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old lady | Posted in General Discussion on

I am new to this forum and hope to learn from  all of you.  I have been sewing many wonderful years and have enjoyed all of them.  I started on a treaddle and own a Bernina now.  I live in Tuccson, AZ, the city with dry heat.  My dh never knew how much material I owned until he had to pack the moving van when we moved.  I have since added to the stach.  The most wonderful experience a sewer can have is to go to the garmet district in N.Y. City and go in all the material stores and walk up and down the aisle running your hand on each bolt of fabric and say now I can die happy.  Thank you for letting me rattle on.  Old Lady

Replies

  1. user-167104 | | #1

    wow. sounds awesome! The dry heat of AR. I have always said I believe I would choose AR to live if I had the choice. I just have an attraction for the desert, in particular AR. I was raised in SanDiego, but live now in KY.

    More awesome than living in AR? Fabric stores of NY. I worked for a time years ago in a fabric store in SanDiego that had awesome fabrics. Haven't seen any like that since. And now I live in a city that doesn't have any! I will, if I EVER am able to go to NY visit the garment district. That would make a great vacation a dream vacation.

     

  2. AmberE | | #2

    Welcome from the editor of Threads. I live in NYC, so I know that garment district thrill well! Enjoy the forum!

  3. user-178279 | | #3

    Dry heat - what is that? I live in Mississippi enough said!

    I dream of going to the garment district in NYC. My husband does not like big cities, but I think it would be wonderful to touch the fabrics, see all those buttons.

    Speaking of buttons - does anyone collect buttons? What kinds do you collect? I have a pearl button collection and I have been thinking about how to display more of them. I have several famed in my sewing room.  Does anyone have any ideas?

    PS I'll dream of your dry heat!

    1. mygaley | | #4

      It is so strange that you mentioned pearl buttons because this week I have been coveting my neighbor's button collection--she doesn't use or display them just keeps them in two 5 gallon jars so far and most of them never see the light of day.  Anyway, if a lot of pearl buttons were available to me I'd make some wall hangings of dark silhouettes with buttons arranged in the "pearlie" style of some areas of England.  There is a good simple visual in the movie Mary Poppins in the scenes where Burt and Mary are in the park.  These items would probably need to be framed to support the weight but my imagination soars at the thought of the clothes, borders, etc. that could be made, for instance, use a vintage or personal garment for the silhouette.  In fact, you could create a pearlie garment to wear; it would be a lot of fun thinking of the origin of the decorations.

      My children treated me to a NYC trip to purchase fabric; I had never been before.  My favorite tip:  we stayed in manhattan but used taxis to save time.  I can walk 25 blocks, but I'd rather spend the time in the stores.  Each fare was about $2.50-4.50--worth every penny to me.  Boiled in central Louisiana--Galey

       

    2. MarshaK | | #5

      Hi, I collect buttons of all sorts, I especially like the glass ones. I have jars and jars full, I am an auction sale junkie which is where I get my additions to my collection usually. When I bring home a new batch. I wash, rinse and dry them then sort through to pick out the 'treasures' which are any glass ones, unusual metal designs and large 'funky' ones. So far I've used buttons to embellish my crazy quilting and other garments (similar to Lois Ericson's use of unusual buttons) that need a little extra something. I have an interesting book called The Button Craft Book, by Dawn Cusick, there's an article in it about a fellow who has covered his suit with buttons as well as his car, a hearse and I believe even a coffin. I definately have no plans to use my collection in that way! There are other ideas in the book on using buttons, perhaps your library has a copy you can have a look at. Marsha.

      1. user-178279 | | #8

        Hi MarshaK, I like your ideas for the buttons. I have been thinking of making a shawl collar suit and put the buttons on the collar. Still in the planning stages. I am short (5'2") so I could use a little vertical eye movement away from my lower self. It has been a while since I have made a suit and I have had so much fun studying all of my old Threads for ideas.Thanks for the suggestions, I'm with you, I don't think I'll do a car or coffin!

  4. grannyjuju | | #6

    Hi old lady - I now live in Germany after 2 wonderful years in Long Island. My greatest thrill was to team up with a sewing friend and go into the Big Apple for the day to hit the garment district fabric stores.  Would come home with bulging bags and in a dream of fabricoholic bliss. Scored specially when shopping for fabric for an outfit to wear to my daughter's wedding - found the most wonderful jade green silk shantung, and interlined it with exactly matching silk organza (I knew no-one would ever see it but it gave me such a buzz to know it was there, hidden inside in all its silken luxury). I am really enjoying living in Germany, following as always in my scientist husband's wake, but oh how I miss those shopping sprees in Manhattan... I'm new to the forum too, just joined up a few minutes ago, and yours is the first post I saw. My sewing machine and wonderful new serger have not arrived yet, and I'm suffering from withdrawal. Have GOT to get my hands on a sewing machine!

    1. old lady | | #7

      Welcome to the group and hope you enjoy the posts.  I am more of a surfer and learn many new processes.  My first trip to the district was many years ago to get material for my daughter's wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses.  It was one of those patterns; the top from this picture, the skirt from this one, sleeves from that one.  At times we would get to go to the cutting rooms and purchase material off the bolts and also all this material, left over from cutting patterns, was on the floor and we were able to fill a large black plastic bag with all the scraps on the floor, free, as long as we could carry it out.  Enjoy your stay in Germany and the new adventure of all the unique shops to see. 

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