$17 later... Curtains. (And my fight for curtain diversity)

Updated -Original post 4/27/15

The simplest of curtains.

*The details of the curtains are unimportant here, no special finishes or hems or anything of note... I just love the colors. On Friday, I was looking up at apartment windows, and noticed the glaring absence of interesting window treatments.  Mostly white, and not distinctive in structure or texture, it seemed, I just wanted to see something different. This random thought led me into a local fabric store on Saturday.  I had grown tired of my old, golden-hued curtains, and wanted an immediate change.

I went to a place one wouldn't likely know to go to... and you can only win there if you can distinguish the good stuff from the crap, because, believe me... they have too much of both.  While I can't say I would "recommend" this store (unless you really wanna beat Manhattan prices, and this place is likely a jobber, a big sign tells you all fabric is sold "as is"!), the prices, eclectic selection, and opportunity for thinking differently absolutely couldn't be beat.  I'm talking $1-4 a yard, mostly.  So, what did it cost me to make these curtains?

$17.

Yup.

I made them on Saturday.  Simple, cheerful curtains. Done.

So let's say you want to do the same?  You can spend more, of course, but the options are practically endless for simple panels.  At that price, you can change your curtains monthly, if you want. 

Note: Home dec fabrics adhere to flammability standards, but you can also spray other fabrics (not leather, though) with this stuff.

Wanna make your own?

Here are some ideas for where to buy the fabric:

NY Elegant (upstairs)
Prime Fabrics (upstairs)
B&J Fabrics
Mood Home
Truemart Discount Fabrics

I just did a rod pocket, but if you need grommets installed for hanging:

Star Snaps
Steinlauf & Stoller

When it comes to simple curtains, make them yourself, and you'll save a fortune.  Pay someone else to do them, and you'll spend a fortune.

If money is no object, you can really have some glorious things made.  Just keep in mind, there are more options in the world than just WHITE!

On seeking software solutions to hardware problems...

Inspired by a sketch I saw in an antique sewing book I own,,,

I decided to make my own bag, using that design aa a springboard for an idea

I called it my "cradle bag"

An idea that kept me awake at night some years ago, was this "cradle bag", with an interchangeable "shell" that could transform the bag into a million different versions of itself.  So I designed it.

But... the straps always made it feel amateurish and homemade to me, so I found myself not carrying it too often.  Depite being neatly sewn and efficient, they just weren't graceful.

One thing I have been finding lately, is that making projects has always made me seek sewn solutions to making functional appendages work, when in reality, the "hardware" already exists to give the project the polish it needs.

I had already used Star Snaps (316 West 39th Street - no website) for my grommet installation on the "cradle" shell you see pictured and some others (not shown).

That's where Botani comes in...

Clasps!

Lobster clasps from Botani (where my bag's beautiful zipper was also obtained) and ready-made bag handles from Joyce together are just what my bag needed to function with strength and beauty, and disassemble on command to change out the look!

Another example/thought:

It occurred to me that the difference between a beautiful piece of fabric I'm reluctant to cut and a beautiful, flowing skirt made of that fabric, is a great piece of elastic. A simple cylinder, pulled in to fit the waist with elastic, can be my favorite wardrobe staple, if well done. 

What am I waiting for?

Clearly, a trip to Manhattan Wardrobe Supply, where the elastic is of superior quality.  Am I just saying that?  No.  Geek that I am, I actually did a REAL test at home, gauging stretch, resilience, softness, and strength, using my own tools and supplies.  Manhattan Wardrobe Supplies won, hands down.

Not all elastic is created equal.

Can you get quality elastic elsewhere?  Sure. But here's the thing: you want BETTER for your garments, clients, and your own needs, don't cha? 

My point here is simple.  Sometimes I seek the sewn ("soft") solution for an area that may be better served with better equipment, materials, or even a hard ("hardware") component. That hard component can often give me the professional look I need.

Star Snaps

Update: March 13, 2015 June 18, 2015- Star Snaps is in a popular new location (316 W 39th street - street level) Nowadays, you can expect to wait on at least a short line! 

Originally posted 6/29/12, and I have happily used their services since...

What a find! We all know how the professional look of your garments can be limited by inadequate tools and findings, or your own skill in applying them. You can make a great garment, but, lets get real... a homemade or sloppy-looking closure can really sink a great piece. Unless you are particularly good at achieving artfully handmade-looking details, it is wise to outsource those tasks when you can.

