Places to go Category

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

July could be a busy month

My sons just spent their last days in my house as single men(!). We had a great family potluck shower at my sister’s and now the weddings are becoming a reality. Decisions need to be made, etc., etc., etc.

July Fashion Sewing Club will reveal a few dresses as options for the mother of the groom but I’ve got to admit that Nordstrom’s is my fall back. Club meetings begin this Thursday at Associated Sewing in Bloomington (10:30 and 6:30) and Saturday at 10:30.

You may want to take in the Eagle Creek Garage Sale in Shakopee on Saturday (9 am-2 pm) after Club. I haven’t been for a few years but I remember some great vintage notions and fabric. Click here to go to the website.

On Tuesday, we’ll be at Treadle Yard Goods (10:30 and 6:30). Their big summer sale goes from July 8-18. Some of their dress silks are on my MOG dress list.

We’ve had a few requests to hold Fashion Sewing Club at The Sampler (551 W. 78th St.) in Chanhassen, so this is our trial month. Wednesday, July 14th we’ll have our meeting at 6:30 pm only, but we will have it no matter what. We’d like to see eight people to continue the meetings into the fall. Email us or call The Sampler (934-5307) to let them know you’ll be there. Bring your friends-first timers are free (at any meeting). The store is starting to carry more fashion fabric so support them if you want great fabric in a west metro location. Pics of some of the fabrics are below.

Remember Kathy’s scarf from last month? Here is a picture of it laid out. It’s a 32″x22″ rectangle and 7″ wide until it goes down to the points. Hopefully we’ll see a few from the serger class at Club meetings this month.

And then there’s the half of an oak tree that fell on my deck last night. No one woke up, no holes in the roof or broken railings-at least as far as we can tell at this point. Someone is coming later this afternoon to get the tree off so we can look more closely. Life is never boring!

One last clean up detail-last month Sarah Tufford told us about a group in the Madison, Wisconsin area. New homes are found for sewing machines that still work, and in the process gives new hope for the future to poor people. They sew for themselves, their families, and to make a little money to live on. Here’s the website: thesewingmachineproject.org. Some of us have been thinking about a trip to Gayfeathers in Madison and a trunkful of donated sewing machines would be a great impetus! Any takers?

Other calendar details (listed on the website)-Join us Tuesday, July 27th for a trip to SR Harris. Imagine the treasures to be had when a bunch of us start looking! We’ll car pool up to Brooklyn Park and have lunch because it will be hard work ;)

If you’re looking for a sewing related getaway, you may want to consider the Sewing Expo in Novi, Michigan. What if we got a group going together? Novi is supposed to be THE expo for fashion sewing. Here’s the link to the registration: americansewingexpo.com. The dates are Sept. 24-26.

Well, that’s all for now folks. I better get back to my sewing. The tree is being removed piece by piece (and distracting me just a wee bit). Every once in a while everything shakes as it falls more and more! Glad I slept through it.

Knits at The Sampler

More Knits

Kathy's scarf

Tree Down

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Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Seven of Eleven Flights

We managed the subway from our Shanghai hotel to the airport with a little help from a local retired engineering professor. Now we’re in Shijiazhuang where my daughter has been living for almost a year. Quite a change from the wonderful hotels we’ve been in and the cleanliness of Shanghai. I have a new respect for her.
Wireless availability was spotty in our previous destinations. The Shanghai hotel decided to charge for Internet during the Expo.
I bought silk at the factory store in Suzhou, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary-just nice silk. Touched some great wool and cashmere at the custom tailor suit shop in the hotel.
Fashion here is interesting. I can’t say that I’ve been seeing the elite walking the streets of Shanghai. I have seen plenty of big name designer stores along the Bund. Chinese women seem to go for colorful patterns, sheer synthetics and metallic embellishment. Wearing sandals with hose (footies, knee high or rolled) are seen everywhere. And to be fair this is representative of the tourist class, but I guess that would include myself. Chinese women are usually dressed modestly as coverage goes and they don’t seem to perspire!
We spent our free Friday in Shanghai at the Expo from 9 am to 9 pm. Rode the special subway into the park-managed to see 10 country exhibits. It was a drizzly day-the ony one of our trip but only 70 degrees so quite nice. We figured the crowds would be smaller because of the rain but a record attendance of 377,000 was set that day! The scary part ish

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Monday, May 24th, 2010

Breakfast Buffet

Just had another wonderful breakfast full of new things to try:

Lychee fruit
Hydroentangled eggs (custardy scrambled eggs)
All Kinds of Pickles
Black rice cakes
Yogurt with a straw to drink it
Yellow Knife steamed buns
Sushi
-and that’s only a partial list!

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Monday, May 24th, 2010

Hello from Hangzhou

Alive and very well in China. I have eaten eighteen kinds of dumplings in one meal, climbed the Great Wall and seen more umbrellas (parasols, maybe) in the last five days than in my entire life. And the trip isn’t quite half over.
Wonderful people (my fourteen traveling companions are all wonderful) and beautiful placess to see. But enough words-here are some pictures.

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Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Christopher Straub at the Sampler

Seven Material Girls drove all the way to Chanhassen on March 12 to listen to Christopher Straub, a Shakopee resident, of Project Runway-Season 6 fame. He entertained about 30 of us with an informal question and answer format and had a great drawing for two of his handbag designs. None of the Material Girls won :(

Christopher is now designing bags of all kinds and will also have a new line of garments to show at MN Fashion Week.

The Sampler will be hosting Valori Wells, a fabric designer for Free Spirit, on May 19th from 5-7 pm. Cost is $30 and they’re promising more great giveaways.

