Three! - And 25

I've been a real slacker about blogging lately. But it's because I've been really busy. I've been on a buying trip this week. I'll be posting the fruits of that over the next couple of days. In the meantime, are you sick to death of seeing fabulous fabrics from that couture house on the rue Cambon? Oh well, too bad! Because guess what? I got not one, not two, but three beautiful fabrics from that couture house on the rue Cambon!!! Here, for your viewing pleasure (and feel free to click on the links beneath each picture if you want to do more than just look!), are three new belles tissues!

 Afternoon at the Tour Eiffel Bouclé - Pink/Coral/Ivory

 

Tea at the Paris Ritz Bouclé - Chartreuse/Gold/Ivory

Paris in the Evening Novelty Bouclé - Black/Navy

Sorry for the less than usual quality of the photos. I took the pictures from my phone. But these fabrics are totally GORGE! (Is that French?)

The other news is that the test came back. The number is 25. Sigh...

Well, you know what they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get sewing! So I think I'll spend this weekend doing exactly that. I should have the bulk of my jacket completed. I picked up some chain while I was on my trip, so I'll apply that. I need to figure out what to do for trim, but I have time for that. OMG, and I have to show you one more fabric (it isn't Parisian, but it is totally fabulous): Fancy Italian RPL in bright orange! I fell so in love with this that I took 3 yards to make into this Vogue dress:

Isn't that just totally Michelle Obama??? I love it, and I'm going to make that as soon as I can!

I want to sign off with a big shout out to Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic. We had dinner last night. Carolyn is one of the dearest women around. She's funny, smart, sassy and the best dinner companion and friend you could ever wish for! Her blog is a must-read. Carolyn sweetie, it was wonderful to see you! Let's do it again soon - say in 12 weeks or so?

Parting Shot: Two Redheads

 

Sorry it's blurry, but the fabulous Laura Bennett and I got together in New York this week. You know she has a book coming out? It's going to be funny and fabulous - definitely a must read! 

That's all for now. Stay well and happy sewing!

Leather Shopping in New York City

 Photo: Leather Suede Skins

Right now, and continuing into next year, leather is all over the runways and stores. And why not? It's sensuous; it's edgy, and it's fun. And once you get used to it, it is surprisingly easy and rewarding to work with (see My Post on Working With Leather/HotPatterns Homage Tote for some hints and how-tos).

My travels take me to New York on a pretty regular basis, and I have three favorite sources there for leather. When I need a skin for a project, my first stop is Leather Suede Skins. Lambskin, cowhides, exotics, embossed, printed, and furs of various sorts are arrayed in an almost dizzying manner. The store is small, and the owners are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. Alla (one of the owners) is particularly great to work with. If you can't get to the store in person, you can order color cards from them, which give you a great idea of their inventory. They also have a small but impressive selection of leather straps, trims and braids. If you only have time for one leather store on a trip to New York, this is the one I would send you to.
Leather Suede Skins
261 West 35th St. 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
212-967-6616

My other fave-rave in the Garment District is Leather Impact. This ground-level storefront is cavernous in size, with a great assortment of all types of skins, including full hides hanging up on one wall. They have one of the larger selections of metallic skins (so hot right now) that I have seen. They also have the best selection of strapping, both beveled/stitched and plain, that I have seen anywhere. I bought some great leather strapping for handbags in several colors here.
Leather Impact
256 West 38th St. Ground Level
New York, NY 10018
212-302-2332

Another very good leather store is Global Leathers. I have to admit, this is the one I use the least, but not for any bad reasons: I just seem to find what I need at the other two. But they have an enormous assortment of all types of leathers, from garment weight to upholstery weight. The store is large and packed, one might say cramped. The selection is excellent.
Global Leathers
253 West 35th St. 9th Floor
New York, NY 10001
212-244-5190

One thing to note is that these stores are open Monday-Friday 9-5. (Global may be open Saturday).

Several other fabric stores in the Garment District carry leather skins as well. Mood and B&J are just two examples. But these three stores specialize in leather of all types, and can get you what you need to make your leather project perfection!

Happy Sewing!

Sit and Sew with Susan Khalje and Kenneth King

Where to begin??? This was one of the best sewing excursions I've ever done. It was four days of sheer sewing bliss, punctuated by fun, adventure and frustration at the fact that there is no f***ing 14 inch spiral steel boning to be had on the island of Manhattan! But I digress

The class is taught by Susan Khalje and Kenneth King. "Class" is a bit of a misnomer. It's more of a directed study. Students bring whatever projects they want to work on, and Kenneth and Susan help with all aspects of the project. Some of the projects included a Chanel style jacket (Kristine), a guipure lace skirt (Joanne), a strapless boned semiformal dress (Meg), pants, gowns, slopers, and lots of others. I'm telling you - it's four days of sewing heaven! Oh yeah. The company is pretty good too.

