sarah in nyc

This morning as I went to the subway the streets were filled with firemen dressed in their dress uniforms. Every year in the fall the fire department holds a memorial service  at the Fireman’s Memorial on Riverside Drive and 100th street. ( This image comes from NYC Parks ) Some years the local pubs and restaurants are filled with very sad ( and drunk firemen). I’m guessing that this was not the hardest of years in terms of loss. Some years you see the firemen walking away from the memorial with their faces full of pain. This year, not so much. As I walked to the subway I was joined by  groups of firemen making their way back home.  Firemen are big guys.  There were probably thirty of them on my subway car. I realized while looking at them that men who earn their livings through physical labor move differently than men who earn their livings sitting behind a desk. I also realized that you don’t often see men who earn their livings through physical labor in suit...

A couple of weeks after my my mother in law died, I had a long phone conversation with my father- in -law.  He talked to me about how much he wanted me to have his mother –in –law’s sewing things. My mother-in-law’s mother, Tillie Green was a deeply religious woman. She used to study a Yiddish version of the weekly Torah portion each Shabbat afternoon. Tillie, was a fierce woman who was orphaned young.  Like many orphaned  Jewish girls in Eastern Europe she was married off young, while still in her teens. Tillie was unhappy in her marriage and ran off to New York. Her husband followed her.  Clever Tillie, learned enough New York  matrimonial law to have her husband caught in a room ( with her best friend), so she could be quickly divorced. She then married a widower with two boys. She raised them and her own two daughters with a kind of fierce, tough love. Tillie worked in the garment industry.  My mother- in- law used to tell me how her mother ma...

Today I stopped by Paron . They are moving one block south and are making everything down  so they don’t have to pack up quite as many bolts of fabric.  I wanted to see if they to see if moved anything neat into their $3/yard bins. They had one barrel filled with slinky printed with patterns in silver. So not my thing. Sometimes though, a fabric looks cool for the moment. I gave a bit of thought to purchasing a stretch with a snakeskin print and a sequin overlay. But I came to my senses and left it in the barrel.   I also left the lining fabrics. But for the past few years I have seen a bolt of this fabric, a puckery white knit.   I’m not exactly sure why it appealed to me so much. I can’t tell you how often I have pulled out the bolt and nearly bought some. Finally, at $3 for a yard, I bought the four yards left on the bolt. I’m not quite sure what I will make out of it. It’s slightly sheer and has a beautiful drape. Any ideas?   The other white t...

I had a doctor’s appointment today. on my way back to the subway, I noticed that Paron is having a moving sale. Paron is moving a black south to 39th Street. Fabrics in their regular price store are now 30-60% off.  I’m not quite sure the percentage off in their half price store. I assume that prices are a bit fluid. Fabrics in the back corridor are now all priced at $3/yard. I bought these three fabrics from the bolts in the back room. They are from left to right, a Lurex knit, a rayon knit and a hammered silk. Oddly, each of the bolts had the identical yardage, a yard and a half. I’m especially pleased by the hammered silk. It has a beautiful drape and a great feel. While my fabric was being measured, I noticed a box of ancient vintage velvet ribbon. As the various fabric stores in the district close up shop they tend to sell their stock to the ones still left standing.There are all sorts of treasures to be had here. This is what I bought; grey 1  1/2 inch wide,...