Enjoying the Palm Beaches

First, I have to admit that I have forgotten to bring a LOT of important stuff onboard this winter.  Each week I am discovering something I meant to pack.  This does not induce confidence in my aging mental capabilities.  So the most recent thing I regret not having with me is Peter Collingwood’s book Techniques of Rug Weaving.  I need it for all the finishing options for the edges of my miniature tapestries.  I don’t even know the name of the edging I wanted to use.  After a decade of Archie and Susan style finishing I have very little experience of these other techniques.

I was hoping to find some instructions for Damascus edge, half-Damascus, and Philippine edging online, and certainly a few videos on Youtube.  But I didn’t!  I found a PDF of Collingwood’s book, but when I uploaded the file I found I only had the first 120 pages of the book, not the part with the finishing techniques!

Tommye Scanlin came to my rescue within moments.  First she sent me a scan of the half-Damascus technique which is the one I am most interested in doing.  And she let me know that the whole Collingwood book is available, in 4 pieces.  I had only gotten the first section.  Whew.  I’ll be back ashore later today to visit a wifi café to get the rest of the book.  Thank you, Ralph Griswold and Univ. of Arizona for making this available!

I spent the 2nd half of yesterday enjoying downtown West Palm Beach!  What a spot!  There are some amazing choices for restaurants, so it was hard to choose just one for dinner.  There is a huge linen store full of stunning bedding and household linens.  Quite drop dead gorgeous….

The best find of all was a very large old fashioned fabric store, right in the center of the downtown area.  You don’t find that in many places these days.  It was a feast of incredible fabrics, from upholstery to fine silks for ballgowns.  Embroidered silks and linens and heavy upholstery fabrics, and aisles and aisles to walk down and swoon over endless ideas.

Here is an aisle of nautically inspired fabrics.

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The aisles were arranged by color, and I might have had the most fun in the orange aisle!

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There were two fabrics that happen to be fun weaving structures that I love.  This deflected double weave is my favorite, but I had to pass it by at $98/yd.

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I also loved this design, but I reasoned with myself that I’d have more fun weaving it myself.

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I could not pass up this incredibly happy blue onion china print on an orange ground.  This will become a large tote bag for me for spring/summer.  I could even get started on it now since Bob has his sailmaker’s sewing machine onboard.  I’d have to make peace with using sailmaker’s heavy Dacron thread, so I think I’ll wait.  I want to use the bright blue color of the onionware for thread….

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So, if you ever find yourself in West Palm Beach, check out Mac Fabrics!

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And here are some views of West Palm Beach at night.  Lovely!

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Our view of West Palm from Pandora at anchor.

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Today we will take a long walk across a bascule bridge to Palm Beach.  I will visit the famous Worth Ave and perhaps the Breakers for tea?  ….if they serve tea!  And then back across the ICW via another bridge and back to our little anchorage.

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