An American (Quilter) in Paris

Modified: May 1, 2023 · Published: Jun 11, 2022 by Amy Smart · This post may contain affiliate links · 932 Comments

I've been on a bit of an adventure across the Atlantic with the chance to visit Paris, Normandie and Venice. Here are the highlights of Paris! See below for links to more posts about Sewing, Embroidery and Quilting shopping and inspiration in Paris, the Marais Neighborhood, and Normandy.

I'm still processing all of the photos and experiences. I'll have more to share over the weeks (see links to those posts below) with so much visual eye candy and even some sewing and quilting inspiration to share, but here's a glimpse of some of the beauty we saw in Paris.

Traveling is still challenging in some ways with extra challenges to navigate and hoops to jump through, so I figured I'd share a sampling of what we saw in case you're not at the point of traveling yet yourself.

If travelogues aren't your thing, no worries. I'll be back in a couple of days with a new quilt project. AND I do have a quilty-giveaway at the bottom of this post so you can scroll directly there if you want.

When I first visited Paris when I was 19 I loved it. Since that time I always worried that I romanticized Paris in my young-adult-enthusiasm. But going back, even as a jaded middle-aged woman, I felt like, "Nope! I wasn't wrong back then. It's still pretty amazing!"

Here are some of the highlights:

Sainte-Chappelle near Notre Dame (which is still closed for restoration) is one of my favorite jewels of Paris. It is most famous for it's stained glass, but the other details, including the tile floor and fleur-de-lis ceilings are also lovely.

We only had 3 days in the city itself, so our time was pretty jam-packed with LOTS of walking. (Which works out since it gave us the chance to walk off lots of good food. (Not only is Paris the city of love, but it's also the city of carbs.) Another favorite part of Paris is the museums.

I was a Humanities/Art History major in college, so these galleries are one of the places where my degree is actually useful. 😉 The Musee D'Orsay (highlights above) is probably my favorite.

This was my first ever visit to the Pompidou museum of modern art. I also love Mondrian paintings (on the right) and think about how it would be cool to make a Mondrian quilt someday. The Pompidou also has a fabulous view of the city.

And then, of course, the Louvre. The Winged Victory statue may be my favorite piece. The setting is so spectacular too. A new favorite for me was the painting on the bottom right by Elisabeth LeBrun - one of the few female artists represented from the 18th century.

Crazy fact: we were at the Louvre the day the Mona Lisa "got caked". We're still trying to find out exactly when it happened in case it was while we were there. I promise I had nothing to do with it. This was as close as I got.

Taking my girls has been on my bucket list for years. We had plans to go in 2020, (but we all know how that turned out). With one of them graduating a month ago and moving across the country soon, we were motivated to make this trip happen It was worth the effort! I'm feeling SO grateful we were able to pull it off. Like so many things, I don't take the opportunity for granted any more!

Pros of Paris in the summer: more daylight hours, beautiful weather (we were SO lucky while we were there with beautiful days that were not too hot).

Cons of Paris in the summer: lots more people, crowds, sunset is after my bed time.

If you're planning a trip to Paris, I highly recommend the Rick Steves Guide Books and audio tours. Definitely helps you get the best bang for your buck and use your limited time most efficiently.

If you're interested in the museums I also recommend the Paris Museum Pass. Not only is it a money saver it's a huge time saver as you don't have to wait in long lines to buy tickets.

Here are the other posts with highlights of sewing and other inspiration in France:

National Sewing Machine Day Giveaway

Aaaandd... speaking of Paris. I have a fun Paris-themed fabric giveaway for one of you. Monday, June 13 is National Sewing Machine Day. (Apparently it's a thing!) To celebrate I've teamed up with Baby Lock sewing machines and Riley Blake Designs to giveaway this Pattern and Kit to make a Sewing Machine cover using the Saturday in Paris fabric collection + some other sewing goodies.

Giveaway CLOSED

To enter, leave a quick comment on this post. You can share a bucket-list travel destination you'd like to visit yourself, or just say Hi. Closes June 15 at midnight Mountain time and a winner will be randomly selected and notified.

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

WINNER:

Jannette B June 12, 2022 at 11:53 am

I'd LOVE to go to Europe for a month or so, but a significant medical issue has made that impossible. So, I live vicariously through the trips of others! Thanks for this quick tour of Paris!

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