More embroidery photos from our trip to France

I'm sorry that I haven't been a better blogger recently.  We have had a lot going on, and I'm not sure I know which end is up. Thank you for your patience with me.  I'll try to do better with updating my blog in the future. 

We just returned home last night from Florida where we visited our fathers. We timed the trip to coincide with my father's 90th birthday.  I had hoped to update my blog regularly while we were down there, but I ran into internet problems in Orlando.  So much for the best laid plans.  

I have lots of photos to show you--a few more from France, my recent Long May She Wave class in Jacksonville, a wonderful lace and linen shop in Orlando, Quaker Turtles (and cookies), Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in Kentucky, and more.  Perhaps before long I'll also have photos of two new With My Needle designs.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos highlighting the embroidery we saw.

First is a Millefleur tapestry, followed by a detail of some of the flowers near the bottom.  Millefleur tapestries get their name because of the many flowers and small plants that are on the background.  The term "millefleur" means "thousand flowers". Quite an appropriate name for this style of tapestry, don't you think?

Churches often have beautifully embroidered vestments, banners, and altar coverings.  Here are a few that we saw.

We also went to see two very famous tapestries.  First was the The Apocalypse Tapestry in Angers. It was created between 1375 and 1382--an amazing feat.  This tapestry, the largest in the world, depicts scenes from the Book of Revelation. It was originally 436 feet long and 20 feet high, but only about two-thirds of it has survived. Photos were not allowed, but I found this website which has wonderful photos for you to enjoy.

Another day we went to see the Bayeux Tapestry.  The Bayeux Tapestry is not actually a tapestry, but instead it's a cloth embroidered with wool thread that depicts the story of the Norman Conquest. The tapestry is believed to have been made around 1070 and measures 230 feet long by about 20 inches high.  It is an amazing work of art.

Again, no inside photos were allowed, so this is all I have to show you.

If you want to see some photos of this magnificent tapestry, check some of the many websites that tell about it such as this or this.

I took quite a fall after (thankfully, not before) seeing the Bayeux Tapestry (and thankfully, after walking up St. Michel) when I stepped off a curb I didn't see. Yikes!  My legs were really banged up, and luckily there was a doctor on our tour who took care of me. I  was maxed out on over-the-counter pain pills and had to limit my activities for a couple of days. (I was really slow moving for those first few days.)  However, I still have scars on my legs, and it has been over a month. It could have been much worse.  I'm so thankful I didn't have any broken bones or damage my back again.