Friday, August 15, 2014

New York: Day Two


I was really looking forward to my Friday in New York because I was going to see original Charles James gorgeousness at The Met!  Not only that, Peter agreed to join me on the adventure!  


The day did not disappoint.


Kelli said hello right outside the museum - tagging along with a sewing celebrity like Peter is an excellent way to meet folks.  


Case in point, Peter also caught the eye of the Tilton sisters inside the exhibit and we had a brief chat!


But getting back to the main event . . . the dresses were exquisite!  And truly thrilling to see in person.



It is very difficult to get the scale of these garments until you see them in person.  They are perfectly proportioned, but many are incredibly tiny . . . like under 5’ tiny.  I have had that experience with antique pieces, but was not expecting it with these dresses.



And maybe it is just me, but I love seeing that even a master of couture was not perfect.  For instance, this zipper has pulled away from the center line and could have used a bit more overlap when first inserted into the garment.  An excellent reminder that perfection is impossible.


But my biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed the more informal pieces that were located downstairs - even more than the opulent ballgowns!  


It was unexpected, but my favorite pieces were the suits, jackets, and this green dress.  The tailoring is stunningly beautiful.


Of course, my main complaint is that I cannot unzip the dress, turn it inside out, and have a good look.  A girl can dream, right?! 




After a couple of hours among the draped silk, satin, and wool, Peter treated me to lunch at a nearby eaterie where we ran into our new friends, Katherine and Marcy Tilton.


Then we headed south through Central Park.


I have to say, Mr. Male Pattern Boldness is a great tour guide.  It was lovely meandering through the park on a really beautiful day.  Some people were even generous enough to share their puppies with me for a few moments here and there (I was definitely missing Tino at this point!).


Then there was my own private tour of the garment district.  Metro Textile was the only place I purchased fabric on Friday . . . my self-control was at an all-time high . . . it did not fare quite as well on Saturday and again on Monday.  "Tino, I've a feeling we're not in JoAnns any more!"


There was an entire wall of Hug Snug Seam Binding at Sil Thread!  Oh my goodness, I never imagined there were so many different color choices - such riches!!


I took a walk back to the hotel to re-charge (myself and my phone) before heading to dinner with Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic.  This bad blogger forgot to take a picture . . . we were way too busy chatting!  Thank you, Carolyn, for a fabulous evening!  Such a wonderful lady!


After a long walk back to the hotel, it was time to rest up . . . and prepare for Male Pattern Boldness Day.  And hope that Peter was not already sick of me!


13 comments:

  1. Be still my vintage couture loving heart! What a gloriously amazing exhibition! I think it would have taken a team of wild horses (or at least the museum closing for the day ;)) to drag me away from there. Swoon!!!

    ♥ Jessica

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  2. I got to see the Charles James exhibit with a small group of artist friends from NJ. We all commented on the very "handcrafted" quality of the clothes, and vowed not to be so hypercritical of our own work. I'm so glad you got to see the show, and I'm loving your blog posts. It's like getting to experience it all over again!

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  3. It was great to meet you too! I'm so thrilled that you got to see the exhibit because it was awesome! Hopefully you took home a lot of wonderful new fabrics.

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    1. I admit, after our dinner conversation, I did decide to remove my self-imposed fabric limits!

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  4. How wonderful that you were able to get into to see the exhibit before it closed. I bet you were in couture heaven:)

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  5. In this case Couture doesn't mean perfect, it means exquisite. In Charles James you can really see the interest of the period in 19th Century shapes, but in his hands they take on a rather fantastic quality. All those crazy pattern pieces. I would love to see this exhibition, I wonder if it will come to EU next? Any idea?

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    1. I cannot recall any of the costume gala exhibits travelling around, but perhaps this one will be an exception? How hysterical would it be if it ended up in my backyard and I got to see it again?!

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  6. Looks like you had a ball! I agree about the tailored items in the Charles James exhibit being the most fascinating. I was just reading an interview about how when a dress of James' needed to be altered, he would insist that the seams be altered in tiny increments throughout the garment. I can't imagine what it would have been like to work with such a perfectionist!

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  7. Awesome trip report! That top you're wearing is beautiful. May I ask what pattern is it, and do you ever have trouble getting cups like that flat to your sternum at center front? Whenever I attempt a top like that, I have that problem, but yours looks perfect!

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    1. It's Simplicity 1426. That is a common issue, which is helped by the under-bust seamline. I added an old bra between the two layers which probably helped, and I also tacked all of the layers together at that center point so they could not separate.

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  8. Oh very nice adventure! I love the point you made and example you gave that perfection is impossible. We as seamstress have to remember that from time to time.

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  9. A whole wall of hugsnug! I still haven't found anywhere in Australia to purchase it....

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    1. I haven't found it in Australia either colesworth :( However, I did purchase 16 rolls from the Zipper Stop via Amazon. Why so many rolls? Well shipping (which from memory was pretty reasonable) was going to be the same for a few rolls so I thought why not. It came really quickly as well, once again from memory but I think it was only about 8 working days.

      But I would like to find an Australian supplier.

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