MPB Valentine's Day Wishes!

Friends, a brief message of Valentine's Day good wishes, from all of us here at MPB as well of as some of our very special guests and sponsors.

The romantic Quality Inn, 1220 West Main Street, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania! 



Steve and Eydie -- still on tour!



 The cast of Dynasty!



...and from his perch on West 34th Street, Mr. David Beckham!



May your day be full of love and red stuff!















Much love, friends!

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Farewell, Pfaff 30, etc.

Friends, if you've been reading MPB for more than a year, you probably know that my vintage Pfaff 30, which I found at the end of 2010 on Craigslist and bought from a Broadway actress (whose mother had purchased it new) was one of my most treasured sewing machine finds.

It hadn't been sewn with for decades and the motor burned off many layers of smoky dust at first.  But once I had this machine cranking, it was a fabulous workhorse and I thought we'd be together forever.  But life doesn't always turn out the way we expect.

How could I have predicted that between then and now I would acquire two Singer Featherweights, a Kenmore 158.141 in a table, a Kenmore 158.1040 (the 3/4 portable with the rose-embossed case), and a Singer 201 gifted from Rain?  Suddenly, my Pfaff, which I'd sewn on constantly throughout the early part of 2010, felt redundant and, once I found my Featherweight table at Christmastime last year, it took up precious space I no longer had.

I decided to sell it, but due to my ambivalence, I didn't do much to make that happen.  As it does so often, however, fate intervened.  Two MPB readers, Kimberly and Amanda, came to see me in Noah's Very Unusual Insight last Friday, and while I was chatting with them after the show, I offhandedly mentioned that if either one of them was interested in a vintage Pfaff straight stitcher, they should let me know (ha ha).  Lo and behold, the following day I received an email from Kimberly saying that she was interested in the machine!

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let it do the talking.  Below are Amanda (left) and Kimberly (right) last night.



Here's Amanda carrying the table (without the machine in it, of course) out of my apartment and out of my life (sob).



I'm still in shock, but Kimberly assures me that I can come visit my-I mean her Pfaff in the East Village whenever I want (That IS what you said, isn't it, Kimberly?).  That made me feel a little better.  I gave Kimberly a detailed tutorial on how the machine works -- how to oil it, thread it, wind the bobbin, etc.  I wasn't sure if I was being overly parental but, hey, I could be Kimberly's father (alas).  I feel responsible.

Thankfully, this painful goodbye has been somewhat offset by a few exciting hellos.

My O'Mast video arrived yesterday!  This is the documentary about Neopolitan tailoring by Gianluca Migliarotti I mentioned over the weekend, which has also been featured on the blog Made by Hand -- The Great Sartorial Debate.  Should we have a home screening/pot luck sometime this Spring perhaps?  Look at the cute packaging!







I also just received Lynda Maynard's book, The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques.  I'll talk more about this one in the future, but here's a peek.









On Sunday, I promised you a pic of Michael's sister Sara's Prada pumps, picked up at a NYC consignment store at a great -- albeit still high in my book, but what do I know? -- price on her visit here last weekend.  I must say they're lovely and (Sara assures me) practical!



Big news!  We now have RCN cable Internet service instead of crummy Verizon DSL.  Uploads are practically instantaneous.  I called for installation on Monday and Monday evening we were already using it -- how often does that happen in life?  Normally I hate dealing with phone/Internet/cable companies, but it felt SO good to cancel my Verizon service, I can't tell you.

Friends, that's it.  A few questions:

1) Have you ever sold a vintage sewing machine and later regretted it?

2) Have you ever bought/sold shoes on consignment? 

3) Can anyone recommend a good HD video camera (or a still camera that has HD video capability) for less than $500?  (Ideally much less)  Now that I have cable Internet I'd like to produce some higher quality video but my Canon S90 doesn't do HD.

4) Anybody up for a spring potluck/screening (maybe we can throw in another video and make it a double feature.  The Singing Nun perhaps?)

Have a great day, everybody!

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And Show It Goes...

Friends, our cabaret show, Noah's Very Unusual Insight, is finally over!  It was fun to do but also a lot of work, and I am WAY glad to be able to move on to other things.  I feel like the new year hasn't really gotten underway yet!

We had great audiences both nights, and as you can see, we really perfected our synchronized hand choreography! 



Last night there was a real live critic in the audience (the professional kind).  Hopefully he'll be forgiving.