If you read my blog earlier this month, you may know that I was out of commission for the first two weeks of August thanks to a bout of pneumonia. This had a two-pronged effect. First, it got me some reactions of, "You're taking another week away from business???" Yes - it was paid for months ago. The pneumonia was an afterthought. Second, it meant that I, notorious procrastinator that I am, lost two weeks of doing nothing on my muslin and/or plans for my project. I lost my Marfy muslin, too, but that's another story.

So I decided to go back to my original idea and make a lace bustier. I draped the pattern for the bustier on a dress form and I tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to adjust it on me. I figured Susan and Kenneth could help me with it, so I wasn't too rattled by my inability to get it well fitted beforehand. Kristine pegged it when she said, "Don't expect to walk away with many finished garments, as this class is all about quality, not quantity." You can see from my last post that I came home with my bustier about half done. But the things I learned from Susan and Kenneth gave me the tools to tread where I never would have before. I'm almost to the point where I'll insert the zipper and then I will do the lining, add the waist stay and then, I'll have me one spectacular bustier to wear to singing gigs! I'll do some blog posts all about the construction, no worries. But right now, check out some pictures from the class!

Each day started with a hands on lesson or a show and tell, and there were several breaks where Susan and Kenneth would demonstrate techniques. Here's Kenneth showing off his broadtail coat:
Susan is next to him on the right. Here is a closeup of the broadtail/leather join, with his hand leatherwork. Fab-u-luss!

Susan and Kenneth worked with each student, and they were incredibly generous with their time and talent. Susan took me shopping for my lace and silk. How fabulous is that? Here she is working with Ellen, who was making a concert dress (she's a violist).
Kenneth also brought in a Chado Ralph Rucci jacket that he bought at a flea market!!! I want to go flea market shopping with that man.
Here's a detail from the jacket.
There are so many more things to say and show, but I don't have time right now. I'll post more progress and photos as the bustier comes together. I'm saving my pennies to try to go again next year. If you have the opportunity to work with either of these two wonderful teachers, don't hesitate - do it!

Happy sewing!

Whoof!

That's not a dog barking, that's exhaustion rearing its head. I took a bunch of students and colleagues to New York yesterday for a "field trip". It was a great time! We had a couple of adventures, but more than that, I think everyone had fun. And we were able to meet up with Carolyn and Lindsay T at the end of the day for dinner. As an aside, Jack's Restaurant on 40th looks like a pub grub place, but in fact, has great tapas!

We started at Mood and did the rounds. I'll let them tell you which stores were their favorites. Here's the group at Paron's at the end of the day:

Photo courtesy of LindsayT

Not the best picture, but it was the end of a long day of fabric shopping, and the heavens had just opened and it was pouring out. Today I'm tired!

The other thing that happened yesterday is that my latest library acquisition arrived! Can I tell you how psyched I am to have this book? I'll be reading it every free moment I have. Stay tuned for a review soon!
I'm way behind on work, so I'm off to catch up.

Happy (couture!) sewing!!!!!

Work in Progress and Monday Miscellany

I got a bunch done on the dress today but I forgot to bring my camera so, alas, no pictures. I do want to say, I'm impressed with this pattern. It's a Palmer Pletsch pattern that has all the fitting information you could need to make it work for you. They use their fitting guidelines from Fit for Real People. I don't have that book, but everyone who does seems to love it. And as I say, I'm impressed by the thoroughness of the fitting instructions. So far, I give this one a big thumbs up. I wish I had gotten it further along, because I'd like to take it to ...

New York with my students tomorrow!

Yes, I'm mother ducking a bunch of my students and a couple of my ASDP colleagues around the garment district tomorrow for some fun and fabric. We're going to meet up with Carolyn and Lindsay T. I can't wait to see them both again! I wish we could spend an overnight, but schedules didn't permit this time.

Back to my dress, I have a confession to make. A friend of mine pointed me to a lively, some might say heated, discussion about sewing over pins. See me raising my hand? Guilty. I don't necessarily recommend it, but when people look all aghast at me, I just shrug. I have been sewing since I was 12. I've sewn over countless pins countless times and I have never once damaged my machine, nor have I put my eye out. I have bent pins and broken needles, which isn't a good thing. But I see more damage caused by folks who neglect to change needles between projects. That one gets me going!

