Buongiorno from Italy! I am writing the second of my posts about my Fabric Frenzy this time in Italy!

Walking along the shops of Roma and Florence, each window brought new and unusual surprises.

My focus was to look for Italian cloth and textiles to compare to those at home. The lace articles were lovely, but I found a few exquisite and expensive treasures as well.  As I admired them, I thought about how they belonged here in the midst of people of high culture and class.  So many curtains in the windows were lace in even smaller villages I saw, a common elegance for many.

I wanted so much to buy yards and yards of the Hermes fabric and turn our home into one of Italian distinction.  I knew, however, it was only something I could dream about for that moment like the wonderful taste of the gelato I was eating as I strolled by the shops.

Only once did I come upon a shop that made curtains. It was a small establishment with racks of special order designs and a small loft above where the owner did the sewing. I was curious to ask what he charged to make drapes for the home, but my Italian was slight compared to his. So I just admired and appreciated his capability to create many yards of fabric into personal tastes for his clients.  Sewing is certainly not just a hobby here. It can be a “life line” for many.