I just got back from PatternReview PR Weekend Chicago, and I’m making a review of the event! I arrived on Friday morning at Vogue Fabrics, and my friend SueV brought my goodie bag down for me. Lots of fun stuff in there from various vendors and advertisers on PR.
I shopped off my list which consisted of: tropical weight wools for dress pants, a silky poly for a long nightgown / negligee, at least one washable print for a top (I found two), seersucker for a girly-girl skirt for my best girl, no knits, no winter fabrics and maybe a silk or cotton for a sling for my stash. I got all that I was shopping for – and a bonus home dec fabric bundle enough to make a snazzy diaper bag (probably one of my own patterns).
That evening we had a buffet dinner at the Berghoff. Nice! Saturday we had Angela Wolf of Angela Wolf Couture (from St. Joe, MI) talk about couture. Her samples of Chanel jackets were wonderful, and inspiring. I do have some boucle from Paris. I had not bought lining, and glad I did not, as Angela’s second half of the day presentation was on fabric dyeing. Her linings are all funky custom dyed china silk. Yes, I know I dye – but mainly I did batik, which is time consuming and not really suitable, what with the hot wax and all, for doing around small children. But a dyepot on the stove? I can do that!
I’m inspired to take a couple of my ratty nursing tops – or even some of those giant white tees, which really could be then cut down and sewn into fun tees that are my size – and dye them!
Saturday night – pizza party. The food was just OK. As a dairy free person, pizza is lost on me, and the salad was just OK. I would have liked to have seen some breadsticks and more oomph in that salad (condiments? a salad bar?)
The pattern pile was a blast! Imagine taking all your not-gonna-use patterns, toss them in a big pile on a counter and let 100 women have at ’em. One woman’s cast off is another woman’s gem! I picked up some kids patterns (the mama said the kids have outgrown them), a strapless maxi gown that my tablemate’s mother had made for her in high school, and a DKNY that featured super skinny pants and a wrapover bodysuit with a long jacket (which I probably would not make – the Christine Jonson Princess Seam jacket is more fun) that is just classic. I also got a cute cropped jacket pattern that will make a fun summer jacket in pale pink twill.
The usual giveaways and prizes (I was not a winner, sadly) but the best part of all – a table of PRW newbies, and many from Chicago! This was so much fun!
Sunday’s event with the Lt. Governor was (at least for me) relaxing, no pressure to buy more – though others were shopping – as I’d spent my budget, and just a chance to fondle fabric and chat with my fellow sewists.
We capped off the weekend with dim sum at The Phoenix! All in all, a delightful weekend.