Speaking of going, Gorgeous Fabrics warehouse is going to be closed on Friday, July 3 for the holiday weekend. We'll be processing orders, but any orders that come in over the long weekend will ship on Monday or Tuesday.

FB Peeps, check out the Gorgeous Fabrics Facebook page starting Wednesday. And until I get back from NYC, happy sewing!

None

That's how much sewing I have done since last week. This weekend was jammed with activity. I spent Thursday and Friday in New York meeting with vendors. I got to spend some serious time with Emmett and with Chloe. I also got to spend Friday afternoon with the wonderful Barbara of Cat Fur Studio. I had such a great time with her! Being the evil enabler that I am, I dragged her to Lace Star. And we found a fantastic wig shop on 37th that we both fell in love with! I came home on Friday night and turned around and drove to Connecticut on Saturday for my godson's first communion. Then on Sunday I sang at the confirmation at my church. I ran from that to my neighbor's surprise 50th birthday party. Today I am exhausted.

But the good news is that I got some really cool fabrics for Gorgeous Fabrics that I'll be putting up today and tomorrow. I'm still waiting for my Marfy patterns :( I'm hoping those will arrive this week. I'd like to get working on them to use as some examples for my Saturday Series classes.

Speaking of which, for anyone in the Boston area who may be interested, the Saturday Series starts this weekend. It's a four week series of 2 hour classes that go from 10 to noon on Saturdays. There are still openings. If you're interested, drop me a note at Ann "at" Gorgeousfabrics "dot" com and I'll send you the sign up information.

Hopefully I'll get to do some sewing this week.
Happy Monday!

What I Did in New York

I finally have almost caught up from last week. What a whirlwind! Down on Thursday and back on Friday, and that's a lotta traveling! Fortunately the weather cooperated, and the traffic didn't get too bad until we were well down the West Side Highway. I met up with my darlings Emmett and TLo on Thursday night and we headed off to Leeanne Marshall's collection at her studio in the Garment District. Leeanne is so sweet, and her collection, for the most part, was incredibly gorgeous! The poor thing was telling me the next day that she only had 3 weeks to work on it. But she got it done! Here are two of my favorite looks:

The fabulous Amanda wearing an amazing black silk gown

This gown of silk chiffon and ombred, raw cut organza was gowachuss!

Check out the skirt detail:

And here is the lady herself.
I didn't get to talk with her that night beyond the polite hellos, but we spoke after the Project Runway. She is such a sweetie, and so talented! Love. Her!

The next day was the Project Runway Finale. I have to tell you - it was fabulous to be there, but it was a bit anticlimactic. I felt badly for the designers; they didn't get to have their moment in the sun. But the clothes were interesting and, in some cases, fabulous. You can see the complete collections on Project Rungay (and a big hug and kiss to TLo for having me there as the official PRGay photographer!), so I won't repost them here. But check out the view from my seat...

The crowd before the show

That's Christian Siriano in the lower right corner

Heidi - Tall, thin, gorgeous, and I have no idea how she can work it in those heels...
Nina and Heidi

Heidi-ho, neighbor!

Nina

Introducing the show

Michael Kors and Heidi

Suzy Menkes (guest judge and the best fashion writer on the planet), Nina, Michael, Heidi
The very first look

Heidi and Tim Gunn at the end of the show

Nice rock, Frau Seal!

I have tons more pictures, but I think I'll point you to them at Project Rungay. Tomorrow I start on the Burda for sure!

Happy sewing!

Organic Balloons

I promised you pictures of the Performance Art Balloons at the MAD opening, so here you go. Talk about taking the balloon doggie to a new level. First we have the "Anemone":

Then there was the "Boy Balloon"

And of course, the complementing "Girl Balloon"

Tell me those aren't, um, evocative...

Happy sewing!

My My My, How Time Flies!

Photo: Museum of Art & Design

Goodness, it's already Thursday. Where has the week gone? I don't know about you, but I find that the first two months of the school year are crazy with a capital CRAZY. In my town, school starts the Wednesday before Labor Day. And here is one thing that drives me crazy: Staff Development Days. These are days during the week when the kids are off school so the teachers can have meetings and training and such. On the surface, it's a good idea. But we had one this past Monday. The kids haven't been in school for 5 weeks yet and we're having a staff development day? WTF??? Couldn't they have just added a day to summer vacation?

