Fabric Shopping With My Friend Lenore!

Meet Lenore -- a super person, talented handbag designer, and FABULOUS friend to go fabric shopping with!

We hit the Garment District this afternoon and boy did we have fun.

We started at Paron's on 39th Street.  Not only are they currently offering a 25% off sale, they now have a giveaway box (near the front of the store) of fabric remnants, expired sewing magazines, and discontinued patterns.  I found nearly a yard of beautiful blue boiled wool, two Kwik Sew patterns, and an old issue of Threads.  Not bad for free.







For a mere $8 a panel, I bought this gorgeous polished cotton panel print in pale pink and brown.  Not sure what it will be but I love it. 





Lenore had never been to Elliott Berman so, after a quick bite to eat, we walked there next.  I was wearing the shirt I made from the French cotton voile I'd purchased on my last visit, and I wanted to show it to Eugenia and Matthew, who run the place.  Lenore was blown away by the selection and left with a bagful of treasures.  I think we were there for two hours!

Me and Eugenia at Elliott Berman

I bought this beautiful French floral linen.  Guess who is getting a shirt?!





Finally, I brought Lenore to Metro Textiles.  Once again she was dazzled by the selection.  I don't think owner Kashi wanted her to leave -- ever!





I bought two fabrics: an unusual patchwork cotton for myself and a bold floral for my Mom.  (Actually we all decided who got what after I returned home; luckily none of our favorites overlapped.)









The best kind of person to shop with is a gentle co-enabler, don't you agree?  That's Lenore -- Love.  Her.

See the scary/hilarious GIF here.

It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it!

If you ever find yourself in the Garment District, don't forget to visit these three fine fabric stores -- and let me know if you see Lenore!  (Note: neither Elliott Berman nor Metro Textiles is open on the weekend.)

Have a great day, everybody!

Holy Hibiscus! -- Michael Models the Tropical Print Blazer!

Would you believe that a few short years ago I couldn't have identified a hibiscus if my life depended on it?  Not anymore!

Michael's oversized hibiscus print blazer is finished and you can see him model it this very minute it by simply clicking here.

It seems like a lifetime ago that I draped this fabric around Michael and told him to smile or else.  Who would have guessed just a few short weeks later he'd be hobnobbing in huge hibiscus like he'd been born to Lily Pulitzer?



Let it never be said that I don't sew for my loved ones.  OK, I hadn't originally set out to sew this blazer for Michael but I realized as soon as I started stitching that it wasn't going to fit me and he (fortunately) loved it.  Does that diminish my magnanimity?  I don't think so! 

Have a great day, everybody!

Finishing Touches on the Blazer + New Fabric!

Friends, I am happy to report that the blazer is finished -- well, almost finished: I still need to insert the sleeve lining.

But since some blazers don't even have sleeve lining, I feel like my work is basically done.

You'll get to see the completed garment tomorrow.

(Btw, I'm still getting used to the new dimensions of my blog.  Those photos look huge.)

A blazer, sport coat, sports jacket or whatever you want to call this garment requires a lot of hand sewing, particularly to attach the lining.  You can't bag a lining in a structured blazer like this.  Or at least, I can't.   I'm not the greatest hand sewer but I do think I'm getting better at it: I used to dread it, now I dread it somewhat less.



The inside pocket (below) looks acceptable though, honestly,  I'm glad it's inside.  Did I mention that I used poly satin for the lining?  It was surprisingly easy to work with and frayed much less than rayon Bemberg.  It feels sturdier too, though, alas, it's not going to breathe like rayon.



I toyed with the idea of having my buttonholes done at Jonathan Embroidery but the timing was wrong so I made them myself with my Singer buttonholer.  I think they look fine and, frankly, on such a bold fabric, who's going to notice the buttonholes?  As you can see in the top photo, I used plain semi-transparent plastic buttons for the blazer.  They look pretty good and since I already had them in my stash, the price was right!

In other news, I'm already thinking about next projects.  The same day I purchased my oversized hibiscus print fabric I also picked up a 100% cotton blue-and-off-white striped knit, some cement gray linen, and enough deep red cotton twill to create a nautical-inspired outfit.  In fact, that's what I thought I'd be sewing this month till that hibiscus print blazer took over my life.



