After Stitches East...

Ah, the Boléro Anastase...
The feathers haven't arrived, but I suspect they will probably come on Monday. I didn't finish the jacket, obviously, but I now know how to line it properly. I also know to buy China Silk from the Thai Silk Company in Palo Alto, CA for reasonably-priced, high-quality silks. Speaking of silk, I ended up lining my jacket in a 100% polyester sari-type fabric. I had put it off to the last minute and hadn't time to run to G Street, so I stopped at Jo-Ann's. I surveyed the fabrics, inspected the end labels, and I swear everything was polyester. I wanted silk--and nothing but silk would do. The conversation went like this:

Courtney: "Do you have any silk?"
Saleslady: "Yes, the first section on the right, behind the Hallowe'en fabrics."
I inspect them and return.
Courtney: "No, those are all polyester. I want silk."
Saleslady: "Those ARE silk."
Courtney: "No, they're polyester. I'm looking for silk. Like a shantung, or a dupioni."
Saleslady: "Yeah, we have shantung right here."
I read the endlabel.
Courtney: "These are polyester and rayon. I want silk. You know, comes from worms. Boil 'em up, string 'em, weave 'em. Silk."
The saleslady was blessed with sudden comprehension.
Saleslady: "Ohhhh, you want silk... made from SILK."
Courtney: "Yes."
Saleslady: "Oh." She paused. "We don't have that."

In any event, I made it to my class. Jean Frost taught it and it was excellent. She asked that I bring my bolero next year. Let's just hope I finish it by then.

RS sleeve, WS lining

outside sleeve, spilling out its WS polyester guts

I went to the Stitches East Market. I did really well at only browsing, not buying... until I saw a lace shawl in alpaca... and the yarn was black, mixed with blue and green--it's exactly what you'd get if you had the colors of Blackwatch Plaid all spun together. I bought three 440-yard skeins (hey, they were a good price).

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

Again, I was doing well... until I arrived at Lisa Souza's booth. And I went crazygonuts. I pulled out everything that grabbed my attention. I ended up buying 4 skeins of assorted fibers, all in the Sapphire colorway. I looked seriously at Mars Quake--which reminds me mostly of autumn and falling leaves and walking through the forest--but I had no idea what I'd do with it. And hey, if I change my mind, I know where to find her shop.

Lisa Souza "Petal" in Sapphire
All my base are belong to it.

I also bought a little something fun to include in my package for my tea swap pal... but L, you'll just have to wait to find out! :-P

My preciousssss....

The crown jewel purchase of the day was from Annie Frazier Antique Buttons of NJ. If either I had had more money, or she had taken American Express, I would have seriously gone crazygonuts in her shop, too. As it was, I restricted myself to only buying a button for my bolero... and it's PERFECT. I'm not normally one for owls, but everything about this button works. First is the color. Second, note how the lines of the owl's face mimic the lines of the cabled section.


Man, I'm still thinking of some of the enameled buttons she had that I wanted to buy. Seriously, I'm going to have to save up for a field trip to her store. Even if it is in *cough* New Jersey (long story involving a college suitemate called and from Jersey, who has forever cast an indelible shudder on my memory).

All in all, a good weekend. New skills learned, new stash gained... what more could you want?