Designer

………………..MOROCCO was one of my most favorite countries to visit, and MARRAKESH is it’s jewel!……How could you not be inspired…..the architecture, the furniture the food, the COLORS of the spices in the market places, the jewelry and lanterns and the clothes were all eye candy…….Jac and I loved our time in Marrakesh……On one occasion we were with our wonderful guide….Gili…..walking through the Souk. It was summer and quite hot…..Many of the streets had these kind of thatches roofs shading them with beams of sunlight making their way through the roofs. We were in shorts and sandals, and as we walked some of the men were calling out to Jac, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying…..I asked Gili…….He said they were calling her…”La Gazelle”…..because of her long legs…….The clothes in the sketches were all made in a beautiful gauze fabric except the dress which was in a knit….Caftans, tunics and djellabas are worn by everyone….women, children and men…..most are plain in wonderful vegetable dye colors, but some are very elaborate with edge banding and embroideries. I used soutache embroidery mixed with jet beads….Layering different length garments created additional drama as the first two sketches at the left illustrate….The cowl funnel neck on the cut in armhole swing dress over pants had banding at the bottom and around the armhole. Embroidery decorated the front…..The body hugging  dress with thin straps had beautiful jet embroidery in the front in a soutache scrolling pattern……The single sleeve tunic over wide leg pants had embroidery down the side slits, across the bottom, and at the border of the sleeve……….Berber jewelry was very inspiring, and I bought many pieces from an antique dealer in Ouazazate, a fantastic dealer who specialized in authentic old Berber artifacts and jewelry that Gili knew…The city is called the “Gateway to the Sahara”, and many movies were made there……..For this collection I had elaborate large tassel necklaces make out of beads…..I also had beautiful tassel necklaces made for QVC……….Maybe some of you still own them…..I hope so.

…………………..I had a small dinner party for four, and decided to make a meatloaf….I started with small bowls of vegetarian 3 bean chili…..then the meatloaf with roasted potatoes and mixed salad…..For desert my cheese cake with raspberry sauce and fresh whipped cream….The receipt for the meatloaf is pretty standard…..2 lbs. 90% lean ground beef, 2 eggs, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, sauteed chopped onion, garlic powder, onion powder and ketchup.. Mix it together, but don’t over mix or it will come at very dense [which I actually don’t mind]. I get a 9″ X 5″ loaf pan and line in with parchment paper….then put the meat mixture into the pant…..but…..I don’t cook it in the pan because it keeps all of the fat in it……I get a flat cooking tray covered in tin foil and turn the loaf pan upside down so this perfectly formed rectangle loaf is now sitting on the foil……I bake for 40 min. at 350, and then take it out and put my glaze on top, and then back into the oven it goes for 15 go 20 more minutes…….The glaze is made up of ketchup, brown sugar, white Balsamic vinegar, a little onion powder, garlic powder and paprika….. I transfer the loaf to a platter and let it sit for a while before serving…………When I store it in the refrigerator…..I cover the loaf with saran  wrap…..but there’s a little trick that I learned from Jac who learned it from her mother…….Her Mom was a BAKER, and would make the most delicious frosted cakes!!!! She would put toothpicks all around the edge of the cake, and depending on it’s size maybe some picks in the middle. Then she would gently cover the cake with the saran wrap so it wouldn’t touch the frosting…..Now, I do the same thing…….top two photos at the right…………The dinner was delicious!

………………….All of these SHAWL COLLAR designs with cord piping have a 20s retro feel…….made even more to the point with the TURBAN accessory…….From left to right…..The “bathrobe” wrapped jacket with the embroidered crest on the pocket, and tie belt with tassels added to the retro look…..the georgette blouse with the embroidered crest breast pocket, again has a pajama feel. It is worn with pleated silk/linen trousers……To the right is an elongated viscose/rayon jacket with patch pockets, and a silk shirt and rayon/viscose easy trousers……..Below is a wrap georgette dress, again with the tasseled tie belt and embroidered crest pocket. It was worn with a companion tank dress…….The rayon/viscose fitted DB suit had slanted piped pockets, a piped chest pocket and turn back piped cuffs……….Piping was a subtle way of introducing color.

……………….I love designing jackets……..I learned tailoring and fitting from the best!……So many young students, and for that matter young designers are ill-equipped when it comes to their knowledge of tailoring. They expect their sample assistants to know how to bring their sketches to life………Then you must express to them what you want the garment to look like, and you must know as much as possible……especially when you are not a good illustrator, which many designers are not……KNOWLEDGE is POWER!……Here are four very different jackets…….From left to right…..a slouchy shirt jacket….a retro “dress” jacket….and two piped jackets with very different silhouettes.

………………….I literally live yards away from the water of the Long Island Sound……..In the late fall, winter, and very early spring I will go and stand or sit there and just stare into the clean, clear water, and think how pure and beautiful it is………That’s before the boats start to inhabit the sound………..and then it ALL CHANGES!!!!!!! You would not believe…..or maybe you would believe what gets washed up onto my beach!!!!!! SUCH GARBAGE……it is not only disgusting…….it’s heart breaking. Why are humans the only animals who have no respect or care about mother nature……..Some of us are so destructive……..I’m no angel….I drive a car which contributes to pollution, but I try……I recycle, and I would absolutely NEVER EVER throw anything out of my car window….let alone into the water of the LI Sound……WHY are some people such PIGS……..Is it that they weren’t taught any better….or are they just lazy slobs…….These pictures just hit home to me!!!!……and I know beautiful summer weather is coming……..but along with that the tons of trash and garbage that will get thrown into the water…….Can’t they just take trash bags on their boats, and onto the beaches?………..I will go down and enjoy the clean clear water while I still can…..before the miserable boat people start polluting all over again!……..Sorry about the venting….but it is just so disturbing!