As mentioned
at the beginning of my previous blogpost I was so busy with quilty things in
the month of April that I decided to split my monthly blogpost into two, one of
the first half of April in The Netherlands and this one of the second half of
April in France.
I had promised
to help out Emma in her quiltshop (click) during the workshops she had organised
with Karen Styles and Di Ford. I usually
travel there by train (which I love) but unfortunately the French railway peeps
decided to go on strike for at least 3 months (on various days of each week)
and sure enough my Thalys train was cancelled. Not to worry, when I heard about
the strike plans already in March I made double bookings for all the French
travel I planned in this period, so plan B was put into motion (literally) and
I traveled by bus instead.
The drive from
the trainstation into the village where Emma lives is always beautiful but now
even more so, with spring in the air, blossoming trees and once there a
gorgeous sunset view from her backyard.
And who had
already arrived earlier in the day….Karen! Remember I mentioned in my last
blogpost I would spend time later on in April with a lady who would say ‘this
is no dress rehearsal’ , well that was Karen. And living up to those words, she
wanted to spend a day in Paris, so that is what we did.
On the Friday the French railway people were back at work so off we went. Unfortunately Emma could not join us, so that left Karen and me to explore and criss-cross this beautiful city together and I think we made the most of it.
We started off
at the Sacre-Coeur and Montmartre.
Of course we
looked around in Reine, the famous huge fabric store
Karen wanted
to see the Eiffel Tower, but once there we found it difficult to get nice
pictures (all those iron security fences did not help). We did get a few
Also I
remembered going to the Trocadero across the Seine some 3 decades (!) earlier
and that’s where we went next for another view of the Eiffel Tower. On our way
over there we probably saw the best view from a metro anywhere in the world!
And yes, the
Trocadero was perfect for those all important pictures of the Eiffel Tower!
Next on our
list was the Notre Dame
and then we crossed
the Seine, walked passed the busy, noisy terraces filled with tourists and
found a small, hidden place with a few tables outside for some r&r
and such a lovely
view from an upstairs window:
We weren’t
finished yet! Time to go to The Louvre
and then the Jardin
des Tuileries which when I was there with my husband just a few weeks earlier
(click) were bare and empty, but now they were green, lush and full of people
enjoying the beautiful weather.
After a long,
warm day it was time to take the train back to Emma’s, tired but contented, according
to Karen’s step counter, this was our day
We toasted to
a day well spent, not just the statistics, spending the day together we had a
chance to laugh (also at ourselves… oh my, trying to take those selfies 😊 ) , chat and get to know each other a bit better.
From the next
day the workshops would begin, first Karen’s two day workshop, she showed us
her quilts:
and she showed
us her techniques, both by hand and on the sewing machine:
Karen gave
great instructions and tips and it was a lovely atmosphere.
Lunch at Karen’s
and Di’s workshops was being catered for by Marie-Liesse, Emma’s sister-in-law
and professional caterer, yummmmm is all I can say!
And I did not
mind the champagne either 😉
After the two great
days of Karen’s workshop the fun was not over yet (or as we say in The
Netherlands: de koek was nog niet op – the cake was not finished yet) , when Di
Ford arrived for her workshop.
I have done 3
workshops with Di myself, all at Petra Prins’(click) , this time I was there
just to help out, but I know that Di’s workshops are intensive, she has so much
to show and to tell, her quilts are so intricate, it takes a lot of
concentration and work to follow it all. She kept everyone very busy.
Meghan, friend
of Di and fellow member of the Secret Sewing Sisterhood was travelling with Di.
She had installed herself in a corner working on a secret project, but kindly
helped out as well, cutting fabrics and making kits for the ladies, there was
so much to be done.
When she left
Di gifted me this signed set of templates, a lovely souvenir to these busy but
rewarding days.
As I have
mentioned before to me this quilting passion is not just about the quilts, the
things, it is very much also about the people. I feel blessed to have the
chance to travel and meet so many lovely, kind, interesting and inspiring
people and make the most of each day, each encounter. And thankful to all
involved for their energy and ability to make special things happen.
Again, Karen:
‘This is no dress rehearsal’ or a line I
heard some years ago : ‘one life, live it’ .
And with that
I am packing my suitcase again…
Phyllis
P.S. Usually I
like to share more of the quilts I see but some of the ladies were working on
secret projects and with this wirlwind of famous quilters with their finished
and unfinished projects coming and going, I have lost track of what can and cannot
be shown, so as not to betray anybody’s trust, best to err on the safe side.