The above photo is from their Yelp page, which confirms what I'm about to say here. (By the way, it seems no one can avoid the snarky Yelp comment that contradicts EVERYTHING you experienced at an establishment these days...)

While the business card (top of this post) says it all, here's the winning feature: You walk in. You are greeted kindly and professionally at the counter. You tell the employee what you need. If you don't have the vocabulary for it, (in my case), he guides you. You ask him how much it will cost you. He gets you to specify how many of which item you need installed, by showing you a vast array of snaps and other fixtures on big sample cloths hung conveniently on the surrounding walls of this small office/studio. When you give your answer, he adds his own professional expertise, which helps you to make a better decision.

In my case, the project was a western shirt I haven't made yet. How I wish I had known about this place when I embarked on my fruitless search for small, pearlized snaps for the ridicu-shirt I made last year. Star Snaps would have been the perfect choice. But I digress...

He asked how many snaps I would want to apply. I hesitated. He patiently indicated how many snaps a western shirt usually has, and where they are located. He knew to ask me whether there would be breast pockets. See? That's thinkin' ahead.

Anyway, the price? Incredibly affordable. So worth it.

During my time there, about three other patrons entered, and each was walked through his/her request with the same amount of patience and attention. Highly recommended. A+ for Star Snaps.

Star Snaps 
316 West 39th Street
(Street level)

The idea of spats just thrills me.

My permanently out-of-sych fashion preferences lead me to believe that you will embrace this trend in about three years.  I'll just say it now, and you can store it for future use, okay?

For leather or alternative materials:

Leather, Suede, Skins (among others) or Mood or a host of other stores in the district...

For leather needles and appropriate thread: Manhattan Wardrobe supply among many others...

For leather cement: Manhattan Wardrobe Supply, Mood

For pattern paper or oaktag: Steinlauf & Stoller

Chalk for marking: Steinlauf & Stoller

Buttons: Buttonology, M&J or Pacific Trim

For covered buttons: (*clears throat and whispers... inaudibly)

For alternative closures, if you wanna get fancy: Star Snaps

For decorative flowers (leather and other kinds): Schmalberg Custom Fabric Flowers

Fashion Trims for edging, decorating, or lacing: Daytona

I'll be doing some for myself... Go ahead and hate them if you want... or love them like I do!!!  They're just for me, anyway!

Why a Speakeasy tour is good for you...

Note: My aging eyes are telling me to write a little bigger. Saving things for later because my eyes are tired, is slowly becoming a bit of a habit.  Anyone else experiencing this?  Oh, and yes, I now have my first pair of reading glasses.  A "light prescription" I was told.  (I suspect it's all downhill from here.) Now, if I could only remember to put them on, that would be great...  Actually, where are they????

But I digress...

Years ago, probably about a decade ago now that I think about it (tapping my forehead in amazement!), I read a great book entitled, "The Art of What Works". There is no Kindle copy available, and there are only a few new copies on Amazon.  It is also out-of-print now.  But I bring this subject up to say that the greatest point this book made is that there is "nothing new under the sun", and that successful ideas come from combining ideas that have worked in different combinations to create a new presentation of what are, basically, recycled ideas.  I am particularly jazzed by that concept, and stirs my creative soul.

Every beautiful thing I find in the fabric stores inspires another idea, another thought, or triggers a memory. The stores and services you find there are exponentially more fascinating because of what they do in combination with each other.  I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement over a fabric I saw at Elliott Berman last week, and I know a fabric I need to buy awaits me at NY Elegant to complete the look.

Because of the beautiful things textile and notions designers have created, and the special skills and machinery many garment district businesses provide, we can use it all as a creative springboard, making new and exciting combinations using this wealth of resources in one special geographic area.

Here's how this applies to the Garment District Speakeasy tours I run. Using only our feet as transportation, the tour is an adventure, an inspiration, and an educational trip to places you wouldn't otherwise know to explore. I have learned that, for me, it is truly not enough to assemble a group of people who love to sew, and lead them in and out of stores.  Much like an art exhibit, to really achieve its goal, the trip has to be a curated journey through stores that work well in combination with each other.  

