Meet this blog's new contributing columnist - "A Teen's Perspective"

That's her in the middle (photo taken December 2014 - Oak Island, NC)

She is exactly my height.

She is smarter than I am. (also lean, graceful and beautiful, but those are things are just extras...)

She is a wildly creative and talented artist.

She is a gifted scientist and mathematician (more about that later).

A few years ago, she explained the dimensions for  a skirt pattern she was making, doing so mathematically in her head before cutting, using equations involving PI...

Seriously.

Oh, yeah... and she's 13.

And she's my daughter.

For about 6 months now, she has also been managing the "maps" portion of this blog, the proceeds of which are her compensation for helping me.  She will continue to do so.

Any post to which she contributes will have 

"A Teen's Perspective" 

as part of its title.  The words and ideas shared in those posts will be her own.

For knitters and non-knitters with a dream... (formerly called, "But why is it called School Products?"

**Updated post with new pictures, text originally dated July 31/13

Inspired by this photo...

  

And this book...

I am planning a visit to School Products Yarns to my schedule in the coming week...

Always researching and learning, I plan to also use some tips I learned here.

A while back (more than a year ago!), I found a store, just outside , but close to the garment district quite accidentally, and wrote this...

Happy New Year! - The January 2 Speakeasy Tour

Since there are no Speakeasies planned for the near future (as I work on the uber-project, the Grandest Speakeasy EVER, scheduled for this spring), I want to share some details from yesterday's event.  After yesterday's trip,  I remain really creatively inspired, and excited to share some of the things we discovered along our journey yesterday!

And a big special THANK YOU to Cindy, who helped lead the group, and offered her always brilliant, friendly, expert advice and encouragement to the group! I truly adore her, and have known her forever...

It amazes me every time, but I am often as inspired by my tour participants as they are inspired by the fabulous things we see in the stores, and yesterday was truly no exception...

Exhibit A:

One of the tour participants was really jazzed by a photo of a very expensive "glove clutch" she had seen.  Inspired by the idea, but intimidated by what could be a complicated labor-intensive project, I thought about ... (I have tried desperately to make great gloves in the past) I stumbled upon these in an internet search (link to original below)...  I adore this bag!

Perrin Paris glove clutches

Note: If I were to use this idea as a springboard for my own, I would go to Leather, Suede, Skins for the leather, Botani or Pacific for the hardware and such, and Joann fabrics (online or in person) for what I have found to be the best stabilizing materials for the bags I make (The fusible interfacing used for lampshades, and plastic mesh - I fuse the interfacing to a stiff muslin to make the structural inner layer of my bags.)


Exhibit B:

Let's say you make quilts, as two of yesterday's participants do.  Where to go in the garment district certainly isn't obvious, but there are many places that have lovely, creative offerings for quilters.  Now, there are some obvious spots to visit; Mood and City Quilter among them, but I must say that Rosen and Chadick, Chic Fabrics and NY Elegant had some awesome cottons suitable for quilting, too!

Exhibit C:

You can find silk gazar, like the fabric used to create this Oscar de la Renta Gown  in rich colors at Fabrics & Fabrics

What if you love bold colors and textures?  One of our participants was such a delightful enthusiast of very bold oranges, purples and greens -- she found plush velvets and wonderful prints that were so exciting! There are some stores with gasp-worthy colors, panel prints, and textures right now.  Check the display window of NY Elegant, and you'll see what I mean!  Paron, Fabrics and Fabrics, and Rosen and Chadick all had delightful offerings in these categories as well!

Exhibit C:

And seriously, shop with a rolling suitcase.  Or you'll learn the hard way... That's how the pros do it... am I right???  And, when you get home, you say to anyone who has a problem with the amount of fabric you bought.... "You should have seen what the rest of them bought!!!!  FAR more than I did!!!!" (giggle...)

If you are longing to go fabric shopping or browsing, here are some must-sees for you right now:

• Check out the fabulous chunky cut & sew sweater knit at Paron Fabrics(immediately!)
• Look at the fabric panels on the long wall of Fabrics & Fabrics
• Check out the double-faced wool (green/charcoal) at Rosen & Chadick
• Check out the special panels hanging on the rack near the counter at NY Elegant
• Check put the great houndstooth wools at Chic Fabrics
• Check out the variety of unique zippers, pulls, buttons and other notions at Botani
• Check out the novelty button offerings and hot fix crystals at Joyce

Happy New Year, and enjoy your creative adventures, whatever they may be!

Before you buy the fabric...

The best way to avoid wadders (failed projects), UFO's (Unfinished objects) and semi-wadders (partial waste) is with a well-planned project.  Ask me how I know...

Seriously. (*wipes tears from eyes)

Below, are some examples of sketches from books I own, and I have found useful for planning and articulating  2-d versions of things I've created over the years...

