Textile Tours of Paris, Marie-Antoinette Paris letter

Get your scissors ✂️ out for the October accordion Marie-Antoinette Paris letter💌. Paperdoll time. Staying with French women of note theme, I discovered Herstoricalmonuments on Instagram. Ta Da.

True I wasn't keen on the statue of Edith Piaf in the 20th arr. Using poetic license I included her more colorful wax effigy from Musée Grevin.

What's your vote - oui or non?The Paris letters hit la poste 📮on Thursday🎉

On Friday I took Dubliner Rebecca Devaney's delightful Textile Tour of Paris (60€). We were in 'the Sentier', long established site of French haut couture ateliers.

First stop - haberdashery Ultramod mercerie, a shop I've wanted to explore for ages. The colors, the colors 🎨 Rebecca gave us the deets on their vintage satins and silks.

Film industry costumiers come here for the 'Real' thing. The supply is limited so what you see today may not be here tomorrow. Ultramode is a museum. 

Have you been in La Droguerie? Another pandora's box of exploding color, beads and buttons. The deal is you pick out a knitting designs.

Then go to the waiting bench. They run around finding the exact amount of yarn/thread for your design. No measuring required on your part. Their specialty is selling small quantities and a vast range of colors.  

Every purveyor in Paris has a vast range of exquisite colors like Japanese lace and ribbon company Mokuba nearby. They have a beautiful shop also in the NYC garment district I gazed into when I worked on 7th Avenue eons ago.

What a thrill to go inside and look with an expert guide. The harmonious colors placed side by side are are not left to chance.

Next stop, Au Ver À Soie, home of authentic silk thread in a multitude of colors. Since 1820, their factory in Blois is one of the few still in France to produce the finest grade silk thread from  Chinese silkworm cocoons. Open to the public the 1st Monday afternoon of the month.

And they will be at the Aiguille en Fete/ in March 12-15 and so will I, to report back. Lastly we went to Maison Sajou near Passage de Caire for tea and more browsing. Did you ever do cross-stitch embroidery as a kid? The sets here are a tad more advanced. They have collaborations with les Bayeux tapistries and Versailles. Their biggest shop is near the castle with many designs based on patterns M-A actually wore. Sajou's site is in English. They ship all over. I forgot to tell you about the statue of St. Catherine, the seemstress's saint ( see red circle). You'll just have to take Rebecca's tour. Do share with a friend. Get a taste of Paris letters 💌and watercolors in your own mailbox 📬Xxx❤️Carolg🐻Bear