Quick daily posts

[wendywombat]

I'm sure your poor 2CV (known as "Ugly Ducklings" in Dutch ) is grateful for a bit of fresh air and sunshine to keep her going until she's back on the road again!

As for you and Tracy, hope all the muscles and other achy bits soon feel better.

Where we lived in France, 2 CV's were very common. Some in original condition and being driven every day by the 'older' generation. Also there are 2 enthusiastic residents who buy, restore and drive these iconic vehicles regularly. Every summer there is a Rally in a local village and enthusiastic drivers from all over France and beyond gather to admire and show off their 'Ugly Ducklings'! One year there was a 2 CV which had been driven from India to Europe. It had also been from Texas to Canada! Still in its original colour and looking battered but tidy.

[richardandtracy]

I have long memories of 2CV's.
In 1975 we went on holiday in Austria (near Reutte in the Tyrol) with our van towing a caravan. On the way back to Paderborn in Germany on the Autobahn's we traveled for a good 300 miles with a 20-something couple in their 2CV. They had their portraits painted on the flat doors and obviously loved their car and enjoyed it enormously. They overtook us going down the hills and we overtook them up the hills. Every time we all waved frantically at each other, and over 300 miles you can imagine how many times this happened. This made me convinced from the age of 10 that I was going to have one because they were fun cars.

My first 4 wheel car was a red & white 2CV Dolly, and I passed my driving test in it despite making the examiner scream in fear. That happened during the emergency stop. I slammed the brakes on, the nose dived 5" and the tail rose 6", and it felt as if we were going to flip which is why the examiner who didn't know the car screamed.I could have put the brakes on harder, but given the response I thought it better not to. That car was murdered in an accident when a stationary Volvo hit me after a 70mph Astra ran into the back of the traffic queue I was in. The poor thing was 15" shorter after the shunt, and the Volvo didn't break its lights.

My next car was a Citroen Dyane, built on a 2CV running chassis. That was not a good car. The floor had several holes larger than 8" across, the brakes didn't and you could slip the clutch in any gear. The chassis had large holes in it, there were several feet when there was nothing between the top & bottom flange of the chassis. There was grass growing on the floor mats and had to wear wellington boots when driving in the rain from the deluge that came through the front cabin bulkhead and bonnet air scoop. Sold that after a year. With great pleasure.

Our third car was our lovely Charleston, and was the car my Mother gave us.

I needed a commuting car the 40 miles to my work at Biggin Hill to play with aeroplanes, and bought an orange 2CV6 Special for £400, which did me 40000 miles (reaching 130000 miles), and after I left that job and didn't need it, I sold it to my next door neighbour for £60 and they had 2 years of happy use out of it before selling it on to a student for £50. My neighbour's wife still regrets them selling it, she adored the car.

The owner of the garage where I took all my 2CV's raced them. There was one wonderful picture of him in a row of 3 coming round a corner, with the roof of each inner car overlapping the wheels of the next car out. He went to his own wedding in a black stretch limo version he converted himself and finished on the morning of his wedding.

Regards,

Richard.

[I may have unintentionally put CSF at risk of legal action by linking to off-site photos to illustrate this post. I have been made aware of the risk & deleted the links to the photos. Should you want to view photos of 2CV's (and why wouldn't you, they're amazing cars?) can I suggest you look at Google Images using a search term like 'Citroen 2CV pompier cogolin' or 'Citroen 2CV Dolly' or 'Citroen 2CV Limo']

[Serinde]

This made my day. My brother had a Triumph (briefly) when he returned from Nam, and it had a huge hole in the floor so we had to keep our feet to the side when he'd take me to Burger King for a treat... Having a stick shift -- a novelty in modern cars in the US at the time -- my mother was allowed to take it to the high school car park where she proceeded to teach the children how it was done, doing doughnuts and driving Very Fast, much to my brother's amazement. Kept her light under several bushels, did my mom.

[SteveM]

Having a stick shift -- a novelty in modern cars in the US at the time

It is no longer a novelty but a genuine anti-theft device!

[Serinde]

Ha! Who'd have thought, eh?

