I was gone, but I'm back

I just returned home from a week with family in New Jersey and New York City. I took my just completed carpet bag on the plane as my carry-on. I love this bag! It's stylish, roomy, sturdy and it fit perfectly under the seat of what seemed like the smallest jet ever made. I wish I'd had this bag back in the 80s, when I did a lot of traveling for business.

It was great to be back on the east coast. I've realized I am a big city gal. Even though it's been almost 25 years since I lived in NYC, I felt completely at home, as if I'd never left. In between all the dinners and other family events I managed to squeeze in lots of sewing related activities. After taking my hubby to see the brownstone where I used to live, we visited my alma mater, FIT. While we were there we stopped in the museum. I am still frothing at the mouth over the Japan Fashion Now exhibit. I must get a copy of the book.

I also did some fabric shopping, not in the garment district, but in the town where I was born, Belleville, NJ! At Fabric Warehouse, which is an actual warehouse in a dingy industrial section of town, I found some great deals. The fabrics are sold already cut and folded, ranging from 2 to 3 1/2 yards. Most were priced between $3 to $6 per yard. One of my purchases was a "splurge" at $10 a yard. It's the second one from the right in the photo below, the luscious purple velvet knit. The chain fabric store where I live now has an almost identical fabric this season selling for $30 a yard. My average price per yard for this haul was $4.80. I love a good bargain!

The other fabrics from left to right are: a black and white stripe T-shirt knit, a black stretch sateen with a beautiful hand that will become either pants or a jacket, a leopard print knit I'll make into the longer sleeved version of Vogue 2980, a shiny black and cream stripe for a jacket, yellow cotton knit, blue and tan textured suit weight fabric, and my favorite on the far right, a black, green and purple wool plaid which I will probably make into the new Marcy Tilton jacket pattern, Vogue 8693.

Last but not least, I got to "visit" with the treadle sewing machine that currently lives in my in-laws' attic. It's a New Home machine manufactured in 1892. She's really a beauty. The machine could use a little spit and shine. The cabinet is exquisite. If I can find a way to get it home, it's mine. Considering there's the width of a continent and an international border in the way, this could be a challenge. But for now, I have visiting rights, and unless another family member lays claim, it will, someday, somehow, be mine.