Wrapping Up the Week

Yesterday was a drippy day outside so I sat at my sewing machine for most of it and before I knew it...the day was gone!

I worked on stitching around fusible-web appliques...a tedious task! A good audio book helps a lot. I finished up Charles Dickens, "Tale of Two Cities." I read it in high school and didn't remember any of it. It is set during the French Revolution so I found it much more interesting this time...though like all stories that I've read from that time period...very sad, harsh and brutal. In case time travel becomes possible someday...remember to avoid Paris during that period!

Here's my UFO project. Blocks from an Alaska Shop Hop quilt. There have been some gorgeous designs for these over the years. This is from 2009. A loon and a killer whale. I don't think I have seen either in their natural state in Alaska...have to work on that!

Here's the final design I'm working toward. Twelve more blocks to top-stitch.

Worked on my polar bear ornaments. Did a new stitch, tacked loop, for the yellow fringe...so cute and easy!

We had another frozen option for dinner last night, a tart...like a pizza. Sorry for the fuzzy photo...

This was great for a light dinner. I paired it with a green salad. Cooked in ten minutes and was less the $5. It was a little soggy in the middle...a pizza stone would be nice to have...already have four in Alaska so I'm not going to buy one here. 

I finally figured out how to pick a good bottle of French wine! Look for a label that indicates someone else recommended it. See the gold circle...it got a little award. 

We like this one even better from a couple of nights ago.

I do not get headaches from French red wine like I always do from U.S. red wines. In fact, I just don't drink red wine from the U.S. anymore. Both bottles were just under $10 Euros a piece...$13 U.S. 

We have a pilot friend on a Paris layover to join for dinner tonight. It'a amazing how many friends we get to see over here that we haven't seen in 10 or more years! It's one of my favorite perks about living here. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hubby got all my stuff packed in his suitcase...it was like Christmas morning yesterday! New DVDs, Carol Doak paper, a quilting design book, lots of gold DMC floss and some beads.

He also brought all our mail from the last month and in it were a few fun catalogs...like the latest Keepsake Quilting one...they now have a bigger sized format. It is always fun to look through that catalog.

And this catalog, Schnee's. In case you are new to my blog I used to have two wonderful Bernese Mountain dogs that I had to give to a new home when my husband took this Paris assignment. This cover has BMD puppies on it...melt my heart.

Then when I was reading through the Keepsake Quilting catalog I spotted a new McKenna Ryan quilt to be released soon, "Dog Park."

And she's got a BMD in it!

He's teeter-tottering with three other puppies. Looks a little lop-sided...so cute! I'll be buying the pattern for this block! 

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!