...walking in a winter wonderland. In the meadow we can build a snowman...

[hazelchaz]

More winter wrap-up. I'll write up our animelosangeles meeting tomorrow. What else. After ConDor, I went to Coral Cafe, as I do most Thursday nights, and selinawoman, ala_mokita, and Michelle Pincus (right) went through the cast-off clothing that missmea, library_lynn and my father were sending away. I need to take them to the thrift store, what's left that is. (The clothes, not the people.)

I've been spending some time at The Old Homestead, that is, my parents' house, where I grew up in Costa Mesa. They've had the same California address, zip code, phone number, and area code, for over forty years. How's that for stability? Mom insisted that there was a box in the garage with their linens -- especially towels -- so I went over there, again and again, to sort and straighten out the boxes to find them. Here you can see some of the boxes and whatnot (left). Emphasis on the whatnot. The two lines of boxes in front are on a pallet -- but there's another bunch to their left. And the rolled-up carpet on top doesn't help matters.

As I went through boxes and bins looking for anything that might be a textile (but not random fabric), we found the quilt that mom made for Great-Aunt Millicent (right). A lovely quilt, and the back has Millicent Agnes Ness's initials all over in a repeating pattern. Both my mom and my elder older sister are avid quilters, had I mentioned that?

Big time quilters. Dorothy's made some incredible quilts, library_lynn have our purple dragon quilt on our bed all the time. The little baby blanket that she quilted for nephew Nicolas (left) is still his favorite, two years later -- he thinks it's a rug, and likes to sit there when he plays on the floor.

Great-Aunt Mildred's quilt turned up, too. But I told mom that bringing it into the house counted as "dessert" -- when they've finished the filing and reached their next milestone in setting the dining room to rights, she can bring it into the house. Meanwhile, it's safe in a plastic Rubbermaid tub in the garage. I'm hoping that when I go over there next I'll find that it was an effective incentive.

While I was there, we unrolled the runner carpet and put it in place in the hall (right). They would have bought a longer one at the time, but they couldn't justify $1900 on a hall carpet... I know the feeling. We have some beautiful small rugs that Maria brought back from her India/Nepal trip, all we could afford.

Eventually, I'd cleared the aisles, so it's now (barely) possible to reach just about every box in the garage. And in doing so, I found the fabric for my shirts that I bought three years ago. Some of the fabric was made into shirts by Maria, some of it by mom, and some of it sits and waits. We also found the buttons that Kim Bergdahl gave me for my "chili pepper" shirt (left). Some of the lengths of fabric are long enough for Lynn and I to each get shirts out of, and matching headband(s). Some prints I picked up in two colors, so Lynn and I can match but not be twinsies. Anyhow, it's all safe and sound, and I know where in the garage to find them. And while I was out there, I found all the sheets and towels -- I have checked every possible box, so I know it's all of them.

Coincidentally, that next weekend was when tenkuudragon was looking for a shopping buddy to go with her into the L.A. Fabric District. Well, I had something I wanted to find: the Alexander Henry "Dragon Princess/Black" print fabric that my "anime" shirt is made from. The shirt's gone missing, and I'd like to replace it.

We started out at Kashcool. Stephanie (right) wanted some specific color and length zippers, mostly for some lightweight hoodie-sweatshirts she wanted to make. While she did that, I browsed the prints.

And I found some possible prints. As colleency reminded me later, anything I find for $2/yard might not be worth bringing home... but I went ahead and took a chance on this flamingo jungle (left) and a few others. And after I got it home and washed it all, missmea passed judgment on my choices and declared them worthy.

