Meta-blogging for an October morning

Friends, occasionally I like to perform a little blog housekeeping.  Like a fast-paced summer action movie, plot lines here at Male Pattern Boldness can get convoluted or dropped entirely, characters may appear out of nowhere and then just as suddenly disappear, or key scenes get left on the cutting room floor, leaving audiences disoriented.

Or perhaps you've missed a few days -- the metaphorical trip to get popcorn or use the bathroom -- and you no longer know what's going on.

I'd like to take this opportunity to straighten things up a bit, for your sake and mine.

First things first.  Remember the A-line tunic dress I sewed last month for the Burda Westminster Liberty competition?  Well the ten contestant entries are currently on display over at BurdaStyle -- and a lovely group they are indeed!

Here's my entry.



Wise readers of taste and discretion, does something about this photo seem strange to you?  Is anything missing perhaps?

Here's a hint:



Friends, I know Cathy is remarkable in many ways, striking to the point of distraction; the other contestants perhaps a bit less so.  It would certainly be unfair for my entry to get special attention solely because it is being modeled by a professional, albeit one a (wee?) bit longer in the tooth than her competitors.  So I understand why Burda chose this particular image, one of roughly eight I submitted.

Unfortunately, Cathy is not so understanding.  To put it bluntly, readers, she's pissed.  But such is life.

In other news, last week I was sitting on my sofa, staring at my still-unfinished cranberry corduroy suit jacket project (belch) when I saw a vision.



A rainbow had appeared on the on-off button of my Black & Decker Digital Advantage iron!  I thought it was a signal from the great beyond calling me to iron some shirts or....frankly, I had no idea.  It wasn't until I discussed this minor miracle with Michael that he pointed to the glass paperweight on the window sill, which the morning sun had turned into a prism.  Silly me.

Next!

My Kwik-Sew Western Jacket pattern has arrived.



I am so tempted to put my cranberry corduroy suit jacket project -- which some of you have suggested is already fatally flawed due to inferior pad stitching -- on hold and move on.  I may even explore some suede resources here in the Garment District.  Wouldn't that be exciting?

Sadly, friends, tailoring is not providing the proverbial "thrill up my leg" I had hoped and forgive the vulgarity.  I feel a bit like the anti-Gertie: tired, still phlegmy and chilled two weeks after my cold, and distracted by all sorts of unpleasantness -- sick friends, the sudden death of an old lover, family chaos -- you name it.  But don't let me burden you with my problems.

Moving right along.

Did you ever hear of a Greist zigzag attachment?  Well I have one!  It actually came with the Necchi zigzagger I purchased on eBay last year, though it clearly wasn't intended to use with that machine.  It does fit my Singer 15-91 perfectly and yesterday I tried it for the first time.



It works beautifully!  Unfortunately, it came with only the template for the blind hem stitch.





Someday, somewhere, I know I'll stumble across the others.  Or maybe I'll just get rid of it; I don't know.  Anyway, it's a fascinating little attachment.

In the next couple of days I'm meeting another sewing friend for a third visit to "Japan Fashion Now."



I'm considering going in full ganguro make up with the aid of Jergens Natural Glow and white lipstick.  We'll see.

Dear readers, there's much more to tell, but I'm afraid we're out of time.  I hope you've found this helpful.  I know I did.

Please leave any questions you have about competitive sewing or vintage Greist sewing attachments below.  Or just say hi.

If you can recommend any good sources for suede and leather in the Garment District, that would be great.

Please direct your questions about pad-stitching to you-know-who.  She likes that sort of thing.

Have a great day, everybody!