Make sure you visit Sew We Quilt right after reading this so you can enter the great GIVEAWAYS!!! There is only one week of amazing giveaways left - and I don't want you to miss out! Madame Samm has saved the BEST for LAST!! So click HERE to go and see and enter to WIN!
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Where do you find ideas for your quilts? From books? Magazines? Friend's quilts? The seasons? Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places, as I recently discovered when the mister and I were in France...yes, France!! As in across the pond, home of the Eiffel, The Louvre and croissants with chocolat inside!!!
When I wasn't stuffin my face with thick, rich cream sauces and brightly colored macarons, I was finding the most interesting patterns for quilts in the most interesting places!!
When visited Normandy, France, we stopped at the American Cemetary which was an unforgettable place - both sad and beautiful. I saw this wall and immediately thought what a great quilt this design would make! I plan to make a quilt like this for the mister, to remember our visit to Normandy and to honor his service as a Marine - I think he'll like it.
This very heavy iron and gold-leaf door, on a bank building in Paris would make a beautiful quilt, no? Appliqued circles onto squares - not a new idea, but I like the two-tone look of this door and a two-tone quilt kind of speaks to me.
I'm certainly not crazy enough to make a quilt like this - but I know some of you are! This is just a small part of the pattern in the floor in the grand Opera House in Paris...one beautiful mosaic after another - one beautiful quilt maybe?
Now there's a quilt pattern I just might make - simple is as simple does! This is also part of the marble floor in the Paris Opera House...perhaps the Phantom himself walked over it?! Speaking of walking, how DO those French women walk in those high heels on cobblestone streets?!? It's fascinating! We quickly picked up the national past-time in France, people watching at street-side cafes, and not once did we see a French woman twist her ankle, stub her toe or fall flat on her face - not that we wanted one to, it's just if I was walking in high heels on cobblestone people would think I was part of Cirque du Soliel - I'd be flying/flaying all over the place!
Isn't this in-laid-wood floor a great design? I can't remember where I saw this but haven't we all seen a quilt pattern like this before? Alas, there is not enough time in the world for me to make a quilt like this (or enough drugs!) I do know some quilters, however, who would think nothing of making a quilt like this - and a king-size quilt, too!
Aah yes, the simple nine-patch - now we're talking my language! I found this beautiful little pattern on the ceiling in our hotel lobby. It's amazing what you'll see on ceilings - so keep looking up! Looking for inspriration in every day things and places is not a new idea, but if you begin to look at things with quilt patterns in mind, you'll see them in a whole new light!
Another ceiling, this one is in a little Boulangerie/Patisserie in the left Bank of Paris, they had the BEST croissants! This design is simple yet stunning, or as my mom's friend likes to say, simple but smart.
We have had a great time in France - but like all good things, it had to come to an end. We'll be landing back in the US soon - and while we loved France, we'll be glad to be home - as Dorothy said while clicking her heels, "There's no place like home!"
Be sure to visit Sew We Quilt today - I'm guest posting there and you NEED to go and enter the great GIVEAWAY!!! This is the LAST week of giveaways - it's been such a fun ride!! I don't want you to miss out on a chance to win something wonderful - I know Madame Samm has saved the best for last!! Go! Read! Enter! Win!!!
