Thursday, March 6, 2008

Colorado trip

I meant to post last night but I got so carried away with cutting fabric for a pattern in the March Burda magazine and watching the Project Runway season finale! I really liked all three collections, but I was cheering for Jillian. Oh well.

Besides spending time with my parents, highlights of my trip to Colorado Springs included meeting a new seamstress friend and visiting an amazing fabric store!

Adriana and I started chatting over email because she was also making the coat from the Fall/Winter Burda Easy Fashion (mine has been on the back burner but slow progress is being made..!). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she currently lives in my hometown and since I was planning to visit my parents anyway, we arranged a meeting. Over coffee we chatted about online fabric stores and our favorite sewing blogs (Erica, Cidell, Tany, and Laura - your names were mentioned!). Then we headed out for some fabric shopping...

textile-O-phile is an independent fabric shop that is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Oh. My. Goodness. It was my first time visiting this shop and I was blown away that such an amazing fabric shop exists in quiet little Colorado Springs! The fabric selection is to-die-for. Such great quality stuff, I even saw some designer names (Moschino, Missoni). What made this shop really stand out to me:
  • Inspiration photos from fashion magazines are hanging near fabrics that have similar color or print
  • Lots of windows makes for great natural light
  • Class schedule includes beyond-the-basics stuff like fitting and copying RTW
  • Garments made from BWOF, Hot Patterns, and other indie pattern companies are displayed throughout the shop
One of the display garments that I especially admired was the Steffen Schraut Designer Exclusive dress (model 125) from the February 2008 issue of BWOF. While most of the dress was made in a grey silk, the center front piece was made in a gorgeous grey beaded silk. It was just stunning.

We had a great time talking to Sherrie who was working in the shop that day, and unfortunately I missed meeting the owner, Debora, in person, but we had a great chat over email. Next time!

Left to right: Adriana, her adorable daughter Emma, me, and Sherrie in textile-O-phile

Of course I couldn't walk out of there empty-handed. Reminding myself that I'm going to be in the LA Fashion District in just a couple weeks, I managed to limit myself to 2 cuts of fabrics.

My spoils: olive silk jersey, tone on tone (animal print?) white linen


Other scenes from my Colorado trip…


Snow!

Sampling the mineral waters in Manitou Springs


Touring Garden of the Gods with Mom and Dad


Fresh Spätzle...



Putting Mom to work! I'll update you on this sewing project soon. Note my mom's machine - it's a Pfaff that is just a year or two younger than me. And much more powerful than my new Pfaff...

15 comments:

Erica Bunker said...

Isn't it fabulous when you connect with other seamstresses? Looks like you had a wonderful time!

toy said...

its good that you had a memorable trip

Berry said...

Mmh I love spätzle ;o) Textile-o-phile what a lovely name for a fabric shop. No doubt you had a great time!

LauraLo said...

It seems like such a great trip! Seeing your parents, visiting great textile shops, meeting with sewing friends... yummy. Is that your husband in the snowy picture? Whoever he is, you two make a very handsome couple. And you're taller than I thought!
P. S. Yours is one of my favorite blogs too :)

cidell said...

I forgot to add, that I cannot fathom that much snow. Beyond my comprehension.

Linda said...

I love your Mom's machine. I wish I had bought that model. My Pfaff is 15 years old and still going kind of strong. I bought a new Pfaff last year and resold it after a month. I know what you are saying about them just not being the same. I wonder why.

Lashell said...

I glad you had a great trip. I wish you could have shown the model of 125 dress.

Anonymous said...

omg, we make spaetzle with our potato ricer, too! It's so much easier than using a colander, and our paprikash just wouldn't be the same without those little "sperms"! ;)

Leslie said...

Christina what great pictures! Thank you so much for sharing. Any trip is made better when there's fabric shopping and meeting new friends involved. :-)

narcissaqtpie said...

What fun!! Thanks for sharing.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

Wow! What a great time you had! Fabric, new friends, sewing, snow...sounds like a wonderful vacay!

rosanne said...

How lucky to have found a fun, independent fabric shop! They are so rare these days, it seems. And to have made a new sewing friendship!! What a great mini-vaycay! BTW, that linen is fantastic, what are your plans for it?

Nancy Winningham said...

Well, PR weekend is less than a week away. Aren't you getting excited? I know I am really looking forward to it.

Tany said...

What a memorable trip! All the best ingredients were there: meeting sewing friends, getting fun, buying fabric... :))) I'm glad you had such a wonderful time!

Anonymous said...

Hi Christina! Emma and I had really great time and are very thankful to yu and your Mom introducing us to the fabric store. BTW, yuor new purple top is adorable and the color is very becoming on you! Enjoy your time in LA!