We were able to visit one of the last embroidery schools in Paris. The owner is 85 years old and she will be closing it next year. They have 100 students and they come from all over to learn. You have to attend 10 years before you get a certificate. They now do mostly linen table clothes. They are custom made. One we saw sells for 5,000. euro $6,740. dollars. The embroidery is something like I have never seen. It is chain stitching with a single thread and it looks like silk. They get their linen from one family farmer that they can trust and it is only cut by hand. There is a picture of the 85 year old teacher(on the left), our guide and the other teacher on the right. This business has been in the family for over a hundred years.
Next we visited a vintage ribbon, button and trim store. Across the street he had a vintage hat store which I show the hats that were in the windows. I purchased a trim and three small little flowers for trim. Look at the big vintage scissor that they cut their fabric with.
We had lunch in a passage way that had French Outlet Stores. I got a necklace there.
Then we went to a silk flower workroom and he also works with feathers. This business too was in the family for over a hundred years. All the metal cutters and machinery were very old. He had many feathers from his great grandfather. He added feathers to purses and dresses for designers. They demonstrated making a silk flower. He showed us stretching the fabric, apply gelatin to make it stiff, cutting the petals, dyeing, shaping the petals with hot irons, using wax at the base, and gluing it into a flower. We saw a boa that was black and white and was dyed and cost $700. We felt very privileged to be able to be invited into these two houses. See pictures of flowers.
Then we went to a museum to see Fashioning Fashion Costume Exhibit. We weren't allow to take pictures. It was the history of the dress from the 1800's and seeing the progression. Very interesting and beautiful.
Then we had dinner at the Carousel of the Louvre.
Come join us tomorrow.
1 comment:
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! to you in the city of love, and with a chocolatier as a near by neighboor, as for us we have to be happy with See's candy, not bad, that was the most popular place in town today. I much liked the salmon colored TULIPS your friend got, nothing like tulips to herald the spring. Now, as for you I forgot to let you know that you are my virtual trip to Paris, so do a double take of most everything. With all my infirmities I don't expect to set foot in other parts of the world, other than my little casita, I'll be happy if this summer I take a trip up north to see my daughter. So, I'm on a trip to Paris, through your beatiful pictures & narratives. Have lots more fun. remember for the two of us. love M
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