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Paris Crafting

If you’re in Paris and need a craft fix, we’ve got the following suggestions:

Discount fabric stores, haberdasheries, and embroidery supply shops are found in Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur. Walk through the maze of streets toward the Basilica. One of the excellent fabric shops, the Marché St. Pierre, is located at the foot of the Sacré Coeur gardens on rue Charles Nodier. Note that it is closed all day Sunday and Monday until 2pm.

Art materials can be found at Sennelier at number 3, Quai Voltaire, directly across the river from the Louvre. The shop alone is worth the visit. All of the cabinets and fittings are exactly as they were in 1887. There is a second Sennelier shop at number 4 bis, rue de la Grande Chaumière which is not far from Montparnasse railway station. This is walking distance from the Jardin du Luxembourg and Boulevard Saint-Michel.

Take note! Sadly, Bouchera, the giant warehouse of fabric and home goods, previously located behind the Opera house between the Printemps and Gallerie Lafayette department stores at the Boulevard Haussman and Rue de la Lafayette, has closed. Lost and confused without it, I walked around in a daze asking passer-bys “Mais, pourquoi? Pourquoi?”, but the only answer was the credit crunch.

The Sentier is the oldest textile district in Paris. It is within easy walking distance of Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Marais, and the Centre Pompidou. Fabric shops abound. The main streets are rue du Sentier and rue St-Denis. A number of the shops are wholesale only, but sometimes you’re lucky and they’ll let you buy fabric, as long as you have a large order. This is the place to come to see what the designers are buying before it hits the runways.

Be careful not to wander too far north into the 10th Arrondissement where the Boulevard St. Martin and sections of the rue du Faubourg-St. Denis can be unsafe even in the day.

If you love millinery designs, there is a restaurant named Un Piano sue le Trottoir on rue der Francs-Bourgeois near the Place des Vosges which has hats lining the walls and on hat stands.

Marie Claire Idees is a popular French magazine packed full of crafts, beauty articles, and recipes. They host an annual craft fair in Paris. Plan your trip right and next year, you could go to the Marie Clair fair held on or around the third weekend of November. Since there’s no craft heaven like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby in Paris, this place will be heaving. Be prepared to be pushed and jostled by the craft hungry French women.

Other useful French publications in which to read about crafty and artsy happenings are L’Officiel and Pariscope which you should be able to find on the outdoor magazine kiosks located on the corner of many busy streets. Take note – L’Officiel is targeted at Parisiens and Pariscope at tourists.

If you love fashion and craft, you’ll want to visit the Musée de la Mode et du Textile. Take half a day. The exhibits change all the time and often include the works of the major French designers. The gift shop has an excellent range of books, many of which are in English, about fashion, textiles, and many other crafty subjects.

To learn more about tapestry and weaving, try the Musee des Gobelins near the metro stop Pace d'Italie.

Of course, a trip to Paris would not be complete without a taste of Laudree’s magnificent macaroons. (Watch out for recipes in a coming issue!)