I brought home enough of each fabrics I purchased that day so that shirts could be made for Lynn too. Although some may not be suitable for her, as it turns out. (The pale greenish linen, not so much.) I'm looking for someone who'll take a commission to make me shirts. 2XL-Tall, more specific size info available on request; button-up, two pockets. Reinforced corners on the pockets because I use them a lot. Big and roomy. Two or three matching headbands to go with it. Or ten headbands, if we set them aside for my animelosangeles Minions so they can match me that day. Buttons should be sturdy flat ones, because my dry cleaner abuses them something fierce. Cheap plastic ones are fine. And a bunch of extra ones sewn into the inside of the shirt, to replace the ones that break ("losies").

I now know I need to walk a block down 8th past Michael Levine's, to get over to Mike's. And also to check out Alen's, on the way to Mike's, because they have a zillion tropical fabrics (right). Some quite tasty, I might add. We found it at the end of our shopping trip, and I was loaded up with enough fabric including a lovely linen tropical print -- and we hadn't hit Michael Levine yet.

We ended up at Michael Levine as our last stop that day, where I discovered that the Asian print fabric section (left) was now four bays instead of the one they had in 2005. It took me a while to go through of them. But nope, they don't have the fabric.

Later I learned that when Alexander Henry gets enough orders (3000 yards, I think) from various dealers, they'll reprint a fabric. And the Dragon Princess line had been reprinted eight months ago. Arrgh! I missed it! They've got a similar "anime-style" print out, that fills the same niche, so I don't expect the fabric I want to come back in print any time soon. Rats. So I bought some other fabric there.

At Michael Levine, Stephanie found some pink "LOVE" fabric (right). In fact, she found everything on her list that day, and a bit extra. She has a friend who "writes Love on her sleeve" and this fabric will be used to line the sleeves of a shirt for her.

And we ran into Annie Mitschek! (left) We talked about the Costumers Guild West photo project she wants. It turns out she may have one of the other directors with a camera get started on it. I told her that in any event, she needs to come up with a complete list of everyone she needs photos of (basically, the CGW board and the Costume College concom) so that she'll know when they have all the photos for the display she wants to build.

Oh, and I found lots of fabric I liked at Michael Levine. It was hard to limit myself to just a few prints. One of the ones I liked enough to bring home was this purple waterfall scene (right).

Another great one was this Japanese geta sandal print in red (left). Main reason I didn't snag that one is because I already had a red print, but it was a near thing.

Stephanie and I paid for our purchases, paid for our parking (we'd been parked there three hours, and they only validated for two of them), and left downtown to find something to eat. We had dinner/late lunch at Golden China in Culver City, not far from her old apartment. Then I took her home, she went to a launch party she needed to attend for work, and I headed home myself.

Comments

Re: Fabric in motion

[hazelchaz]

....what? I washed everything when I got it. Check the edges where it was cut, it should be a little worse for the wear, and it should be a bit wrinkled from the dyer (although it has been flattened out a bit). If it looks like it was just cut at the store then perhaps I missed that one.

I think it's just that kind of fabric. (I won't be buying my fabric at that store again.) If in your opinion the fabric is not of good enough quality to make good shirt from, I'll take that fabric back from you and send you something else.

Re: Fabric in motion

[the-celestia.livejournal.com]

It's definitely fresh-cut. If this were the result after laundering I'd say it wasn't worth it, but it may just be full of sizing. I get this a lot with the scrubs orders...you can't always tell until it's been through the laundry cycle. Sometimes the one I thought would be least comfortable is the one they wear the longest (if only I could get more of that one sushi print...!)
Since it's already here, would you mind if I ran it through a laundry cycle before we decide? It's a great print, I hate to give up on it without trying that first. I'll be over to my sister's this weekend and can use her laundry facilities...

Re: Fabric in motion

[hazelchaz]

If you're willing to wash it, I would really appreciate it.

Most of the fabrics I've washed at least once. I'm sorry for missing that one.

Re: Fabric in motion

[the-celestia.livejournal.com]

Fabric has been washed and is considerably better. I think this one just has a very high polyester content...less ironing though less comfortable in humid weather.

Worth having a go at shirts, so please forward your measurements and Lynn's.

Thanks!