Clothing
A quarterly collection of designs, patterns, events, classes and ideas from Antiquity Press, Volume 3, Issue 2, April 2008
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Excerpted from Elizabeth Bishop's poem, On Travel . . .
"Think of the long trip home.
Should we have stayed at home and thought of here?
Where should we be today?
Is it right to be watching strangers in a play
in this strangest of theatres?
What childishness is it that while there's
a breath of life in our bodies, we are determined
to rush to see the sun the other way around?
The tiniest green hummingbird in the world?
To stare at some inexplicable old stonework,
inexplicable and impenetrable, at any view, instantly seen and always,
always delightful?
Oh, must we dream our dreams and have them, too?
And have we room for one more folded sunset, still quite warm?"
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Made Finer By:
The Orient-Express from Venice to Prague: More than mere train travel, this trip is one through time, civilzations and any mental journey you need to make -- a life-changer! Pricey but ranks up there with the QE2 as a to-do-before-you-die. Contact: www.mircorp.com or call: 800-424-7289. See the Bar Car above on the Siberian Orient Express, 5,000+ miles through Russia in luxury.
Laptop Travel: Do all the security things you already know about and then: bring an Ethernet (Cat5) cable with you in case there is no wireless in the oom and you have to hook up to that little box next to the phone. Also, pack a 3G internatinal wireless/data card -- prevents waiting at the Internet cafes. And, loose lithium batteries are no longer allowed in checked baggage on flights in the US -- see the rules for when are where you can carry batteries.
Boomeropia: A travel site for boomers! Which means they have a category called "glamping", glamorous camping with comfort and catering. Check out: www.bomeropia.comThe Secret Source for Discount European Airlines: This info is not on any of the regular cheapo thrid-party ticket sites. If you check www.flylc.com you'll get who flies between any two cities in Europe for the least amount -- an exchange-rate salvation! Best Airport Restaurants: Atlanta = Paschal's; Boston = Legal Sea Foods; Dallas-Ft.Worth = Dickey's BBQ Pit; San Francisco = Ebisu; Miami = Cafe Versailles; Denver = Que Bueno! Travel Smart Newsletter: Be an instant pro! 12 issues, $39/yr. www.TravelSmartNewsletter.com.Flight 101 Travel Products: This store is the coolest place for state-of-the-art travel doodahs. See: www.Flight101.com or, in SanFancisco, go to 525 Hayes St. & in Berkeley at 1774 4th St. Find a Language Partner: to practice with! If you go to: www.mylanguageexchange.com, you can find a person to study with in on-line voice chat rooms. Vacation at a Lighthouse: An experience to remember -- see: www.lighthouse.cc. for a listing of New England lighthouses that you can stay in and help man the beacons!  Stay in an Igloo?: For those seeking the weirdest places to stay, there is a website for you: www.UnusualHotelsOfTheWorld.comAnd for the germ conscious amongst us: The handheld germ eliminating light from Hammacher Schlemmer, costs $80 and if you shine it on a surface for 10 seconds it is sterile. Great for phones, remotes, etc. in hotel rooms. See: www.Hammacher.com. SkyRoll: Check out the most amazing suitcase ever, right! The Skyroll is a bag that you lay your clothes in and roll it up -- nary a wrinkle ever! Shoes, cosmetics and stuff goes in the middle of the roll. See their video of the process at www.SkyRoll.com. Secret Info from the Experts: For cruisers, wouldn't you like to know what people know who practically live on those boats? Check out these 3 sites: www.CruiseCritic.com, www.CruiseMates.com and www.CruiseReviews.comAnd then there is: www.FlightStats.com to check out your chances of making that connection in the other terminal. Ffind out which airlines have the best records iwhen time is tight! SAF-T-POCKETS Patterns: The ultimate travel clothing patterns -- pockets everywhere and anywhere you need them, makes a bag history! www.saf-t-pockets.comAnd finally, the Litebook Elite: This thing is a light therapy box for travel that you can use to adjust to time zone changes and it comes with access to a schedule of when you should have darkness or light and for how long depending on which zones you are going from to -- $199 from www.litebook.com.
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Personal Design
More Important Shoulders This Year: Just in time too! As gravity intervenes, shoulders become the antidote. Ideally, your shoulders are supposed to balance the hips by being the same width across. If they are more narrow then the hips appear wider and vice versa. If needed, start looking at ways to make this optical illusion work for you, either by making shoulders slightly wider or by means of visual strength like color or an unusual design.
