WIP: grande valise

I'm working away on a charity project and realized a piece of embroidered voile that I've had for years would suit the project perfectly. I scanned my tiny studio and could not immediately find what I was seeking. I realized that I must get into our storage area and pull-out the "Grande Valise".

The "Grande Valise" is a particular suitcase my honey and I bought for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend some time in the south of France. When we bought it, we didn't think it was all that "grande". Suitcases look much smaller in a large store than they do when you get them on the tiny streets of old Paris and into her historic hotels. (This suitcase is so large, I can get in it and the zipper can easily be closed. I am not a huge woman, but I am mostly normally proportioned at 5'4".)

I think it was Sophie, who lovingly named our brutish North American-style suitcase "Grande Valise". She helped my honey and me as we prepared to leave her gorgeous hotel, L'Ermitage (on Montmartre in Paris) and return to Canada, by calling for our taxi. We smiled at each other, somewhat embarrassed, as we overheard Sophie speak with great exuberance about the size of our luggage. She was concerned that the taxi wouldn't have a large enough trunk to contain our suitcase.

We have fond memories of dear Sophie. In my imagination, she was a main player in the French Resistance. Her hospitality was second to none. She looked out for our safety and she was the one who (after great insistence) hauled Grande Valise up and down three flights of stairs. (Imagine how horribly impolite that made my honey feel!)

I will think of Sophie often as I work on my this piece that I call Lillian. My collection of supplies and my progress - so far - is in the photos below.

my "raw ingredients"

progress, so far