But, wanting to make lemonade from that sack of lemons, DH and I decided to take the boys and head to New York on Sunday. Last week I was in New York and I wanted to spend 2 days there to get business done. Unfortunately, there was not a room to be had in New York City for under $800 last week, thanks in large part to the opening of the UN session. Bush, Palin, and a boatload of heads of state and their entourages were there. What a difference four days makes! We were able to get a great hotel room for a great rate. So we headed off.

Before we left, we heard that the new Museum of Art and Design was holding their grand opening. MAD is located at 2 Columbus Circle, and it is chock full of arts and crafts from American artists. There is furniture, jewelry, and all sorts of stuff. My personal favorite piece was a portrait of garment workers made from clothing labels. It was very cool! DS the youngest was a blast to be with: "Mom! Come and see this!" "Dad, you gotta come over here and see this!" Both the kids love museums, and this is a particularly fun trip for families.

While we were waiting in line to get into the museum, they had some performance artists in some, um, organic balloon outfits outside. DH got a picture, but he hasn't sent it to me yet. I'll try to put it up later. Let's just say that I never imagined balloons could be so, well, arty! After we went to the museum, we had dinner with DH's cousin and her son. It was a lovely day.

Sunday was rather dreary. Hurricane Kyle was going by, but Monday was simply spectacular. I got to do a bunch of work (the fruits of which are on the What's New page at Gorgeous Fabrics. Monday was also a rather subdued day in New York. I can imagine that it may have had something to do with the Wall Street/Washington machinations. While I was meeting with vendors, DH took the boys to Toys R Us, the M&M's and Hershey's stores, and ESPN Sports Zone's arcade. A good time was had by all.

This week's project is a pair of pants made with this fabulous new Rayon Stretch Sateen:
It's in keeping with the whole purple theme I have going this fall. I haven't made up my mind which pattern to use yet. I'll let you know.

As a parting shot, here's a picture of me and the boys on Central Park South. It was after we went to MAD, and it was late in the day, we were all tired and it was slightly drizzly, but we had a great time!

Happy sewing!

A Little Trip to New York

Yesterday I spent the day in New York. I was "on assignment" for an article I'm writing. More about that later. Suffice it to say it was a lot of fun and I got to fondle fabulous fabrics. I also visited BFAM Emmett while I was down there. If you get to Nolita, you have to go into His Store. His fall line is T.D.F. Here's a picture:

Ian, the store manager, is on the phone in the back. I love, love, LOVE the dress on the mannequin. And look! Emmett did a fichu-type treatment too. His isn't a design-save, though.

I love the trench coat and the dress in the window. That's Emmett on the phone outside.
While I was there, who walked in but Chloe Dao, Project Runway Season 2 winner! Chloe is exactly the way she came across on TV. Incredibly competent, fun, sweet - all superlatives. And the wonderful thing about Chloe is that when you chat with her, you feel like you have always known her. She's got a great manner and personality. Like Emmett, she's not only a top notch designer, but she's a very savvy business owner as well. She's going to continue to do really, really well, and I can't say enough nice things about her.
I feel positively amazonian next to her! BTW, Chloe is selling a very successful line on QVC, in addition to her Dao Chloe Dao line (available at her boutique in Houston, TX).

Lots more to come later. And don't forget! Mark your calendars for October 25 at 1:00. Emmett will be talking/selling at the ASDP meeting to be held at Berlin Old Town Hall in Berlin, MA (near Interstate 495 - directions to come). The cost for non ASDP members is $20, to benefit the New England Chapter of the ASDP programs. You'll need to RSVP to moi to reserve a space. I'll put up the details later.

Ciao for now, Chloe Dao!

The Best Leather Cleaner Out There

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth lately - sorry to disappoint those who hoped I had ;) I've just been massively busy. That's a good thing, but it does make it difficult to keep the blog updated on a regular basis. Lots of interesting stuff is happening. Stay tuned for that...

No, as I say, I've just been busier than a one-armed paper hanger. The HP skirt muslin is done, and I'll review it tomorrow. Check your emails for the latest and greatest newsletter and sale at Gorgeous Fabrics. And check out this little tip. I've not only been busy, but I made a stealth trip to New York. While there, I went to Leather, Suede, Skins, my favorite leather vendor. I used to buy from them when I was making handbags, and I still love them for leather for personal bags. The next iteration of the HP Homage Tote is sitting waiting for the leather for the back. And of course, I had to buy a couple of other amazing skins while I was there, right?