Consignment Has Officially Gone Mainstream: W Magazine ran an article about how much sense it makes and, given that making sense is now in vogue, it amounts to an offical blessing to reuse. The four best spots in NY are Encore on 81st and Madison, Michael's on 79th and Madison (both upstairs), Butter Consignment in Brooklyn and Ina on Bleecker St. (one among five she has in NY); in LA there is Decadestwo on Melrose and in Aspen, Little Bird. Brag openly, the tide has turned!
 Scandinavian is Cool; in more ways than one! A natural match to green living, there is a new interest in the quirky styles, attention to craft and the unique approach taken by Nordic fashion houses this spring. Keep an eye on the hot ones: Phi, Elise Overland, 66 North, Malene Birger and Caren Rodebjer. Check out Clearly First, a Scandinavian store in Manhatten and Danmark in LA. From the Fashion Trendsetter.com we get the news that Marimekko textile designs will be at H&M this spring. Marimekko is Finnish, from the 70's and always fabulous!
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Spring Classes
It was my delight to be able to conduct a 3-day seminar for the Heartland Chapter of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals at the Indianpolis Institute of Art two weeks ago. See  two photos of work below done on the half scale using Julian Roberts' draping techniques.
We had a great time! Thank you all for a wonderful teaching experience!
VERY BIG NEWS: There are negotiations in process to bring Julian Roberts, from London, to the US! If you haven't heard of his other-worldly approach to draping go to www.julianand.com and click on the Video at the bottom of the page and then on Cutting Demo. It defies description and I believe it to be the most innovative method in the world today.  I am assembling an email group of those who would like to be informed of his appearances so let me know you are interested by sending me an email so I can create the notice list. As you can tell from the video, he is a born teacher. He is on faculty at Herefordshire University in England.
Upcoming Classes
1. Design with Scissors & Cloth 1: Saturdays, APRIL 5, 12, 19; 9 --5;
Upper Valley Campus (St. Helena) of Napa Valley College.
We begin again with the draping basics and the most important thing first, how to make something FIT! This is the foundation course for the magic to follow in the next two draping for design courses.
2. Designing Patterns: Saturdays, May 3, 10, 17; 9 -- 5;
Upper Valley Campus (St. Helena) of Napa Valley College.
For the past two years I have given Master Classes for PACC, Association of Sewing and Design Professionals at their fall conference. My MO is to perfect the class by offering it locally first to make sure of timing etc., so here is the next one! This one deals with the paper pattern and covers the whole process -- from seeing the dress of your dreams in the magazine to making the exact pattern -- that fits you! Draping can't do it all -- development of the best designs uses a combination of both fabric and paper.
See the Classes Page for details and how to sign-up.
Summer:
1. Wrap Yourself a Dress, using a single piece of cloth, or a Sari, we go through all the ingenious ways to "tie one on"! Seriously ingenious - from all sources!
2. Fashion in Film, featuring big screen great designer moments -- just think, a weekend submerged in fashion fantasies -- almost too much, but . . . probably not!
The summer schedule at Napa Valley College Community Education is not out yet but I'll send a note when it is and ready for registration to begin.
Remember, the classes are FREE! Also, if there is a group out there who would like to schedule a retreat in the Napa Valley and request a specific seminar, that can easily be arranged -- just need a minimum of 12-15 people and it will be free also.
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Events
Chado Ralph Rucci: Just in case you happen to be in Phoenix between March 21 & August 17 -- do not miss the Chado Ralph Rucci exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum. He's the best there is in the US now! And, "this just in" -- both Ralph Rucci and James Galanos, two living treasures, will be at the Academy of Art's Spring Show, April 25!
The Textile Arts Council at the de Young Museum: A line-up of terrific programs this year from Macedonian Village Dress to The Story of Kimono and Candy Kling's Ribbons and many more, winding up with the St. Laurent exhibition. If you are not a member yet -- don't delay -- membership costs next to nothing, the lectures are free to members and you'll be part of a unique-to-San Francisco group of designers, fiber artists, collectors and dealers who also have great parties! See: www.textileartscouncil.org
Candace Kling, author of The Artful Ribbon, will be teaching a series of ribbonwork and fabric manipulation workshops in spring 2008 in San Francisco at The Sewing Workshop, in Oakland for Diane Joseph of the Crewel World, and in Seattle at Nancy's Sewing Basket.  Classes will focus on making flowers, trims, and cockades. For more information contact:
www.thesewingworkshop.com
1-415-221-7397
cwlwld@pacbell.net
1-510-482-1584
www.nancyssewingbasket.com
1-800-443-2964
Just a sample of the wonders of Candy's ribbons! Think of doing them on clothes, large scale, everywhere! |
Greenchic
Consciousness Alert: Many countries and millions of good souls throughout the world are trying desparately to develop eco-tourism to prevent deforestration and species depletion in order to survive economically. Please consider visiting places that are proving it can be good business to have a sustainable natural world. See www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com and other such places for a list of trips. Make your presence count, literally.
