Monday, June 14, 2010

Vacation Shots and Shopping

Don't you hate it when a perfectly good sewing day is lost due to lack to mojo? And then on top of that, I'm having a bit of writer's block. Trust me, I was going to write the most interesting and profound post ever for today. I swear! Okay, maybe it wasn't going to be brilliant, but it was going to be something. But instead I spent half an hour staring at the computer screen . . . before remembering that I still have some vacation shots to show you. Hurrah! Won't you indulge me?

So the picture above is me at the Culinary Institute, which we visited on our first day of vacation. It's so cool; I couldn't help thinking it was like Hogwarts but for cooking. All the students were milling about in chef's uniforms and whipping up amazing-looking dishes in the classrooms. I wore my Lemon Tree dress (blogged here), which is quickly becoming my "compliment dress." People always comment on it! It's a good confidence booster, especially since I don't think of it as my most flattering dress and I tend to have second thoughts about wearing it sometimes.

Anyway. Here's a shot of Jeff taken before lunch. Cute, huh?


Later that day we stopped in Gardiner, New York for a little shopping at the HiHo Market. Such a cool place! I found this pretty vintage choker for $15.


We checked into Maplestone Inn, and I was ecstatic when I saw the tub.


A claw foot from 1928. Several happy hours were spent in it. My bathtub reading was Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro, which started out promising, but ended up being a bit of a dud in my opinion. But I know a lot of people liked it, so I left it in the room. Hopefully it will be more to the next bath-taker's taste than mine!

The next day we went for a hike (wearing the infamous red gingham get-up) then did a bit of antiquing in New Paltz. I found two sewing treasures! This fantastic "Atomic" needle book, still filled with the original needles:


And a sewing book that has a quote by Proust in the front matter - I couldn't resist!

"I never doubted that the garments of these ladies of fashion were peculiar to themselves, as plumage is peculiar to a bird, and which as well as being a heightening of its beauty, is an extension of its body." - Marcel Proust, The Guermantes Way
The next day there was a tremendous off-and-on storm that made us decide to do a little more boutiquing and such rather than risk being caught out in the state park. We took a drive up to Rhinebeck, where I stopped in a fantastic little lingerie store called Joovay. My spoils:


This is a lovely teddy by Mary Green.

And some retro undies by the same designer. (Are we at the point where I can show you my delicates? I think so.)

I want to duplicate both of these pieces, especially since they are both showing some seam slippage already - that's what happens when a delicate fabric tears away from the seam at a stress point. I've recently read that this can be avoided by stabilizing your seams with a stay tape. It's a shame, because both of these pieces are so well constructed otherwise - French seams and everything!

And that's it! Hopefully we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

18 comments:

  1. I love the bath!! I don't blame you for spending hours in there... I miss baths, but it's something akin to a sin to take a bath here due to the never-ending drought!

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  2. You have been blogging for us all for a long time...it's hard to blog everyday. I am on day 14 in a row on my blog and it is not easy. Keep yourself a break and inspiration will soon follow.

    My daughter used to live in New Paltz. It's a great area and only about an hour from where I live. I need to take a trip there myself. Love the B&B and bath. (I take one every single day of my life).

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  3. Keep yourself a break? Should have read "give yourself a break". :)

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  4. I can see why the Lemon Tree dress is a compliment dress--you look stunning! :)

    Sounds like you had fun--especially in the antiquing/boutiquing department! :)

    Funny you should mention loosing a day to lack of sewing intiative... The entire time my sister was visiting, I kept chafing at the bit to get back to sewing (although I did spend a couple days doing just that, but tried to keep it to a minimum! ;), and after she flew back home, I basically didn't even so much as look at my machine. *sigh* :p

    ♥ Casey
    blog | elegantmusings.com

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  5. What a lovely vacation you had - it seems as if you had a great time - lucky girl. Great bath and yes I agree about the book; I read it some years ago and it was a dud - great idea though and I wouldn't mind getting hold of the book it's based on - can't remember the name now.

    I love vintage inspired undergarments. It just makes one feel so classy!

    Blogging can be difficult some times. I have to confess I've just taken a THREE WEEK break from mine. Oh the shame! :)

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  6. Looks like you had a wonderful holiday! Let it continue and enjoy your home and hubby a while. You spoil us readers with your sewing style and writing. (OH I thought of you this saturday, found the fall fashion/paris issue of 1952 Vogue in a thrift shop) I bought it of course and put pics up on my blog. have a great day!!

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  7. Looks like you had a marvelous time!

    I like what I can see of the Lemon Tree dress... Full length picture, please!

    re: the Tub: One of the absolute requirements for my next house is a clawfoot tub OR a bathroom big enough to put a clawfoot tub into. The bathrooms in my current house are way too tiny. I've been without a decent tub for 10 years now! A good tub is also a requirement for any room I stay in at a B&B, too.

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  8. Lovely pics -- and what great finds! I wouldn't be able to resist a sewing book with a Proust quote, either.

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  9. I enjoyed seeing your pictures. I love the vintage necklace.

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  10. Pretty necklace, I'm jealous! Are you going to use the vintage sewing needles?

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  11. Love the Lemon dress, no wonder it's the Compliment dress too! Your lacy underthings look so glamorous and feminine, great purchases. Seems like the kind of thing you'll pull out of the drawer later and remember all the lovely vacation memories. Glad you enjoyed your mini-break!

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  12. Gertie, The Lemon dress is my favorite thing you have made so far. The material is to die for and I love the underarm gussets. I wonder if they make the garment more comfortable. I also have learned so much from your tutorials. Maybe you could have a few of those "banked" for those times when you need a break:)

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  13. Thank you, dear readers, you are all so sweet to me!

    Josephine, how I wish I could have a few tutorials banked! They take the longest to put together of anything I do here though. If I manage to pull one together, it goes up right away! Glad you enjoy them, though, I'll be thinking of how to fit some more in.

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  14. What a fabulous quote! Bless you Proust...

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  15. What a wonderful-sounding (and -looking!) trip.

    I am tub-free these days but a good soak in a long tub with interesting reading material = heaven.

    BTW, you and those shorts killed me! Awesome fit...I need pants that look half as good.

    Jeff's shot reminded me of a photo of my grandmother at about your age...the one that "saddled" her with the nickname Grable.

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  16. Hi Gertie, I know you've gotten lots of encouragement, but I have to say, don't second guess your Lemon Tree dress! It's creative, great colors on you too. A looong time ago, I made a halter neck sundress dress, out of a black cotton printed with strawberries on the vine. At the time, I felt the same way about the dress, but now (other than the fact that I couldn't fit one leg in it) I wish I still had it, it was fun and different. I think sewing makes us want be different, because we can. Enjoy!

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  17. I love that Atomic needle booklet. Cool design! I loved seeing your vacation pictures, it looks like you two had so much fun. xo April

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  18. I stumbled upon your blog looking for sewing related things.....saw the pic with the water behind it and instantly knew where you were (from that area). Then went back to read teh other post about your vacation. I must let you know if you go back that way again and happen to go to Woodstock there is an awesome retro thrift shop there, I think it would fit you perfect!

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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