It Would Have Been A Lovely Tunic, If Not For.............

the infernal scratchy tag in the back! Grrrrrr!

How many times have we purchased a pretty tunic, tee top, shirt, or blouse, only to put it on and be driven nearly mad, by a scratchy edged nylon or polyester tag in the neck, or back? I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. We've all experienced the insufferable pick and scratchiness of cheap tags, sewn into the backs and necks of our garments.

Just the other the day, I received two lovely summer tops that I ordered by mail. A lovely white square neck tunic, with a threaded ribbon and eyelet trim, and another white tunic, with horizontal pin tucks across the front of its square neckline. Both came with scratchy tags, which I loathe, but the first one had the tag sewn directly into the neck seam, so with great care, I was able to take a pair of hair cutting scissors, and trace them along the seam to successfully cut the label out. Unfortunately, I didn't have any such luck with the pin tuck tunic. Instead of being sewn into the neck seam, this scratchy tag was sewn directly into the back of the shirt, with the finest, tightest stitch you can imagine running down both sides of the label. The tunic was impossible to wear with the label in it, so for fifteen minutes, I tackled that label with all of the care of a brain surgeon, but it was to no avail! My unfortunate patient succumbed to a fatal hole in its weave, when trying to incise the very last stitch, that was anchored so tightly I couldn't discern label from tunic, I sliced into the fabric the wretched label was sewn into! I still want to scream when I think about it!

I must have spent the next half hour, cursing, bitching, and moaning about how completely stupid it was for them to sell me a garment that I liked so much, but couldn't wear with out destroying it, because they had sewn the stupid tag in so tightly. Fortunately, the eyelet & ribbon trimmed top turned out to be a lovely fit, and with no residual label problems once the tag was removed, has been a complete joy to own.

I also got three pair of 5" inseam, cuffed, pleated shorts, that look just fabulous! The longer Bermuda shorts seem to be the latest trend, but I hate them with a passion! The shorter shorts are much prettier in my estimation, and far more leg flattering.

Tonight I'm listening to some of my new Gustav Mahler CD's, and I can't even begin to describe how incredibly beautiful his music is. I had heard his music casually many years ago, when we had a far better public radio station than we do now, and I always liked what I used to hear on such wonderful shows as, the now defunct National Public Radio's Starlight Concert, and the late Karl Haas's absolutely wonderful program, Adventures in Good Music. What excellent radio that was! My collection of Malher Cd's consists of his 1st through 11th symphonies, and I can honestly say, that I haven't heard one that I didn't think was incredibly beautiful. To my ears at least, Mahler was a genius!

For your enjoyment, or annoyance, whichever the case may be, I have embedded a part of Mahler's Symphony N0.3. I wanted to include the first movement, which is incredibly beautiful, but I couldn't find a Youtube video of it.

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Melissa XX