i brought my camera this time

(pre script: the collar is interfaced, y'all. the collar is interfaced. the comments were MUCH appreciated and completely fascinating in their split right down the middle.)

yesterday, sonja of ginger makes, suzanne of beau baby, wanett of sown brooklyn, and an unsuspecting peter of male pattern boldness descended on mood. four gals and a guy blocked off the boucle area, gabbing about all manner of things, setting up multiple self timed cameras and generally making fools of themselves.

we were there with the intention of completing a wee sewing dare. our gentleman caller was informed that i would be picking out the fabric for sonja's next mood sewing network creation. this information was presented with raised eyebrows, trepidatious looks, and much cackling (the cackling was me). i pulled out a riot of purples and held it up to sonja. okay you guys tell me if i'm crazy but this color palette is PERFECT for her. eyes carefully and quietly considered the candidate. you're crazy, peter declared.

well, i NEVER.

rather than witness the crime of hue that was about to be forced upon the poor woman, our man decided it was best to meet us later for lunch. the ladies knew they were sonja's only hope. so here's the thing. in my line of work, the costume designer will put you in multiple outfits, take pictures of each, pick their favorites, and put those shots in front of producers for the final decision. and you can always tell by the pictures which ones are the actor's favorites. (at least, you can tell in mine. i like to make faces). so, when we finally decided to choose from a delightful section of silk charmeuse and georgette prints, we got to snapping.

i won't tell you which one (or TWO) ended up the winners, but perhaps you can guess by the look on our beautiful model's face?

how many ways can i end oona's life

i have no poker face

i'm laughing because thankallthatisholy YOU'RE laughing

do you think they'd throw us out if i ripped this apart with my bare hands?

smiiiiiiiiiile, though your heeaaaaart is breeaaaaaaking....

OONA GREY IS TOTALLY A COLOR DO MY CRAZYEYES NOT CONVINCE YOU?!

i mean, COME ON Y'ALL.

suzanne ROCKED the grey candidate, though a different and delicious print went home with her...

game face, yo. wanett and i decided we were leaving empty handed, though why we deprived ourselves is a mystery to me. deprivation is wrong, man.

phrases like charlotte russe and miami beach were hurled at each other, much to the delight of our mood angel, kendrell. in the end, the decision was 100% a group effort, and unanimous. i threw a little curve ball in at the last minute, but that was accepted. at that point in the day i had infected them broken their will opened their eyes to other possibilities. Y'ALL IT IS GOING TO BE SO COOL.

later, we took over one of the many area "pret a mangers" (seriously, there were three we could eyeball from the corner of 39th and broadway). at table, we fondled each other's wares, and peter presented one of those great "which color are you" tomes circa 80s, which, now that i think about it, may have been designed to be a teachable moment harkening back to my first choice for sonja. well played, sir. pret listened to us gab about color and race and gadgets and personal space and reality and birthin' babies for far longer than it took us to finish lunch. suzanne's beau baby even gave us a virtual fashion show. (look out for that one. she has inherited both the fashion sense and wit of her momma.) none of us wanted to leave. luckily there were two other prets within spitting distance for the more harangued customers.

whose giant camera is that?

pret customers were blurred to protect their version of reality.

i'll tell ya, it's awesome to live in new york. i've lived many, many places, and if i do say so myself, i'm pretty good at finding the awesome everywhere, but if we're talking sewists hang time, this city is on a very short list of Let's Meet Down The Street. there are so many homespun and visiting peeps i've had the luxury to frolick with over the past months that i haven't even had a chance to brag about yet.

and the best thing about it is, sewing related or not, i'd happily spend hours again with all of these beautiful people.