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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Jean Paul Gaultier and Margy


Stunning, no? Never have I seen anyone receive so many unsolicited compliments from complete strangers. It was fun to move in that "sphere of elegance"!

Some months ago, my blogger friend, Margy, asked if I knew of anyone who could help her with a pants draft. (That link takes you to her discussion of the subject.) She realized that she was having consistent problems with the fit of the backs of her pants (which she didn't realize until she started photographing herself from behind).

"Yes!", said I.

I knew that Lynda Maynard, who is located in the Bay Area and well known as a fit expert, could help. I gave her Lynda's email address (which can be obtained from Kenneth King's website) and they made plans for Margy to come to the bay area so they could meet. Even better, they decided that Lynda would draft the pant, giving Margy some time to play!

We crammed a lot into our limited time. I was pretty exhausted by the end of it.

Along with Jillian, we saw the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the De Young Museum. Loved it!



I loved this suit at the beginning of the exhibit. In front, a rather conventional linen suit. In back, it's painted with a nude male form. The derriere is covered with an actual pair of denim cutoffs, sewn into the side seams. Fun!


Another piece I loved. From the front, a beautiful French-inspired striped top.


From behind, you can see that the stripes are strips of black and white fabrics...


and are released at the waist...


and fall to the floor in a ribbon-like train. Love!

It is a fabulous exhibit and I will definitely be seeing it again before it leaves for Europe in August. You can see a few more of my photos on Imgur, read Jilly Be's great blog post on the exhibit, and see Margy's photo album of the exhibit.

We separated as we meandered through the exhibit, in the way that one does when absorbed by whatever tickles her fancy. When I exited, Margy and Jilly Be were waiting at one of the benches. We sat and chatted for a bit, when, surprise of surprises, who should approach us but two of my favorite sewists, Ann Smith and Barbara V! (Ann's link takes you to her blog post on our meeting and Barbara's link, who is blogless, takes you to her reviews on Pattern Review.


I had met Ann in the last year, but have wanted to meet Barbara for ages, so it was a delightful surprise to see them both! Barbara is wearing the new Marcy Tilton dress, which she hasn't reviewed yet, but it was adorable on her.


Taken just before Barbara and Ann walked by!


More Trippen Goodness


We ate



We drank


We shopped for fabric at Stone Mountain & Daughter. At the cutting table, we were approached by Suzan (the "& Daughter" part of the business) who asked if she could take a picture of us for her Facebook page. She said she loved the fabrics we selected and how "elegant we looked." I was not elegant, but was basking in the sphere of elegance. ;)

Best of all, at the end of the visit, Margy had a perfectly fitting pants muslin!



with Lynda Maynard

You can read more about Margy's visit on her blog.

Margy's visit made me acutely aware of how lucky I am. I am grateful to have such a wonderful community, my local sewing community (you know who you are!), as well as the extended sewing community I enjoy through the internet. I am lucky to have such wonderful resources, including great fabric stores and also great places to snoop shop. I am also lucky that San Francisco is a destination for so many sewing buds that I am able to meet when they are in town.

Margy's visit also made me aware of a wardrobe hole. I need more clothes for this sort of occasion - when I need to up the ante in the "casually elegant" department.

I have two garments I need to blog, but have just been too busy. Stay tuned!

42 comments:

  1. Food, drink, fabric, fashion and friends. Sounds like a fabulous day to me! I love that black and white striped top/dress - very cool.

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  2. Oh how I wish I could have joined y'all!

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    1. Please let me know if you ever come visit!

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  3. I think you are casually elegant on any given occasion. You are casually elegant with a bit of funk added in for flavor!

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  4. First of all I want your boots! Of course they will never fit my wide foot but one can always dream.
    Considering how long it took me to get my tnt pants draft I am impressed with the time it took.
    All in all it sounds like a fantastic day was had by all.

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    1. Thanks, Nancy. The pants pattern was created over several days, and several fittings.

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  5. What fun! Sewing friends are just the best.

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    1. Yup, and I look forward to meeting you on your upcoming visit!

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  6. Sounds like fun. Too bad my visit was a couple of days later so I couldn't see all that casual elegance up close.

    I thought that Suzan is the "& daughter". Is Victoria the daughter of the daughter?

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    1. Oh! I may have gotten that wrong...

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    2. Jilly Be corrected me - it was Suzan. I've fixed the text.

