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Ladies, as we all know, like nice things. Like cashmere. And silk. And linen. But in these days of acrylic and polyester, nice things are hard to find. Which is why I was so excited when my friend and I trucked south to Boulder, CO to make a visit to Elfriede's fabric store.
It was, to be frank, a religious experience for me. There were aisles upon aisles of soft, lovely fabrics--perfect for skirts and trousers and ruffles blouses.
As you can see, I had my hands full. The dark cocoa is a wool/silk blend that will shortly become my favorite new pair of pants. The pink is wool and nylon, and is destined for pencil-skirt-greatness. And the blue...oh the blue...so silky and soft. It will be a wrap dress with a full, twirly skirt (because all ladies need twirly skirts).
As I oogled the trims (above) and buttons (below), I couldn't help but think about how difficult it is to find quality garments in the stores these days. At least quality at an affordable price. Sure, there are racks of trendy, adorable styles, but so often they are poorly made and crafted from synthetic fibers.
Now don't get me wrong--I love LOVE the person who invented Lycra, but I have to confess that once I started using real wool and silk in my handmade knitting and sewing projects, there was no turning back. Sure, they cost more than acrylics, but the budgeting trick is to make the fashions yourself. 
And finally, I can't finish a post on Elfriede's without introducing you to the lady herself. As you can see, Elfriede is quite stylish and beautiful, wearing an outfit I have no doubt she made. When I first met her, she was drinking coffee from fine china and instructing me to abandon my reserve and just dive into the fabrics (as if I needed the invitation...). On my second visit she blew into the shop wearing a classy black hat, a timeless red cashmere dress, and carried an armful of lilies to brighten the winter day.
She counseled me diligently on my choices, giving me invaluable instructions. And I left with a bag full of lovely yards, and a role model.
You can bet I'll be visiting again soon!
I've been watching a little Project Runway lately, so when Mrs. Marple gave a chat today about embracing flexibility, I couldn't help but think of the show. After all, those designers would never get anything down the runway if they stumbled over every little detail like perfectionists.
Or at least that is what I like to think as I'm trying to assemble my own fashion creation.
The last time you saw this dress, it had 3/4 sleeves and a scarf around the neck.
Well...as you can see, it's evolved. I wish I could say this evolution was intentional, but mainly I'm channeling Tim Gunn by "making it work."
Because the truth is that those 3/4 sleeves were so tight that I couldn't raise my arms above my shoulders. So I had a choice to make: either re-do the sleeves into something shorter, or pray that I don't have to do the YMCA at the wedding I'm attending in this dress.
I opted for the seam ripper, and yanked the sleeves out.
As for the neckline, obviously it has gone all ruffly (is "ruffly" a word?). Partly this is because I really am obsessed with ruffles this Fall. And also because the dress was gaping in the front.
And when I mean gaping, I mean that I couldn't wear it in polite company without some modifications. Like, say, a 4 inch neckline to hide my bust. I don't want to have some kind of "wardrobe malfunction," if you know what I mean...
The moral of the story with this dress-in-process is that Mr. Gunn is right--sometimes you just have to make it work. In order to be resourceful (aka not wasteful), creative problem solving is often required.
Of course Mrs. Marple is also right--perfectionism won't get me nearly as far as flexibility. So my bodice was vulgar and my sleeves effectively turned my dress into a straight jacket. Rather than give up and head out to the closest boutique (J. Crew is calling my name...), I'm hoping to make the most of my construction errors, and let my sewing shortcomings stretch my creative muscle.
In the end, I still might have to keep my eye open for a Plan B back-up dress, but maybe I really will be able to Make it Work!
Previous Days at the Institute:
Day 15: Redux
Day 14: Alterations
Day 13: Rest
Ladies, as we all know, like nice things. Like cashmere. And silk. And linen. But in these days of acrylic and polyester, nice things are hard to find. Which is why I was so excited when my friend and I trucked south to Boulder, CO to make a visit to Elfriede's fabric store.
It was, to be frank, a religious experience for me. There were aisles upon aisles of soft, lovely fabrics--perfect for skirts and trousers and ruffles blouses.
As you can see, I had my hands full. The dark cocoa is a wool/silk blend that will shortly become my favorite new pair of pants. The pink is wool and nylon, and is destined for pencil-skirt-greatness. And the blue...oh the blue...so silky and soft. It will be a wrap dress with a full, twirly skirt (because all ladies need twirly skirts).
As I oogled the trims (above) and buttons (below), I couldn't help but think about how difficult it is to find quality garments in the stores these days. At least quality at an affordable price. Sure, there are racks of trendy, adorable styles, but so often they are poorly made and crafted from synthetic fibers.
Now don't get me wrong--I love LOVE the person who invented Lycra, but I have to confess that once I started using real wool and silk in my handmade knitting and sewing projects, there was no turning back. Sure, they cost more than acrylics, but the budgeting trick is to make the fashions yourself. 
And finally, I can't finish a post on Elfriede's without introducing you to the lady herself. As you can see, Elfriede is quite stylish and beautiful, wearing an outfit I have no doubt she made. When I first met her, she was drinking coffee from fine china and instructing me to abandon my reserve and just dive into the fabrics (as if I needed the invitation...). On my second visit she blew into the shop wearing a classy black hat, a timeless red cashmere dress, and carried an armful of lilies to brighten the winter day.
