Fabric shopping in Toronto

 

 

For some reason Toronto has been on my list but I aways thought that I should go there in the winter.

It happened in July and officially I´ve been there before, but honestly it was only in transit. I remember Pearson Airport as a nice place to lounge between flight, but no longer....If you go to Toronto it´s very easy to take the train into the city it takes about 25 minutes and the railwaystation is beautiful!

 Toronto has a lot of neighborhoods with different approach, very much like Malmö, There is a Chinatown, and since San Fransisco I love to go there to get a good meal, Toronto Chinatown was not an exeption, there was also a Koreatown and a Little Italy there I got mý mandatory Cannoli ( I love those things....) and a lot of artisan beer, try the steam whistle but skip the tour!

 Most of Torontos fabric stores are on Queen street between Augusta and Palmira and I suggest you explore every one of them! I bought off white cotton shirting in a very posh store and grey denim in the basement next door. I also found Americo yarn here and did they have the good stuff and on sale since they where moving, I also did some shopping on Romni Wools

 Toronto has a lot of nice museums like the Bata shoe museum, the Textile museum and the fab art galleri of Ontario showing Leslie Harris ( If I ever get rich I will start collecting his work!)

 A lot of victorians around the Town, I stayed in one on Shuter Street in the Garden district via Airbnb, 20 minutes from Eaton center

 Yes I did go up there for the magnificant views of the town

 No I did not step on the glass floor!!!!

 manicure at the aquarium

and I visited Niagara falls a long time dream!! Fantastic!!and I will go back and visit the american side one day....
I did some more shopping, One day I meet up with Connie who is a friend from PR and Sue who I knew by name and Connies grandkids who tought me all about cheerleading. we Went fabric shopping at Fabricland who is the canadian kind of Joann but without the 1 dollar patternsale. I bought two fabrics there, one winterjersey and one according to the reciept; malycraknit a rayon elastan knit that are so yammy I regret not buying 3 meters of all colors

Help I have nothing to wear!

We have a fashion tv show in Sweden! Yey! and it´s a good one too! there has been 4 episodes so far and the concept is that someone who has problem with there wardrobe ask for help and the help is Carolina Gynning, She is besides Viktoria Silversteth the most glamourous Sweden has to offer, she is also an author and an artist, and a good one! The other host Li Gadd Dackås is head designer at Ellos, a Swedish mailorder company that has been around for ages....
What makes this program so great is that they let the "victim" discover her new look by giving her choises and as Liv said in one show; there´s a differense between dressing up and dressing out.
The show gave me curage to cleen out my closet on a lot of things that´s not me like clothes in odd colors and tops with prints.
Off course you can buy all the clothes at Ellos but they also keep what´s wearable in the original closet and bring something to the showroom to discover new ways to wear it.
And of course there is hair makeup and champagne at the end!

Wardrobe planning

Today I´ve bee doing some thinking about my closet  as I was reading and thinking about it according to Colette´s  wardrobe architecture. I´ve been thinking about my silouettes, my choise of patterns, my colors, and a lot more, I already decided to toss some things....
I live in a climat that can be very cold in the winter...or not...and can be very hot in the summer...usually not... and I work in a poorly air conditioned place that has 3 different climate zones. and then I like to travel....and also add that I´m 55 and have some issues with side effects from my anti cancer pills that I will take for another 5 years...and I´m very thankful for that,sligtly sweathy but thankful!
I like layering! Cardigans are my best friend! I also like to wear leggings but I don´t think they do anything to an outfit but they keep me cosy on the coach and warm while getting to work an also cosy during night shifts.

Sarai seperate the colors in neutrals, almost neutrals, statement and metallics.

I decided that my neutrals are:
Black
Grey, all 50 shades...
Off white
Navy ( an almost neutral according to Sarai, but since it´s an important color to me I treat it as a neutral
Warm tan

Almost neutral:
Denim blue
Burgundy
Dark green
Dark Brown ( stepping away from this since I fell in love with black...)

Statement
Pink! Everything exept the lightest shades and as a breast cancer survivar I have a right to everything pink and I even own  the pink SMEG refrigirator!!!!....
Burnt orange
Teal
Purple, dark purple not the lilac kind
Lime
I have to edit here and add red, I don´t like red clothes but adore red shoes....

Metallics
I actually prefer gold and bronze but on the other hand I like to do silver smithing

Then it comes to prints I basically like everything that´s adult looking and my real love is a good texture, linen has a nice texture but wrinkles....but there are other weaves that are interesting. I´ve been looking at Linton tweeds and decided to buy a meter and make myself a skirt and I´m going for pink and want to match it with a Bohus cardigan, a Chanel suit is not for me....

I was in Toronto last week and my fabric purses was actually very good; i bought an off white shirting for a blouse, a black rayon for two basic tops, a grey denim becourse I read that that´s what french women where wearing and a navy "winter jersey" for a skirt. ( More on fabric shopping in Toronto later.....