Fabric Shopping in France

I am back! I am happy/sad to be home. I loved my week with my girls!

I'm wearing another swing tee dress (2nd from the left, of course)

While in Paris, we of course visited Sacre Coeur and the surrounding park and shops. This area is also home to a number of wonderful fabric shops! So fun. But I had to be careful with my time, as my traveling companions are not into fabric at all.

We visited Sacre Couer and even climbed to the top for fantastic views of Paris below. We also briefly visited the church nave, but a service was underway so we were quiet and quick.

Then my sweet companions visited the souvenir shops while I power shopped for fabric.

Luckily I had already decided on one shopping goal - to buy some Liberty of London cotton lawn. One particular shop in this Montmartre area (Coupon) carries a huge variety of these cottons, more than I've ever seen anywhere in the states. And the price was not quite as high as I had anticipated - 26 Euro per meter.

I purchased a Liberty of London piece a zillion years ago at a gorgeous fabric shop in Asheville NC - Waechter's. I am pretty sure it cost $39 per yard! The shop has since closed, sadly. The piece was lovely to sew and I enjoy the blouse quite a lot.

In Paris I purchased two Liberty pieces, each of the same print but different colors - one red and white, one navy and white. I had a difficult time deciding but I think I made the right choice for my palette and taste. Some of the prints are too fussy for me. I also purchased a wonderful soft piece of gray linen for 10 Euro per meter.

The week in Paris was followed by a week with husband, son and family in Chamonix, part of the French Alps. I had no expectations of fabric shopping. The last day we were there, we visited Annecy which is a beautiful old city that sits on a large mountain lake, Annecy Lak. The city is quite large, but has a distinctive old town full of canals and restaurants and parks and tourists.

As we were wandering the old town, I happened to glance up at a building and see a sign: Tissus Couture. I said to DH, I'll be right back, (yea, right) and speed-walked to the spot.

It was a smallish store after the shops in Paris, but it had some lovely fabric. Again, I had to work fast. I found a pre-cut 1.5 meter of viscose jersey that I just love.

After a day on Annecy Lak, I was a bit worn looking but happy here!

I have just finished making a summer dress with it. This is, once again, TSW's swing tee revised into a dress. I drafted short cap sleeves and had enough fabric to add one (!) inseam pocket.

In order to hem without making it too short, I used a 2" bias strip of light weight cotton shirting as a hem facing. I like the effect. The dress feels light and yet has some hem weight.

My only regret is that I had too little fabric to place the darker portions more strategically. It was the last they had of this. And I just had to have it. It makes me smile. So light, so cheerful, so French.

It seems to be hot everywhere I go this summer, even in the Alps, so I'm still into summer sewing in a big way. And I am having a big time.

I hope your summer (or winter) includes some satisfying makes.

The back looks just like the front!