New York: Day Five

I had a nightmare the other night.  It was my final day in New York, and I needed to catch the airporter by 5:00 p.m.  But I was lost in the garment district, it was 4:30 p.m., and there was no way I could return to Peter’s apartment, say goodbye to Michael and the puppies, let alone retrieve my belongings.  I ended up chasing the bus from one stop to the next, finally made it to the airport, but was the last to board the airplane.  I cannot remember how it all ended . . .

I guess I am having New York withdrawal.  In reality, Monday was much more relaxed, thank goodness!

Peter and I went back to the garment district for some final day fabric shopping.  There were a couple of fabrics to pick up at Metro Textiles.  We also stopped in at Elliott Berman and I got to meet Eugenia.  The problem?  Too many gorgeous choices.  I had my lovelies shipped back; squishing of Chanel fabric is verboten.

For lunch, I met the lovely Miss Clio.  Have you heard her good news?  And once again, I forgot to take pictures – which is a shame because she was literally glowing.  We had a lovely chat over Thai food, and then walked over to Sil Thread together.  It is not as though I need any more Hug Snug, but I could not resist all of the colors.

They have an entire wall of rayon seam binding in the most beautiful colors.  I never dreamed of such riches!!

On my way home (yes, Chez Lappin felt like my home at this point) I decided to travel a bit out of the way and check out New York Vintage.

This was the first door with a lock and buzzer I encountered . . . oooh, how posh.  It did not seem like a very sketchy neighborhood, but there certainly is a whole lot of valuable merchandise inside.  I am so glad Peter suggested it.  Evidently, there is a curated section upstairs (good to know for next time!).

More examples of self-covered buttons and bound-buttonholes - I am going to have to remember this for a future project.  So many gorgeous vintage treasures!

I wish there had been more time to ogle all the pretties, but time was ticking.

When I returned to the apartment (in plenty of time to squeeze my final purchases into my expanded luggage) I got to meet Michael’s friend.  Even the friends of the partners of sewing bloggers are wonderful.  This community is pretty darn awesome!

And if there was a way of making it work, I would have informed Peter that I was not actually leaving, Tino would be arriving shortly, and we were all going to have a lovely life together, with weekly visits to the garment district, world class theatre right around the corner, and lots and lots of sewing.

All too soon, it was time to leave.  Peter, Willy, and Freddy walked me to my airport shuttle.  My flight ended up being delayed, so I had plenty of time to sit back and think about my adventures.  I was completely exhausted by the time I arrived at SFO, but it was so worth it!  And I had a wonderful welcome from Mr. Tino - I think he missed me!

Now it is back to my humdrum existence, and the daily grind.  But really, life is still pretty good, and I am so thankful for my time in New York City!  And it is great to get back to the sewing room with all sorts of new inspiration.

Oh, and you will never believe it!  I had to laugh out loud when the Fine Arts magazine addressed to my boss mentioned an upcoming exhibit at the The San Francisco Legion of Honor . . .  including pieces by Charles James!!!  I had a feeling this would happen!

So I am glad I did not go back to the Met on Sunday for a second look at those gowns . . . because I will have lots of time to visit them when they arrive in San Francisco next year!

All in all, I would have to say it was an extremely successful vacation!

New York: Day Four

The Bay Area had a rather large earthquake early this morning.  Living on the fifth floor of my building made for a rather exciting wake up call (another reason those super tall buildings in New York really scare me), but other than one downed picture frame, and a few crooked ones on the wall nothing terrible happened, knock on wood.  So much for Tino’s sixth doggie sense.  He made not a peep, before, during, or after.  I suppose I should be thankful that he does not spook easily, but geez, so much for the canine warning system!

At some point last week, he did get the message that I had been flirting with a cuddly Chihuahua in the recent past, because he has been quite the lap dog for the last few days.

This was my view for most of the time spent in Peter's apartment.  Willy and I bonded immediately, and he was my constant companion while knitting, and for most of my conversation with Peter and Michael (they were very gracious about the fact that I was hogging their dog). 

With the excitement of Male Pattern Boldness Day past, my final two days in New York were not very regimented.

Michael, Peter, and I went out for brunch on Sunday morning, followed by a leisurely walk south on The High Line.

