Flying the Flag in Paris

Thank you for all your well wishes - I'm feeling a lot more my normal self (who shouted grumpy?) today.  Eyeballs aren't so sore and my back and chest don't ache when I breathe in.  Always a good thing.

So I'm back from a flying visit to Paris where it snowed!

Okay - so it didn't actually snow at all but I can dream can't I? Thanks to the magic of picnik effects I can add snow to the Eiffel Tower!  The weather was in fact very wet...it precipitated down most of the weekend...look, even the postcard stands near Sacre Coeur are holding umbrellas!

No special rain effects needed here, but it's December after all and I like the rain.  I was in Paris visiting my very good friend Deborah and hand delivering the Union Jack quilt I made for her daughetr Elicia...only I forgot to take any more photos and only have sneeky peek photos.  Duh.  I can show you the top before it was basted and quilted - taken back in May (yes, that long ago) at my mum's.

and here is a peek at it quilted...

 This quilt has been way too long in the making but Deborah's daughter loved it.  The central flag part was made using Liberty lawn cottons, which are so so beautifully soft and the border is pink silk.  I straight line quilted it after taking hours to unpick the stipple quilting, which I just didn't like.  I didn't over quilt it as I wanted it to remain beautifully soft and fluid.

I also sold this quilt to Deborah's friend Margot for her daughter - yea!

On Saturday morning we headed to St.Piere area near Sacre Coeur  where all the fabric shops are based and spent a couple of hours rummaging.  These are not designer fabric shops but if you like rummaging (I don't particularly) there are fabrics to be found.  Here's a selfie of me.  At this point, my feet ached and I was starting to go down with the lurgy!

We bought lots of fabric (I mean lots) at 10 euros for 3 metres and will be turning sow's ears into silk purses....fingers crossed.

I hardly took any photos as it was dark and gloomy...

and I was feeling awful and the weather was like this as I left...

but I caught up with a great friend, belly laughed until I ached and got re-acquainted with a city I hadn't visited for probably 15 years.  All the anxiety of leaving the little guy (and the big one) behind was worth it and as Arnie would say, "I'll be back!"

It's Achoura today - the 10th day of the New Year when bonfires are lit in the evening, children play drums and people eat dried fruit and nuts - a special day of celebration for children. 

I'll leave you with a photo of Zaki pulling a silly camera face, complete with scratches on his nose, on his way to school this morning - in traditional dress (over his normal clothes) with his 'tam tam' (drum).