Sunday, September 06, 2026

Dolly’s Coat of many colors 🎵 Sonia Delaunay, Le Rentrée

I love ❤️ the story of Dolly’s Coat of Many Colors her mother made for her as a child, 

Out of scraps of colored fabric.

I love painting blobs of color..

I once did a post on blobbing.


Plus I was looking at a
Sonia Delaunay post

Sonia Delaunay made coats of many colors,

And cars 🚗 and…

Here’s a nice video 🎥 about
SONIA DELAUNAY.

Sonia loved ❤️ color.

I figured I could make my blobs into Dolly’s coat. Why not?

And I made plenty of bad ones.

Other people have been making Dolly’s coat of many colors for quite a while. Does your goose 🪿 need a coat?

I kept thinking about
the clothes my mother made me
Did your Mom make any of your clothes? 
Do tell ❤️

Meanwhile it’s LA RENTRÉE

Of course.

And Paris is teaming with Parisians.

The ice cream seekers are back.

As well as crowded Bateau Mouche 🛥️ 

There is a new store-wide promotion at BON MARCHÉ on Japon

Really fun!

Full of fish 🐟 

What do fish 🐠 signify in Japan?

Ah ha! I found the answer..

In Japanese culture, 
fish
—especially the 
Koi Fish in Japanese Culture carp—symbolize perseverance, strength, courage, and good fortune.

And Many cats 🐈‍⬛ 

Something 

For 

Everyone.
End of today’s meandering story folks.
🐟 BONNE DIMANCHE ❤️


32 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:18 AM

    One of your best posts ever! Merci.

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  2. Anonymous10:27 AM

    Why does this Japanese graphic art feel so fresh? Just when I thought at 88 that I had seen it all. Thank you.

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    1. Anonymous11:52 AM

      I know! The Japanese make a vinegar bottle look exciting.
      An extremely visual 👁️ culture.

      Delete
  3. I love this post. Thanks for introducing us to different artists and as always, it's a thrill to see your pieces of color. What a wonderful quilt you made from Dolly to fish.

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    1. Anonymous11:50 AM

      Thanks so much Peggy 🐟 ❤️
      Living in Paris is one big adventure 👍

      Delete
  4. Anonymous11:06 AM

    Loved this posts. Coat of Many Colors Indeed. What a lovely homage. You are so fortunate to live in this marvelous city. And thank you so much for sharing it with me!

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  5. Anonymous11:10 AM

    My grand mother took apart an old coat of hers in 1944 when textiles were rationed and made me a coat with velvet scraps for a collar and cuffs. Scraps of fabric were saved in those days and my mother made potholders, dolly clothing, and pockets for dresses for me. She also used old sheets to make pillow cases as almost every women in those days could sew. She embroidered handkerchiefs and crocheted. I could never, ever catch on to knitting or crochet! When sitting down between other chores, she would get out a little basket of things to mend.. Besides that she was an elementary school teacher with a full schedule.. She also canned. Good heavens so I relate to Dolly and her upbringing in some manner.

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    1. Anonymous11:49 AM

      Thank you for sharing your Grandmother’s sewing 🧵
      Sewing was a kind of meditation ❤️

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:00 PM

      And then scrapes of cloth plus worn out clothes were cut into stripes, stitched end to end, rolled into balls and given to a local weaver who made throw rugs, using the balls of cloth! Still have some (born 1941).

      Delete
  6. Bonnie L11:32 AM

    Thank you for the introduction (and video), to Sonia Delaunay. I had no clue! Fun Japan theme at Bon Marché. And, your watercolors of Dolly’s coat are fabulous. ❤️

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    1. Anonymous11:47 AM

      Thank you Bonnie 😊❤️

      Delete
  7. Anonymous11:52 AM

    I too love making watercolor color blobs. Can’t sleep? Make color blobs. Filled with excitement sitting in Florence at an outdoor cafe? Make color blobs.
    Sonia and Robert Delaunay are my two fav artists. I have a large museum poster of each of their works hanging opposite each other in my living room. Both posters are from exhibitions at the Musee National D’ Art Museum — Robert in 1957 and Sonia in 1967. Beautiful and every day they make me happy and make me want to make color blobs.

