January 25, 2011

Phewwwwwwwwwwwww

I have been working on this post for 4 days now and just could not finish it. I have been trying to reacquaint myself with the sewing machine over the past couple of days, however some recent migraines have made it a bit less than what I had hoped for. I guess I might just face it..I have the winter blah's. I can't get motivated to do much of anything. Anyone else feeling this way? I seem to go from one thing to the next without accomplishing much of anything, Ugh! I keep telling myself that I will feel better tomorrow (I don't really feel BAD, just not much motivation and a headache)...and then tomorrow is here and then the next day.......

I daydream about my fingers gliding through fabric to the gentle rhythm of the sewing machine, but that is all it is...a daydream.

I have searched far and wide for a nice plaid wool to make hubby's shirt with and can't find ANYTHING I think he will like. My one hope is that on Monday I am going to 'a big city' and have heard there is an amazing fabric store there. I have it on my agenda to check it out and hopefully I will find something.

Now it is Tuesday and what a day it was yesterday. I had a 9:00 am doctors appointment in a city over an hour and fifteen minutes away. It was my day off and I was out of the house before 7:30. This is early for me, who works at night and is usually not out and about before 10:00.

I arrived at the appointment only to be told 'we don't accept your insurance'. Really? I called and asked both my insurance company AND asked you when I made the appointment. 'Sorry honey, we don't and it would be a self-pay if you would like to see the doctor.' Ugh! No!

She was actually very nice to me and felt horrible. Said I was the second one that day (it was only 9:00) who had the same problem! Okay...no big deal. I was just going to a dermatologist to have a skin exam.... Just time, gasoline and sleep were disturbed.

Now I was off to the 'fabric store' I have been hearing about for months. I mapquested the address from the doctors office and it was only 10 minutes away (ha) do you see where this is going? I followed the directions and there I was in the middle of a gorgeous residential neighborhood in Longmeadow, Ma. Nope...this is not Kansas, Dorothy!

This is the neighborhood I found myself in google map

Now I am one of only 5 people in the free world that does not have a cell phone nor GPS in my car so I had to use the old fashion way. Find a gas station or a nice looking person and ask directions. Guess what? This STILL works!!!! A cute women at a Mobil Station knew exactly how to get me to Osgood Textiles in West Springfield, MA....not Springfield, MA and NOT Longmeadow, MA. There was a rotary and a few mis-steps before I actually arrived, but it was all good. I was determined to find it. How jealous I became of Peter who has all these great fabric stores within walking distance of his NYC home.

When I walked in the store I felt as though I was on Project Runway and entering 'Mood'. Bolts of fabric up to the ceiling in all directions. There are 3 aisles of  just WOOL! My head started to spin (actually pound with a migraine), but I was happy. I was wishing hubby was with me to help me pick out the fabric for his shirt. Even with all that wool fabric, nothing seemed to pop out and scream...HUBBY! I strolled the aisles, back and forth for over half an hour. I kept thinking about Project Runway and how they only have that long to get EVERYTHING!
This is what I ended up with. Let me remind you of the pattern first:
 This fabric has a tad bit of something other than wool in it. The nice lady at the store did a burn test on it. She thought it was about 90% wool. It has a nice drape and I am looking forward to working with wool for the first time.
 
I will be adding lambskin elbow patches to this shirt as well. Look at all the colors to choose from

I also looked for some fabric this. 
I did not find anything there. All of their silk chiffon were in fall colors. I DID find a great site on-line called Printed Silk Fabrics and there are tons of well priced silks to choose from. I like this and this. But yesterday another blogger threw a wrench into the mix when she blogged about a just released Vogue Pattern. Now I am in a quandry and think I might make them both. I WILL also need a dress for the rehearsal dinner. What do you think? HELP. I also need LOTS and LOTS of help with fabric for both of these dresses. AND I need help with what to use for an underlining for the ORSINI. I really have no clue about this and all help and advice will be greatly accepted.

I plan on spending the rest of the day reading about matching plaids and how to make a shirt. I realized sometime yesterday that the pattern I have chosen for the MPB Men's Shirt Sew Along, does not have a placket. I am kind of bummed because I feel the look I am imagining needs one. What do you think? Let me remind you of the shirt I am trying to create.


Okay folks...this has been the Long and Winding Road of blog posts. Wish me luck, motivation and the alignment of the sewing stars.

7 comments:

  1. Lisa, we'll add a placket (I'm guessing you mean a sleeve placket). This is not hard. Not to worry!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The shirt also does not have a collar stand, and your inspiration photo from the earlier post does. The collar/neckline on the pattern actually looks like a modified shawl/wing collar, which may be too "out there" for most guys to want to wear. Just thought I'd point that out, but you know your husband best. ;-) Great fabric! And feel better soon!

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  3. Good luck! I love the fabric!

    Have fun with the sewing.

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  4. Thanks for the heads up on the collar Debbie. I see what you are talking about and you are probably right in that he won't like it. I also wish the pattern had a button placket. I have searched far and wide for an in-expensive pattern in his size and have not found another. I will give this a try in the muslin and see what he thinks...and then only move forward with the wool if he likes it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi L,

    Have you thought about an interlining of silk charmuse ? It would drape nicely under your silk I think. I found a link to a store that carries many colors, but kind of expensive (at least I think) but maybe you can find some on ebay? Or go West young man...(H.Greely) to your local shop. http://www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com/silk-charmeuse-fabric-colors.html
    Love the shirt fabric ! The colors are great, it will be so nice. I'm having to decide if I will do the shirt with the sew along or not :( because I started on something while waiting for the Feb 1st start and haven't finished the Hepburn/Hepburn dress...darn ! I guess I'm a sewing school drop out ,lol.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Post Script: I've used this color with a dress
    http://www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com/silk-charmeuse-fabric-204-nude.html

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate each and every one of your comments. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me.

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