[richardandtracy]

I find many people have difficulty with the 2CV 'Stick Shift'. It's more like an umbrella handle with a knob on the end sticking out of the front bulkhead. You twist and push or pull it to change gear (use this search link to see what I'm talking about: https://www.google.com/search?q=Citroen ... CpxwWZgQ7M).
It makes most car's stick shifts seem quite sane & sensible. While you are at it, look at the speedometer size. It's so small on most models (2"/5cm square) so that you can't see how slowly you're going. The noise in the cabin makes it seem as if you are going very fast even when not.

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

While you are at it, look at the speedometer size. It's so small on most models (2"/5cm square) so that you can't see how slowly you're going.

Very like the vintage Austin Sevens, where most of the gauges are between 2 and 3 inches. If they are there at all, of course. The MOT is also hugely simplified by not having seatbelts, air bags, indicators..... (the indicators are the driver's right arm and the passenger's left arm; it used to be just the driver's arm, with different gestures, but nobody understands those anymore so it's not safe)

[wendywombat]

A neighbour of mine had one. She was Dutch and imported it from Holland. First time I had ever ridden in a right hand drive car! Scary! Not only that it was very old and the seats were canvas on tubular metal frames. I couldn't believe how basic the car was.....and, yes that gear shift!!!

Today the sun shines here and the views of the hills make our choice of location perfect.
I have managed to finish a small hardanger square and nearly finished the backstitch on a Margaret Sherry "cats in mugs". The window seat in the lounge is perfect for stitching and admiring the view.
Only downside is that when this design is finished I have nothing else to stitch. I wasn't able to bring much with me.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Only downside is that when this design is finished I have nothing else to stitch. I wasn't able to bring much with me.

That is a dire emergency. Perhaps you can use a pillow case and some left-over threads from your previous projects to whip up something improvised?

I the Cats in Mugs - I stitched them as a birthday present for my best friend years ago and put them in a set of coasters. Are these the same ones?

[Serinde]

Only downside is that when this design is finished I have nothing else to stitch. I wasn't able to bring much with me.

Lots of freebie hardanger designs online (or there used to be), but not much help if you don't have fabric and thread. However, that can be remedied, by my sending in the post anything you might need!

[wendywombat]

Yes that's the design! I can't photo anything yet as I am working from my phone at the moment.
I did my hardanger on a fairly large piece of 25 count so I have enough on the side to make a bookmark. Thanks for idea of improvising.

[wendywombat]

Only downside is that when this design is finished I have nothing else to stitch. I wasn't able to bring much with me.

Lots of freebie hardanger designs online (or there used to be), but not much help if you don't have fabric and thread. However, that can be remedied, by my sending in the post anything you might need!

I have some Threadworx green Perle in #8 & #5 with me which can be used on the 25 count to make a bookmark or small design in hardanger so I will see what the little grey cells can come up with. (bad grammar!) But thank you for thought.

[Mabel Figworthy]

The Rugby RSN satellite has opened up again and I've got a Certificate class booked for next Wednesday . Bit apprehensive, but the people who have been to classes at Hampton Court Palace say it's all done very safely, so I assume they will be equally careful here.
Wish me luck on mounting my Jacobean piece to the exacting RSN standards !

[Serinde]

Glasgow RSN has also started, and the reports are good. If only we could stitch and not have to deal with pesky finishing, eh?

[Mabel Figworthy]

If only we could stitch and not have to deal with pesky finishing, eh?

Tell me about it! My one recurring gripe about the Certificate (and Diploma) is that you are judged on mounting Every Single Module - so if your embroidery in every technique is perfect but your mounting is pants, you lose points 10 times over (4 times in the Certificate, 6 in the Diploma).

[rcperryls]

Sending you all the luck for your doing a perfect mounting, Mabel!!! Fortunately I am sending it virtually so it will arrive very shortly since we don't have to depend on anyone's postal service!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

Thanks Carole - it may take more than one class to finish but I'll post pictures when it's done! And then it's off for assessment

[fccs]

I love the cats and mugs designs, especially the blue one with the kitty’s bottom. Adorable, all of them.

[Mabel Figworthy]

especially the blue one with the kitty’s bottom

That's my favourite too - it always makes me giggle

[wendywombat]

I've really enjoyed stitching this. I did it many years ago when it was first published for a friend's daughter's new home.
This one is for me. I have the Margaret Sherry " bookazine" and there are several fantastic designs in there.
What amazed me was how popular this publication still is. I paid £9.99 for it when new....I saw it for 3 times that price on eBay recently. I guess since the designer died her patterns are now sought after.