Toujours a la Mode!

In the mid 1940’s when fashion was beginning to flourish after taking a backseat to the events of World War II, my mother boarded a train for New York to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion . What dreams this young girl from a small Idaho town had in mind, Mom never told me. Perhaps she dreamt of becoming a fashion designer to the stars, or a seamstress and designer in a Paris boutique. Paris couturiers could now show their collections and the fashion world attracted attention, but after her year at Traphagen, my mother returned home and met my father, just home from the war. Whatever dreams led her to New York were now replaced with a different vision.



Sewing, however, still continued to be part of her vision. Wherever she went, she sewed. Her “atelier” took many forms, from the corner of a room, to a closet, to the basement, and years later a sewing room. Mom’s midwestern sewing rooms were not like those in New York and Paris, but her prolific production could rival a Parisian seamstress.




I was born a year after my parents married, and I entered into her sewing world. Sewing was never off limits to me. I spent hours sitting at her machine when she wasn’t sewing, first sewing on lined binder paper (without thread in the needle), to practice straight sewing. From there I learned to sew on fabric making seams and darts. At the age of 6 or 7, I wanted to make an outfit. Mom took me shopping to choose fabric (an activity that continued throughout my growing years). I choose a cotton fabric (turquoise with little lambs) and Mom helped me sew a gathered skirt and sleeveless blouse; quite an accomplishment for a child. She patiently guided me through the whole process. I was very proud of my efforts.



There were no short cuts for my mom when it came to sewing. I could have had no better teacher. The fabric was straightened, patterns placed on the grain line, and all markings marked with tailor tacks. I often heard her tell me that proper pressing was just as an important part of sewing as the actual sewing itself. If my sewing was shabby, she showed me how to improve. Once I was making a pair of Bermuda shorts and she suggested that I sew flat felled seams for durability. The shorts turned out well. (Ethel Traphagen, credited with introducing shorts and slacks into the American scene, would have been proud). She showed me how to do French seams on my blouses and I loved the “look”. Perhaps that was the beginning of my fascination with all things French.



Mom’s designing skills flourished over the years and I was the lucky recipient. Being her only daughter, my wardrobe was “à la mode”. As a child, my dresses were made of layers of organdy, or dotted Swiss. I twirled until the skirts flew high over my head and the front sidewalk served as the runway as I paraded my new outfits. Mom continued to sew for me through high school, college, and into my maternity years. Sometimes she would use a pattern, but often she would design something unique for me. If we saw something in a store that I wanted and we couldn’t afford, she went home and magically created a copy. I had my own personal couturier. If, as a teenager, I pouted like an” ingénue” and complained that I needed a new outfit, she worked long hours into the night to see that the perfect ensemble was created. Her gift at sewing seemed to be my birthright and it wasn’t until years later that I realized not all girls my age had a mom with this talent.




In 1967, I was the one who boarded a plane for France. I was spending a year studying the French language at Aix-en-Provence. Moms’ sewing skills met her all time challenge, as her next line of clothing would be worn on European soil. When she finished, my luggage was loaded with “designer” clothing, and I was ready. Cameras flashed as I boarded the plane. La France, me voilà!



The Traphagen School of Fashion did turn out some famous designers, such as Geoffrey Beene, James Galanos, Franklin Rowe, and Mary McFadden, to name a few, but Traphagen also gave me my personal designer, seamstress, and mentor. I realized that my Mom’s passion for sewing could have equaled any famous designer, but fame is not always the goal of a proper education, and Mom’s skills continue as a legacy in her daughter and granddaughters. Merci Maman!!!

Chartres

During our trip to Paris, Rollie and I took a one day bus tour to the Loire Valley, where we visited two of the many castles to be found there. Our first stop, however, was in the town of Chartres where we visited the famous cathedral, Notre Dame de Chartres (not to be confused with the Notre Dame in Paris, which I will write about on another post). This cathedral is magnificent. It was built in the thirteen century on a site where a cathedral had stood since the sixth century.

You have probably noticed the the two towers of the cathedral are not identical, one being a Gothic tower and the other being a plain Romanesque tower. Due to the fact that a fire destroyed part of the cathedral, one tower was rebuilt in a different century, with different architecture.

European cathedrals are very ornate. These sculptures are on the exterior of the building and represent Biblical people.

Chartres has been a stopping place for pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for many centuries. These pilgrimages still take place today. On our way into Chartres we noticed a long procession of school children, singing and carrying flags, in celebration of the pilgrimages. Rollie and I were fortunate enough to be there on the weekend where this religious observance took place (once a year). School children from all over France walked in this procession. Rollie took several pictures for me because of the varied uniforms and outfits being worn. The French Boy Scouts were even there.

Stepping inside the cathedral you see the nave. The buttresses are incredible.

Below is the "pulpit", (not sure what the actual name is), where the priest would stand to speak. I have seen many scenes in French movies where these are used, and was interested to see one up close.

The stained glass and sculptures inside the catherdral are amazing as you will be able to tell from the photos. I learned something from these elaborate structures, which gave me a different perspective. I had always thought that the clergy of the Catholic church jealously guarded the Bible, and spoke only in Latin to keep the lay person ignorant. Perhaps some of that happened, but Chartres is an example of how the clergy wanted to share as much of the Bible as they could with those people who could not read. Throughout Chartres are many elaborate sculptures which depict the Biblical stories, and the stained glass windows intricate detail also teach the Bible visually. You could spend days in Chartres, "reading" the Bible.

Below is a picture of the floor, (and my feet). The floor is significant because you can see how worn it is from the pilgrimages. Chartres was one of the cathedrals that was a stopping place where the pilgrims actually spent the night. In the castles and palaces in France, much of the stone worked steps and flooring is polished smooth. And speaking of castles, there is still more to come.

Next blog we visit Amboise and Chenonceaux. A bientot!!

La Seine, Les Ponts, et Les Bateaux Mouches

There are many ways to see Paris: by foot, by bus or by boat. The river Seine meanders through the center of Paris, and tour boats, called "Bateaux Mouches", glide up and down the river giving a different view of Paris. The words "Bateaux Mouches" means "Fly Boats", as in those annoying flies that hover at picnics. I often wondered why the boats were given that name. A French friend gave me her explanation that the boats are like the eyes of a fly which sees many views at once, much like the people on the boats see many views. That metaphor works for me.

Crossing the Seine are many bridges (35 or 37 depending on your source). These bridges range from centuries old to fairly modern (as within the last hundred years or so). I read a quote while I was teaching, something to the effect that Paris dangles her bridges much like a woman showing off her bracelets. The bridges are amazing in construction and variety, and Paris has every right to show them off.

Please join us for our ride up and down the Seine river via Rollie's photos.

"There are other cities farther north than Paris, but somehow its particular quality of light and atmosphere, and its palette of silver, gray and slate-blue, is only found here." Laurel Delp

"The glorious river Seine" Anatole France

"The Seine at Paris is more than beautiful. Poets and neoimpressionists shift their attention to it as the mood strikes." Mort Roseblum

"I do not know how many bridges there are on the Seine, but I do know that no public buildings are as deeply imprinted in the affection of the Parisians." Pierre Schneider

"The Seine flows between banks of books." Guillaume Appollinaire

"I could spend my whole life watching the Seine flow by. It is a poem of Paris." (author unknown, but my sentiments exactly)