Channelling the 60's - 70's vibe.

I can't believe I'm saying this aloud...

I've always been STRONGLY anti-1960's and 70's clothing.  Not my aesthetic.  Not my time.  At all.  But now, I think...

Maybe this 70's thing that's happening in fashion isn't such a bad idea after all... (What?  Who said that?)

After all, looking at historical data  the 60's-70's seemed to be about the clothing, much more than exposing parts of the body occupying it. If this trend catches on in a meaningful way, you can make pretty bold statements with colors, shapes, trims, and fabrics without looking like a lunatic.  It might be time for some wild creativity!

1971 Spring/Summer - Elegance International Magazine - I love the idea of a coat dress for spring!

I love old copies of the Elegance International catalogue, which features sharp, oversized, fantastic National Geographic-style photography in exotic locations with beautiful scenery. Carefully adhered to each page, are small fabric swatches (suggested and actual fabric used) with prices, sewing pattern brand and number, with complete ordering information.  A very expensive endeavor for the publisher, to be sure, but a fantastic resource, even now, since many of the same vintage sewing patterns can still be found!

Of course we'll start gently.  You can find great fringe at M&J Trimming or Leather, Suede, Skins.
You can find some amazing trims at Daytona Trimming.
You can find great fabric for peasant shirts like this one at Fabrics and Fabrics.

And then, maybe you can even buy a VW bus... 

Of course, I'm kidding!

"Poiple Shoyt"

Ugh... this weather...

There needs to be a name for this season in clothing.  The thrill of winter has worn off, the "February blues/blahs" loom in the distance, and I want to simply cocoon myself, sip coffee, and design/sew wonderful stuff in my copious bursts of "free time" and "extra energy".

So, what do we call this weird stretch of winter? I know - I'll call it "Cruise".  Yeah, that's it. Then I'll pretend I'm going on one...

So, that's what I'm doing.  And... by the way, you might have noticed that I name everything.  Almost accidentally, really.  As I'm creating a garment, it decides it wants a name.  I can't stop it.  It just comes.  So, I introduce you to...

"The Poiple Shoyt"
("purple shirt", of course - but must be said in the accent of Bugs Bunny)

Maybe I can wear it on the cruise.

I felt the need to do a quick, messy drape on my form (literally a very rough, sloppy, drape), to create a shirt that would celebrate this cozy double-cloth knit fabric I bought from Elliott Berman in September.  One side is grape juice "poiple", the other side I would want to call call "Kool Aid chartreuse".  Funny thing is, the purple-ish color is much more midnight blue than "poiple", but I just can't stop calling it that.

Fabric from Elliott Berman Textiles - the layers are secured together at every "dot"

So, in a creative frenzy,  I draped a very messy muslin, skipped making a pattern entirely, cut the fabric directly, added a side seam invisible zip plan for less boxy shaping, drafted a sleeve, started the assembly...

Started doing weird things to it.  Yellow cord... festive buttons...

And how could I describe it?

Hmmm... Sorta artist's-smock-meets-Crayola-box-meets-kindergarten-teacher-meets-fun,-but-absolutely-not-sexy, -meets-not-for-grown-ups, with a bit of humor, well... that is...until I do hair, makeup and accessories, so you won't be able to tell whether I'm kidding or not...

But, as I was making it, something about it just didn't feel "right".

As I worked, something came over me, and I started to move more in the "clown" direction, but I liked that it also made me smile... even giggle a little.. so I went with it...

And then I added a tie. 

And here's a glimpse  of the (not ironed) result...

Perhaps it's simply an accidental subconscious homage to my favorite tie-wearing comedian, Paula Poundstone?

Interesting tidbit... she doesn't know how to tie a tie!

Wanna know more? After reading this...  

• Perhaps you are curious about the fabric store I mentioned, Elliott Berman?
• Perhaps you like humor in your clothing, too?
• Maybe you wanna see something else I've made? Funny things?  Weird things? Serious things?
• Maybe you want to fabric shop, too, but don't know where to go?
• Maybe you'll visit New York City, and wanna take a tour of the Garment District?
• Maybe you wanna learn how to sew? If not there, you can always go to FIT, or travel to Queens...

Click the relevant highlighted text for details...

Have fun!

What happened to Woolworth's, Greenberg & Hammer, La Button Boutique, A&G, K Trimming, Art Max, So-Good Ribbons... and.... and

Once upon a time, in the garment district, there was:

Greenberg & Hammer: 

This place can't be duplicated.  An old Shop the Garment District post acknowledges the loss. Old fashioned business, knowledgeable staff, wonderful, and peerless products.  Winning product, sadly now unfindable - is great tailoring-weight interfacing.  Best current substitute vendor?  Try Steinlauf & Stoller

La Button Boutique: 

Wonderful button store, FULL of an amazing array of wonderful buttons.  Floor to ceiling, beautifully curated selection.  Best current substitutes?  Buttonology (for beautiful and eclectic), Pacific Trimming (great prices and variety), M&J (quality and uniqueness, if you don't mind the prices), and Daytona Trimming (if you simply enjoy the ride, and are open to whatever you find)

A&G Trimming and K Trimming:  

The jam-packed aisles of K Trimming won't be forgotten...

These places were unique in their offerings, much like Daytona Trimming is now. I assume it eventually just becomes a story of "when it's gone, it's gone"...