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Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Almost Paris-Without the Passport

After riding in an airplane and a shuttle van, I was dropped off at an unassuming corner across from the Puyallup (pew wallop) Fairgrounds. As I began a weekend of people watching it seemed that quilters were in the majority and garment sewists the minority at the Sewing and Stitching Expo. To add fuel to the fire I saw a woman wearing a hat which made it look like she had a scissors stuck through her head. But then I kept looking and slowly but surely I started to see people wearing clothes that were handmade. On Saturday I spotted two young designers.
Friday I took a class from Marcy Tilton about Paris influences in her sewing. Some of her slides were from our trip in November. Saturday noon I sat outside eating a crepe filled with Nutella just like in Paris. The cherry trees are blooming.
And then there were the many, many vendors and their displays. So much like what I saw in Paris.
Although no one would call it the Eiffel Tower, the old bridge that we crossed on our trips between the motel and the Expo reminded me of it. The runway shows were full of creativity and ideas and people! There was gorgeous fabric and must-have notions everywhere. I WILL fit into my suitcase and I can’t wait to get home and sew!
The fairgrounds had great food-fresh raspberry scones, BBQ, gyros and crepes. People were wonderful-all manner of sewing sisters, best sewing buddies, mothers and daughters and even the occasional husband/wife team.
I’m thankful for my sewing buddies, especially Cheri, who has been a great driver, Kathy, Sandy and Marcy and Katherine, without whom I probably would never have dreamed of attending the Expo in Puyallup.
It was almost like Paris-OK-there were some similarities.
But Paris didn’t have Mt. Rainier.
Enjoy the pictures.

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Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

Paris: The Final Installment

Yet another wonderful day in beautiful Paris. The day looked like yesterday, which was warm, but it was decidedly cooler.

We headed over to the Sunday flea markets-a great mix of antiques, junk and the button guy! I mixed and matched until I got what I wanted to have and matched my budget.

By then fingers and toes needed warming. The potty break included the first squatty potty but, oh, the chocolate was good!

The second flea market had fresh produce, seafood (sold by the fishermen that caught them) and scarves.

We took a bus back to the hotel to warm up and add layers. Then a bus to the Arch of Triumph. Parisiens, and all of us tourists, have a way of spending their Sundays. Everyone was out, the dogs, the kids and their scooters, the grandparents and teenagers. Many Christmas decorations are lit and the ferris wheel was taking passengers.

Four of us walked all the way back to our “neighborhood” stopping for croissants and sweets. I was feeling confident in my French and asked for “deux croissants”. The nice young man got a big smile on his face and said, “English?” I told him American. I guess I can’t fool anyone. He told me America was better than Paris anyway. I told him it was all beautiful. And it has been beautiful and the French people have been wonderful. I have made great new friends on this trip.

This “Paris Tilton” trip has been the perfect way to start the second half of my century here on this planet.

Almost forgot-we had dinner at the restaurant featured in “Something’s Got to Give” last night and they sang Happy Birthday” to me. Tres bien!

Home tomorrow.

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Friday, November 20th, 2009

Paris: Take Three

Hopefully this will go better tonight but I’ve just been to the local wine shop and tasted a few plus having a glass with my purchases from today- goat cheese and a whole wheat pretzel looking bread with raisins. I’m finishing the glass of wine with chocolate.

Today was a perfect day for me. It started with a bus ride to the D’Orsey Museum. It’s got mostly Impressionist art. I discovered artists I didn’t know of before. It was a very alive place with many school groups.

We proceeded to the Bon Marche (yet another large shopping mall) where I joined up with my new friend, Brown, and proceeded to spend an hour in the amazing grocery area. Clothes I have a hard time shopping for but give me a grocery store and I have no problem. It’s such a great way to see how everyday people live. Of course, this grocery store was equivalent to nothing I’ve seen in the States. Think Kowalski’s times ten. Fresh seafood, poultry, bread, deli and gift items galore. My 10 euro gourmet grocery bag is my prized possession!

After today, I can really see why people love Paris. We sat and had a simple tuna on toast salad-sitting outside, yet again and getting typical Parisien service from our waiter. No one has been impatient or rude to us even tho we are a group of twelve or so. I have never felt unsafe although I think I’ve experienced most of the scam artist tricks by now. The day was very mild and the sun was out for most of it. We walked to Notre Dame and walked right in- no lines. Then walked along the Seine to Ile St. Louis and ate magnificent ice cream and drank tea. The island of St. Louis was noticeably more quiet. Beautiful, and the sun was setting.

A solid walk back via Rue de Rivoli and Opera, my own private wine tasting with my grocery purchases and I call it a magnificent day in Paris. Tres bien!

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Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Paris Take Two

Sitting in the hotel lobby with my wine and chocolate. Tuesday was great trip to a flower making atelier. Such a wonderful place, family business with clients like Dior but the owner spoke like he was one of us-in French of course. And original petal cutting forms.
We have seen so many beautiful clothes and eaten great food. I went inside St. Paul’s church today-first church.

This blogging from my iPhone is proving a bit difficult or maybe I’m just tired. So here are a few pictures to tell the story.

A bientot!

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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Paris: Take One

So this wonderful trip has begun-it’s Tuesday morning and we’re up early to take in the Eiffel Tower. Sunday was a lovely boat ride on the Seine. My roommate is fun.

Monday was a trip to the Little Black Dress shop and a lecture from its classic French woman owner, shopping at Monmartre, an old notions and hat shop, French shoes and a wonderful dinner at a local’s favorite restaurant.

A bientot!

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