Often we don’t appreciate what we have until it is lost. Many of us felt this as we watched 850 year old Notre Dame burning yesterday. Today there are hundreds of millions of Euros/Dollars pledged for her rebuilding, but it is still painful to see the photos of the smoldering wreckage where the roof collapsed. So many of us here shed tears along with Parisians, as we watched those surreal images.
Next week I am traveling to Nantes in France, to speak at the quilt festival there. This trip takes on a new meaning after the fire in Paris. I’ve decided to tack on an extra two days to extend my layover in Paris, to go visit Notre Dame and give my support. For my quilt friends in Paris, please contact me so we can meet while I am there.
I visited Paris for the first time in 1987, and the first place we visited on the first morning was Notre Dame. It is hard to put into words how I felt when I entered that huge vault of history…it’s like traveling back in time and hearing the whispers of those who have gone before. We don’t have anything like it in the US, and I have to say the next few times I visited Paris and Notre Dame, it was more crowded and not quite the same. I thank my lucky stars that I’ve been able to see many of the great wonders of the world before they were engulfed by the waves of tourists that line up and roll through the most famous sites. When I was younger I would always climb the spire, the dome, the tower, the crown of the Statue of Liberty…many things my kids will not experience. So I take photos and write about my experience, so I can share with others.
Some of you may wish to collect fabrics with images and motifs about Paris and France. Having spent so much time there over the decades, I am also attracted to these fabrics. I keep them in stock because I know many of you love them also! There is something about waking up in the City of Light, having a *real* French Croissant and Cafe au Lait, and setting out on the cobblestones to take in the charm, the style, and the beauty of a morning in Paris, that one never forgets.
Sophie’s high school theater group just finished their run of Les Miserables, written by Victor Hugo, who also wrote Hunchback of Notre Dame. His book literally saved Notre Dame when it was in ruins. So she will be rebuilt once again.
With Mothers Day coming up, perhaps there is a quilt idea for you, mixed with the flowers of France. From the Roses of Paris, to the Sunflowers of Provence, France has been a great inspiration to my sewing and quiltmaking.
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
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eQuilter Classroom & Travel Calendar:
April 20 – Charity Sewing Group – EWB Nepal Presentation – RSVP
Apr 23-29 – Nantes France (lecture Fri 4/26)
May 16-19 – Quilt Market
May 24-25 – Dairy Barn – Quilt National Opening – Athens OH
June 11-15 – Quilt Canada Ottawa – (lecture Fri 6/14)
June 27-30 – Jane Tenorio-Coscarelli – Altar Quilts & Embellished Garments Workshops
July 11-14, 2019 – Cindy Lohbeck – Shibori, Ice-Dyeing and Ombre Dyeing Workshops
Oct 8-10 – Jacqueline de Jonge – eQuilter Classroom
Oct 17-22 – Polar Bear Tour – REGISTER NOW!
