Linking Surtex, the National Stationery Show and the Garment District

I've finally found a computer to use for a few minutes - thank heavens for the Public Library System!   Now I can tell you about the Garment District and how it all links completely back to Surtex, Surface Design, and the National Stationery Show.

The morning after walking the shows, I headed out to 38th and 39th streets to check out the New York Garment District.  The most surprising thing is that many of the shops were already open at 8:00, so I plunged right in...

Take a look at the juicy things I found at Pacific Trimmings:

There  were aisles and aisles of Buttons!

And zippers, the likes of which I have never seen:

These are Riri Zippers, and I find them to be absolutely Drool Worthy...
http://www.riri.com/

There was a complete wall of ribbons...

Thankfully, I'm not captivated by ribbons like I was a year ago - otherwise I would have wasted  precious time staring  at this wall and designing "Ribbon Things" on the fly.

The aisles and aisles of Buttons in small boxes that went from floor to ceiling were what just overwhelmed me and made me sigh to the person sweeping escapee buttons off the floor, "I'll have to come back when I know what I really need, because what I really want is ALL of these".  He nodded sagely, and continued to sweep for a few moments.  Resting his broom, he looked me in the eye and said, "You need to bring your patterns and any materials you are already working with; otherwise you will not be happy with your purchases."  Sound advice for a starry-eyed tourist who was living the dream, if only for a few hours.  He probably gives that same advice several times a day.

I walked around the Garment District and visited many shops, and the thing that kept reverberating inside me was that all this three-dimensional texture was the same two-dimensional texture that I had looked at the day before.  Only this time, the lines, dots, curly-cues and color combinations I saw at Surtex were now on fabrics, zippers, buttons, and a million other things that were probably produced thousands of miles away...all from drawings just a few blocks down the street.  Isn't it fabulous to be able to imagine something and then make it happen?

I can hardly wait to have my design time back - as soon as the Beach Cottage Renovation is finished, I am diving into my studio, and may miss the Summer altogether!  Speaking of which, as soon as the painters, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tile and granite folks are gone, I'll hook the computer back up and show you the Renovation photos. 

Goose Throwdown

Well.  I never.  Will you just look at this and tell me if this is bad behavior, or what??  I was on my way out the door to shoot the Penelope Robin Bag, and caught the beginning of this goose fight on our idyllic little pond:

This couple LAUNCHED toward the other two.

They trumpeted taunts and goose curses all the way across the pond, with me and Penelope Robin hanging on to our hats.

Screeches and Honks and Bedlam as the fight begins, with Lucy Goosey egging them on.

It only got worse...

Words were flung that should never have passed those goose lips.  Never.

Then, realizing I was taking pictures of all this rude behavior, they climbed out of the pond and took the fight off behind the little boat house where I couldn't see them.  When husband went to see what the heck was going on back there, they chased HIM back around the boat house at a fast little clip, then resumed the yard fight.  It was, purely and simply, a Goose Throwdown.

As a result of all this bedlam and ill will, I was unable to get to the spot where I was going to photograph Penelope.  She simply refused to enter an arena that was filled with hissing, honks, lingering rage, residual goose-cursing, and damaged serenity.

So I guess we'll try again this afternoon, but I may have to hire security.  Good grief.

Bo. Da. Cious Bags

Well.  Despite an overloaded day yesterday, I polished off these two new bags to add to the Mitzi Cornelius line, and shot them on the Rosemary Steps leading up to the  kitchen.  Now I can't wait to sew up the Chocolate Vine bag!  I think these look, well, Bo. Da. Cious!

Here's the inside fabric:

And, here is my own Butterfly Fabric on Oatmeal Linen, sewn up with dancing ruffles!

Now I'm off for breakfast, and some fast sewing before the carpet and tile  measurer man gets here!

Ruffles, Blessings & Gratitude

Now that I have the Binding Blues behind me, I feel like tackling some Ruffles...I have Handbag orders, and the perfect ruffle color for my Back & White Houndstooth bag is eluding me.  I've searched high and low at my favorite trimming haunts, and pure-T black just isn't doing it for me.   Not happening.


So I decided to have another go at Ruffles, Ruffling, Ruffled.  Not pleated, not gathered...Ruffled.


Here is what evolved out of my shopping trip:

I'll sew it on, and see how THAT looks.


Meantime, I want to tell you that the young couple who bought my store have simply blown my socks off.  Last night, they staged a Grand Re-Opening for after hours, complete with Ribbon Cutting,  Catered Food, Open Bar, and the most fabulous display of Home Decor, Fabrics, and Window Treatments and celebratory Floral Arrangements I have ever, ever seen!  They had a huge turnout,  and as I wandered through the crowd and listened to the happy hubbub and bright laughter, I just kept getting wave upon wave of chills up my arms to see what they have done.  It's as if they sent my old store off to Finishing School!  Simply amazing.  I will go tomorrow and take photos of the store and post them...you just have to see it to believe the transformation they have achieved in such a short time. 

And to look at all my former employees, lined up and dressed up so beautifully - receiving every attendee with such charm and regal grace --- well, I was flabbergasted to think that such royalty actually worked for ME for six years.  I am truly, truly blessed.