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    1. Anonymous11:57 AM

      Fabulous idea! I would like to color blob in the middle of the night instead of scrolling. I tried drawing but can’t concentrate 🙄
      They were exceptional artists. Sonia especially since she lived a long time and applied her art to everything. Not just works on paper or canvas. ❤️

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:25 PM

      I look forward to your posts each week. So informative and inspirational.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous12:09 PM

    Hooray for blobs, especially in watercolor!
    I'm re-exploring long unused skills with watercolor and I seem to excel at blobs! Looking forward to your post on this topic!
    Thank you for all you do, see, and share!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:55 PM

      BLOBS are the best way to learn watercolor.
      Maybe it’s time to talk about Blobbing again.

      Delete
  9. Dee Ann1:10 PM

    Rickrack…yes, used by my mother for my clothes and I did the same for my daughters.

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    1. Anonymous1:54 PM

      Nice 😊 RICKRACK the summer time dresses of my childhood 🧒

      Delete
  10. I don’t paint so no blobs for me, but I do love color. This was just one of your very fascinating posts in which I have learned something new. Today it was Japanese fish - wow! My mother never made me clothes ( she was, however, one of the early women computer programmers in the country, starting in 1962 at what is now Unisys). But my grandfather was a tailor and made me beautiful clothes - coats and skirts (we couldn’t wear pants to school in those days). He could make me a skirt from one yard of wool since mini skirts were in style! I still have the camel hair coat he made me when I was in fifth grade. I had him cut I’d down into a car coat when I was first married. Unfortunately it no longer fits me!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous2:18 PM

      Thank you HSullivan ❤️
      What a lovely story about your grandfather’s tailoring. It sounds very refined.
      A camel hair coat. Trés elegant. I lusted after those 🧥

      Delete
  11. Anonymous2:21 PM

    God Bless You for remembering Dolly. Yes, one of your best columns EVER.

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    1. Anonymous3:00 PM

      WOW ! ❤️ 😊

      Delete
  12. Anonymous2:59 PM

    I love the Sonia video. I love her artwork. Some of her dresses. The fabrics were absolutely to die for oh my God I am so glad you put this up. Thank you very much love bug. Lynne

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  13. Anonymous3:31 PM

    What a wonderful post Carol. I love your Coat Of Many Colors painting and thanks for showcasing Dolly. Sure miss her. I have that little cat dish from Japan showing the cat with a dot on his face. Reminds me of my cat I had for many years. It was fascinating to watch the video on Sonia Delaunay. I always enjoy learning something new. Love her use of color and shapes in fashion as well as her paintings.-Suzanne P.

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    1. Anonymous4:37 PM

      Thanks Suzanne ❤️ You’re always up on things..very au currant like the French 🇫🇷

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  14. Anonymous4:11 PM

    Wonderful post, love Sonia, love color, love Dolly, love blobs. Years and years ago, my grandmother made my niece a robe of many colors and fabrics, it’s a treasure. She also made many quilts of odds and ends scrap material…old dresses cut up…so many memories in those to see. Sweet…thanks for the memories, Virginia

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    1. Anonymous4:38 PM

      Thanks for sharing Virginia ❤️ Sewing 🧵 was a wonderful pastime wasn’t it.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous6:46 PM

    I tried watercolors. They were blobs of color without trying. I tried art school. It wasn’t a match. This is why I love your column.
    Yes, my mother sewed my clothes for college. I was mortified to go through Rush but it didn’t matter. Clothes really don’t make you; your attitude makes you. I figured out the system: work in retail during the summer to get the employee discount. And learn how to style…. Like Carol, you do with your watercolors ( I have gone full circle here.)

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    1. Anonymous3:43 AM

      Sounds like you are one clever duck 🦆 You saw the lay of the land and made choices that worked for you. I, on the other hand, have been swept along on the flotsam and jetsam of life. Fortunately 🤞things popped up along the way that have made life pretty exciting 🤞🤞🤞

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  16. Anonymous8:10 PM

    Such a chic little French 🇫🇷 girl in her black pinafore !

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