“ Provençal peasants have cultivated lavender from the 18th century onwards, and usually for the purpose of Grasse perfume designers. The first spindles were then created and used in linen cupboard to scent the clean linen and keep moths away. ”
Come and learn about the Provençal tradition of lavender spindle-crafting. Get stuck in to this charming craft that encloses the pretty lavender flowers inside their stems to preserve their wonderful scent. Discover how to gather them, how to sort them, and how to weave it all together with a beautiful ribbon.
You’ll discover the different wild varieties of lavender – from fine mountain lavender, to Aspic lavender that grows in meadows, to organic lavender which she herself grows. Get stuck in and learn how to how to gather them, how to sort them, and how to weave it all together with a beautiful ribbon. Anna will take you through each stage to create your very own lavender spindle with a gorgeous scent.
With Anna Piquardt :
Born in northern Germany, Anna Piquardt fell in love with Provence when she was very young. She often spent summers in Minguinelle, a small hamlet in ruins which her parents bought before they discovered the village of Barjols. Deeply committed to the defence of human rights and rights within nature, she trained in ecology and studied the laws of indigenous peoples. Specifically, she studied Latin American issues and global ecology. In 2018, Anna left Germany to set up her small farm on the Minguinelle estate. There she cultivated plant dye plants with the aim of opening a textile workshop and experiment with juice extraction from plants and flowers. She improved her method of fabric production by using lavender essence and she trained in lavender spindle crafting, with the aim of passing on these traditional and soon-forgotten skills to younger generations.
