This morning after meeting a friend at Pure Clothing here in HQX (I love the owner J. and think we are so lucky to have such a great shop; today I found a pair of hot-ass Silver jeans in my size as well as a pair of my tried-and-true Levi 501s – have I mentioned how much I love jeans yet hate stretch jeans, which are almost all you find if you’re over about a US size 10, and remind me sometime to tell you my friend Jasmine’s dire and graphic warnings on such stretchy-fare) I stopped at Jackson Street Books and chatted with the owner Tammy (who really. REALLY. knows her books). While talking my eye fell on about ten books I wanted for myself or as gifts. I finally settled on two for Phoenix: Bunnicula by James Howe and The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (the second book in the very popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series; she simply devoured the first one about half a year ago). I thought both were excellent Halloween choices. When I got home I surprised Phoenix with the books and she smiled bigger than you can imagine and put aside the “younger” (and shorter) Bunnicula to dive into the YA/General fare of Percy. I felt a bit sad as it seems her babyhood vanished far before I could treasure it; however I know she will pick up the story of the vampiric lupine (a favorite of mine as a kid) – at some point.
So I spent my grocery money on jeans and books but we made due with pantry provisions for dinner and I really think the purchases, especially the books for my girl, entirely worth it.
Today a friend asked me if I’d sew her up a dress (based on the striped hooded version recently modeled by Phoenix) to which I said Yes. I am ready and willing to take on full-grown ladies (and gentlemen), especially plus-size women as they are so underserved in the fashion industry. All of this has to be done within my own work schedule of course (I am currently two pair of monster booties behind) – which I’m trying desperately not to get backed up on as:
the gag order has been lifted and I am now able to publicly blog I am testing for an upcoming book project of Karen and Shelly’s (of Patterns by Figgys) as published by Wiley. While I’m not able to post pictures of the garments I’m testing (yet), I can say they are all fabulous and fun to sew and scratch my technical-writing nrrd-skills. I’m saving up pictures in Flickr (as private) and hoping to make them public some day. There are a lot of things I really love about these two ladies, their designs, and their ethos (including generous voluntary copyright clauses for cottage-industry or home sewists). It is pure joy to be able to help such an enterprise.
And:
I recently received a Thank You email (very specific and edifying and including details of my reader’s life – which I love!) and a Paypal donation by reader E.; the day after a handwritten letter arrived, penned from New Zealand blogger Elly – and full of NZ and AU currency and some history/geography to boot! As far as feedback and commentary from readers it’s been a great week. Well actually it seems to get better all the time, although to be clear IMs and DMs and tweets and email and snailmail has never been much more than a steady trickle (I am no Celebrity). For this I am grateful as I sometimes fear I let correspondance slip through the cracks. Frowny-face.
In other news, sketchy Flickrite Alejandro seems to like the ladies. And the little girls. Like my 8 year old daughter. (Just not anyone over 22 or so, or fat or “ugly” – ew!) But don’t worry, I’m sure the fellow’s legit. See how he has no profile information and has posted no photo except one of a Siamese cat.
Cute cat.
1:Pure Clothing and the new book nook are some cool additions to our little town.
2:I hope you post some pics made for fat chicks.
3:As far as the stretchy jeans, friends don’t let friends have “FP”.
stretch jeans are evil, at any size. They don’t stay up well, they push flesh around in uncomfortable ways, and they wear out really really fast, oh, and you pretty much have to wash them every time you wear them because they loosen up too much (yes, I admit that I don’t wear totally sterile clothes all the time).
It does allow them to fit tighter, but the benefits, if there are any, are over about two hours into wearing – that’s when they begin to slip off and have to be constantly hiked back up. I got out of the car at the grocery store (the most public public place in my town) and by the time I was standing the pants were around my knees.
Last time I went shopping (which kind of cracks me up, since “shopping” is rare for me in the true new clothes shopping kind of way)I searched for hours and EVERY type of women’s jeans in EVERY store was stretch denim. So I switched to men’s, but that usually means there is a baggy bit in the front where my penis isn’t, and that the legs are too long. And the unfilled pouch in the front somehow makes the saggy ass potential go up, which for me is pretty high, since I have the typical mom-flat-ass thing going on (I don’t know why having a baby often removes butt muscles, but I have seen it happen a ton).
@shelley
That was a good treatise. If I find good lady jeans without stretch I’ll let you know. The Silvers have only 1% spandex. Which is 1% too much for my taste but A. it’s an acceptable compromise and B. we have them used here and I like everything (else) about them.
Men’s 501 jeans work for me pretty well so that’s fortunate at least (I think women’s Levi’s might too but they aren’t easily available at my price point whereas the mens are). This is making me think of the “flattering” conversation. Oh and the fact I want to stand up for my right to be lost in the 90s and still wear the 501s and my doc martens.
@jasmine
I am only WAY too excited about the clothing shop and the book shop. I brought my friend to both last week and toot my horn about it whenever it makes sense to do so!
Looks like Alejandro’s profile got taken down.
I have to jump in and say that those of us with meaty thighs and smallish waists have a hard time without the stretch. Non-stretchies are skin tight on my thighs and flatten my butt. They also gape open like a denim hoola hoop on my waist. Those of you who carry weight on top wouldn’t have the same issues.
One pair of non-stretchy plus-sized tall jeans that I love came from the Lane Bryant outlet in Centralia (sorry I don’t have more details). They were fairly expensive, but look pretty darn good. I agree that men’s jeans are the best bet for non-stretch since they aren’t as low-risey. I like the mysterious pouch in the front look myself.
@christina
I reported the account, maybe that’s why? Who knows.
@Amore
“meaty”
Yes, the stretch clearly suits a lot of people as I can see them being worn with what looks like comfort and panache!
Thanks for the tip on the Lane Bryant jeans. I was on their site recently looking for non-stretch but I gave up (maybe too quickly). Have you tried Silvers? I think they might easily be long enuf.
I like the pouch in front too! No one knows what’s in there. Well a few people who read this blog do.