Anyway, on to the subject at hand. While at Leather, Suede, Skins, I picked out two lambskin hides. One of them was pretty dusty, but Alla, the owner, said, "Here, let me show you a trick." She pulled out a can of Lemon Pledge and a rag, sprayed the leather and wiped it. Wow! What a difference! The leather looked fantastic. And according to Alla, it's just as good for lubricating the leather as any of the more expensive leather treatment products out there. It's also great if you have a leather bag that has gotten dusty sitting in your closet. So don't bother with the $12 Coach leather cleaner. A spray can of Pledge will work as well for a lot less money.

Happy Sewing!

Fun fun fun in the Big Apple!

Well, work work work, then fun fun fun! I spent yesterday on a buying trip in New York. It was a very, very long day. But I got tons done, I have so many new fabrics coming, and better yet, I was able to see two friends while I was there!

First off, I got to have lunch with The Ever Lovely and Hysterical Carolyn. Oh. My. Gawd! No subject was off limits. No dish was left undished! We had an absolute blast. We went to a great little pub (don't worry, we drank Cokes) and sat there laughing for the entire time. I love Carolyn. If you get the opportunity to meet her, do! She's one of the most accomplished sewists around, with a wicked sense of style and a wickeder sense of humor! Mmmmwaah, Carolyn!

After lunch, I got more business done, then I headed downtown to see Emmett. Emmett is my twin brother by a different mother. I got a preview of his newest collection. Can I tell you? Gorgeous! When he showed me one dress in three different fabrications, I immediately exclaimed, "It's so Pia Getty!" He has several dresses that have amazing details. And I have some pictures of detail shots of one of his hottest selling dresses. I'm going to do a tutorial on how to make something very similar, so stay tuned!

Oh, and for all you New York area Fashionistas, Emmett is doing a big by-invitation sale next week. And guess what? I got the invite, and I get to invite all you! So check out the fabulous canapés, cocktails and CLOTHES (the clothes, babies, the clothes). I'll have a preview when he sends me pictures of some of the dresses, but trust me - it's all chic, elegant and FABULOUS!

Back to work today. Gotta post a lotta fabrics. And don't forget, there's still a Linens and Woolens Sale going on through the weekend at Gorgeous Fabrics.

Happy sewing!

What I Did Yesterday (and the day before)

Man, am I exhausted! If you read Project RunGay, you already know that I spent yesterday at Bryant Park with Tom, Lorenzo and Emmett. We attended Malan Breton's fabulous show! It was a real hoot being with TLo - they are celebrities in their own right. But I had the cooler camera! But let me go all stream of consciousness on you for a moment and talk about Tuesday first.

Tuesday was a quadruple whammy in New York City. It was Super Tuesday. It was Fashion Week. It was Mardi Gras. Finally, and possibly most important, it was the day of the Giants' Superbowl parade and rally. The energy in the city was palpable. The crowds were very rowdy, and I think I saw more Eli Manning Number 10 jerseys on Tuesday than I had seen in all my previous trips to New York combined. It was really a lot of fun, even for a die-hard Pats fan like me. How can you not smile, right?

Anyway, I had business to attend to, but then I got together with Emmett and went to his store, where, BTW, he is having an A-MAY-ZING sale right now. Dresses are $49, $59 and up, for just gorgeous, timeless styles! I bought three dresses. Check out His Website for styles, then call the store for price and sizes (the prices on the website are not up to date with the sale). Honestly, his stuff is totally gorgeous, and at those prices it will go fast. I got mine, now go get yours! Don't forget your Tim Gunn talking bobblehead while you're there.

So back to our adventures. We headed off after shopping to dinner at a place in Chinatown. It was a Mardi Gras benefit party, and it was a lot of fun. After dinner, some amazing rice crispy treats and two glasses of wine (I have now officially given up alcohol for Lent), we headed back to meet Tom, Lorenzo and Emmett's gorgeous boyfriend, Pierre. At about 11:30, they were all going out to a Project Runway party at Beige (you can read about it on TLo's blog). I opted out b/c I had been on my feet in 4 inch heels since 7 that morning, plus I needed to check into my hotel. So I caught a cab, checked in and went to bed. Or so I tried.

Remember the big confluence of events? Well, that meant that a whole lot of folks were partying: celebrating Mardi Gras and the Giants, especially. At 2:08 I was awakened in my 7th floor (usually very quiet) hotel room by two exceedingly drunk young men screaming the f-word at each other and loudly exclaiming to all of the East Village how much they hated each other. Seriously, I was waiting for gunshots.

