a dream

This morning I woke up in my own bed, back home in Portland, Oregon, and I had to pinch myself. This whole quilt journey...was it real? Or was it just a dream?

Was it just a dream?

Did it really happen?

Was I really there?

Had the last five years really happened? Or did I just imagine it? Did I really write that book sitting in front of me on the coffee table? Did I really go to France to exhibit 50 quilts at one of Europe's largest quilt festivals? Was the book really as good as people said it was? My life? Or someone else's?

For that matter, was it all a dream? Had I actually collected exquisite quilts over a 20-year period without anyone really knowing about them? And when I decided to share them, did everyone really love them as much as I did?

never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined it

Maybe some day I'll wake up and realize it was all just a dream. If so, I will marvel at my own imagination. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined it...this journey...all these things that appear to have actually happened. I'm eternally grateful. It's been a dream.

April in Paris: The Food!

Petit déjeuner à Ladurée, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris

Paris in April is something special. It's special any time of the year, and one of the things I will remember most is the food. Il était incroyable! 

At the hotel, luscious apricot nectar

We stayed at the Marriott on Avenue des Champs-Elysées, a lovely place with a full service bar and seating in the lobby, plus indoor and street cafe dining.

Ladurée is famous for its macarons, sumptuous, sweet little cookies

Just across the street was Ladurée, serving some of the most gorgeous pastries I'd ever seen. We loved it so much, we went there five times. Each time we had something different. On our last visit, I had the Ladurée version of Eggs Benedict. 

It was kind of like Eggs Benedict meets Toad in the Hole-- with soft boiled eggs nesting in thick rounds of buttery toast, covered in Hollandaise sauce. There was no jambon, or ham. The dish was rich enough without it!

Mom enjoyed her perfectly cooked omelette at Ladurée

gorgeous pastries at Ladurée

We had several other food adventures, such as Croque-Monsieurs at Le Deauville on Champs-Elysées, buckets of mussels at another nearby cafe, wine and hors-d'oeuvres at the top of the Pompidou, charcuterie plates and wine at a side street brasserie, and tea at Hotel Le Bristol.

Tea at Hotel Le Bristol, Paris - I had a double espresso and cookies

charcuterie plate at a little brasserie off Champs-Elysées - yes, please!!

With fresh memories of the delicacies in Paris, I will have some new ideas for things to enjoy at home. The food and wine is incredible, but it was more than just food and wine-- it's a way of life.

With David Nemitz, classmate from the Peddie School Class of 1984. "Red" lives in Paris

Food also has a magical way of transporting us to far away places. When I get home to Portland, Oregon, I will visit France often in my own kitchen. Maybe I'll even figure out how to make the Eggs Benedict, but if not, I'll cozy up to a long sandwich baguette, avec frommage et jambon, et buerre au lieu de la mayonnaise; et un verse de vin rouge. 

Pour l'Amour du Fil- Special Exhibit Photos

showing "Fruity Beauty" at Pour l'Amour du Fil in Nantes

Pour l'Amour du Fil 2015 was held Wednesday through Saturday, April 22-25, and there were eight special exhibitors: Irene Blanck, Dijanne Cevaal, Kaye England, Willyne Hammerstein, Tomie Nagano, Fumiko Nakayama, Kimberly Rado, and I.

very impressed with the work of Irene Blanck

Dijanne Cevaal exhibited beautiful works made from her linocuts

a linocut print I purchased from Dijanne Cevaal

we loved getting to know Kaye England and her quilts

Kaye is clearly inspired by antique quilts, and she has an amazing collection

Willyne Hammerstein's vibrant, kaleidoscopic work

Tomie Nagano displayed her lovely, elegant indigo quilts

Fumiko Nakayama's work was just stunning

Kim Rado's work, absolutely stellar and full of whimsy

I called it the "wall of beauty"

One of my favorite quilts by Christine Wrobel of Sequim, WA

What an honor it was to be included with such a talented group of artists, now counted among my new friends from all around the world. To share so many antique, vintage and new quilts from my book was a dream. What I will remember most is the people, how lovely they all were, and how lucky we were to be together in Nantes. Thank you to everyone who made the experience possible.

Pour l'Amour du Fil, Nantes, France

Around closing time, day 1 - my quilts are along the wall at the top

Having fun at Pour l'Amour du Fil in Nantes, France. Today was Day 1, and lots of people came through. I was very happy to meet several Facebook friends in person for the first time, and they were all simply delightful -- and from all over the world. The show is on through Saturday, April 25th. For more information, click here.

my quilt "Fruity Beauty" and I at Pour l'Amour du Fil

most of the quilts were along the far wall and in the adjacent alcoves
but a few, like this one, were in special spots

with 50 quilts in the display, we think it is the largest-ever display
of New York Beauty quilts and related designs

even though the book weighs 2 kilograms, it was flying off the sales tables

the highly coveted event bag...I know, I know...everybody wants one :) 

travel photos

It was a long flight. We landed in the morning. 

I had the short ribs. They were delicious.

They were giving out Amenity Bags on the plane.

Hotel atrium, Marriott Champs Elysees 

petit déjeuner a Laduree

the subway

gardens along Champs Elysees

utility poles are fancy in Paris

Arc de Triomphe, daytime

Arc de Triomphe, nighttime