In non-showbiz-related news, today I'm having brunch with my friend Johanna and Rachel, and believe me, I'm going to get on Rachel's case about neglecting her blogging duties.  Evidently we'll be stopping at Paron's and I guess we'll see if there's anything left to buy there before they make the big move to 39th Street.  (It sounds like other bloggers got the good stuff.)  I haven't been fabric shopping all year, so maybe I'll indulge, though you know me,  I like to shop solo (and preferably in a putty nose and buck teeth disguise).

What else?  Our DSL service has deteriorated so badly of late that we've decided to spring for cable Internet, and -- get this -- it's actually going to be cheaper.  When I told someone recently that we still have DSL, they actually laughed at me.  It was humiliating.

That's all, folks.  I'm exhausted, and we've been hosting Michael's sister who flew in for a visit from L.A.  Sara is a high-end consignment store fanatic and went on a major spree yesterday.  Here she is in her new Galliano vest, stretch jeans, and Rag & Bone shoes.  I would show you her new Prada pumps but with my DSL in its current state it would take another hour to upload the photo.  Maybe tomorrow.



Happy Sunday, everybody!

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Pattern Stash Confessions, Part 2 + Pass the Pie!

Readers, I was stunned -- stunned -- to discover how many MPB readers are simply nuts about pie!

And speaking of pie, many of you are probably wondering what kind of pie I like.  I'll be brief(ish):  While I enjoy a savory shepherd's pie from time to time (I am fortunate to live near the extraordinary Myers of Keswick grocery store, which offers a vast selection of fresh, savory English pies daily), pie to me remains primarily a sweet dessert.

A homemade pie made with fresh ingredients is almost always a pleasure to eat.  I loathe artificial sugar substitutes and prefer my pie served alone rather than laden with whipped cream, swimming in melted ice cream or dripping with molten cheddar cheese.  A lemon meringue pie, not too sweet, is a marvelous thing, especially if the meringue is mile high and slightly toasted on top.

I love cherry pie, especially with sour cherries, but I find this kind of pie is often made with inferior canned cherries and has a soggy crust.  Whole Foods makes a decent cherry pie, not to-die-for but not bad for store bought.  Nothing beats a delicious slice of fresh apple pie, but I've found that apple pies often have thick, leaden crusts, and the apple filling is not sufficiently baked (I don't want applesauce, but I like my apple pie juicy), or there is too much cinnamon.  Less is more.  Same goes with sugar -- not too sweet, please.  While I do like pecan pie, it's usually too sweet, or too full of Karo syrup and not enough pecans.

Finally, in autumn, nothing is more delicious to me than pumpkin or squash pie.  I prefer mine light, not too sweet, and slightly chilled.

My goodness, what a pie snob I've become!  Come to think of it, I prefer cake.  Let's move on.  You have till midnight EST tonight to throw your hat in the ring for the Vintage Vogue pattern I'm giving away, and you don't have to mention pie at all.   

Today, I finally documented my men's pattern stash!  Readers, I own roughly one hundred men's patterns (every time I count I come up with a slightly different number).  Scary.





Here's a bit of pattern shopping advice: never buy a "lot" on eBay.  You will always end up with many more patterns than you want and/or need.  (There's a reason why they call it a lot.  Maybe they should call it too much.)  I made this mistake just once and ended up with a boxful of roughly thirty patterns, half of which were the wrong size and should be given away -- but to whom?





Men's patterns are, of course, much less varied than women's patterns and frankly, less fun.  I've used a pretty wide variety considering how similar my finished projects ended up looking.  I don't think anyone needs more than one pajama pattern, for example, provided it includes a nightshirt.  There are slight differences in men's patterns: princess seams on a shirt, unusual pocket placement, epaulets, bell bottoms instead of straight leg, Western style shirt yokes, etc., but it's still mostly pants and shirts.





I've created a Picasa file of my men's patterns as I did for my women's patterns, and have included shots of my completed projects immediately after the pattern used.  In some cases, you'll see more than one project if I used a particular pattern multiple times.  I won't say this is everything I've sewn for me and Michael, but almost.  It's a biggish file so you might want to save it for after dinner, perhaps accompanied by pie!

As always, you can view these pics full size by clicking on any one, which will take you directly to Picasa, where you can scroll through at your own pace or watch it as a slide show.



I love having an archive I can access easily, and I'll be adding to it as I continue to sew. 

I'll bet many of you have at least a few of these patterns, am I right?  As you can see, I have all the Seventies patterns anyone could possibly want, in a wide variety of sizes just in case I puff up in the next few decades.  I think as far as men's patterns are concerned, I am done. 

Question: Why would anyone bother to sew a man's tie?  Good gracious, the thrift stores can hardly give them away.  Am I missing something?

