Just a quick reminder before the weekend starts that the Laurel Sewing Contest ends at the end of the month!

This pattern is such a quick make, there’s definitely still time to download the pattern and whip something up. Do it for the many awesome prizes, or do it just for fun.

By the way, it has come to our attention that some photos in the Flickr group are not tagged. If you want to enter the contest, you must include the tag for the category or categories you are entering. I posted about it on the group here, if you need a reminder about how to tag a photo.

When the contest ends, I’ll be posting nominees for the reader’s choice category, so stay tuned for that even if you’re not sewing!

Nothing will make you feel like a slob more than a trip to New York City after a long winter spent in the soggy northwest.

Looking around, I found myself wondering, where are all the leggings? The rainwear? The FLEECE?

I suppose you get sort of inured to what’s around you. I’d forgotten that there are fancy people in the US, and American cities where people don’t look at you sideways if you wear a nice skirt and heels.

And it’s not just the fancy people whose clothes are fun to watch, by any means. There’s an intense sense of individual expression in New York, maybe because of the city’s diversity and density. Paris is the only city I’ve been to that approaches it. Both extremely diverse, and both extremely stylish.

Pins & Needles

We stopped by Pins & Needles on the upper east side and met Rachel, the wonderful owner.

This is an incredible little store. I loved hearing about the classes they do with kids, and how enthusiastic the younger generation is about sewing! But more than that, I loved meeting the super friendly staff.

Mood

I also taught a class on sewing with silk at the incomparable Mood.

There are many places to shop for fabric in New York, but you’ve heard about Mood for a reason. Believe the hype. It is a dream.

They’ve also created a men’s haberdashery department within the store, which I was very taken with.

I’ve decided that I really must become a rich old lady one day so that I can have a pied-à-terre in New York. In the meantime, I’m planning to come back soon. It always feels like my home away from home.