Recently in The Sewing Room Category

Yesterday after work, I headed to Midtown to visit M&J Trimming. You see, I have a pair of shoes that will not stay on my feet. These things should not, technically, be called shoes. "Flingers," perhaps. But, "shoes"? I don't think so.

Besides the fact that they don't stay on my feet, these "shoes" (for lack of a better term) are quite cute. Patent leather ballet flats with a trim of grosgrain ribbon.

It was the trim that gave me the idea. What if I had a cobbler sew lengths of black ribbon to the shoes? Then I could tie a little bow that would a) look cute b) keep these damn things on my feet.

So, it was off to M&J I went in search of this ribbon.

Let me preface these pictures by writing that if you need any kind of trim for any reason M&J will have it. Trust me. My first thought when entering the store was "Holy guacamole!" [Especially appropriate for Cinco de Mayo, no?]

I spent about 15 seconds walking around looking dazed when someone (the manger?) approached.

"Can I help you?"
"Oh, yes. I need some grosgrain ribbon. But first, I need to soak in this place."
"Ok. The ribbon is right here. [Lead me to the 10-foot high Wall of Ribbon]. But take as much time as you need."
"Wow, uh, thanks!" I was totally dazed by the amount of ribbon.

Then I checked out the trim sections. Again, I was completely overwhelmed by the selection. And, again, I stood there for way under a minute before I was approached by an employee asking to assist me.

So, suffice it to say, the staff at M&J is all over helping out their customers. If you go, you will most definitely be taken care of.

More pictures:

Crystals, anyone?

Finally, I'll leave you with the biggest buttons that I've ever seen. Just to give you a sense of scale, those buttons below the large ones are probably about one inch in diameter.

These had to be about as big as the palm of my hand.

Catch y'all tomorrow, with a sweater update!

If you ever want to feel like you need a wardrobe overhaul, please ride the MTA with me. Conversely, if you ever want to feel like a fashion maven, please accompany me on my next subway excursion.

I guess what I'm trying to convey is that the subway, like New York City itself, is the great fashion equalizer. Sure, you'll be able to find a person (or in my case, more than one) who is dressed better than you. On the other hand, look around, you'll also be able to find someone who is, well, fashion challenged.

I guess that what I'm also trying to convey is that I've learned to filter out what my fellow riders are wearing (although I ever saw this guy in person, it might get a little difficult). With the odd exception, of course. This morning, I encountered an exception.

Now, I don't have a picture. I was standing very close to this woman, and if I had whipped out my camera it would have been unavoidably noticeable. In which case I would have had to ask permission. And really, the only appropriate response to "Can I take a picture of your skirt hem and your legs?" is "Hell, no! Get away from me, you freak." So, the image is seared into my memory. Unfortunately, I can't download that memory into Photoshop.

But, she was wearing a cute box-pleat skirt with navy stockings and cute-as-a-button Mary Janes. The fabric of the box-pleat skirt was small, random, vertical stripes. Somewhat like this:

(this photo came from Fabric Lovers Unite where this particular selection is on sale).

Except not at all. Blues dominated, somewhat like this:

(thank you Photoshop)

Except for the fact that the actual fabric was more subdued--there was a lot less white.

It got me thinking about sewing again. I picked up a pattern recently for a dress. I haven't had time, however, to explore fabrics. But now I think that I have a plan. And since my classes finish next week (Meetings of one class are, actually, over. The other ends next Thursday.) I think that I can give myself permission to sew.

Sewing?

Perhaps. I doubt that I can make this a regular series, but in celebration of the Spiders' triumphant return to Brooklyn General today, I'm talking about more upcoming sewing projects.

Brooklyn General, as you might know, sells wonderful fabric. I certainly have been dreaming about it for a long time. At long last I'm ready to buy some of it to produce something cute for moi!

Sheepishly, though, I'll admit that I'm planning things a bit far in advance.

What can I say? It was $5. And, although my sewing prowess leaves much to be desired, I can already think of things I want to change on this pattern. First, I know (without even looking) that I'll need to lengthen the waist. I'm not extremely tall (5 feet 8--172cm, if you're being metric about it) but proportionally a lot of that height must be concentrated in my waist.

