Avoiding a wedding faux pas

My lovely niece Shelley is getting married this June.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it will be in the gardens at the beautiful Clay Hill Farm in York (or is it Oqunquit?) Maine.  It's been my plan to make a sport coat for the event.  I found an interesting 1980's pattern on Etsy that caught my eye and was in my size.  I love when that happens.  There are no overly complicated pockets, and I'm drawn to its narrower lapels. 

 I was in NYC after Christmas and hit the garment district on a mission.  It was a weekday so Steinlauf & Stoller was open.  This store is invaluable for anyone wanting to sew menswear.  The salesman was extremely helpful.  He patiently explained the differences  between wool canvas, hair canvas and french canvas.  He also set me up with some pocketing material, shoulder pads and sleeve heads.  So with a bag full of coat "guts" I went on the search for my jacket fabric.  

I crisscrossed from W 35th to W 40th finding absolutely NOTHING that said "early summer wedding".  My preconceived dream fabric was a silk/wool tweed in a chamois yellow.  No such luck, nothing even close. As the afternoon waned and darkness fell I ended up at A & K Fabrics on W39th about 3 minutes before closing time.  In the very back of the store I found a bolt of aqua linen/poly blend.   Sold.  

I was feeling victorious for about 2 weeks.  Then I found out that the colors of my niece's wedding are aqua and chartreuse.  As you can see in the photo my coat fabric coordinates very nicely with the invitations.  Hmmm is it appropriate for the gay uncle to show up matching the tablecloths and bridesmaid's dresses?  I think that's a big wedding NO.  So back to NYC I go.  

I met up with Peter (always the gracious host) and my Jersey boy/bear Joey.  I made a beeline to Gray Line Linen, which in retrospect is where I should have gone from the beginning.  This store has everything linen, from fabric to make your own dishtowels to upholstery fabric.  I quickly decided on a terra cotta linen in their Warsa range.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  It's currently at the dry cleaners being pre-shrunk and pressed.  A new sewing adventure begins.  And a huge wedding faux pas narrowly avoided!  

Hair canvas... and a little rant about JoAnn Fabrics

The Bishop Method goes into great length about the glories of hair canvas.  Hair what????   This was a new one for me, and a quick Google search proved that it does, in fact, exist.  Sorry, but I didn't even consider looking for the stuff at my local JoAnn Fabrics, the only fabric store for miles around, and one that I hate with a passion.  I shop there as little as possible.  My last visit to JoAnn's was for 4 yds of unbleached muslin.  The salesperson actually had to measure it out twice, all the while smoothing and stretching it out so that I wouldn't get even  1/4" more than exactly 4 yards.  Mind you, this purchase was an extravagant $1.49 / Yd!  WTF  Obviously some corporate MBA has done an analysis of how much profit is lost by giving the customer a few extra inches.  I'd love to hear from other JoAnn Fabric haters.  I know you're out there. 

I was at the house in Asbury Park last week and decided to stop in Manhattan on my way back to Maine.  I found my hair canvas at Steinlauf and Stoller, Inc on W. 39th St.  I knew just standing outside the building that they'd have it.  Their specialty is notions, interfacings, zippers, shoulder pads and such.  It's such a drab, gray storefront surrounded by stores with windows full of the most colorful outrageous fabrics.  Only a place as dreary as this would have hair canvas.  Jackpot! I think they had four different types of varying weight and stiffness.  A hair canvas bonanza!  I can't wait to use it.  My next step is to pre-shrink the wool fabric, but I'll need a dry sunny day for that.