I'm not quite sure what I'll do with the gray linen, but I'm pretty sure the striped knit will be a boat-neck pullover, though the idea sounds a little dull.  What else can you do with a striped knit like this (in menswear) -- leggings?

In closing, I do hope you'll tune in tomorrow to see Michael model his new jacket.  I think you'll be surprised how not like a beach umbrella or shower curtain this garment looks.  (That's my hope, anyway.)

Have a great day, everybody!

MPB -- Now 33% BIGGER!

Readers, it was time.

Today MPB got its first-ever upgrade.

As with most changes I make these days, my first reaction was to wonder why I waited so long.  Regardless, during the next month, I'll be tweaking Male Pattern Boldness to make it visually more appealing. 

One thing you'll notice immediately is that images are larger.  This means no more clicking to supersize photos -- unless you want to, of course!

I've also added tabs to the top of the page.  These make it easier to access popular content like sew-along links, Cathy photo shoots, videos, and more.  You'll still be able to find all my old posts just the way you always have, via my archives in the right-hand column.

A big thank-you to my friend Mikhaela (below), whose excellent sewing blog, Polka Dot Overload, many of you already follow.   Super-talented Mikhaela is helping me make these upgrades and I couldn't do it without her.  Today I even got to meet Baby D, who is, I believe, the first baby I've ever bounced on my knee; I enjoyed it but he seemed to spit up a little.





In other technology-related news, as of today, I am the owner of my first-ever smart phone.  Good-bye, stupid phone!

I'm finally entering the 21st Century and I encourage you to join me there if you, like me, are a bit of a foot-dragger.



Have a great weekend, everybody!

Sunglasses for Mom et al.

As most of you know, last Sunday was Mother's Day.

The holiday has a different flavor now that my mother is living with us, since we see each other every day.  Still, we had a delicious brunch on the balcony and took a walk in the neighborhood.

There are a few lovely blocks nearby with gracious brownstones (i.e., townhouses) covered with wisteria vines.  When these bloom, it's really a sight to see!







 I took a few portraits of my Mom, who (don't tell) turns 85 next Monday.





The day was warm and sunny and my Mom told me she wanted to stop in a local drugstore and pick up some cheapie sunglasses.  It occurred to me that she might like one of the dozens of pairs I've collected for Cathy over the years.

My mom's no Iris Apfel, but she was open to sampling some unusual frames.  Which is your favorite?



















In the end, she opted for black plastic shades from Michael Kors.  I approve.



In other news, I continue to work on my jacket, which I think is going to end up as Michael's jacket for reasons I'll explain in a future post.  Yesterday I focused on the inside pocket and lining.







I always forget how much work is involved in making a man's sport jacket.  If I remembered I might never start another one: a bit like childbirth, perhaps.

On that note, a Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.

Have a great day, everybody!

Sport Jacket Progress + Job Opening at Mood

After agonizing for a day or two about my fabric, I jumped into my sport jacket project and I'm not looking back.



My jacket, which I'm making from vintage Vogue 9445, will have a single welt breast pocket and two lower pockets with flaps.  For the underside of the flaps I used red and white cotton gingham (left over from one of my very first sewing projects, gingham boxer shorts).







Here's the breast pocket:



I especially like the lower pockets.  It's such a busy print that you'll really have to look for them to tell they exist at all.



For the pocket lining I used poly satin from my stash.  It's lightweight and relatively easy to work with (for slippery satin).



Inside, the exposed seam allowances are finished with white bias tape I had on hand.  The jacket will have a half lining.



The sleeves are only pinned in the photo below and the facings haven't been attached, but you can get an idea of what this jacket is going to look like.  Wow.




In other news, there's a job available at Mood Fabrics!
 
Here's the job description:
 
Mood Fabrics is looking for a marketing associate with 1-2 yrs experience in digital marketing with a keen interest in content marketing and social media for the fashion industry. A strong command of English and basic editorial skills are a must. Background/education in fashion design or textiles is highly preferred, as well as experience with Pinterest, Facebook and basic understanding of content marketing and SEO.  This is a full-time job in Mood's office in Northern New Jersey.
 
The contact person at Mood is Suparno Chaudhuri.  If you wish to submit a cover letter and resume, he can reached at Suparno at moodfabrics dot com.
 
Have a great day, everybody!