NYC meet up write up

A week on and finally a write-up. At my age even a couple of weeks of excitement is too much. Two days back in dreary old London and I’m still only 25% human. But if I don’t write it up now I’m afraid my memory will fail me too. So here goes…

It wasn’t the most auspicious of start. Rain was forecasted. And many had to cancel for other reasons. So I wandered through the FIT museum by myself. Sadly both bookstores were also closed for the weekend: I had forgotten that school’s out. Ah well, c’est la vie. I did find a couple of interesting pieces at the RetroSpective exhibition though:

  • Halson halter dress from 1972…The original convertible dress! And I thought Victoria’s Secret & the modern-day independent designers were being so clever.
  • Jean-Paul Gaultier 1988 seersucker jacket with black horizontal stripe detail at high hip & lace applique overlapping these stripes at the sides. I love these artfully arranged details.

Sadly no picture-taking in the museum. I actually set off the alarm a couple of times trying to get a closer view of the garments. Oops.

Next up, Bryant Park for meeting late comers. Thankfully a couple of you did eventually show up!

Jennifer of Workroom Social also brought along a couple of friends whom she managed to bully into take up sewing! Sadly they couldn’t stay for shopping. So Clio of Clio & Phineas was stuck with me for the rest of the afternoon. But what a lovely afternoon it was! For me at least.

While I’ve enjoyed the online sewing blogsphere, I haven’t manage to connect with other fashion sewers offline yet. So meeting and chatting to you gals in real life was such a treat. No funny looks for the weird things that we home sewers obsess about! ๐Ÿ™‚ And Clio being familiar with NYC as it was when I lived there was just icing – or should that be Frosting – on the cake. Oh how I feel homesick for NYC.

Anyway, shockingly not much shopping was done on the day. Clio had no need for stashing as she can visit the garment district whenever she wants. So she only got some threads for her current sewing projects.

Me, I was too distracted by the company to shop properly. Plus I forgot that the stores close early on Saturdays. So the only things I bought was a large wax carbon paper & this lovely lace.

2013-us-fabrics-0-3s

But fear not, I did return to the garment district the following Monday & Tuesday. Report on the Haul tomorrow.

Right now I just want to thank Clio and Jennifer for a lovely Saturday afternoon in NYC.

And thank heaven that it did not rain after all.

And Peter of Male Pattern Boldness too for pointing us to the flea markets: My other half ended up buying a heavy vintage microphone that weighs a ton, robbing me of precious baggage allowance for more fabrics I don’t need. Yet I couldn’t spot a single stall of vintage sewing goodies that Peter brag about all the time. Thanks a lot Peter! ๐Ÿ˜‰

NYC meet up – Saturday, June 8, 2013

OK, so I’ve emailed a few people in NYC and some are up for a meet up on Saturday, June 8. As no one has offered any suggestions of where and what, here’s my starter for 10, blatantly plagerizing Peter Lappin’s ever popular MPB Day! (Sadly I’m never in NYC in August to attend this annual event. NYC at the height of Summer just seem too hot to visit!)

Meeting Point for Earlish Birds:

11am – 12:30pm at Fashion Institute of Technology

  • Museum at FIT: RetroSpective exhibition (7th Ave & 27th St).
  • Fashion Design Books (250 W 27th St) – I can’t resist bookstores with fashion design books. I’ve been to this one before. There are also some supplies.
  • FIT Bookstore (David Dubinsky Student Center, basement, 8th Ave & 28 St) – I took some night classes at FIT long time ago, but could never find the school bookstore again when I visit since moving to the UK. Might have some interesting supplies as well as fashion design books. Not sure if it’s open to the public or students only, but worth a try.

Not sure if everyone want to check out the bookstores. So let’s say meet up at the Museum from 11am onward. Those of us who want to go to the bookstores then do that and return to the Museum at 12:30 to meet up with those who don’t or arrive a bit later. We’ll then make our way up to the Garment District & meet other late comers there…

Meeting Point for Late Comers:

1pm – 2pm

Place for lunch, chat, and meeting those who want a Saturday lie-in. I’ve always loved Bryant Park. Such lovely urban oasis from the bustle of the surrounding streets. And Kinokyniya Japanese Bookstore’s good for checking out kooky Japanese fashion, maybe some Japanese pattern books. I’m hoping they’d have those delicate Japanese Western cakes in the 2nd floor cafe. One time I visited, there were a bunch of Cosplay kids. And they’re not even Japanese! Awesome.

Afternoon shopping in the Garment District:

2pm – 5pm ?

I have a whole list of possibilities. So I’m not sure how to organize this. Maybe split up into “high end,” “mid-level,”and “dumpster” groups like Peter does it? Here are the candidates. If you’re coming, maybe you can vote and let me know which you’re interested? You can choose multiples…

And if anyone still standing after that…

Maybe a final cuppa or even a cocktail to compare shopping bags, say around 5pm? Suggestions for re-grouping point? I’ve run out of ideas!

RSVP

Please leave a comment below or contact me via the form below so I can get an idea of numbers. Thanks!