Guess who came to Paris

last week? Randy from California, lost of you follow her blog called BARRISTER BLOCK, she comes to see me any time she"s in Paris and we have much fun to exchange fabrics and share a walk in Montmartre.

She spoiled me with a shawney from Wisconsin, a pile of men's shirts for new frugal projects and BONNIE HUNTER'S latest book.

Randy, finding time will not be a problem and start saving coins to join us in Ste. Marie....

I made a few little blocks for the quilting bee tomorrow, my friend C will use them in her quilt.

Have a quiet week, i will follow your blogs carefully.

Valérie, if you read me, all the best for your incredible adventure and your quiltshop in the USA, women are the strongest and the very best, i admire your courage.

Will V in Paris.

News from the frugal quilt

The frugal quilttop  is finished.

I had no troubles with putting the blocks and borders together and love the soft touch of the blocks.

The very dark brown background is - i think- a mix of linnen and wool but nothing was mentioned about the composition.

There is a big leftover for a skirt or a pair of pants, so the final spending is still 5 euro's.

Not to bad i think.

I've started with the cutting  of the flying geese, from the same fabrics, and can now close the lids of both the boxes.

 The fabrics are too heavy and rustic for a traditional quilting and thin crochet yarn seems a better option.

This is my friend LEA STANSAL who had a personal exhibition at the craftshow.

She showed the boxes from her latest book and it was the most interresting part of the show.

Hardly quilts, some in the commercial stands, ,but i was not inspired .

I had to go there for a special reason, but spending 12 euros entry fee ?

I won't go there next year and i long for the februaryshow.

Strollers, suitcases, and people schlepping schleppers make it even to a dangerous experience.....

Last but not least a message for Belgian fabric lovers :
COSABETH PARRIAUD will expose her wall art at Galerie ARTE VIVA in Gent, Belgium,
from 30 Nov. until 4 Dec.
Happy quilting ladies,
Will V in Paris

This little quilt goes to a young Dutchman, a baby called BOET, who is the joy of his parents and grandmother, Evelyne. it's a cover for the teddybear he will certainly have in a few months. it measures 47 by 47.

Bought myself a pair of Puma's and oh, was it a good buy? Since i have the on my feet i wonder if i will ever wear normal shoes again....

I walked yesterday from la Bastille to Montmartre, on air and could have walked for longer....

Many, many thanks for your comments on my latest postings you were all so sweet....

We decided to organize a Dianeday once a year to honor her and remember the old days...
Greetings from Will V in Paris, dull and a little drizzle.

A tribute to Diane de Obaldia

The end of an era:

Last friday, on a cold and misty morning, we went to Diane's funeral. I worked for Diane's quiltshop  LE  ROUVRAY, from 1990 till  2002, and with  lots of pleasure.

Her love for antiques and quilts, her cool sense of humour and her American roots, she was a southern girl, made the shop to a must for quilters all over Europe and far beyond.

When i decided to go to Houston in 1995, Diane made things so easy for me by introducing me to Karey Bresenhan, who allowed me to volunteer in her GREAT EXPECTATIONS quiltshop and  have a glimpse of daily life in Texas , at the shop's managers home, with Ann Kasten and her family.

I will never forget a single minute of this trip.

Market, festival, another week in New York, a constant feast...

Diane was very concerned about the shop until her last minute and she will stay on our minds forever.

Changes have been made here:

The idea of spending one more winter in a dirty , yellowed an gloomy main room was simply unbearable to me , so i made the decision to repaint and do it all by myself, and i tell you , it was a trip to hell.

NOTHING could be stored elsewhere, as the whole appartment is not bigger than 535 sq.feet.

The whole operation took 12 days, and girls, i'm so proud......

The ceiling had not been painted for 32 years , and is now perfectly white, the walls, white with  a zest of grey, and i indulged myself with painting  with THE LITTLE GREEN, expensive , but so easy to work with...

My fathers desk, so a family heirloom, is now where the bookshelves stood before , and i covered that wall with a toile de Jouy.

The whole thing did of course not  resolve the eternal fight against clutter, but anytime i enter here, i feel the immense satifaction of having accomplished something nice.

The rest of the appartment is screaming for attention too, and i will go on with it, but that will be far more easy than what's behind.

And what's going on for quilting? THIS:

I'm making a frugal quilt from Bonnie Hunter's first book.

Under the that page you see the primitive sawtooth star i've made for QUILTMANIA 8 years ago, the same block.

I  Prefer  Bonnie's sophiticated setting and need to make only five more blocks

Why frugal?

The blocks are made with fabric from working man's shirts, gathered here and there in fleamarkets and junk sales.

The fabrics are soft but much heavier than regular cottons, look like homespun, and the colors are muted.

I spend 5 euros on the dark brown back ground fabric, and have enough for the backing.

Leftovers for a cribquilt.

Some of the NI blocks i made this summer in Normandy.

Have all a good weekend,

Will in Paris, chilly and rainy here today.

The other sunny side of festival

is the meetings with other quilters and unexpected moments ,

Here's Colette, a very gifted quiltartist i meet regularly for more than 30 years now,

she's holding up an antique quilts from Judy, the owner of LABORS OF LOVE.

Judy comes with her husband to the Elsass every year, showing her quilts in an old house in the main street of Ste Marie.

And then we stumbled in to these girls: look at the one in red: you know her don't you?

It's SUPERGOOF, and we chatted for a moment, great fun....

JUDY

Teresa Gai from Pinerolo in Italy and Dominique Husson from the Charente region.

Teresa won several prizes with her quilts.

Dominique organizes every two years a now famous exhibition of traditional quilts in BROUAGE, and you won't regret to attend this event.

On saturday we went to the beautiful town of Colmar,

and in the afternoon 

 to BLIENSCHWILLER, and visited the Sohler family, they sell their own wines.
We tasted them all, and went out slightly tipsy,
after visiting the cellar, with the huge barrels and the central pillar, sevaral hundred years old.
We went back to  our base, not empty handed of course.......
to prepare for the final party organised by Petra Prins ,and enjoyed a gorgeous meal, A ROASTED WILD BOAR and other delicous things.

A view from our secret hideaway

Isabelle from Quiltmania and Joes.

Carol Veillon, Petra Prins and Isabelle

An Moonen, the author of 3 books about antique Dutch quilts

Elsbeth and Nel from den Haan en Wagenmakers, and DI FORD from Australia between them.

Mary Koval, Joes and Carol

Nel and Judy

Some more quilts will be shown in the next post, even modern ones, some werevery nice.

Fall is here, definitely, but it's my favorite season.

Happy quilting ladies

Will V in Paris

MONIQUE ALPHAND 2

Behind glass, this little indigo boutis, for a newborn i suppose

What to say about this panel? or curtain?

Crossstich embroidery on a translucent support and i tell you, out of this world, sort of life-time work....

Boutis baby bibs and collars

A little girl's gown and crossed lace fichu, lace apron.

Behind on the left a boutis bedcover, on the right a piqué de Marseilles

Piqué de Marseilles, just for the lovely print

And outside the building we saw this car from Tchechia, well done.

The 4 last ones are piqués.

Tomorrow the first bee at the serial knitter-quilter embroiderer, oh my, sh's such a good cook....

Have e good weekend you all

Love from Paris, Will V