Have a great day everybody!

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National Pie Day, our SECOND anniversary + Vogue Pattern GIVEAWAY!

Friends, it gives me great pleasure to announce that today, January 23rd, is National Pie Day -- but that's not all!

Today is also our second anniversary here at MPB.  That's right, folks, on this day just two years ago, Male Pattern Boldness was born.  Today we're walking, talking, and nearly toilet trained!



Just like last year, the cables, cards, and flowers have been arriving nonstop from so many celebrities and friends around the world, including --

Mae West



Miss Barbara Stanwyck



Dr. Lorna Gallo (soon to be seen in the uproarious Noah's Very Unusual Insight)



The surviving cast members of Petticoat Junction



And so many more.

As has become a tradition here at MPB, I have a very special pattern giveaway for you on this very special day.  It's the beautiful Vintage Vogue repro 1948 pattern, V2787, in a (contemporary) size 12-14-16 (34", 36", 38" bust).  The pattern is complete and uncut.

Isn't it dreamy?



Can you name these two lovely bloggettes in their own versions?





MPB readers the world over are eligible for this giveaway, and all you have to do is leave a comment below.  Please share your favorite kind of pie, most inspiring MPB moment of last year, or just let off steam. (If you want to say hi but don't want the pattern, just let me know.)

As always, our staff are here for you, and qualified clinical social workers are standing by.*

You have until Tuesday (tomorrow) midnight EST to enter, and I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.

I wish all of you a very Happy Second Anniversary -- please have a slice of pie on me.

Have a great day, everybody!



*MPB is not liable for any illness, injury, disability or death attributable to your existing physical condition or any deterioration in the same, nor responsible for any loss, claim, damage, or any direct, incidental or consequential damages of any kind which arises out of or is in any way connected with your use of this website.

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Life is a Cabaret!

NOTE TO SELF: Buy new lashes.

Friends, it's finally here:

 

On Friday, January 27 @ 7 pm and Saturday, January 28 @ 9:30 pm, Michael and I will be performing our cabaret show, Noah's Very Unusual Insight, for a return engagement!

Below is a short preview of this tuneful (and topical) show, and there's so much more, including two brand new musical numbers: a Jerry Herman ballad sung by yours truly and a rousing duet familiar to fans of Gypsy and/or the Family Frolic Night episode of The Brady Bunch. 

You'll laugh, you'll cry -- it is SO much better than Cats.

Tickets are $15/$10 for seniors + a 2-drink minimum. (The Duplex is at 61 Christopher Street & Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.   Click here to make reservations (you don't have to pay until the night of the show).

Hope you can make it,  and be sure to stay after and say hello to me if you do!

Have a great day, everybody!

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More on Color Forecasting, etc.

Friends, I know you're eager to continue yesterday's discussion about Tangerine Tango, not to be confused with Clementine Clog Step,  Satsuma Slide, or Kumquat Gavotte.

Amateur sleuth that I am, I decided to do some online research to see just how deeply Tangerine Tango has penetrated the American consumer market.  Answer: not very.  First, I made a beeline for the Lord & Taylor dress department, well, actually the LordandTaylor.com dress department, where I looked at tiny photos of hundreds of women's dresses.  I found virtually nothing in anything even close to Tangerine Tango.  In fact, judging by Lord & Taylor, the big colors are purple, emerald, and other jewel tones -- no citrus fruit at all.

Even when you search specifically under orange, the closest I found was a cute little one-shoulder polyester dress in Papaya.

Here's what I think: a Lord & Taylor buyer with a head on her shoulders realized that if she jumped on the Tangerine Tango bandwagon, there'd be a lot of rotting fruit on the racks come Spring.  Surely store buyers must recognize that orange is a difficult color for most -- most -- people and much more suitable for the cheap accessory than the big purchase.

Other than Clio, who looks good in orange?  I want names, people, names.

I also did a search under orange appliance in the Home & Kitchen section of Amazon.  There wasn't much.  You can get a tangerine (though not Tangerine Tango) classic Kitchenaid mixer for a few hundred dollars (see top pic), but they offer a wide array of colors, not just orange.

I looked over at the Bed, Bath & Beyond website and it's slim pickings in orange -- a plastic pitcher here, a Bodum coffee maker there.  Usually the orange you do see is that late-Nineties iMac orange (remember those candy-colored computers of yore?).  Most definitely not Tangerine Tango.



