I've just tried to get this bike on my browser but failed. Got through to Craig's List but the blurb says the bike's been removed so I assume that Kendra has bought herself that new shopping bike.
I've only seen a couple of Ficelles and know nothing about them. The company was probably one of those very many regional builders who, in the late 40s and early 50s would sponsor a pro rider in one of the Regional teams, such as Tendil in Nimes, or Arliguie in Montargis. I have an ever growing list of 240+ such companies.
The Ficelles that I saw were workmanlike machines..both were lady's curved twin-lateral machines, with nicely pin-striped paintwork. Apart from that I cannot contribute anything else except to agree that "ficelle" does, in one sense of the word, mean a long thin loaf of bread., a slimmer version of the ubiquitous "baguette". The common meaning of the word is string, or twine, but a colloquial translation as used in "les ficelles du metier" means "the tricks of the trade" So..just possibly the "cadreur" who brazed up your frame knew a thing or two that competitors didn't.
Norris Lockley, Settle UK