Linen Napkins: Make the switch! Using linen napkins cuts the paper load, cuts the grocery bill, gives one a sense of elegance at the table and respect for textiles and -- an amazing effect! -- actually causes people to dine more politely, a big plus if you are trying to instill good manners with the younger set.
 Bikes! The Gucci in red -- expensive!  Or,the bronze Forge Coco (Target), currently on sale for $169! I bought it and love it -- 6 speeds, light weight. Ann (at the company in PA) sent me matching fenders -- your feet are flat on the ground when you stop so you don't fall over. I found a bronze helmet to match and also found a European market basket from Cynthia's Twigs. Jumping on my bike for a quick trip to town is a joy! If anyone wants the details on the whole thing, let me know. www.CynthiasTwigs.comGo to: www.sthelenacyclery.com for the helmet. Jake at St. Helena Cyclery also sells a variety of amazing baskets that you can take right into stores to shop.
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Books
Breaking the Mode: Only one need be mentioned here! The fashion book of the moment is the catalog from the Breaking the Mode exhibition currently at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Send them an email and ask how to get the catalog. Seriously worth it. shop@imamuseum.org
The exhibition is there until early June! |
Small Treasures
Les Satelites: From Threads Magazine we get the hotlist of fashion services:- T.O. Dey Shoes: Custom made to your design. TODeyShoes.com
- Dulken & Derrick: Handmade silk flowers. FlowersintheCity.com
- Pat's Custom Buuttons and Belts: Covered, in lots of styles. 209-369-5410 in Lodi.
- San Francisco Pleating: Pleated fabric, again, lots of styles. 415-982-3003, Rusty.
- Lacrasia Gloves: Custom, amazing. LaCrasia.com
- Madame Paulette: Customized cleaning of the most precious things. MadamePaulete.com
- Manhatten Dyeing Service: Send your garment and color chip for custom dyeing. SampleDyeingNY.com
- M&S Schmalberg: Custom amde flowers from your fabric. CustomFabricFlowers.com
 - Gaspar Gloves: Custom gloves from alll fabrics. GasparGloves.com
- Dye-Namix Inc.: Dyeing, digital printing, fabric painting -- No minimums! DyeNamix.com
- Trims Unlimited: They make anything to match! ButtonFlower.com
Booty Vintage: Vintage patterns for the larger sized woman! Good selection at www.BootyVintage.Etsy.com
Camileon Heels: Well, she did it! Lauren Handel has invented high heels that fold into low heels! Go to www.CamileonHeels.com and check out these wonders -- with these shoes, you'll be seriously ready for anything -- and -- you'll only need one pair of shoes in your suitcase.
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Business
 Poole Fashion Group: Kathleen Poole, veteran of the garment industry, offers great services to small businesses: production sourcing, technical design and product development. Contact her at kathleen.poole@sbcglobal.net and see her website:
Remember SCORE? The group of pros from the Small Business Administration? They are still out there and can really help your business with marketing, business plans, collections and higher sales. You call them and they assign a counselor to your business that helps you with everything! www.score.com
Most Calif. community college districts have a SBA office where SCORE lives.
Your Business: We are all in the business of keeping ourselves going for the duration, as they used to call it. So from AARP we get the following sober news: "forking over $65K for a new kitchen trims your lifetime income by $325/mo"!
E-Commerce How-To: William Garnsey has perfected  a method of teaching non-tech people how to set up their e-business site and he's teaching classes. Contact him at: wgarnsey@yahoo.com
Reality Check: Look at the chart to the right: pick out on top the interest you think your savings is earning or could, go down the column to the number of years it has to last after you start living on it; you get the percent you can withdraw each year in the boxes at the right. Can you live on that?
Good Advice: Ask:
What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
What is the best thing that can happen if I don't do this?
What is the worst thing that can happen if I don't do this? |
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