After a while, things subsided, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Somewhere between 3:30 and 4 I finally fell asleep, only to be rudely awakened by a 6:30 wakeup call. Ugh. But of course, I was going to the Tents, so dammit, I had to look FAB! Roll out of bed, shower, do hair, throw on clothes, go to lobby for very large cup of very strong coffee. Come back upstairs, trowel on the makeup to cover up my dark cirles, put on brand new Emmett dress and boots and head up town to meet the boys at the tents.

On Wednesday, it was warm in New York - bordering on hot. It was in the 60s. Thank heavens I brought my BeSewStylish Jacket with me to buy trim. I threw that on over my dress and I was perfectly comfortable. What a wacky weather day.


While waiting for the show to begin, we caught up with Diana from Season Two and Katy from Season 3. They were both so sweet. I snapped some pictures, then I looked up and said to Lorenzo, "Fern Mallis just came in." We ran over to meet her. She was gracious and so professional (I wish they would have her on Project Runway more often). I got a couple of pictures of her with Lorenzo.


We also got to meet Laura K and TBone from Blogging Project Runway. They were fabulous, gracious and funny!

Here's a picture of the runway before the show began and as folks were filing in.


I didn't take any pictures during the show, figuring it would be bad form to climb all over Tom and Lorenzo to get good shots. Malan did a wonderful job on the show. There were a couple of pieces that I really, really loved and would wear in a New York Minute (I'm with TLo, though - the hemlines have to come up). The only snafu in the show was the final dress. Now, know this - I am not saying this in any mean-sprited way. The dress was beautiful. But it needed a slit or a fishtail hem. The model, Isabelle, had to take such small steps that at one point I leaned over and asked, "Do you think she'll make it backstage before the music ends?" Other than that, the show went off flawlessly, and Malan did a great job! I did get a shot of him and Isabelle during their final walk down the runway.


After it was all over, I went backstage to meet him with TLo. Malan is so gracious, and he has such gorgeous eyes. And that voice? Mellifluous is the word that comes to mind. He looked elated and exhausted. We didn't have time to get a picture of me with him. The security people were hustling everyone out to prepare for the next show. But wow, what a day!

After it was done, we grabbed a bite to eat, went back to Emmett's studio for a little while, then split up to go our separate ways. What a fun and wonderful two days! Tom? Lorenzo? Emmett?

Mmmmmwah!

Here's a reprise of my favorite picture from the whole trip:
.

Now it's back to real life. I got swatches out the wazoo to post on the site and another post to write for BeSewStylish. But I'll be smiling about this one for months!

Happy Sewing!

Back Home!

Oh my goodness, kittens, I'm exhausted! I spent yesterday and today in New York City with three of my favorite people in the world. I'll give you the whole scoop tomorrow, but let me give you two little hints:

Image courtesy of Project RunGay

and



Happy Sewing!

I am SO Loving My New Toy Tool

I've been remiss in posting a lot recently. It's been a crazy busy last two weeks. My sister had a big birthday, so I took her to New York to celebrate. I'll tell you, if you are looking for a wonderful meal in New York at not-outrageous prices, Union Square Cafe is an excellent choice. Trust me. I've been dragged to some of the "best of the best" restaurants (and honestly, when they get on those lists, I immediately distrust them), only to be disappointed. Union Square was good food, good, attentive service (without being too-too), and well-priced. All in all, I would give it four stars. If it helps, there are only two restaurants that I have ever been to that get 5 stars. One is in Paris. The other is a little place that I will never put on the web. Sorry.

While in New York, Marie (DSis) and I decided to hit the cosmetics counters of the good stores that we don't have in Boston. First we went to Bergdorf Goodman.
Bannnnffff!!! Oh man that was a big mistake! We could not walk more than 5 feet without being physically accosted by highly aggressive salespeople trying to waylay us at their cosmetic stations. I have nothing against salespeople. I am one. But I really don't like having to play Lawrence Maroney knocking down the defenders as I try to decide whether I even want to stop at a cosmetic counter. Is it just me??? Seriously, I think I will write a polite but stern letter to the store manager at Bergdorfs. Even as I was standing by the elevator, a perfume saleswoman came at me with a spritzer and I thought I would have to put her into a half-nelson!

We had much more fun at Henri Bendel. I found a fabulous new cosmetic line called Solutions by Francesca Guererra. I can't say what their skincare is like, but their makeup? Fabulous!!!! And the makeup artists who work for them at Bendels, John Henry (my newest love - well, he's gay so it's okay with my DH) and Alex (I don't know if he's gay, but he can do my makeup any day of the week) are To. Get. Thy. Suburban. Selves. To!!!! Look, I know a lot about what it takes to look good. These guys, and this makeup line, make it easier. NAYY, I'm just thrilled with them.