There was some window shopping at DVF and another swanky store where I spent most of my time looking at the insides of the garments and trying to guess prices.  I have to say that the employees were incredibly welcoming, even thought it was probably rather obvious that I was not going to be purchasing anything.  So much for snobby New York retailers!

At which point it was back up to The High Line for the journey north.  And look at all of those cabs!  I am confident you would never come across a cab in Marin County should you ever need one.  And they certainly do not account for what looks to be 70% of the cars on the road.  Friday evening I encountered a cabbie and another driver get into an altercation on my walk home from the theatre.  I couldn't believe my eyes when two women got into the cab while the driver was still screaming at the other driver.  I would have avoided that lunatic and his vehicle if my feet were bloody and I had miles to travel.

Once the sun went down, I walked over to 5^th Avenue, and south to Washington Square for the literary portion of my adventures.

Once I found a comfy seat, I spent some time people watching.  

There were at least four separate groups of musicians playing in different areas of the park - everything from classical to reggae.  It was wonderful to slow down and enjoy the beautiful evening.

My walk home was a bit out of the way.  I traveled West to the water.  On my journey I met Monster the gorgeous French Bulldog.  Hooray for more puppy cuteness!

But by the time I was almost back to the apartment, I was tired, and my feet were not too happy with me.  Exhaustion is one way to guarantee a good night's sleep!

However, I had one more day to explore Manhattan, and nothing was going to slow me down . . .

New York: Day Three

Saturday in New York was Male Pattern Boldness Day!

This was also the morning I packed up my things and headed out of the hotel and to Chez Lappin.

With my luggage in tow, I decided a cab was in order, but I almost wish I had braved the city streets on foot.  It was relatively early, but the cab and/or the cab driver was emitting a most foul smell.  And Carrie Bradshaw thought cabs were preferable to getting around on a bus or walking?!  Yikes!

But things were going to improve from there on out . . . look at this cuteness!!

I had a few minutes to meet Michael, Willy, and Freddy before heading off to FIT for Exposed:  A History of Lingerie.

Of course, no pictures are allowed.  Not only that, if you lean too far towards the pieces, an extremely loud alarm goes off – ask me how I know.  I was just trying to see the hand work, I promise!  I may have been the first, but I was not the last.  Those security guards had their work cut out for them with our group.

There was a break for lunch, a pattern swap, and lots of discussion on all sewing related matters.

Next, we all headed to the garment district!

To be honest, it was all a bit of a blur.  There were trims made entirely of rayon seam binding - oh my gosh!  Does anyone know what these are used for?  Upholstery, perhaps?  Although they might be a little delicate for that.  I bet historical costumers would find a use for them.

  

And more buttons than I could ever imagine.

And so many bolts of fabric.  A girl could get lost in all the yumminess!

By the end of my trip, I had made three separate trips to the garment district and still did not even scratch the surface.

I did end up purchasing two fabulous fabrics from Paron Fabrics on MPB Day.  I dropped in at Pacific Trim, Fabric for Less, and a couple of other storefronts that I am blanking out on.  And since Sil Thread was closed by the time I got there on Saturday, I also ended up at Mood.

Unfortunately, Swatch was not in residence, darn it.  I purchased a few pretty buckles, but restrained myself when it came to fabric.  Although, some of the velvets were hard to pass up.

I really did not have any specific projects in mind, which meant I was a bit lost at sea.  Too many possibilities was a little overwhelming.

Complete sensory overload!

I want this lace, but what would I do with it?

Oooh . . . more buttons . . .

The final destination was Bryant Park.  It felt wonderful to sit down after a long day!

And the perfect chance to catch up with new friends.

Johanna, Peter, and I headed back to Chez Lappin where we were treated to a lovely meal Michael put together - yum!  It was the perfect end to an amazing day.

I kept Peter up way past his bedtime.  Not really sure what we actually talked about . . . all sorts of random stuff.  It was like chatting with an old friend you have known for years.  And so much more exciting than an impersonal hotel full of strangers that certainly did not have a lovey chihuahua named Willy to keep me company.

I promise I will share my fabric bonanza soon – I just need to take some photos, which probably will not happen until the weekend.  But there are a few treasures!!

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!