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  7. This sounds like the greatest and most elegant meet-up I've ever heard of!! All of those Trippen shoes in such a small space (and I know you all have more in your closets at home along with your fabulous clothes). I am more than a little envious!

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    1. Jillian and I are Trippen amateurs. Margy is the Trippen goddess. :D

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  8. ah, fiddle. i've been to stone etc. multiple times in the last month but never ran into you all! bad timing ;)

    looks like you all had a really fabulous time! thanks for posting, it's fun to 'meetup' vicariously.

    and you all do look quite wonderful! steph

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    1. Are you local, tinyjunco? We should arrange a get together. :)

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  9. You all appear to be having a fabulous time! Wish I could have joined you. Do you need to have Trippen shoes to play?

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    1. Of course not, Martha! It's just fun to find excuses to wear them. :)

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  10. Looks like you all had a ball. It's times like this when the UK seems so far away from all the great exhibitions and fun

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    1. It *is* far away, though I have seen some fun British blogger meetups!

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  11. Ah yes, if I thought I had a ghost of a chance to be as elegant & gorgeous as Margy when I grow up.....but that's OK, I'll settle with being me ;-D. FABulous shot of her on the deYoung bench! I do agree with Rhonda though - I think your style is casually elegant - with funk!

    Great post - captures the day(s) perfectly! I'll remember this meetup with fondness & a smile!

    Oh, & it was Suzan who took our pic.

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    1. Thanks, Jilly. :D It was so great that you could join us! Also thanks for correcting me about Suzan - I've fixed the text.

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  12. What Jilly said...ditto! But did not any of you 3 see and comment on the 'button dress'? Made out of black chiffon and was on the 'runway' that went around and around. It was just outstanding. So now I have to bring casually elegant clothes for our next meet-up. Humph!

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    1. Whaaat now?! You and Jillian both embodied casual elegance on our recent get together. It's ME, not you.

      I do not remember the button dress on the rotating dais. I have to say, I achieved visual overload and started to shut down, somewhere near the room with the wall of videos. I want to go back another time or two to see it better.

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    2. ReAnn I did see that button dress, and it was outstanding. That runway thing wasn't moving when we were there, so you had to walk around it, & like shams, I was on overload at that point, so didn't spend a lot of time admiring anything by then.

      I'm thinking I may need to join the next Gaultier Gang as well....

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  13. Your fame is spreading. You are featured as a blogger of note in the latest issue of the Australian sewing magazine Stitches.

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    1. Thanks, Gail! I really hope to snag a copy!

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  14. You're always having some sort of fun or another. And, what fabulous friends you have! I do hope you'll try to visit the exhibit again with Beth et al.

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    1. Amy, I do hope to go again to Beth's organized visit, though I have a conflicting invitation for that weekend and have to make a difficult choice.

      I hate that.

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  15. What a fun group, each with your own fun style. Actually, the three of you are some of my favorite bloggers.

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    1. Thanks, Andrea! They are just as nice as they seem on their blogs.

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  16. What fun times you've had! I'm so happy for you, that you got to see so many sewing friends. And I think you're elegantly funky!
    Can't wait to see what you've been making.

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    1. Thanks, Dixie! You know that Jilly Be and I are awaiting your visit, don't you? :)

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  17. A blogger of note in Stitches magazine? Wow. Maybe I should get your autograph before you become so famous that you start charging for it.

    What a wonderful outing all of you had.

    (I hope JillyBe notices that I managed to not use one exclamation point, even though it certainly would have been fitting.)

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    1. lol, Gloria. You are funny!

      I am completely incapable of not using exclamation points. ;)

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    2. Hee hee....now that you mention it. I received a lot of food for thought on my !!! post, and I've now decided that ep's are perfectly appropriate for internet posting. In singles. Multiples....not so much.....

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    3. lol. I use eps and I am proud!

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  18. So Shams..Trippens don't come in narrow? If not, they will be too wide for my silly feet! Thanks, Gail D.

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    1. Not that I am aware of, Gail. I hope you have a chance to try on a pair or three. I find them comfy, but do not have narrow feet.

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  19. Looks like you all had such a great time.

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  20. Cool! I love the black & white striped gaultier! Your sewing meet-ups always look like so much fun! I am going to figure out a way to get myself to San Francisco in the near future!

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