Hermes Colorful India

The Hermes store on Rue du Faubourg St-Honore has the most gorgeously decorated windows in Paris. Here's the little dude on top of the building. I always think of him as Napoleon. Oh and yes, there should be all sorts of accent marks on those letters, but you'll just have to imagine them.

India seems to be the theme for this year. It was extremely colorful India in May when I took these photos. Whoever does their windows just does an incredible job. Plus there's music piped over the speakers to enhance the experience.

Love the antique horses and that pink and orange zigzag rug.

These displays in particular caught my eye because of the bundles of floss and yarn.

I totally love the black and ivory marble(?) frames they used. Just to give you an idea of the prices in the store, I think this teacup was 160 euros... Just one teacup.

It's too bad window displays are so hard to photograph, but at least you get an idea of what it looked like. I love the outside of the store, but inside? I made it about two steps in before fleeing - way too richy rich for my taste.

Do I Quilt Anything But Fans?

I finished hand quilting Mini Hotflash - woohoo!

I was trying to decide how to quilt Joyeux Noel (which, by the way, I left borderless) and was of course considering fans. My husband asked, Do you ever quilt anything BUT fans? I'm not quite sure how serious he was. I pointed out a quilt on the wall, Home Sweet Home, with all sorts of elaborate non-fan quilting and he thought it was one Bonnie had machine quilted for me. harrumph.

I did actually consider something else for this project. Maybe quilt in the ditch and then add snowflakes... I quilted one whole letter before deciding that was just going to be way too labor intensive without enough to show for it. So yes, I'm back to my beloved freehand fans. Do I ever quilt anything else. hee hee hee.


Yes, I used chalk to mark wavy lines on Hotflash because otherwise my lines end up too straight. No, I don't use any kind of marking for the freehand fans. They are easy, really.

Better Now

Okay, I had my mini meltdown and I'm better now.

I'm almost finished hand quilting my little hotflash quilt. Here are a couple more photos from my previous photo session with the quilt and Pokey:

I have to admit, more of you than I expected want to see new material in THE book. D'oh. As of this morning, 26% of the voters want something they haven't seen before. Some of you said I didn't include a BOTH option. Well, hate to break it to you, but there are definitely going to be quilts and techniques in the book that you've already seen in blogs and Quiltville. So it's just a matter of do you want new things ALSO. Did I say it more succinctly this time?

Funny, I don't feel the need for NEW in a book (not just talking about mine here). I just love having the glorious professional photos of quilts I enjoy collected in a permanent format (a book! a book!) that I can go back to over and over again.

I'm thinking of a new project and I'll be the first to admit it's not all that original and will end up similar to another piece I've done, but I really want to do it anyway. I'd like some help though. I bought a gorgeous Christmas fabric with happy snowmen. I'm trying to think of one word or short phrase to go with it.

First I was thinking "Jolly." I like my Christmases jolly. But that seems too Santa Clausy. "Let it Snow" or just "Snow" doesn't really appeal either. Sigh. I might have to shelve this idea if I can't come up with the right twist. The fabric line is called 'Tis the Season and that would work, but seems a bit too advertisial. (I thought I'd made up a new word, but no, lots of advertisials on the web even though it hasn't made it into the Urban Dictionary.)

Not to worry though, I began a patriotic piece yesterday. Barely began. As in, not far along at all. Maybe some sewing today though.

Sweetie and I finished Burn Notice season one last night. Need convincing to watch? Read a fun review here. Woohoo, I do love this show. So silly, but enjoyable. Oh and beautiful - I want to be in Miami now (okay, not now exactly, but when the temperatures are cooler). My only fault with the show? Not enough Bruce Campbell.

A friend did remind me that seeing the gorgeous sunshine and locations of Miami weren't enough to make a tv show watchable. CSI: Miami anyone? I hate that show. And Miami Vice? That might be good for a laugh or two - I haven't seen it in years.

I'd love to see Mythbusters tackle Burn Notice myths - how many of their improvised bombs and tricks would work? I'm actually hoping NONE since I'd hate to think it's that easy to blow things up. We just watched the Mythbusters episode where they tested mini-Hindenburgs. Woohoo, things defintely always burn on this series too.

And to wrap up my tv couch potatoing... Boy, Tour de France is dull this year. That's been a disappointment.

Okay, need to go and get some actual work done. later!

Not What I Wanted to Hear

A whiny post with no quilt content to show for itself, but does contain a cute kitty pic. Feel free to skip.

So yesterday I went to the orthopedist to see about my problematic left knee (which has a rare joint disease). I was hoping he'd just say, increase the anti-inflammatories, this will all be okay. No, instead he said things like "irreparable damage if you don't take care of this now." So I'm supposed to get MRIs and x-rays not just of the bad knee, but the other one too, which is also showing too much swelling. Waaah.

I'm going to take a break in the whining to show you my sweetie Pokey:

I feel like an idiot. I knew I was losing cartilage in the right knee, but didn't realize that meant I had arthritis in it. So that's what's going on with the "good knee" which isn't actually all that good.

So now I have to find out how much an MRI and x-rays costs here and do I have to pay upfront, which I suspect I do. That's how it works with the doctors - at the end of the visit you hand them the cash, none of that billing stuff.

Yes, my American insurance company will pay me back for some of it (after the paperwork and a wait, of course) but it could cost a lot. And of course it's not the MRI so much that worries me as the bit that comes after if it turns out I have to have surgery NOW or the whole irreparable damage thing happens.

I'm having a minor freakout. I do this a lot. Worry and procrastinate and put off doing things, which sometimes turn out to be not that big a deal after all and I could have saved myself a lot of that worry if I'd just taken care of it in the first place. sigh.

I have however been enjoying the sunshine, hand quilting, and the Tour de France (go CSC!) - often all at the same time.

Begging for Attention

Pokey wants a belly rub! and hmmm, what that on the table near her? could it be bits of the secret project?

It was really fun to see the results of the old poll. Ya'all overwhelmingly voted for photos rather than illustrations to explain the techniques. Now if only money really were no object, we'd be set.

Here's the next question for you. How concerned are you that you see new material (quilts and/or techniques) in Lazy Days in Quiltville? Do you care if you've seen the quilts already in blogs (which are ephemeral and yet always here...) or on Quiltville? I know what my opinion is, but would be really interested to see what ya'all think. Poll is in the sidebar, please to vote.

I've been rather dull lately. Not much to show for myself, although I have been working. I watched the Tour de France on Sunday, the first time this year. I'd been so bummed out about the doping and cyclists getting thrown off the tour, the dissolution of my favorite team, and the horribleness of actually watching it in France (laptop set up to get English audio with a 30 second delay) that I couldn't get excited. Then I was flipping through channels and there they were in the Alps and I was hooked.