For example, you may not think you want to sew a coat.  Maybe you've never tried. But a flame may be lit if you see a divine waterproof cashmere (not a myth, there is actually a beautiful camel-colored waterproof cashmere at  B&J Fabrics), and, with the help of the buttonhole makers at Jonathan, or the twist-lock closures at Star Snaps, and the fantastic leather trims at Leather Suede Skins, you've got yourself an amazing garment plan. Suddenly, an idea starts to really take shape (and perhaps haunt your dreams until it is made!).  

Can you find these places on your own?  With much searching, I'm sure you can find these and many more.  There are, after all, approximately 450 garment and sewing related businesses in the district, capable of all sorts of things. If you read this blog, you can find anything that has been recommended here.  If you can avoid visual stimulation overload and garment district creative paralysis, you're good!

But... if you come on a Speakeasy Tour, you get a curated selection of stores, a group of other excited people, personal attention and fabric consultation, lunch, and all the creative fuel you can stand.  Armed with your Speakeasy Map and your own curiousity, you may continue the journey after lunch on your own.

Come along on a Speakeasy, and find out for yourself!

The day schedule for each trip is the same:

10AM - 1PM - 

Shopping (Will include a specifically selected set of stores with a wide variety of offerings suitable for many different purposes/types of garments, appropriate for the theme of the day's tour. Relevant additional information, suggested additional resources and appropriate on-site expertise will be available.)


1PM-2PM


Lunch (included in your fee)


2PM - until end of business day


Armed with your "Secret Map" and your own interest in or desire to visit the many other stores you see or have learned about, you may visit more garment district stores if you wish, and give unique codes (that you'll get from me) to vendors who will give special assistance/discounts.


The cost of these guided, efficient tours is $75 per person, or $90 per person for "Hard Stuff" and "Notions" tours, due to additional professional help and education. If you use this trip to shop and participate in what the NYC garment district has to offer, you will save at least as much as you are paying in supplies and education, and probably far more.


Wanna come? Click below the date you wish to attend, send payment, and the details on meeting time/place will be provided.


From outta town? If you need hotel and/or travel help, I will advise some of the BEST NYC secrets I know! Payment is only accepted via PayPal (you do not need a Paypal account), credit or debit card. No cash, personal checks, or additional payments will be accepted on the day of the tour. The trip will involve a good amount of walking, so come prepared in weather-appropriate gear, and healthy.


Regarding cancellations:
If you have paid and wish to cancel 7 days or more before date - 100% refund
Fewer than 7 days - 50% refund
If you don't come on the scheduled date or cancel within 24 hours or less - you will forfeit your refund, but can switch reservation to a future tour date.
If I cancel a tour for reasons not related to weather, newsworthy acts of God or other emergencies, you are entitled to your choice of a full refund, or a future tour.

The cradle

I'll start with the reveal.  Slouchy leather inner bag, with a firm outer "cradle".  This is not one bag, but, potentially 10 (more, if I go crazy!), since I can change the cradle as my whims dictate! 

While I could go on and on about the details, the mistakes, the challenges... in the immortal words of Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time fuh dat!"  (Just YouTube it if you don't know... yes, complete nonsense) So here goes...

My new bag, below:

I had been long inspired by this illustration, in a sewing book from the late 1800's...

Featuring this divine matelasse from Elliott Berman Textiles ...

Note: It was the fabric from Elliott Berman that cried out to me to make this bag. I adore the look and texture of this fabric, and just felt it should never hide from anyone, EVER.

Some fabulous, soft leather from Mood...

And this fabric I used as a lining from Truemart

Grommets/eyelets added at Star Snaps

Lampo zipper from Botani

Assembled bag, with removable "cradle"

The cradle slides through the reinforced base, which is permanently secured to the bag.  The handles travel through the grommets on the cradle, and are attached to the exterior of the leather bag.  The straps are removable, to allow coordination with different cradles.

Not easy, not cheap... but for about $140 worth of materials, and any other fabrics I may want to incorporate in the future, I can make as many bags as I like.  So, while I am not a person who buys pricey bags (and this one, in materials AND labor, if made for a client, would be quite pricey!), it becomes quite a bargain once I've made 5 or more of them!

By the way, it is HILARIOUS to see it all in just a few simple pictures here, compared to how many fits and starts it took to make it!

