A few of the stops on our trip I couldn’t take pictures of, so you will have to use your imagination a little bit.  The first stop after we said our “adieus” to the family was to go to Bayeux, France.  To all my beloved textile geeks, please find a map and add this to the places you have to go visit someday.

The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered piece that is about 20 inches by 230 feet made in about 1070.  The tour guide described it as the “world’s oldest comic strip” because it is made up of 50+ scenes, telling the story of William the Conqueror with captions to help you follow along.  The tapestry is displayed in a cabinet at about eye level and you can get within about 10 inches of it (behind glass) so us geeks can study the stitches up close.  We carried along a walkie-talkie type device that gave you a story of each section and the things you should notice about it.  It’s in beautiful condition and the colors are vibrant.  The stitch that it used for the large blocks of color is called the “bayeux stitch” and you know that I am already working on a project so I can learn it.

On our way back to where we parked the car, we saw signs for the “Musee des Dentelles” or Museum of Lace.  We walked in the tiny building and I was completely in awe of the amazing bobbin lace.  There were 4 ladies working on lace pieces as we watched.  I have seen a lot of bobbin lace and this was like nothing I have seen before.  I couldn’t take pictures of their pieces, but this one from the V&A textile collection will give you the idea.

None of the lace makers spoke english and my textile vocabulary in French is a bit thin.  I managed to tell them that I worked at a “textile museum and school” and they wanted to know what kind of lace I made.  With a little pantomime and a drawing on paper, I told them that I could do tatting.  I bought two pretty bobbins and a vintage postcard from their shop, so if I learn bobbin lace someday I will have those as a good luck charm.  With the help of Google Translate, I wrote them a letter today in French to see if they will send me some photos so I can do a lesson about Bayeux as part of a kids class someday.

I could easily dedicate several posts to the V&A textile collection and other stops along the way.  In fact I think I will.  Here’s a teaser of what’s to come.