I might want to add a seam close to the base of the skirt, just to add a subtle detail. I haven't yet worked this out. Maybe I would change the direction of the fabric below the seam. Maybe I would use some piping at the seam. I don't know. I don't even know how hard it is to do something like that. And maybe, if it weren't too hard, I would add the same detail on the sleeves. Anyway, some advice/opinions from all the real seamstresses out there would be appreciated.

A plan. A plan, yes, I have a plan.

It's a plan for sewing. Remember last Friday that I was coveting this shirt from the newly (to me, anyway) improved Burda Style site?

I'm especially loving a version of this shirt that had contrasting fabric on the cuffs. Oooh, I can totally see myself wearing it. I might need to lengthen the waist a bit so that I can maintain back coverage while bending over.

But it's been a while since I've given the sewing machine a workout. Don't you think it would be a good idea to get warmed up first? I do. It was on Nikki-Shell that I saw this bag. [ETA: The bag in the photo was sewn by the pattern's designer, Ali. Nichola made a version of her own--you can see it on her blog.]

Cute, eh? Incidentally, Nikki-Shell also created the shirt that you see above. The fact that she used both of these patterns is a complete coincidence. Apparently, great minds think alike :-).

I hope that everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. Let me tell you, it didn't happen a moment too soon. Chez Subway Knitter was down to its last morsel of chocolate! We were truly in a state of emergency.

Despite the dire situation, I'm doing a little project planning these days. I know, I know, I've got a sock on the needles that needs to get finished (and I'm having fun knitting it, too). What business do I have thinking ahead?

But, I cannot help myself. The eye wanders.

Being a New Yorker and all, I'm making a concerted effort to add a bit of fashion to the wardrobe. I'm mostly failing miserably at this task, but I'm hopeful that little by little I can turn it around. I did buy new jeans last weekend (good!). Not crazy-expensive designer jeans (bad!), but inside this budding New Yorker is a prudent New Englander, and she will not let me spend all outdoors for an item of clothing that I can wear once, maybe twice a week. I bought two non-designer pairs for about the price of one pair of Calvins.

There's the frugality, and then there's the simple fact that none of those designer jeans fit me. My goodness! How scrawny do your thighs have to be to fit inside one of those pairs? Seriously. I'm size six or eight (depending on the brand), and I'm usually working to get those jeans up to my backside. And how low do I want my "waistband" to go? I'm not the only person who doesn't want to feel like a sausage, am I?

So, apparently I'm not a designer-jeans kinda gal. I accept that. But surely, this doesn't exclude me from other types of fashion forwardness.

Last year, during my Queens days, I laid my eyes upon an unusual wrap-type-thingie at The Point. It was a house pattern, free with the yarn purchase. Although I loved the design (and unfortunately, no, I don't have a picture), I couldn't quite pull the trigger. Then with the move, and unpacking, and the holidays, and the traveling, I forgot about it until last week.

This, however, is very similar, and I find its drape appealing.

Thea designed this pattern.

It's almost like a scarf with sleeves, right? Now, occasionally, yours truly gets to go to a big, dressy affair. Imagine this knit in cashmere. Delish, no? And, something like this would have been perfect for that Christmas party I went to this year when we were on the roof watching the fireworks... Yes, I went to a private Christmas party that included fireworks over the East River. Trust me, in New York, these things happen all the time. Such a garment would be useful.

Thea's offering the design on her blog as a fundraiser for FINCA, and you can read more about this worthy organization here.

I'm thinking that for spring it would be great to have a loose, wrappy type coat-thing that I could toss on when I was running out for errands, or dinner in the neighborhood, or, or, or.

And, I want to sew. Sew! Sew! Sew! "Sew what?" you ask. (Ha! Nice pun, I reply.) Sew this.

It's a shirt. I don't think that I've ever sewn a shirt before. Have I? No. But I find the long cuffs on this one hard to resist. Imagine the insides of the cuffs sewn in a coordinating fabric. Pretty nice, huh?

Plus, it would go with my new jeans....