I have returned from Montreal! After a week of travel together, Trena and I remain friends! I will travel with my mom and aunt again! So, overall, a success. Sadly, I forgot my camera on Friday so I have no photos of the Jalie Patterns demo. It was so so cool. I had the pleasure of meeting Emilie in Portland last year (time flies!). This time, she bought her incredibly chic and charming mom Jeanne with her. You may have gathered I’m not an ‘easy knits’ girl. But, I am so excited for their new dress and swimsuit patterns that are coming out in the next collection. Yes, DRESS! In the meantime, I can’t wait to take a crack at this #2796 running skirt.
It’ll be great for biking and general working out. I hate wearing shorts. They do nothing for me. But, I will rock a mini in a heartbeat!
And Saturday I was so busy buying fabric that I only managed to eek out this one photograph. The fabric above will be a dress someday. I bought so much, that I had to split the haul with the Colonel. I sent her back to Tampa with several sweater knits that I know I won’t be working with this summer. I’m also not posting my ‘boring’ solid fabric that wicks away sweat. Let’s look at the fun stuff!
Between the fabric and maple syrup I was dangerously close to being over my weight limit. And, there was no way my suitcase was gonna close. So, my mom took half the fabric and I’ll get it back
from her when I visit this October / November. So, when I do get it back, it’ll all still be new to me!
What I got really excited about were the 31 zippers I bought at 75 cents each! I hate running out of run-of-the-mill notions. And with just about every color imaginable and at such a good price I figured I would stock up.
Now, what I am super excited about is this. It’s reflective, stretch, trim. Perfect for piping athletic gear! I’ve had much of the same workout clothing for almost 10 years. Well, it gets worn so infrequently it wasn’t a problem. But, I’d like some updated pieces with better fit so I was in an athletic frame of mind. I like the shopping in Montreal! I found it to have a great selection of athletic stuff as I think overall they have more outdoor / cold weather sports going.
Also of interest, my mom brought me (via my grandmother) a bottle of vanilla extract from Grenada! $4 USD for 650 ml. That’s 22 OUNCES! This, made up for one of those epic mother-daughter fights that you can only have on vacation while sharing a 9 sq meter / 96 sq ft room.
This, was a GREAT week. Despite the most mortifying moment of my life (I slipped at dinner in front of *everyone* Saturday and fell to the ground in an epic wipeout dropping / shattering my dinner plate) I heart Montreal. And, I have put Toronto and Ottawa on my short list of new cities to visit soon. I can’t thank the fabulous volunteer organizers enough for putting this together! THANK YOU!!
Miss Celie's Pants 
Those are some “ROCKIN” printed fabrics! You’ve got me droolin! LOL! And I love the pattern for the athletic skirt. You’ll look great in that. It’s great you’ve stocked up on some great pieces and I can’t wait to see what you sew up. Also, don’t feel too bad about your accident. Things like that happen I’m sure you dealt with the situation very gracefully:)
Ooooh, sorry to hear about your wipeout. We’ve all had our moments!
I actually live in Montreal, but am not really part of the Pattern Review community. Hope you all had a wonderful time here, we certainly have some great fabric stores! I’m curious as to where you got the sweat-wicking fabric. I find proper athletic fabrics very hard to find, I’d love to pick some up.
Hi! It was from Suzie’s Spandex, http://www.suziespandex.com. They had it in about half a dozen colors. They also carry loads of swimwear and the kind of velour stretch of the Juicy Couture variety.
Ok, that mini is TOO CUTE. I had not seen that pattern before! I am on the verge of mistakenly convincing myself that I’ll definitely work out more if I have that mini. Only my lack of serger ownership is holding me back. 🙂
They *almost* have me convinced on a coverstitch machine. I just have no idea where I would put it…..
Oh Celie, you doll! Now I want to make myself a running skirt. Honestly, it makes me want to fly to Montreal this minute. I have loved these posts. Thank you!
Your workout gear sounds like mine – very old and not used often enough! And does the first paragraph mean you are never travelling with Trena again? Hmmm, and that fall….Quelle embarrassment! But at least the fabric is good 🙂
My best wipe-out was about a year ago at Union Station in DC. Yes, Union Station, getting off a train (not the Metro), just walking down the platform, my left ankle twisted and I did a face plant at rush hour. Cell phone, brief case contents and purse contents flying in front of me. Yep, ALL the purse contents. And, to boot, I broke my foot – though I didn’t know it at the time.
I “heart” Montreal, too. And that running skirt is nice. Love the iPod pocket – gotta remember that. I bought some wicking fabric last year and haven’t used it yet. Maybe this year, sure….