Details, and how to draw them - I've probably ben using this book for 25 years now...

A good place to start for sketching a posed fashion body - I've made several body type variations using this sketch...

Before you sew... 

Instructions and illustrations to hep you communicate and create - from Draping for Fashion Design by Hilde Jaffe and Nurie Rellis (used for an FIT Draping class in the 80's)

There's an idea.  You may need to convey that idea to others, to the intended wearer, or even yourself.  Focusing in on the steps you take to make an idea a PLAN is a great way to start, but I will tell you that sketching is very difficult for me. Sketching and/or conceiving using the computer doesn't translate well to the real world for me. What this means, is that I spend a lot of time working in 3 dimensions, when I know I might be better able to solve design problems faster by really sketching out the solution/plan of action earlier in the game.

From Costume 1066-1966 - purchased at the Tate Museum in London, ca. 1983 or so...

The pamphlet I scanned (top) is full of tools to help a designer articulate what he/she is trying to create before any actual construction, pattern making or draping begins. I have been using this book since my first classes at FIT, and it is still amazingly useful. (And it only cost $1.75 when I bought it WAAAAY back then - and it there's no copyright.)

From Erte's Fashion Design Illustrations - Harper's Bazaar 1918-1932

Can you still find resources like these in the garment district? Yes, and places beyond...

Fashion Design Bookstore
FIT classes (particularly continuing education classes)
Around the World Magazines
Ebay
Mood Fabrics (figures to use for sketching)

Some people are better at planning than others, and some are less patient when it comes to the actual hands-on aspect of the process.  I am squarely in the latter category, but, I must say, that it does cost me time and money to skip steps.  I encourage you to learn from my mistakes!

The Value of Wigan

Speaking of things people who create are having trouble finding...

Inspired by a post on Miss Celie's Pants, I felt compelled to write about "wigan".  I then checked Kathleen's Fashion Incubator blog who offers far more information on the subject than anyone ever even asked for (which is one of the reasons I adore her), and then referred to my own sewing definition and explanation bible, otherwise known as Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide.

Wigan is sold by the yard, cut from a roll of stiff, bias cut interfacing, somewhere around 1.5" wide, and used for hems and cuffs.

Looks like the best garment district alternative, if you cannot find it pre-made, would be to bias-cut it yourself, using horsehair interfacing from Steinlauf and Stoller, (doesn't sound like a terrible amount of effort - personally, I'd use the continuous bias method to make yourself a reasonable amount. That's not hard at all...

Example of how to do this is found on The Sewing Loft Blog

Otherwise, Banasch's has been rumored to have it, if you call and mail order!

Where to Buy Petersham Ribbon in the Garment District...

*This is from an earlier post - Updating Meg's original post dated 1/18/11

Petersham is a hard-finished, closely woven, cross-rib fabric.  It is available in ribbon widths, and most commonly used for waist stays, facings and hat bands, among other creative uses. It is crisper than grosgrain, and gives structure and shape to areas of stress on garments and accessories. 

Rows and rows of petersham ribbon at Pacific Trimming

Example

Petersham ribbon, when used as a facing or support, is like a gift from the sewing gods! It kinda looks like regular grosgrain ribbon but its flexible picot edge allows you to shape it with an iron to curve and conform to your project, which grosgrain will not do.

Designers like Moschino, Tahari, MaxMara and Milly have used petersham ribbon as trim on their jackets and coats, and, of course it's perfect for no-waistband skirts and pants. If you make corsets, petersham can be of great use to you! 

One great source for petersham ribbon in NYC's Garment District is Pacific Trimming on W. 38th Street. They have tons of colors in several different widths, very affordably.

Update: Just a word of caution that there is no sign or label indicating "petersham" ribbon at Pacific. The staff may not be able to point you in the right direction, so you just have to know what to look for: the edges of petersham have little scalloped ridges, whereas regular grosgrain ribbon edges are completely straight. In many stores, they will not know what you are talking about if you ask for it by name.  Some stores will say they have it, but then offer something that isn't quite right - I have seen stores offer grosgrain as petersham, thinking the products are the same.

The Pantone color of 2015 is...

"Marsala!"

But, frankly folks, I call it "Brown".  Long ago, as a high school student, I wrote a report on the color and fashion trends of the Great Depression.  For the record, no one appreciated that report but me, but I still stand by it. I thought it was just fascinating. Shades of brown were all the rage at that time. 

Exciting, huh?

This "Marsala" color has no enemy, no personality, and no mood. 

But I'll allow it.  I don't follow color trends, anyway.

If I could choose the color?  I'm not too far away from that one.  I love brick red as a neutral color.  Like "Marsala's" more interesting  sister! I expressed my love for this color in my May 2013 posts about my "Ombre Hombre" shirt and skirt combo.