A Little Excitement

My husband, Bryan, got back to Paris yesterday. His trip was uneventful until he arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport. In the past he has always pre-arranged for a pickup service (like hiring a limo in New York) to get him to and from the airport. It is a little more expensive than a taxi but all the international flights seem to arrive at the same time...whatever airport you are flying into...so the line to catch a taxi at CDG can be daunting. A hired car waiting for only you is a welcome site after almost 24 hours of traveling from Alaska. 

For whatever reason...Bryan decided not to have the hired car...just to take a taxi.

Yesterday...in Paris...the taxis were on strike. 

He sent me an email letting me know it might take him awhile to make his way back to the apartment so I went for my walk. (He didn't have a key to the apartment with him so I had been patiently waiting for him to get home.)

Sure enough...I saw a gathering of striking taxi drivers who had parked to block a road near the Invalides. 

I noticed on my walk along the Seine that there was soooo little traffic. There was an occasional taxi working but I saw very few. It was definitely one of the most peaceful walks I have taken and it was the middle of the day. No incessant car horns honking.

Meanwhile...back at the airport...

There were some working taxi drivers. Strikes happen often enough that people have learned to deal with it. Passengers share taxis. Paris is divided into sections called arrondissements. We are in the 15th. Bryan's taxi took three passengers with all their huge bags to the 15th arrondissement. Notice how small this taxi is. Three grown men crammed into the back seat. Their bags in the front seat, on their laps and crammed in the rear.

The striking taxi's had blocked other streets around Paris. One of the passengers was checking the traffic situation on his smart phone and they realized a major detour to the normal route was necessary. At one point they drove near a group of striking taxi drivers and their taxi was egged by the strikers. 

What was the conversation in the taxi?

My husband does speak a little French. The other two passengers, French, did speak great English. One told my husband the best way to improve his French was to get a French girlfriend. 

Maybe I had better work some more on my French!

Just in case you want to know a little bit more about the taxi strike and the reasons for it, go to this link, Paris Taxi Strike Turns Violent

I also found out, while I was sewing away on the borders of my quilt on Sunday, I missed "No Pants," day on the Metro. What? I had best mark that on my calendar for next year. I have found a blog about Paris happenings to follow and that's how I found out...too late! There are pictures...take a peek. 

 Out and About in Paris

Design Wall Monday

I have proven, without a doubt, when confronted with a math problem...pull out the dark chocolate. I appreciate the helpful suggestions to my dilemma. What you couldn't see was the piece of brown batik included in the kit for leaf appliques that I hadn't touched. There was just enough fabric (and I mean just enough!) to add two narrow borders. Now it looks like this was the plan all along!

This solution only required me to rip out four, three-inch seams so I could add a section to each of the checkerboard lengths. The final size is 67" square. That's five inches wider than the original design. The pattern also comes with directions for a queen-sized version. Except for the border problem, the pattern was excellent. The border lengths were not cut ahead of time...just the widths which is where I ran into my problem. I like that the instructions called for borders using the length of the fabric...I prefer it that way...less stretch to the lengthwise grain.

I am very happy with the final flimsy...this is going to fit perfectly in my Alaska home entryway!

Hubby gets back to Paris today. I am anxious to see how much of the stuff I ordered for my quilting and embroidery projects actually made it into his suitcase. He was so busy while in Alaska that we hardly spoke on the phone so I didn't get to nag/remind him to bring my stuff.

Next up is some time spent on UFOs. Top stitching fusible appliques. Yep...one of those Alaska-theme quilts. I'm going to start with grey...or is it gray...thread.

So I had to google that grey vs gray thing. 

Gray with an "a" is the American spelling.

Grey with an "e" is the English spelling.

Now we all know!

And as usual...my embroidery projects are slowly progressing. I'm working on a set of ornaments to match a stocking. I have lots of little lights to add around all the ornaments.

One more thing...the French attitude. I had a few comments from my post about fabric shopping  in Paris and customer service. I just wanted to say...I don't think it has much to do with my being an American when I have a snooty encounter in Paris...French waiters can be just as snooty to their French customers! I find a glass of wine helps my outlook on most every situation, dark chocolate if it is earlier in the day.

Math in My Future

As I was sewing on the first border I had a thought...probably would have been better to measure the pieced second border before adding the first border. It was a good thought...just should have happened earlier in the process.

Here's where I am at.

I've added the first border which is the navy blue batik. Now the pieced border is 3/4 of an inch too short. (There are coordinating corner blocks).

Up to this point I had no issues with the pattern directions...they were great! Here's how the directions say to handle the joining of these two borders, "Adjust seams of pieced border if needed." Hysterical!

So I am having some dark chocolate and coffee while I contemplate a solution that will hopefully not involve a seam ripper. I actually have enough navy batik to cut another border plus a dark brown batik that was included for the leaf appliques that I decided to do without. Ultimately I will be required to do math...darn! I bought a kit so I wouldn't have to do math...or thinking.

Lone Star Progress

This has been a fun kit! I will definitely make some more Lone Star quilts. The "Woodland Star," pattern calls for some leaves appliqued on the background areas but I'm leaving those off for some great quilting designs in the future.

