“Yes, we do have one of the new robotic mannequins in stock, but I’m afraid it’s a refurbished version. It looks lovely, but thinks it is Grace Kelly. But as long as you call it ‘Your Serene Highness’, you should be fine … oh, and don’t make any sudden movements, or it will stab you with a nail file. … Hello? Hello?”
(Today’s pattern from MOMSPatterns.)
[Photo of Liberty of London by Stuart Pinfold, on Flickr]
So I’ll be in London the weekend of May 24-25, and wondered: would anyone like to get together to do sewing-ish type things? Like, perhaps, a fabric crawl or a trip to the V&A, or both? I will 100% absolutely be going to Liberty, Shaukat, and to the V&A, and should probably this time make it into more than one shop before closing time on Goldhawk Road …
Is there anything else I should do/see while I’m there? Usually I just wander around and marvel that EVERY SINGLE CORNER is right out of a book. I keep expecting to run into the Bastables, Crêpe Suzette, or Gabriel Syme …
Finally, Liberty: British Colour Pattern
I begged for a copy for Christmas and was duly gratified, but I held off blogging it until it was easier to get. (Of course if you’re in the UK/ROW, you can order it here.)
It’s truly a gorgeous book and includes plenty of pictures of similarly-gorgeous Liberty fabrics:
In my fevered Liberty dreams, they put out a book such as the “Swatch-Clopedia” that Swatch reseller Squiggly does — every fabric Liberty ever made, listed in all colorways. I don’t care if it cost $300, I would buy it.* And I would certainly buy a “Liberty Annual” … a magalog that listed all the fabrics produced in a year, in all colorways. Liberty fabrics marketing department, are you listening?
This book doesn’t really need a review. If you love Liberty fabrics, you will love this book. If you don’t love Liberty fabrics yet, this book will probably tip you over into loving Liberty fabrics. Either way, you should probably wishlist it now.
*especially if it were arranged by year, with an index by name, and indexes by designer, fiber, weave, and pattern type (small florals, large florals, novelty, geometrics …). Hey, a girl can dream!
As Reginald swept her into the turn, face contorted in a rictus of merriment, he hissed a warning in her ear. “Keep dancing! For God’s sake, keep dancing! If they realize we’re released from their bizarre mind control, they’ll rend us limb from limb!”
Thanks to Josie Thames who suggested this pattern!
“As amusing as slang fashion is, it is not a complete language. I think women should dress as they talk: a basis of grammar, lightened here and there with a sprinkling of argot.”
—Mainbocher, 1967.
As quoted in The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish
A Dress A Day 