Woolworth's: 

The huge, multi-level Woolworth store location (on 34th Street) was once a great place to buy sewing notions.  Of course I was a child then, but I still have tools my mother bought there waaaay back when... A seam ripper, a tomato pin-cushion.... From a time when things were absolutely made to last!  Best modern alternative for similar products? Fashion Design Books near Fashion Institute of Technology.

Art Max Fabrics: 

One of my favorite early places to shop as a teen, I found the fabrics for my early Issey Miyake pattern experiments there! Loved every bit of shopping there...  Thinking back, I probably should have just had my allowance and early paychecks wired to them directly. Best modern alternative?  Rosen & Chadick

US Liberty Fabric: 

No pics, no links... just... nothin'. Poof! Washed silks and soft cottons with such beautiful prints, I just couldn't bear the beauty.  They moved upstairs to a less retail-friendly location, and seem to have faded away in the years since.  Best modern alternative?  Fabrics & Fabrics has some really awesome stuff...

So-Good Ribbons:  

Looks like this store has bid us adieu as well.  Best modern alternatives?  Mokuba (if you can ignore the price LEAP!) and Daytona Trimming.

Do you miss the district stores of yesteryear?  Come along on the Stroll Down Memory Lane Speakeasy!  Click the link for details!

A speech from the trenches - Staying the line (Julie Taymor)

Absolutely worth watching.

Creative nourishment.

Dealing with turbulence, the fire of transformation, and the challenge of finding the "ideograph" when building a show.

Current Fashion/Design/Creative sculpted and sewn art exhibitions - a little off the beaten path...

This city has many exciting exhibits to see and creative/sewing/making/designing things to do, you wouldn't even believe me if I started to list them all...  Immersed in my research and planning for the Spring Speakeasy  (about 10 of you have reserved, now), I have found so many things, it is just overwhelming!  The biggest "finds" won't be shared here, since I am saving them for our tour, but here are a list of a few fun events!

Check out the Brooklyn Museum's high heeled shoe exhibition... until February 15, 2015.





And...


Visit the Merchant's House Museum, and be sure to notice their odd hours, days open, and weird credit card rule before you go.

Among the garments and accessories held in the collection are a remarkable group of 40 dresses worn by Tredwell women ranging in style from 1815 to 1890, as well as hats, parasols, shawls, shoes, gloves, reticules, and fans.

And...

The Museum of the Moving Image is doing a Jim Henson show.

And...

Wait for Spring to come... and on March 29, go to the Museum of the City of New York for the Gilded New York exhibit and make yourself a feathered fan!

And...

Be sure to catch The Making Design Exhibit at The Cooper Hewitt Museum, or just watch all the fun videos they have posted for your creative appetite!




And...

The Museum of Math is always fascinating, if you love math (as many designers and creative thinkers do)

You may think you don't care about this video, but go to about the 9:18 mark, (especially if you have a mathematical child, enjoy knitting, enjoy thinking...) and watch just a bit, and it will suck you in...

The most interesting boy in the world...

The Dos Equis advertising guy...

Just before the holidays, my son became obsessed with some special pajamas he had designed in his head.  White camouflage flannel is what he wanted, but my garment district searches turned up nothing.

Shy, and prefers not to be photographed in his pajamas, which I respect.  He agreed to this photo, though.

He came with me on my next fabric search and chose this flannel Dalmatian print fabric in a small store with piles and piles and PILES of wildly inexpensive stuff... (a secret beyond the very "Speakeasiest") 

He loved it!  

I created his pajamas, with kimono-like sleeves and a soft, loose fit... and he loves them.  Because of their very mature, gentleman lounge-y appearance, when he wears them, we now feel compelled to refer to him as...

"The most interesting boy in the world."

After much consideration, I thought about adding the store where we bought this fabric to my garment district stores map, with an honorable mention, but since it is not in the garment district, and not otherwise findable, I changed my mind...

But, if you have a kid who likes to design, and might want to try his/her hand at making something themselves, Mood Fabrics is offering a FREE (yup, that's what I said) class for kids.  Follow this link for more info.

What's new at Mood?

Well, not so new at Mood, really.  It's been a little while now, but they've moved what I feel is their best asset to a prominent spot on the street level of the Bricken Arcade (the iconic building which houses the store).

The Mood home decor department at the brick and mortar NYC garment district location, has always been, in my opinion, the stuff of dreams, and I think it is FANTASTIC not to have to go fight through the crowds and check your bag like a criminal* upon entry, the way you do when you head upstairs.  

*Sorry to say it aloud, Mood, but the aggressive bag check has always been a bit uncomfortable for me, and it forces me to plan my personal shopping trips differently, since I don't want to enter Mood with armloads of stuff. I get it.  Theft must be a big problem for you, and you can't tell who means well and who doesn't, but, man...

The best pictures and description of this change are given on a lovely blog I happened to find today, to which I will direct you, since the blog's author did such a stellar job of detailing her experience:

Pleasure in Simple Things

(or www.pleasureinimplethings.com/tag/mood)

Brightly lit, well organized, clean and inspiring, you will find the home dec fabrics in a this new spot a great catalyst for your creative concoctions.

One particular reason to embrace Mood right now, is that they are consistently making a wholehearted effort to embrace the hobby and home sewer, in addition to the artists and dreamers among us.  Not everyone is designing a runway collection or decorating a yacht, but they do manage to treat you as if you are equally passionate about your own projects, and treat them (and you) as important.

For that, I say "Thank you, Mood."

I suggest you go.