When I got back, of course, both kids were down with the flu. I had already committed to make a jacket for BeSewStylish.com. The problem was that I planned to make the jacket for my Chanel-style dress, based on a Marfy Pattern I ordered from Vogue. Unfortunately the pattern didn't show up until too late to use in the webpost. Auuggghhh!!! Drop back, punt, and use a different pattern, Vogue Basic Design 7975. I'm making this pattern up with a herringbone tweed in my stash. It either came from my darling Kashi or from Fabric Fix. I'm photographing the steps to making the jacket with my New DSLR. You can see where I am with the jacket at BeSewStylish. I'll do a full review after I post the how-tos on BeSewStylish. I have been having SO much fun photographing all the steps with my new camera! It eats up disk space, but I'm figuring out how to minimize that. I can tell you right up front: this is a GREAT pattern. If you are looking for a pattern with good bones and lots of possibilities for designer touches? Grab this pattern!

Next up? Fabulosity! Can't say more until after it happens, but watch this space, it will be lots of fun!

Chars m'dears!

Happy sewing!

I'm Positively Quivering with Excitement!!!!

Oh. My. God...

Kittens - I just got such amazing news today. But you have to wait a week to find out what it is!!!! I have to keep it to myself. It's going to kill me. In the meantime, here are a couple of tidbits that will keep you going. They are, of course, apropos of very little.

First I love the Patriots as much, if not more than the next person. But I have to admit, I'm sick to death of the whole pre-Superbowl week! Oh for God's sake, quitcheryappin and just let them all play ball, will you? If I have to read/hear/watch another pundit discussing Das Boot, I'm going to stick a fork in my eye.

Second Follow up to yesterday's post on bra fitting. If Lise Charmel fits you like it fits me, and you don't feel like paying upwards of $120 per brassiere, get thee to Century 21 (annoying generic techno music, so you may want to turn the volume off). They have Lise Charmel, Lejaby, and tons of other fabulous manufacturers, in all sizes at the best prices I've seen anywhere.

Well, I still am quivery with excitement about next week, but you gotta wait until then! To tide you over, there is a Great Sale at Gorgeous Fabrics! (Super triple secret hint: more coming - real soon).

Well, if I don't sign off now, I'll spill the beans. So taa for now, and
Happy Sewing!

I'm Back! Back in the Boston Groove...

Miss me?

What a whirlwind tour Thursday and Friday was! I'm exhausted, but my poor DS the eldest came down with the flu, coupled with a stomach bug. The poor kid!!! So I'll be putting up new stuff this weekend in between feeding him chicken broth, dry toast and lots of sympathy.

Now I'm going to get to work on the durned dress and get it finished! I finally feel like I'm coming out of my slump. Nothing like a trip to lots of fabric vendors to recharge the batteries.

Happy sewing!

Back from New York!

Miss me?

I haven't done anything on the jeans because I spent the last two days in New York on business. I love going to New York. It's exciting; it's vibrant; it's still a fast-beating pulse of the fashion world. It's Exhausting!!! This trip was no exception. It was also unseasonably warm. It was in the 70s with high humidity. I stayed downtown and did all my business in midtown. And there was a cab strike going on. Apparently, the city wants to put credit card machines in the cabs, and the cabbies don't want that so they called a strike last night. It was weird - there were no cabs when I walked out of the office building. Manhattan had a vaguely ghost-town feel to it.

But I got the business done that needs to be done (check Gorgeous Fabrics over the next day or two to see some of that). To those whose specialty fabrics I picked up, I'll send them out tomorrow. Eithne, I found three GREAT silver buckles that are so designer, and I'll send those to you. I want to see an amazing trench!

My friend Barb came with me on this trip. She split off and did her thing while I was in meetings, but we met back up later. And we had dinner with Emmett! We went to a great tapas place in the East Village near his store. It's called Xicala, and it was fantastic! We had so. much. fun! Barb and I have known each other for 21 years. She's my son's godmother; I'm her son's godmother. People used to mistake us for sisters when we went to the same hair stylist. And Emmett? It's like we're all siblings separated at birth. We spent all evening telling stories about our Irish families and all the shenanigans therein. Funerals are never so funny as when you get three Irish Americans together. And we met Pierre, Emmett's TDF boyfriend, and Gizmo, his dog. It was such a fun time, I'm still laughing about it! Oh, by the way, if you get a chance, definitely go to Emmett's store and check it out. For my fashionista non-sewing friends, and even for my sewing friends, he has some A-MAY-ZING coats. I lust severely after several of them. He has come out recently with a gowachuss shoe collection. I ordered a pair of boots, and I cannot wait to get them. They are both beautiful and comfortable. Believe me when I say, he's going big. Real big, and real soon. Prognostications away!

