NYC Garment District

I love almost everything about New York City, and the Garment District is no exception.  My favorite store has got to be Paron Fabrics. 

Their inventory is nowhere as overwhelming as Mood's, which is a good thing.  It's almost as if they only carry the good stuff, so you don't have to waste your time going through everything else.  I was looking specifically for white tweed or boucle', and I only found it at Paron.  I have found great fabrics in their half-price annex in the past.  The staff is always very helpful and generous.

Two doors down from Paron Fabrics is Daytona Braids and Trimming, where I found various trims to coordinate with my white boucle'.

My favorite store for notions is Steinlauf & Stoller (for some reason I don't have a picture of it).  It's a great source for hard-to-find quality items like wide horsehair braid and pre-cut steel boning (as short as 4").  They had the best price on large sheets of waxed tracing paper (only $6.50 each, compared to $12 at other places).  Tip:  bring a cardboard tube to roll it in to keep it from getting damaged during the rest of your shopping and trip home.

I had to get up early to get this shot w/o people hanging around this man.

Nor sure why there are 5 buttonholes

Thank you, Mood!

I was recently in New York City, for the first time since I started watching Project Runway (Season 6, to be specific).  I had a $100 gift certificate (for winning second place in the Pattern Review designer knock-off  contest).  Needless to say, it didn't go very far.

Even with the overwhelming stock, I didn't find what I was looking for: white tweed or boucle' to make a Chanel jacket.  I went ahead and got some silver and gold-tone chain and trims for said jacket.  I stocked up on invisible zippers (they were only $1 each) in the colors I mostly sew with, and some thread.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Kooan (from Project Runway Season 10) working there; I got some printed silk charmeuse just so I could snap this picture of him tearing into it. 

He was so helpful and knowledgeable, not as kooky as he appeared on TV or in these pictures. He said that Tim Gunn had been by earlier in the day.  Drats!

 I told Swatch to "Sit" and he did!

I really like the artwork on the elevator doors.