Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting up with four very special women who happen also to be popular sewing bloggers, and a more photogenic group of gals you'd be hard-pressed to find.
Suzanne (on the far left) had invited me to join her, Sonja, Wanett, and Oonaballoona at Mood for a little fabric shopping and I had to go. Many laughs and much pawing of extraordinary fabric, some of which we were wearing ourselves.
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| Oonaballoona in a fetching bouclé jacket she made herself. |
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| Suzanne's elegant navy ponte knit dress. |
Over a light lunch at Pret-A-Manger, I shared my well-worn copy of Color Me Beautiful, and what fun we had leafing through it. Sonja devoured the concept and I am confident that one day this young Queens resident will find her season.
Breaking away from the pack, whose enthusiasm for sewing, fabric shopping, and picture taking knows no bounds, I made a few purchases on my own at Fabrics for Less and Chic Fabric, specifically for my 1939 McCall's dress project.
Believe it or not, I currently plan to make two versions of this dress, and potentially a third.
First, I purchased what feels (and burns) like a rayon/poly blend that drapes like silk. To me the print has an Art Deco feel and I love the palette, admittedly more abstract that much of what you see in Sears catalogs of the period. We'll see how it turns out.
My other purchase was a striped charcoal gray suiting with a crepe-like texture, along with a more widely striped cream. I strongly suspect these are petroleum products, but for $2/yd, this allows me to experiment with contrasting plastrons and maybe even a bolero jacket. (Think Rosalind Russell.)
In related news, I found these second-hand (though not vintage) shoes at the flea market this morning for just $5. To me they have a very Thirties feel and they also happen to be exceedingly comfortable.
This is a pair of authentic 1930's lace oxfords for sale on eBay for $259. Close enough.
Readers, that's all for today. I'd love to get some sewing in but we'll see how it goes.
Happy Sunday, everybody!
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Amazing day. I love NY garment district specially when you get great fabric and its surrounded by talent ...
ReplyDeleteI had such a great time with you all!! And even found some great, really cheap, fabric after you and Sonja left us!
ReplyDeleteThose shoes are AMAZING! And will look wonderful with the suiting version of the dress.
whoah. that market is made of fantasy stuff. and i do mean fantasy. and, a fantastic day!
ReplyDeletei managed to snag some more shirting for ruggy at fabrics for less, methinks i need to do a little research on your menswear, ye of that FABULOUS coat.
I completely agree with Nettie that those $5 shoes are AMAZING; in fact I like them a whole LOT better than the expensive pair, which actually appear a bit "orthopedic"! Don't forget that they didn't have the shoe selection back then like they have nowadays, and so wearing whacky-coloured modern-day shoes kinda spoils the classy 'vintage' vibe! These shoes in that neutral charcoal colour and that detailing should serve you for just about any 40s outfit! (Well, maybe not a BROWN outfit!)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I would say that the rayon poly blend with the half-dots is much more "SIXTIES" in feel than it is "Art Deco". Just my .02.
Ditto on the shoes. The $5 pair is much chicer than the white pair, which was giving me flashbacks to my 5th grade teacher, and not in a good way- though in her defense she had black hair à la Cathy, so that says something. I can't wait to see the suiting version of the dress!
DeleteI'm a little on the fence about all the fabric, actually...
DeleteI agree about the fabric. It is more of a 60's feel about it than a nice feminine
Deleteart deco look. I need to go check out the shoes now. I remember someone I know bought a vintage 1930's dress similar in style, it was a solid color and the other one had petite florals on it. They draped beautifully but unfortunately too fragile to wear plus they were made for a boney girl.
Thrifting shoe finds are among the best!
ReplyDeleteI always get a bit jealous with these meetup posts; but not so much, because you people always share your experience, so we get to enjoy it, too.
Those shoes are THE BEST! way to go on your score!
ReplyDeleteI love the spotted fabric. In sufragette colours, no less. Perfect for Cathy.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the dresses! And the new shoes will be perfect with your Rosalind Russell-inspired dress!
ReplyDeleteIt was so much fun hanging out with you yesterday-- I've been a fan of your blog for ages, so it was awesome to shop and chat with the Man, the Myth, the MPB Legend!
Good find with the shoes!
ReplyDeletewww.becstitches.blogspot.com.au
Jealous of the shoes! And it's always a delight to spend time with you, Peter.
ReplyDeleteLove the shoes! And that purple poly blend!
ReplyDeleteOh how fuuun!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a pair like those... I had bought them at Le Chateau in about 1985/1986 and they were comfortable. I loved them, particularly with longer skirts.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great bunch you are! Now that looks like my kind of blogger meet up!
ReplyDelete...and you met Oonaballoona!
ReplyDeletePeter, your charmed life has been turbocharged for 2013.
I have been searching for shoes like that! What is the brand, pul-leeeeese?
ReplyDeleteThe label says "Blake Scott."
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