A Stitch in Time
Creation begins with inspiration, with a kernel of an idea, but in order to execute your concept, you need a plan, a blueprint. The same holds true in the world fashion. Even when couturiers claim they work freeform, and simply drape fabric as they’re inspired, (as did Christian Dior) in order for a seamstress to replicate that creation, she’ll need a roadmap. The fresh, crisp image below depicts the trade of the tailor and represents the roadmap. Whenever we examine the underlying structure of a garment, we view with the eye of an architect – studying the master patterns, the foundation...
Read MoreValentine Oh Please
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” Dr. Seuss Since handkerchiefs have long been a vehicle for flirting, it’s no surprise to find dozens of hankies adorned with images of amour. From richly embroidered roses to images of turtledoves and throbbing hearts, a hankie is the quintessential fashion accessory when it comes to romance. The variety of images is as vast as the legion of lovers of Catherine the Great. Today our tuning forks are trained on a single note – the reluctant ingénue – as we follow...
Read MoreTea
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Henry James The Portrait of a Lady Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Sleet and snow, blizzards and cloudbursts envelope and surround us. Yet the flip side to winter’s frosty coin always lands happily heads up when we can take a moment for a cup of tea. It’s the perfect prelude for a snuggle or siesta, a game of backgammon or chess, or burrowing with a best seller by a blazing fire. Perhaps most comforting of all, it’s an elixir for every hour – from purple pre-dawns,...
Read MoreHandkerchief Heroes
Are people so consumed with collecting that they’ll drag blistered feet through antique stalls or hunker over a hot keyboard for hours to scroll through web auctions for watch fobs, pickle dishes, or campaign buttons to find the pièce de résistance to complete their collection? Indeed they will. You’ll know them by the pallor of their skin, and the tiny computer monitors reflected in their pupils. I used to scoff at those silly fools…until I became one. A zombie from The Walking Dead is tame compared to a gimlet-eyed ebay master trolling cyberspace 3:00 a.m. Like most collectors my...
Read MoreSummer Cherries
Summer’s here – time for swimming, napping in the hammock, catching lightening bugs in a jar, and yum! fresh, warm cherry pie. If you subscribe to the legend of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree as a boy, then this hankie is about as all-American as you can get. It practically says church picnic and patriotism all rolled into one. The beautiful embroidery combined with the formal white border render it elegant and timeless – equally appropriate for the wife of a President or the girl next door. . The kelly green border on this stunner makes those red cherries zing! It’s...
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