Side note: Another great strap option for a different "cradle".  These straps are sold at Joyce Trimming. 

So, whaddya think?  I'm interested in the full spectrum of comments, so feel free to say what improvements you think you would make as well!

Wanna fabric shop with me?  Come along on a Speakeasy tour!

I laced myself up...

So, here's the skirt to go with my Yeah, Baby shirt (also known as the Ombré Hombre shirt). Topstitched and casually top-of-knee length, it is just what I want to wear. I decided that I really only want to wear skirts and dresses for the warmer months this year, so that's where I am nowadays... My dress form is flatter than I am, but kinda close to my size, so this is how I am showing it to you. On me, it is completely smooth.

A hearty cotton twill, very denim-like in durability, in a shade of red I desperately needed.

A durable pocket, just right for a MetroCard and whatever  sliver of paper I might wanna carry..

My color story

Special credit to the following vendors:

Rosen & Chadick for dark (my new neutral) red cotton twill.
Elliott Berman Textiles for the very cool T-shirt fabric
Star Snaps for both the grommets and professional insertion
Metro Textiles, because many years ago, Kashi (owner) used to buy some factory notions as well, and I bought a huge roll of poly tape that holds lightweight edges and seams nice and even for me.  You can't see it in my picture, because it is hidden on the inside...

I went to Daytona Trimming for my first lacing idea, holding up the illustration on my fabric for color agreement/harmony, and agonized over a few almost right shades and weights of cords for laces, ultimately deciding on one that I considered just right... The staffer frowned a bit, and asked me if I was sure.  I was.  Later, when looking at the nearly finished shirt, I wasn't so sure anymore.  I knew didn't want ribbons, but the cord I bought felt too thin... Hmmm.... Nothing that says "little girl".  Not going for "sexpot", either.  Something that looks intentional, industrial, artsy, athletic, and strong...

Then, a random fact popped into my head.  I live in what is arguably the fashion sneaker capital neighborhood of New York City.  Just an aside here, but my neighborhood is actually, officially a test market for high-end blinged-out sneaker fabulousness. So, without a doubt, there are bound to be shoelaces that are exactly what I need!

Ready-to-wear similar options are largely absent on the 'net... so maybe I'm in the minority for liking this one?

That's okay.  It is just for me, after all, and I'm the only one who has to like it!  Well, if people start throwing tomatoes at me while I walk down the street in it, I may reconsider.  Generally speaking, everything I make gets a few glances and/or comments for a year or two... and then people LOVE it three years later.  So, either I'm ahead of the curve, or simply out-of synch. We'll see if that's the case here, too. I have a bit of ManRepeller induced "fashion-phobia/philia" these days. After all, sometimes I just love something other people hate.  Or vice-versa. We've gotta let that be okay.

My new shirt was inspired by this picture and tutorial, if you are wondering  how to make one, and need some direction.

My skirt is a variation on an old Vogue pattern (9773 - not similar enough to the original pattern to merit its inclusion here).  I've been using the old, significantly altered tissue forever (or since 1997, judging from the pattern envelope). I like princess seams in my skirts, so I can just mold the skirt to my (practically nonexistent) hips and rear.

Anyway, the ensemble makes me happy.

My Ombre Hombre shirt...

Allow me to introduce my new favorite T-shirt!  Rough, extremely easy and casually sewn...

This great ombre signature print T-shirt fabric is from Elliott Berman, and the contrast is from Rosen & Chadick (contrast is also used to make a slim, short skirt to wear with it).  I had the grommets installed at Star Snaps (in just a few minutes, actually... extremely inexpensive... and PERFECTLY), and the lacing is from Daytona Trimming.  Two slightly shaped and zig-zagged rectangles.  That's all it is.

And what does the text mean?  Who knows... who cares?  I like the colors.

Nope.  I'm not one for doing cheeky poses to show pieces on my body.  I'm neither "movie star" nor "Everywoman" - I just prefer to let a piece make its appearance on its own.

The Daytona Trimming salesperson didn't wholeheartedly agree with my choice for the lacing, causing me to second-guess myself... and then I actually found children's shoelaces at Foot Locker that I thought were a more perfect color and weight.  Once the shirt was finished, though, my original Daytona choice was the right one.  I appreciate his input, but the lesson here is: Trust your gut.  Glad I bought it anyway.