Come to Paris where we will immerse ourselves in
the exquisite and historic textiles of the past and present.
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Shop famous haberdasheries, the flea markets and the famed fabric stores in Montmartre.
Tour the Musée Jouy de Toile, the Versailles palace and gardens, as well as Musée de Cluny and a guided tour at the Palais Galleria – Paris' Fashion Museum. Plus, everyone's favorite - La Galeria Dior. Lora Avedian will teach 3 workshops!
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Pinch me! Is this trip real? Yes, it is. Read on...
In Versailles we will visit Maison Sajou. This internationally famous French haberdashery replicates historic 19th-century French ribbons, fabric and embroidery supplies using traditional French manufacturing techniques. We will also go to the Musée de la Toile de Jouy, which is dedicated to the history of the world-famous painted and printed cotton fabrics that originated here in the 18th century.
La Galerie Dior, is the first museum of the Parisian fashion house. Located in the same building as the legendary shop, La Galerie Dior was planned as a cultural attraction in its own right, a repository of fashion memory.
It is behind this emblematic facade designed in the purest French style of the second half of the 19th century, that more than seventy years of collections are found.
The Montmartre fabric district, located at the base of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, is the historic textile hub of Paris. The area is packed with multi-story fabric warehouses, luxury designer deadstock and budget-friendly remnant shops. We start at Marché Saint-Pierre (Dreyfus), the districts legendary, multi-story department store, the anchor of the district, that offers a massive variety of fabrics.
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We are fortunate to be going to Palais Galleria – the fashion museum of Paris, during a fascinating exhibit: "WEAVING, EMBROIDERING, EMBELLISHING. The Crafts and Trades of Fashion." Embellishing - my favorite!
The Musée de Cluny is a museum of medieval art in Paris. The museum houses one of the largest collections of art from the Middle Ages, consisting of 23,000 items, of which about 2,300 are exhibited. This includes the famed The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.
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The Lady and the Unicorn is the modern title given to a series of six tapestries created in the style of mille-fleurs (thousand flowers) and woven in Flanders from wool and silk, from designs drawn in Paris around 1500. "Woven in Flanders" refers to textiles, primarily tapestries and linens, that are manufactured in the historical region of Flanders, which covers parts of modern-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The phrase is synonymous with high-quality, heritage craftsmanship.
It was love at first sight! I mean look at these embroidered florals. Vivid and bold, yet soft and luscious. Amazing what Lora has done with florals, coaching, ribbon, embroidery and color.
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There will be three - yes, I said 3 - workshops with Lora.
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Workshop 1: A couching class (the technique from book).
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Workshop 2: Experimental floral embroidery at Au Ver a Soie.
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Workshop 3: Using inspiration and techniques from the week, create a more final piece of work, including fabric manipulation with a pleater. Also, a discussion on how Lora designs her work.
Registration Opens in October 2026
Sew & Sew Retreats brings people together with a similar interest and then offers the opportunity to spend memorable moments creating, learning, exploring, relaxing and laughing with like-minded people. I hope you will join us!​​​
Linda Sweek dba/Sew and Sew Retreats
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