Thursday, July 2, 2015

Where Have I Been? Paris!


Still celebrating my 60th year, my husband and I visited Paris for our very first time!
It's a stunningly beautiful city, as you all know.
The best part for me was visiting quilt-maker friends whom I've met through this blog!



This is Christine (left) and Willemke.

Our first full day there, Willemke invited us to her apartment to see her quilts.  Wow!



The apartment itself was an inspiration.  In just 500 square feet, Willemke and her husband have lived for 45 years and raised their two girls. She created "shabby chic" long before it was popular.   

The show started with a stack of dolly quilts, each one exquisite.  Here are a few.




  Then she moved on to her quilt tops.  With limited storage space, she can store many tops, but not so many quilts.  Ready for an incredible show?  OK!








This one really stole my heart.  It's all linen plaids!



This one was featured in Quiltmania magazine recently.
There were many more, but I was too busy admiring to take photos of everything.



The next day, we met with Christine, who was raised in Paris, but now lives in Greece.  
She happened to be visiting Paris just a few days while we were there.  What luck!
Willemke showed us one of her latest creations.


Christine toured us through some of the shopping "passages" and invited us to her sister's apartment for champagne and caviar.  Ooh la la!

I feel so fortunate to have met these lovely women.  They made my trip so very special.

I'll be back with more from Paris and a special jaunt to Toulouse to see my dear friend, Katell.
A bientôt!  See you soon!









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21 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 2, 2015 at 9:09 PM

    Meeting these fun and talented women was a highlight of the trip for me, too!
    We must return again.

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  2. Quilteuse ForeverJuly 2, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    Will is one of the first famous quilters in France -already in the '80s. I remember from her such a wonderful country quilt with house blocks in blue & red. In French magazines she taught us how to use hankerchieves or men's shirts. We have no patchwork heritage in France and I have learned a lot from Will! And she seems to be so funny!
    As for Christine, what a kind an talented person too!

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  3. JudithJuly 2, 2015 at 10:55 PM

    Isn't quilting magic? Traveling to Paris the first time and then to meet up with friends! Sure looks like a lot of fun! Enjoy your day.

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  4. pompomJuly 3, 2015 at 12:00 AM

    Wow! What a stunning array of beautiful quilts. What a talented lady. How lucky you are to be able to visit your friends and see all these beauties!

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  5. Pine Valley QuiltsJuly 3, 2015 at 12:26 AM

    How wonderful! A beautiful show and tell thanks so much for sharing. Paris is such an amazing city,

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  6. ChrisJuly 3, 2015 at 5:05 AM

    Wow what a trip! Quilters are the best! Thanks so much for sharing - how lovely to meet your friends! Have a great 4th!

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  7. QuiltdivajulieJuly 3, 2015 at 5:30 AM

    Ooh la la, indeed!! What an amazing adventure!

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  8. O'QuiltsJuly 3, 2015 at 8:43 AM

    Oh, my goodness...what a wonderful post..Thank you for sharing. Grateful that I got to see it all from my sewing room here in North Carolina...great quilts

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  9. MarieJuly 3, 2015 at 9:50 AM

    Well, happy birthday to you! I saw your photo on Willemke's blog a few days ago enjoying the sights and sounds and wondered if that was you (there can only be one Nifty Quilts, can't there?). What a perfect way to celebrate. I've only been once and need to go back, if only to say that I had lunch at Café Marley at the Louvre. What a special show and tell.

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  10. audreyJuly 3, 2015 at 11:17 AM

    What fun for you! Talk about inspiration overload.:)

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  11. smazoochieJuly 3, 2015 at 1:17 PM

    Oh to be in Paris in the late springtime/early summer.
    It sounds like you had a lovely trip. We are all eager to hear more.

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  12. RachaeldaisyJuly 3, 2015 at 1:33 PM

    Oh beautiful Paris!! I bet you had the best time. It's so wonderful that you caught up with blog friends in real life. Thank you so much for the awesome parade.. Willermke's quilts are all so beautiful. It's interesting that she keeps them as tops so they are easier to store. So lovely to see what Christine was working on too, I love the photo of show and tell at a parisian cafe.

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  13. Ada Plouvier-KopitopoulouJuly 3, 2015 at 9:54 PM

    Willemke's quilts are exquisite, the one even more beautiful than the other!!
    Paris is lovely!! When I lived in Amsterdam I went often for a weekend, but since I live in Sparta, I travel mostly to Holland. Now Paris is too far away for a weekend, shame !!

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  14. obat kuat semarangJuly 4, 2015 at 6:05 AM

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  15. AnonymousJuly 4, 2015 at 6:12 AM

    So beautiful quilts! I follow Christine's blog- I like her works. You had a lovely trip and it is always lovely to meet people who share the same passion! Have a nice day! Anneli

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  16. Cheryl's Teapots2QuiltingJuly 4, 2015 at 9:59 AM

    Lovely city. I got to go there, way back in 1985.

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  17. AnnemiekeJuly 6, 2015 at 2:54 AM

    Very nice to see you got to meet your friend in Paris. Very special! She makes wonderful things, unbelievable! The best birthday present ever.
    Groetjes
    Annmemieke

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  18. PhyllisJuly 7, 2015 at 11:54 PM

    A trip to Paris, meeting up with these two wonderful quilters and seeing Willemke's quilts in her appartment, quilter's paradis! Thanks for all the pictures, now we get to join in a bit as well! Enjoy the rest of your trip.

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  19. BarbJuly 11, 2015 at 5:42 AM

    ooohh la la
    What a treat to see your gorgeous photos from your trip.
    What a wonderful wonderful time you must have had. Loved seeing the quilts and all the other lovely things.

    oui oui!

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  20. bricolosdulundiJuly 15, 2015 at 5:32 AM

    I wish we coud have met .. i live 5km from Paris !! too bad ...
    claire

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  21. AnitaJuly 21, 2015 at 1:53 PM

    I am SO far behind on my blog reading! What a fabulous trip you had. Happy Belated Birthday! And my... 500 square feet makes my 1300 sq ft house feel like a mansion! The longer I live in our house the more I appreciate how it makes me choose what to collect.

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