French linen to choose from...

We left the French Maison early to be in time for our first appointment on this trip with one of the dealers that  source old French linen  for me...

 A few hours drive on narrow winding roads through beautiful villages,past majestic castles,  and deep into rural France..

The style of architecture  differs from one village to the next  and yet the same...

We had some rain along the way..luckily clearing up as we reached our destination.

The brocante sign indicated that we are still on the right road, reassuring since there were deviations , at least three more villages and we will be there...

...past more packed stone walls

 Arriving at the farmhouse of mr and mrs brocante where we have been choosing linen for three years now... There is a little store stacked with boxes marked "Colette"

Dd peeping inside the boxes awaiting us

...before running off to greet Patou

The sorting and choosing of chanvre, metisse, linge and dentelle has begun...oh how can I explain the excitement!!

5 hours later,  chosen, boxed and ready to be loaded..

The road back home..Dd has fallen asleep, Mr LB is concentrating on the road with deviations... and my mind is in the boxes...monogrammes...more monogrammes and gorgeous old French linen of all different textures and weight.

We stopped along the road at a little bistro for plat de jour, and arrived home tired but pleased. 26 Boxes stacked until further admin. French  sheets, all monogrammed,blanc et rouge,  torchons,  serviettes,  chemises....  tins filled with lace and buttons on original French cards.
I think we have found almost a third of the linen I would like to take back.The coming week I will focus on finding special orders on the list from  clients, make another trip to find  more  old French linen, and also look for vieux French documents..When all is found and more, we will  rent a  big truck to take all to the Paris warehouse  for shipping back to Afrique du Sud...phew...5 days gone, we should have enough time to fill the order and make time for a little holiday in between...each trip the order to fill is bigger, which of course is good, but more challenging to find. I love a challenge!

at the Maison:
those handy banana boxes again...
one strong banana box can pack 8 - 10 heavy French linen sheets,
or 100 torchons, or 18 chemises, or 80 - 100 serviettes, or at least 15 bistro table cloths...

I know you want to see what is inside....just a small preview:

Next: Brocante at Sille -Le-Guillaume

I have not been there before, but it  promises to be good with 180 dealers expected, and then off to three others while in the  Angers and Le Mans vicinity.
that should keep us busy for a day...

a Bientot

Colette