Oh!! That’s *terrible*! And, you broke your foot too?? I once slipped on ice. But, no one knew me. And, I was still lucky enough not to break anything.
Oh no – falling is so humiliating. My latest wipe out was off my bike and is why I’m healing a fracture and a dislocation in my shoulder. Glad yours was not as bad as mine!! But that bottle of vanilla – OMG. I am always running out of vanilla when I want to bake. Yesterday, I made pastry cream, reached into the closet and pulled out…and empty bottle of vanilla (ahem, the other bakers in my house? putting back an empty bottle of vanilla is like leaving the seat up on the toilet and using the last piece of TP and not replacing the roll. OK?). So, my pastry cream had orange flavoring put in it (which worked really nicely with the baked peaches but I was SOOO annoyed. If I had a bottle of vanilla this big, I’d never run out!).
And why are we humiliated? People fall all he time! You’re making me nervous about the shoulder / fracture / bike combo! I bought two bottles like that a few years ago. I gave both away thinking I was sure to be back to Grenada soon. Never again 🙂
ooh yay! I’ve got that Jalie running skirt pattern but have yet to make it up. It’s never really hot enough to run in shorts here, though, so it always tends to slip by the wayside as I reach for my billionth pair of long running trews in the morning. I can’t wait to see yours made up, though!
(and that vanilla looks to be about the size of the behemoth we bought at Costco last time we were there!)
I’m very glad that your fall didn’t injure anything but your pride!
And I am desperately jealous of your vanilla!
LOVE the workout skirt, I could SO wear that! I too don’t do much for athletic shorts/pants, but I look pretty good in a skirt still. That’s definitely going on my list!
Ooh are Sue and I and Reethi ever going to show you a good time whenever you get to Toronto!!
You make me want to go back to Montreal so badly! I didn’t realize your mom went too. Is Judy her sister? Pardon me if I missed this detail in your blog.
Yep! Aunt Judy is one of my mom’s four sisters. I don’t know that I mentioned that here 🙂
Glad you enjoyed your time in Montreal. Looks like you got lots of goodies. I too, know the embarassment of a fall. I fell in church and too my own shock, uttered an expletive….in church! (it did not go unnoticed)
I have no doubt that I would have done the exact same thing!
Ooo, sorry about the fall. I think my best klutz story is when I was 17, I won a trip to Chicago for the national 4-H congress. One of the big dudes in 4-H was from Washington so he took the delegation out to dinner at a private club in the Sears tower. I was cutting my chicken and my fork skidded across my plate and flung peas all over the table and people surrounding me. I wanted to melt into the floor.
You have won an award!
Come and see: http://missemilyscloset.blogspot.com/2010/06/wow.html
Sounds like you had a great time!
I really enjoy your blog! Glad you had a great time inspite of your fall. Love your fabric choices!
It was great meeting you. I had a lot of fun at the PR weekend. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed Montreal, it really is a great city, but don’t forget Quebec City on the list of Cities to Visit!
Renee – so great to meet you over the weekend. I loved your hilarious stories. Your wipeout was indeed epic – perhaps the most spectacular spill I’ve ever seen. But you know what? After all the activities and excitement and great stuff that happened this weekend I had totally forgotten about the fall. It was only when I read your post that I remembered. I’m certain everyone else has also forgotten. Don’t be mortified.
Cidell, I just love your blog. I’m so sorry you fell. Yikes. I have to agree with Alexandra about Quebec City (especial Old Quebec) – it’s really beautiful.
Cidell, I have enjoyed your posts from Montreal SO much! I grew up in Montreal, so it’s still my true home; and that you all enjoyed your visit there is very special to me.
Niiiiice fabric choices! And thanks for the tip about SuzieSpandex. 🙂
Hi Renee,
It was so nice to finally meet you in person at PR Montreal… That dress you wore Saturday was beautiful in person. Pictures do not do it justice.
You looked really sore Saturday, I hope you are feeling better from your epic fall. We were worried that you had really hurt yourself.
I love your fabric choices! I might have to order more fabric from suzie’s… thanks for the link.
Kelly
Dang, I suppose that blue geometric knit is one I missed out on by not going to the 3rd floor? Not that I need more fabric, so I suppose it’s all to the better.
I fell flat on my back on the ice once. It was like a cartoon. My feet slipped out from under me and there I was like a flipped over turtle. Luckily I am a huge dork and wear a backpack and it protected me from hurting myself.
Bah, I fall just about every winter and yes, generally someone sees me. And I’m not very graceful so I’m sure it provides entertainment for whoever’s watching. Look at it this way, we’ve all been there (some form of mortified) and don’t like to see it happen to anyone else ! I’d say we were all more worried that you were hurt !