 

My black fabric won't arrive in Alaska in time for my husband to bring it back with him. Now I have to decide if I will ship it by Fed Ex or wait for my son to bring it in mid-February. Don't feel too sorry for me...I do have a small stash of batik fabrics so I could start a new project as soon as I come up with a pattern!

Fabric Shopping in Paris

Why didn't I take more photos? I'm so mad at myself! Other than that, I had a great time walking around Paris with Christelle today. We headed to the Montmartre area of Paris where there is a "fabric district." From our metro stop we walked up the hill toward Sacre Coeur and took a right at the base of the basilica's gates.

I was totally distracted in the first shop because we struck up a conversation with a transplanted Kiwi...a quilter from New Zealand living in Paris. We had a grand time talking with her and finally headed out of that shop after the workers started giving us dirty looks. Can you imagine workers of fabric store in the U.S. doing that? It certainly didn't entice us to part with any cash there.

The shop next door was great for clothing fabrics, Tissus Reine. I got yelled at for taking photos...what is up with that? More horrible customer service. Anyway...here are the photos the shop is so worried about being viewed by...the general public?

The store is full of half-sized mannequins that are dressed by couture students. I particularly liked this feather skirt...I should have bought some of that feather fabric...love the colors! I just don't have many occasions for feather dresses.

There was a good notions department on the first floor which we Americans would call the second floor. Christelle found some adorable Eiffel Tower scissors that had to come home with me. And I found a set of colored chalk refills for my mechanical pencil at a great price for Paris, $9 Euros, $12 U.S. I found my stash of white chalk refills just minutes before I left the apartment to meet Christelle, so she got to keep her refills. But she also brought me a couple of charms for my santa ornaments...I am missing some charms so she has been helping me look for them.

There were several other stores we walked through, one, Marche Saint Pierre, was six floors of fabrics. But very little for quilters and overall...I think a good JoAnns would serve any kind of sewer better in the long run. I think it is very sad that Paris doesn't have a better selection of fashion fabrics...and certainly the prices are discouraging for the quality. 

After our fabric adventure we got on the metro and headed to an area closer to my apartment to try out a lunch spot Christelle thought I might like, Restaurant I'le de la Reunion. She is a good listener because I will definitely be dragging Bryan there someday. It was spicy island food. Simple entrees of meat in a spicy sauce with a side of rice and spicy condiments. We are always looking for a different flavor and this place had the added benefit of being gentle on the wallet. We were on the late side so we were getting pushed out the door at 2 p.m. Many restaurants close for several hours between lunch and dinner.

We then headed to some dress shops Christelle wanted to check out for sales. Many small Paris shops close for a two-hour lunch. Both shops Christelle wanted to visit were on the same block but not opening back up until 2:30...and of course they were both late opening back up. Christelle found a great sweater...yes...I should have taken a picture! One of the shop owners had a long conversation with Christelle...in French...about me! Basic information was discussed....I'm from Alaska and living in Paris for five years. When we got out of the shop Christelle told me the lady said I would be sad to leave Paris...or something like that. She probably thinks Alaska is a cold and scary place...well I guess it is right now! But I am more than happy to go back to my life in Alaska. There are five fabulous quilt shops within an hour of my home and now those Alaska fabric prices look like screaming deals!

Before we knew it...it was time for Christelle to catch the 4 p.m. train. We managed to dodge the rain for the most part. We are already making plans for our next outing!

Nerd Alert

I am giving myself a major pat on the back. Yesterday, as soon as I posted about my ailing computer I had an obvious thought...check the Apple support website. They had a solution and after a couple of restarts my notebook was fixed. Might be time for me to get a pocket protecter for my shirt...I might be turning into a computer geek.

I have a full day ahead of me. It is market day and I need some produce. Then I will meet up with Christelle. She is coming to Paris for a little sale shopping. She is even going to bring some refills for my chalk pencil. I could have sworn I brought refills for it but they are probably sitting with my Alaska stash.

We are going to head to a fabric store for a little diversion in a part of Paris I have only been to once, near the basilica Sacre Coeure. I think I should bring a little rain insurance with me...umbrella.

Computer Techie Needed

A couple of days ago I turned my Mac notebook on and got some strange windows on my screen. 

There are several other windows that come up...all have the word "keychain" in them somewhere. So I googled it and I'm not the only person with this problem. It seems to be related to a file that keeps track of all my online passwords. It won't take any of my passwords. 

There are several fixes I found on google but I don't know what to try...I don't know which website to trust? I may just have to visit a Paris Apple store. I can still use the notebook in the guest setting so it isn't the most pressing issue. I have a second laptop that has a 17" screen that I primarily use as my desktop...it has a traditional keyboard that I prefer for blogging. I might wait for my son to look at it when he comes to visit in February. I always expect my sons to be able to get me out of these computer jams!

In the meantime, I am going to get back to quilting...something I am pretty competent at doing. This is as far as I can go on the Bear Ridge quilt...just finished the baby bear paw blocks. This would make a really cute border for a baby bear quilt...never ending ideas!

While I wait for hubby to bring back more black fabric I am going to start a kit I bought at the Houston quilt show in 2012.

I've always wanted to try a Lone Star quilt...today is the day!