Friends, I know I said no more eyeglass photos this month, but I did want to share this shot of me in a dimly lit restaurant earlier this week, using my new reading glasses to read a menu for the very first time (I ordered the duck sausage). Life transitions!
I was so charmed by those cheapie A.J. Morgan "readers" from Ricky's that I treated myself to a pair of their cheapie sunglasses (also from Ricky's) that I actually prefer to my BonLook frames, which I'm shipping back to the company today, alas. (NOTE: I finally realize that close-up photos of a person in sunglasses invariably make the frames appear bigger on one's face than they appear in three dimensions.)
We tried the BonLooks on Michael (who now claims he needs sunglasses -- surprise, surprise), but he says they're too dark for his complexion.
Moving right along, MPB reader and Rowenta iron donor "Babe" is in New York for a few days, and yesterday we engaged in a little fun-on-the-fly fabric shopping. Babe picked up some gorgeous cotton shirting at Beckenstein's (where the customer in front of us was none other than Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand) and we also poked our heads into B&J, where I had been only once before.
Remember the Liberty "Pelagia" shirt I made for Michael in 2010?
The fabric is still available.
In fact, they have a ton of Liberty prints, as spokesmodel Babe is displaying.
But maybe you want something a little snazzier? How about some chain mail?
Better yet, for $710/yard, access your inner Phyllis Diller* with a little ostrich on transparent illusion!
(*This comes easier to some than to others.)
Meanwhile, I poked around Mood for Cathy's New Look ensemble. Here are a few things I picked up, more for texture than color, following a few of the fabric suggestions from the back of the pattern:
Silk faille and silk moire faille (rhymes with smile):
Silk shantung, which is slightly nubby, like Dupioni:
Metallic linen (which would probably be the easiest to work with):
I'm open to other things too -- I could definitely see the jacket in black or navy cotton sateen, for example, though I'd like the dress to be in something lighter weight.
And that's it, readers!
Spring weather has returned to NYC: the flowering trees are in full bloom, the sun is shining once again -- and I have all the sunglasses I need to handle it.
Have a great day, everybody!
Wow... and think! I cringe at paying $10 a yard.
ReplyDeleteFor the dress I like the fabrics in the first picture after the pattern. The blue is nice too.
Oh fun! but metallic linen- Can you press it? -without melting or breaking the metal.
ReplyDeleteHappy spring!
Oops. That should say, "and to think!"
ReplyDeleteThat's almost the same as the pattern I am working on next,flesh coloured duchesse satin jacket, black duchesse satin dress, can't wait to get started
ReplyDeleteColors you are looking at are so subtle, personally I think the pattern calls for something a little more saturated. Given the samples you showed I like the blue and pink the most, plus I always love watered silk for the design and the stiffness.
ReplyDeleteThe French in me feels compelled to say that faille rhymes with, erm... fahye (yes, I know that's not a word). Can't wait to see Cathy in her New Look dress!
ReplyDeleteIn ballet class, my teacher pronounces it: Fah-YEE!
DeleteTee-hee. I was going to say the same thing. Though I am not French, I studied the language in high school and college. I can't wait to see Ms. Cathy Lane in her new dress as well.
DeleteWell what do I know -- I'm from the Bronx.
Deletehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faille
Americans just don't know what to do with the double l, other than pronounce it. Hence they rhyme faille with 'file' and reveille (pronounced reh-vay en francais) is mispronounced as reh-va-lee. Don't even get me started on the way Americans fail to correctly pronounce the Dutch cheese called Gouda.
DeleteAll I have to say is: you kill me! Love your posts, and glasses pics!
ReplyDeleteBeing French-Canadian, that's not how I pronounce faille, but you're obviously using the NY pronunciation ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you want a color here, nothing pale or pastel. Something vibrant, to suit Cathy's complexion.
I love reading about your fabric shopping excursions! I'm coming to NYC for a birthday fabric shopping weekend, and your recommendations go straight to the top of my list!
ReplyDeleteYour seventh photo reminds me of a necklace I inherited from my mother: it's a triangle of gold glomesh with hooks at two corners, so it sort of looks like a neckerchief worn by uh... very feminine ?? cowboys. I've never actually worn it, don't have the 70s clothes to go with it, and it STINKS of the cigarettes that killed her. But one day I'll find the righ occasion to wear it - I hope!
ReplyDeleteAlso... can anyone say what "Butcher Linen" is? And did you notice that the notions listed on the pattern specify "buttons" but not how many or what size? I guess we need these things spelled out for us these days, unlike in the past!
I love the idea of the silk for Cathy's jacket-- maybe a coordinating spring print for the dress?
ReplyDeleteI love the liberty cotton shirt you made Michael.
The liberty print shirt you made Michael is awesome! They really do have some cool stuff. I don't blame you on the glasses. I think glasses and hats are really tough because so much is your face proportion with the object, and they're not something you can tweak like a fabric.
ReplyDeleteI think the coolest glasses by far are the comme des garcon steampunk glasses. The reading glasses are nice - the lenses are centered on your eyes, which I've been told is supposed to be one of the goals for eyewear.
Shantung is easy to work with. Were there any other colors of the metallic linen?
ReplyDeleteYes. I chose the swatches for the fabric type rather than the color.
DeleteYou've only been to B&J once before? I'm gonna snatch your New Yorker card... but wow - do they have some great Liberty Prints, right?
ReplyDelete