Tomorrow it's back to work - well, that was work too, only different. And I will get back to the sewing room and to work on the jeans.

Here's a picture of Barb, Emmett and me.


Yeah, I think a fun time was had by all.
Happy sewing!

You Never Know Who You'll Meet

Wow, I have to tell you, it's been an interesting couple of weeks. Things have been really slow on some fronts, what with vacations and the dog days of summer (see post below). But on other fronts, I feel like I've been zooming along at jet speed, and in a good way (knock wood)! I'll fill you in on things as they progress, but I have to tell you about a chance meeting that was so interesting! I went to New York on Friday. Yes, kittens, keep an eye out on Gorgeous Fabrics over the next couple of days! It was a great and productive day. I had a bunch of meetings, which you'll hear about as events progress, and I got to see my dear Emmett. As a slight digression, his new fall line is TO. DIE. FOR. When it's on the site, which should be soon, check it out. The raglan sleeves are amazing!

I take the Acela train to New York whenever possible. I find that it is only slightly more expensive than driving, and I can count on the schedule much more than when I drive - you never know what traffic you'll hit on the Merritt or on the Mass Pike. On the way home, I sat at one of the tables they have on the train. I like the tables because I can set up my computer if I want to get work done, and I usually end up striking a conversation with fellow passengers. Friday was no exception. I chatted with the gentleman sitting across from me about how much we prefer the train to flying. He was coming back from Washington DC. At one point he asked me what I do that brings me to New York so regularly. I told him about Gorgeous Fabrics, and it turns out that he is President and CEO of Cranston Print Works, the largest domestic printed fabrics manufacturer, and one of the few left in the US. We got talking about trade, textiles and supply chain, and George is sending me some papers he's written on US trade policy. Sorry, it's the Supply Chain Geekazoid in me (I spent the last 4 years of my high tech career in supply chain). I'm really excited to read them. We were having such a good conversation that I almost missed my stop at New Haven!

It's amazing to me how people come into your life at times when they are most - I don't know how to say this best - useful? Needed? Helpful? All of the above. I'm looking forward to reading George's papers, and I can't help but think there's a little element of kismet going on here. I'm really excited to see.

Meanwhile, the jumper is done all but the hem, and there are some mighty fun things just about to happen, so stay tuned!

Happy sewing!

Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing

DH starts his new job tomorrow, and he was off all last week between jobs. I spent Monday in New York City visiting Emmett McCarthy at his design studio. It was great to see everyone - Ariel, Erin and Dimitry were all there with Emmett. They were working on the new fall line, and I can tell you, it is going to be GORGEOUS! Here's a funny little anecdote. Emmett asked me if I wanted to try on a wool jacket that I was positively drooling over. Of course, I said yes before he could even finish the question. So I tried it on, and immediately everyone went into fit-model mode (I get another credential to add to the CV). After a few minutes of tweaking and pinning, Emmett stepped back and took a look at the jacket. Then he looked at me and said, "Wow, Ann, you're really busty... really busty!" To which my reaction was, "Honey, why do you think my husband married me?" We all cracked up, then we went to the diner downstairs for lunch and milkshakes. I love visiting Emmett. It's like visiting my slightly crazy (in a good way!), very creative Irish (American) cousin.

After visiting with Emmett, I went to the Poiret Exhibit at the Met. I did a writeup on it for BeSewStylish. Wow, I say, wow! Go see it if you can - it was so inspiring!!!

Tuesday we spent the day at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT. What a fun aquarium, and we picked the perfect day to go! DH has all the pictures on his account. I'll post a couple later. But they also had a "Birds from Down Under" exhibit where they had about a bazillion parakeets, and one of them and I decided to do a little duet.

The rest of the week was spent doing July 4th activities, making a skirt from fabric my BFF brought back from Ireland, and then swapping couches with my sister. She's moving to a much smaller house than the one in which she lives now. My couch, which is the best napping couch in the history of the world, will fit there, and her couch, which is a pretty decent napper itself, looks beautiful in my living room, so everyone is happy.

Tomorrow it's back to the real world. DH begins his new job (at a very cool company that does shopping cart technology), and I'll be posting a ton of new fabrics for fall. It's been a lovely week, but as they say, break's over!

Happy sewing!