconds to put things right.

 Pailes is a pretty little village just 30 mins drive from Tarascon.

 All was well prepared to welcome Le Tour 2014.

Below - this year's collection of 'Tour Tat' - plenty of key rings, caps, bags, snacks and fridge magnets and, of course, the Team Sky bidon.

Le Tour is approaching so a couple of days ago we went to check out where we might spend the day on its route between Carcassonne and Bagneres de Luchon.

This is typical of the scenery the riders will be seeing around Fanjeau - undulating countryside with sunflowers as far as the eye can see.

Fanjeau itself is a beautiful little village with narrow streets, an ancient church,

a covered marketplace, 

an abundance of fascinating doors,

and an almost refurbished office de tourisme.

The tour will be entering and quickly leaving Fanjeau by the D119

then taking a right along the D102 continuing through wheatfields and sunflowers

with the Pyrenees awaiting them in the distance.

They'll be passing through the sleepy town of Belpech with its stunning church.

and pretty market place then carrying on through pretty avenues of trees before reaching the mountain climbs.

That's for next Tuesday, 22nd.

 Meanwhile we've been out & about quite a bit ourselves.  

This is on one of the hairpins on the road to Andorra.

Heading for a tax free shopping trip in Pas de la Casa. 

These are danseurs folkloriques taking part in the annual Occitan weekend in nearby Saurat.  

They must be rather warm in their woolly blue bobble hats and wooden sabots.

The wandering minstrels helped to add to the lovely ambience of the weekend.  The BBQ and buvette weren't bad either!

Back in Tarascon the trees are looking beautiful and the rapaces are out profusion.

Yes, it's another rubbish photo but I'm pretty sure it's a bearded vulture/gypaete barbu/lammergeier.

This may look like a Christmas pud gone wrong but it is in fact another batch which I've just turned out of the dye bucket!

Fabric, threads and a calico bag which needed brightening up!

It's so hot today the breeze is like the hot air from a hairdryer.  Despite being 39 degs in the shade I'm making jam!  The trees just outside Place Garrigou are just dripping with ripe plums and it would be a waste not to make use of them!