Moving right along, I realized that I actually do know someone in the field of fashion/color forecasting, a man I met a book launch event last fall who happens also to be a well-known paper doll enthusiast and illustrator.  I am going to reach out to him and find out more about color forecasting.  I may wait till the dust dies down on yesterday's post in which I basically trash the forecasting field, however.

In other news...

You may have noticed that a few things have changed in the Comments section of this blog in the last few days.  You now have the option to respond directly to a specific comment.  I invite you to use this feature, though please treat each other with kindness -- not all of us are writing in our native language.  Avete capito? 

I must return to sewing before I forget how.  This Twenties dress, straight out of a Clara Bow movie, is high on my list.



Finally, now that we're into 2012, I have made my first sewing-related purchase!

It is the Couture Techniques Workshop Basics with Claire Shaeffer DVD.  Are you familiar with it?  As much as I like to read about sewing -- and I still intend to review the revised edition of Claire Shaeffer's book Couture Sewing Techniques -- I really love to have things shown to me.  (It was the Margaret Islander Shirtmaking DVD, a bootleg copy of which I was given by someone whose anonymity I will respect as the original costs a fortune, that taught me how to sew my first successful men's shirt, and I've watched that DVD, easily, fifty times or more.  I love her.)

Do you like sewing videos?

Friends, that's it.  Those with time on your hands, where can we find Tangerine Tango today?  Bloomingdales?  Macy's?  Kmart?  Please do some research and report back.

Have a great day, everybody!

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Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever?

Friends, I am back from a very intense, thankfully short, bout with something I'm guessing was Influenza.  It came on rapidly Saturday evening and within 3-4 hours I could hardly lift my head off the pillow.  I'm a big believer in letting fever do its thing (unless you have other medical problems or are a small child or elder) and now, roughly 36 hours later, I'm 85% of the way back.  Was this a cold, a flu, something else entirely?  Who knows.  Suffice it to say I'm glad to be vertical once again and not shivering under three blankets, a ski cap, and a heavy fleece.

How did I entertain myself during this brief illness?  Fortunately, I had a few DVDs from the library I could watch on my laptop while lying down.

Readers, has there ever been a truly entertaining film about West Point?  Perhaps, but I'm afraid 1934's Flirtation Walk, starring Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, ain't it.



You may think, given the leads, that this is one of those big Busby Berkeley spectaculars, but you'd be wrong.  There's a lot of precision marching, sure, but it's all West Point cadets.  I am almost certain none of you have seen Flirtation Walk -- which unbelievably was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture  -- and if you never get a chance, don't worry about it.  That said, I think Dick Powell had an amazingly charismatic screen presence.

Have you ever heard of The Bell Telephone Hour?  These were musical shows made primarily in the Sixties featuring musical theater stars of the day, and this is a fantastic series if you find it at your local library.  Yesterday I watched one featuring two beloved TV moms, Shirley Jones and Florence Henderson.  

You may not know that Florence Henderson was a Broadway ingenue in the Fifties and Sixties and starred in the first national tour of The Sound of Music long before The Brady Bunch.  She's delightful on this DVD, and if you have roughly four hours to spare, listen to her multi-part interview for The Archive of American Television that starts here. 

This woman has had a sixty-year career (so far) and has never stopped working.  Poor Shirley fares much less well on her portion of the video, I'm afraid, sounding somewhat off key and ragged throughout -- these were recorded live so maybe she had what I have now -- but looking beautiful in a series of Grecian chiffon gowns.

The Daily Ditches continue!  I sold this Joe Colombo plastic cart (I had three) on Craiglist on Thursday, so even though I haven't sold any sewing machines, I now have space for all of them, sort of.



And now a very specific question one of you Blogspot bloggers might be able to answer.  Since I started MPB, whenever I imported an image into the blog through the "insert image" icon, the image would automatically end up in a Male Pattern Boldness file in Picasa.  Since last week, unfortunately, this no longer happens.  Each imported image ends up in its own Picasa file, which is extremely inconvenient.  Any idea how I can fix this, or if it's something that's changed in Picasa and/or Blogspot?

As you can see, the colder weather means the dogs are exercising on their treadmill again, which they can do for 45 minutes at a time.  They seem to like it; I mean, if they didn't they could always jump off.  In the background you can see that my Featherweight table sits in the far corner; I've placed a big teak tray over the hole -- there's something about the look of a gap in the middle of a table I don't love.



Readers, that's it!  I am drinking lots of tea and eating lots of citrus, and just taking it easy.  Sewing will have to wait but it's certainly on my radar.  I hope everybody's well -- fortunately flu viruses can't be transmitted over the Internet.

Have a great -- and healthy -- day, everybody!

Sing out, Florence...

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