In the Mood for NYC

Dear Shayne,

Last week, I went on a whirlwind trip to New York. Seriously. My friend and I left on the red-eye Wednesday night and came home on Friday evening. We were on the ground for 36 hours!

The purpose of our trip was to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met. If you haven't heard or read about this show at all, click this link, watch the video, and look at the images. Go ahead. I'll wait.


It was... amazing. There is no other word to describe it. Absolutely amazing. That video is great, but nothing compares to seeing the work in person. Just... did I say "amazing" already? Oh, yeah. I did. Cause it was.

After the exhibit, we did a bit of Crafty Shopping in New York. One place I had to hit was Purl Soho. I read the blog and I've heard nothing but good things about it. It did not disappoint. My only regret is that I was so exhausted when we got there that I could barely focus on everything in the store. Check out this awesome display of knitted swatches:


I've been eyeing the Lap Duvet project on their blog and it was great to see it in person -- I totally need to make that!

I bought one thing while I was there -- a stack of wool fabrics, dyed as a single lot. It was called "Tomato," so how could I resist? I think these will become a quilt:


(Photo taken from the Purl Soho site. Theirs were waaay better than mine!)

We also went to M&J Trimmings and I did not snap a photo, but WOW, Shayne. The selection is astounding, the displays are fantastic, and the shop itself is So. Well. Kept! The whole time we were there, the folks working were straightening things and keeping everything in order. If you've ever been to a fabric store and seen the trims and ribbons all over the place, you know how great this is.

And the stuff! The stuff they had there! Nailheads, ribbon, sequins, rhinestones, lace, silk flowers, hardware and more... it was impressive. I was actually too overwhelmed to buy anything, but I'll be keeping this place in mind for upcoming projects. It was just... wow.

And on Friday, we hit Mood. Do you watch Project Runway? I've seen this shop tons of times on the show, but never realized how HUGE it is. And, again, the selection was just tremendous. This is a typical shot you see on the show:


In reality, multiply that same shot by 100 and you have the entire three floors of Mood. And it's all good stuff! Look -- here is a selection of just striped jersey fabrics:


Just striped jersey! This isn't even the tip of the iceburg! Lace, brocade, upholstery, a whole room for leather! Here is a shot of some gorgeous upholstery fabrics:


I bought one thing here -- a gorgeous piece of fabric that I am supposed to make into a skirt, but I'm not sure if I can ever cut into. For one, I cannot decide which side I like better:


It's taffeta with a lace overlay and embroidery. I love it so. Maybe I'll just hang it on a wall and be done with it.

The best part of Mood? The people who worked there -- everyone was so nice! We feared a snooty sales staff, but were so pleasantly surprised by how friendly everyone was.

The only thing that was less-than-perfect about the trip was the weather. Gah. The HEAT! But the air-conditioning worked everywhere we went, so it was like there were Crafty Oases throughout the City. Whew!

I want to go back to NYC again soon when I have more time to spend.
Also, when it's cooler. ;)

love,
kelly