Shopping with Peter part two

And now for part two of my adventures with Peter from Male Pattern Boldness...

(sorry if this seems slow coming, jet lag meant that one eye was doing whatever it wanted - singing "la la laaa" as to rolled about the room, it was most disconcerting and it slowed me up)

After thrift shopping all over town, Peter and I ended up where we both new we would, in the garment district part of town. (Peter, put the tassles DOWN and step away   v e r y   s l o w l y.)

I in particular needed a length of ribbon to go with a vintage dress that I had bought while away.  It needed a belt and we knew a grosgrain ribbon would be perfect. So we headed to MJ Trimmings.  

It was the glossiest most devine haberdashery shop I have ever seen! Trust New Yorkers to do it well! No pokey little dusty places in which you would not wish to be in a fire, no grumpy staff, no mice...(no bargains either my cheapo friends!)

I came prepared with clever trick my Mother taught me, which is to snip a wee piece out of the seam allowance, and attach it to notepaper to carry with you so that you can match to it. Disclaimer: this only really works with items that have a decent seam allowance like vintage does.  So, if you can't do that, then Mum takes some thread that is the right shade along instead.

Peter was the one to choose the winning Grosgrain.  Something we didn't know, is that it comes in cotton, silk or polyester.  We agreed on Cotton, due to its stiffness and non slippery-ness and that turned out to be the perfect combination for a belt that remained tied all day and all night, since I ended up wearing it home on the plane. Instant belt: Ta Dah!

I left the ends a bit longer than the finished product will be, to give me some allowance to hem it when home.

Next up we headed to Peters Fave Fabric joint: H&M Fabrics 248 West 35th street. 

Hmmm...I could instantly see the attraction...

And is where we drooled over the burnout velour which was a possible 20s project (Peter, you know you are going to have to buy it one day ANYWAY - so go get it. Better yet, someone in NY go get it for him, please!)

And I picked up some stunning Hawaiian print at $2/yard:

I need to cut into it before I fall MORE in love with it (which is when it is too precious to be subject to scissors and will remain in the fabric stash until I move into a retirement home). 

(The dress and belt, and horrible model pose, in Central park)

Thank you Peter for the whistle-stop tour of your lovely city, its thrift stores, its fabric stores, and for letting me meet your cute dogs and see your sewing machine... um...gallery.

Shona x