I will be in France......Honfleur, Bayeux, Mont St. Michel, Amboise, Beaune, Paris.....in late May and early June. I love to french-hand sew for my grandchildren and hope to find some lace shops and sewing shops while I travel through. I visited a fabric shop in the Montmartre area 2 years ago while there but was never successful in getting a clerk to help me purchase the lace as I do not speak French and the clerks seemed too busy to stop and help...(not rude, just too busy to try and help an English speaker.)
Any advice or help would be so appreciated. I have found a couple of beautiful lace shops on Pinterest and hope I can find them while in Paris.
Thank you!
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2261 posts
We had wanted to visit this one, but it's in the south, east of Avignon:
Posted by
Paris
2466 posts
If you have specific questions, like the following, you could write them down on a card - but you probably won't understand the responses you get. Bring a pad and pen, and motion for the sales clerk to write the answers down for you.
Most stores only sell fabric by the meter, but ribbons and lace trim can be sold in smaller quantities - just show how much you'd like using your hands. Prices listed are normally by the meter. The salesperson will write you a ticket, and you go to pay the cashier. Some shops hand you your merchandise before you've paid, others ask you to return with the receipt to pick it up.
It helps to visit the fabric stores in Montmartre during the middle of the week and in the morning, before noon. Always wait until the clerk has finished with the previous customer, then begin a question with "Bonjour Monsieur" or "Bonjour Madame", followed by "Excusez-moi", then your question. Being polite will get you a much faster response, even if the clerk is super-busy - and if you get off to a good start, you'll be surprised to find out that the clerk would really like to try practicing his/her English.
Here are some common questions. If you have more, don't hesitate to ask.
"How much does this cost by the meter?" - Combien ça coûte par le metre?
"Can I just buy a few inches of this?" - Je peux en acheter quelques centimetres?
"Is this hand-made or machine-made?" - Est-ce fait main ou à la machine?
"What are the washing instructions?" - Quelles sont les renseignements pour le laver?
"Is this fabric made of synthetic material, cotton or silk?" - Ce tissu-là, est-ce fait du tissu synthétique, du coton ou de la soie?
Depending on the shops, you might encounter a "hired hand" - usually a man who looks like he doesn't belong in a fabric shop - and is just there to cut off lengths of fabric for people who know what they want. I find it's best to look for a woman or a man carrying a tape measure or order pad.
Posted by
California USA
3953 posts
Don't know about shops but be sure to visit the lace museum in Bayeux!