Mar 6, 2016

First-Ever MPB Winter Frolic: "A Fantasy of Fashion and Fabric!"



Readers, what fun we had at Saturday's first annual Winter Frolic!

We started at the museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where we saw three (three!)  wonderful exhibits: Denim: Fashion's Frontier, The Women of Harper's Bazaar, and the breathtaking Fairy Tale Fashion.  I hadn't yet seen any of these exhibits and I am certain to return to see them again (and again).  (More info about the shows at the museum's site here.) 

Claire McCardell's denim beach ensemble

Christian Dior coat and its photograph in 1954 Harper's Bazaar

J. Mendel imagines the Snow Queen.

After an hour and a half at the museum, we headed to lunch.  As is our tradition, we took over the second floor of Panera's, and held the biggest pattern swap I'd seen since...the last MPB Day pattern swap!  A very special thanks to Kate J. who contributed two enormous bags full of vintage pattern loveliness (each pattern packaged and labelled, no less).

Kate

Kyle, Tomasa, Kristina, and Chris -- hope I got that right!

Frannie, Duane, and Marty

I didn't take this Nehru jacket pattern home with me.  I'm more the flannel type.

Next, we hightailed it up to the Garment District for some frenzied fabric and notions shopping.  Kyle and Tomasa led a contingent to Mood Fabrics (and beyond), while I led a group to the many smaller shops on 39th St., including AK Fabrics, Paron's, Daytona Trim, and Fabrics for Less.  Oh, and the always incredible Spandex House (on 38th St.)!

Meta

Rebecca

Kelli and Johanna -- color coordinated

Me and Howard and the beautiful Singer 201 in Beckenstein's store window

Ethereal Florence and one of her many fabulous fabric finds

This look worked better for Marlene Dietrich than it does for me.  (Spandex House)

Around 4 pm, the crew headed to the spacious International Gourmet Kitchen (IGK) on 35th & 8th Ave., where we found plentiful seating, a wide assortment of snacks, and (thankfully) clean restrooms. While we rested and noshed, we displayed our purchases and dreamed up plans for all the new outfits we'll be wearing to the next MPB Day, Saturday, August 13th (Save the date).  I left around 5 pm; who knows what happened next?

Many thanks to all our attendees -- my new best friends: Howard, Kelli, Claire, Nick, Marty, Johanna, Mimi, Michael, Rebecca, Florence, Karen, Carol, Jocelyn, Theodore, Frannie, Aimee, Tomasa, Duane, Meta, Chris, Kristina, Trudi, husband Nick, Amanda, Lore, Kate, Kyle, and Pam.

Your enthusiasm made this, our very first Winter Frolic, an event I want to repeat every March from now on.

More pics from Saturday's festivities here.

Have a great day, everybody!

Amanda's marvelous fabric haul

22 comments:

  1. What fun...wish I were closer!

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  2. Looks so fun, and I'm so sorry I missed it! Epic pattern swap. :)

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  3. Sounds like you all had a great day together, too bad I don't live closer by. Thanks for posting it on your blog.

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  4. Looks like it was great fun!! And with you at the helm, how could it not be?? Glad to see so many new faces. I was so looking forward to the event, but a horrible virus kept me in bed for a couple of days. So angry that I missed out!

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  5. It was great fun, Peter! Thanks so much for organizing this wonderful event.

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  6. Thank-you for the itinerary - I'm currently planning a fabric shopping trip to NYC in late May. I have an empty suitcase to fill!

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  7. Thank-you for the itinerary - I'm currently planning a fabric shopping trip to NYC in late May. I have an empty suitcase to fill!

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  8. This is fantastic! Wish I'd been there...

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  9. You all had more fun than the law allows!

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  10. Peter, thanks for organizing this! I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels recharged, and ready to launch into some new projects. Spending a day with some of the nicest and most creative people on the planet does it every time.

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  11. I had an excellent time. Good people all. Thanks.

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  12. I am really happy you are going to have this every winter too! That is fantastic news! Thank you for organizing this. It is always fun to see you and to meet, talk, and shop with fellow MPB groupies. My fabric purchases are in the washing machine right now. And it was really sweet of Michael to clean up the leftover patterns. You are a great couple!

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  13. I am insanely jealous but so happy you all had a fabulous time! I live in the beautiful state of Montana, where "sewing" generally means "quilting" (I do not quilt). If you come to this neck of the woods, I would take you on a tour of our fabric (quilt) shops in my city, and would take us all of 20 minutes!

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  14. Do you have the date for the summer get together? I missed this one and want to mark my calendar so I don't miss the next one. Looks like everyone had a great time.

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    1. Yes. Saturday, August 13th. Hope you can make it!

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  15. I saw you with the Nehru jacket pattern and went Yes! NO? Damn.

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  16. Peter... a question from Ohio. Any NY'ers insight on place to lay my weary head for August event? Read about POD39 in on-line NYTimes today. Thought is to drive, on a Weds. Stay 1 night at Newark airport, saw a deal there for stay a day and leave the car... then stay Thur Fri Sat at Pod39... explore the city, do the MPB day sat.. and go home Sunday. Is it easy for 'us used to drive everywhere folks' to get from airport into city, I know I can walk around all day and have fun and keep busy... just the to/from Airport part has me puzzled. Many thanks... others from out of the NYC area might be equally interested on the mechanics of BEING in NYC...

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    1. Nancy, although I'm about the furthest thing from a New Yorker,I'll be traveling to the city (from Melbourne, Australia) in May on a fabric shopping, Broadway going trip. As I have done previously, I'll be staying at the Larchmont hotel which I cannot recommend highly enough! While not the cheapest place in NYC the rooms are a decent size and breakfast is part of the deal.

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    2. Looking at Parchment website... looks perfect! Thank you so much!! Getting around NYC on my own will be a challenge, but I think ultimately rewarding. Thank you Jenerators... better $ than the POD option even though further away. I am planning a 7 day express/bus/subway ticket to get around. Now THAT is a complex website, so still picking my way thru the details. Thinking I can pass on the remaining 3 days to someone in need who can use it when I depart.

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    3. Sorry not to be of much help, Nancy, but it sounds like you've found a good option. Looking forward to meeting you!

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