White embroidery reveals its precision in demonstrations by Sylvie Lezziero. A separate practical workshop introduces either a whitework motif with plumetis, sand and straight cordonnet stitches, or a Touraine motif incorporating Valenciennes lace. The small-group format connects close observation with needlework, making the techniques behind the delicate surface visible and teachable.
Tag: traditional-crafts
Les Grands Feux: La Borne’s Wood-Fired Ceramics
Wood-fired kilns set the pace of Les Grands Feux in La Borne, with loading, firing and unloading carried out in public. Ceramicists from many places exchange working knowledge around the furnaces. Studio visits, exhibitions and practical workshops extend the programme from utilitarian pots to sculpture, revealing the range of practices sustained by this pottery village.
La Bretèche Tileworks: Quarry and Craft Skills
Tilemaking begins with the ground beneath it at La Tuilerie de la Bretèche’s open house. Guided visits take in the working premises and quarry, connecting raw material with the place where it is transformed. Local artisans and a children’s workshop add further ways to encounter practical skills, with the tileworks team and volunteers sharing their knowledge in Ligny-le-Ribault.
Ferrières-en-Gâtinais: Medieval Streets and Living Crafts
Ferrières-en-Gâtinais approaches its heritage through performance, guided exploration and encounters with makers. A theatrical promenade and bell-tower visit sit alongside a trail of clues and a tour of the medieval town. Houses and gardens open their doors, while master glassmaker Sophie Berecz welcomes visitors to her studio, connecting historic streets with a craft still practised there.
Brenne Basketry: From Wild Plants to Woven Hoops
Wild plants gathered in the Brenne become the material for hoop-based basketry with Frédérique Ardibus. The course starts outdoors with collecting, then moves into successive sessions of weaving and making. Organised by the regional natural park, the small-group activity follows the craft from raw vegetation to a formed object, with all sessions forming one learning sequence.
Le Rivau’s Pumpkin Festival: Gardens and Gourd Crafts
Pumpkins and gourds from Le Rivau’s vegetable heritage collection become material for food, sound and craft. Tastings and gardening activities share the festival with sculpting, storytelling and jugglers handling ornamental gourds. Cougourdonniers bring specialised gourd crafts to the gathering, while a gourmet market adds flavours to a family programme rooted in Touraine’s gardens.
Restaurer le patrimoine: Meet the Makers in Loches
The people who care for heritage take centre stage in Restaurer le patrimoine in Loches. Artists, restorers and artisans introduce their professions and discuss the knowledge and practical skills involved in their work. A freely explored meeting format gives the public space to speak with these specialists, turning attention from finished historic fabric to the expertise needed to sustain it.
L’Été Indien: Music, Makers and Heritage in Langeais
Regional performers and local makers share the gathering created by La Locale for L’Été Indien in Langeais. Tents and a festival village bring concerts and shows together with products and crafts from the area. Games and activities for different ages extend the programme, while the Saint-Laurent heritage setting forms part of a festival intended to connect the town’s inhabitants.
Lansyer’s Japanese Fans: A Making Workshop in Loches
Japanese fans are both useful objects and works of art in the collection assembled by Lansyer. This Loches workshop introduces that part of his collecting interests before inviting participants to make and decorate a fan themselves. The finished object goes home with its maker, linking a local artist’s preserved collection with a practical encounter with Japanese decorative culture.
Récréa-terre: Children’s Pottery at La Borne
Hands shape clay at Récréa-terre, the children’s pottery programme at La Borne’s ceramics centre. A changing selection of workshops introduces hand-building and modelling, leaving room for participants’ ideas and levels of experience. Designed for ages six to fifteen, the sessions connect creative experimentation with the making skills associated with this ceramic community.