We had such a fun and profitable day. All fabric and notions are purchased and you know what an extensive list that is:
- UTTERLY GORGEOUS fashion fabric (3 yards of 60 inch wide as I'll be making pants or a skirt in addition to the jacket)
- underlining (silk organza, 2 yards)
- lining (silk crepe, 3 yards)
- hair canvas interfacing (1 yard)
- shoulder pads (2)
- thread (lots)
- new needles for hand sewing
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| It's merino faille suiting- so drapey (but not too drapey to hold it's shape in a jacket). In this photo it looks slate grey. In fact it's a blue with grey undertones, not a grey with blue undertones. You can't see the depth of colour, the richness, here. |
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| This gives a slightly better sense of the blue, if your monitor cooperates, but it still misses the depth of colour... |
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| The lining is silk charmeuse (the other side is matte but I'm showing off the shiny) in the most bizarre shade - like green meets sand. My mother says I must have a hankering for the seaside right now, given this combo of fabric and lining. This is where I kind of broke the bank, but in keeping with my resolution when making the last suit, I will only use silk as lining until I find something I like better. It has much more integrity than bemberg, IMO, which frays like a bitch. |
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| This isn't something you'll see, it's the underlining of the fashion fabric - some silk organza. I just think it's so pretty in this shade, so I'm showing it off... |
I also had to buy a sewing box (interesting birch stacking boxes I found at CB2) for all of my new darning supplies (on their way from various parts of the world):
Then I had to buy frames for the new pics I bought myself a while back. Throw in some lunch and I've come to realize I am not safe with a credit card. I am such a capable shopper, it's sick.
Did I mention how useful and excellent everything all of these things will be?
OK, here's tonight's question: When organizing my fabric, it came to light that I have numerous scraps that are too small to make something with and too big to throw away. Serious fabric users, who abhor waste, would no doubt piece these gorgeous textiles together, but that's not my scene. S mentioned, as I was bemoaning half a cupboard full of unusable (really beautiful) material, that she always buys enough to make a garment twice or to get 2 items out of one piece i.e. 4 yards, on average. So she never ends up with quarter and half yard ends in weird shapes, though she does - she concedes - have lots of fabric she's not using on second garments.
What do you do? I know this is an age-old problem for the average sewist, but it's kind of a bummer either way.
As it happens, S, a font of helpfulness, assisted me by setting up an anonymous Craig's List entry so that I can, hopefully, give the bag of scraps - which includes a few full pieces of fabric I just don't like - to someone who will be able to use them. For free, of course.
In the future, I think I'm going to adopt S's strategy, if for no other reason than that my own is not working, and buy twice as much fabric as I need vs. just a bit more, so that at least the ends will be big enough to re-purpose on another garment.
Next post will contain some fascinating, IMO, musings on the benefits of being short (especially short-waisted) when you sew your own stuff. You don't want to miss that one.
Posts
Nice boxes!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about feeling out of control with a credit card. But keep in mind that your current feeling of having overindulged means you will spend less for the next while. You did get everything for your project. You were spending money on an experience, time with a friend. Studies show spending money to have an experience is a more effective path to happiness than simply acquiring things. Plus the things you bought are integral to having a future experience that will bring you happiness.
Good luck on that sewing project, by the way! If I ever learn to sew, my ambitions will probably stop once I've learned to hem things for my petite height, lol. Ever since Nordstrom starting giving me $300 in free alterations a year for having their Visa card, my life has been much better. :)
Thanks!
DeleteIt's true about the overindulgence leading to less spending over all. As you have smartly pointed out (which I do realize on a level which is completely distinct from that of my credit card relationship :-)) I am investing in a long term project which will hopefully be fulfilling and which will occupy my time to the extent that I won't have an opp to do any more shopping!
You have a good thing going with Nordstrom. See, credit cards are good :-)
I forgot to say I'm looking forward to your daylit pix of the fabric. I would like to request more cute pet pix, too.
ReplyDeleteFor years my standard fabric purchase was five yards because it allowed me to change my mind & make whatever. I also ended up with bigger more usable scraps like S. This is probably why my fabric collection is so large! I don't use 5 yards as my standard anymore and I tend to fold larger pieces back up, label them and stick them on the shelf. I find I can use them for binding, color blocking or sometimes for a kids garment. I try to keep my mind open to the possibilities the scraps provide.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you'd comment C. You are the fabric queen! I know that the scraps would be useful. In fact - I've used them in the past to make binding etc. - it's just that there are so many more scraps than uses for me, at this stage of my sewing career. You sew much more than me, which probably means you're recycling the scraps at a faster rate and more efficiently (in light of your projects having themes).
DeleteI have to admit to getting rid of many of those "to big to get rid of, to small to actually make anything" scraps. Some have gone to others who can use (or stash) them. Some have gone in the trash. But they take up too much room in my stash and the confuse the issue of what fabric I actually have that may be of use.
ReplyDeleteLois K
Lois: I should admit that I too get rid of lots of scraps! These are just the ones that fall into a size threshold that makes me unhappy to discard. Part of my issue, I suspect, is that I've been cutting on the fold and I used to use (religiously) pattern cutting instructions - both of those things tend to waste fabric and to leave very odd-shaped ends. I should consider changing up both of those practices though cutting on the fold saves so much time.
DeleteWow, I feel you on this one. I always over-buy from what a patterns states since I'm tall and am always worried about length. So, I have a growing remnant bin but I don't think quilt making is in my future. I'm going to have to consider increasing my yardage purchase.
ReplyDeleteOh, quilts are where I DRAW THE LINE honey. Ain't gonna happen. (Not that I don't want someone to make a quilt for me...) You have the exact opposite sitch from me. You are tall and long in the waist. I am short and short in the waste. Gonna write about this soon but, seriously, I save SO much money on fabric because of my dimensions. I can usually shave 1/2 yard off of any pattern just because of the way I'm shaped.
DeleteThose boxes are super cool. I saw some beer packaged for the holidays in the LCBO came in something similar. I almost bought it for the box.
ReplyDeleteI know! You can still get them, btw, and even order them online if you're not close to one of the stores... I'm a sucker for good booze packaging :-)
DeleteWow Kristen. This is Martin's kind of project. We will definitely be following :).
ReplyDeleteWe had such a fabulous time in NYC last week. We met Wendy & Stacy and a couple other interesting bloggers. So much fun. We also visited Wolf Forms in NJ to fit Martin for a custom form. It was an out of this world experience. I got great photos and will blog. It all has to do with our new biz idea, now that I've withdrawn from the MA program.
A door closes and another opens :). xoxo
I didn't know you'd withdrawn! I hope all is well and you simply decided you have other priorities. And I do hope you'll be posting more often soon!
DeleteUgh fabric scraps! lol! I don't really like the idea of buying even more fabric to avoid scraps. I like the idea of my garments being unique- who wants to make two garments out of the same fabric? (well obviously some people do...I guess it also depends on how versatile the fabric you have is.)
ReplyDeleteI tend to go the other way and buy minimal fabric. Which I then worry about having enough of lol. But sometimes I like having limited yardage as it stretches my creativity a bit more!
I know! I don't even mind using the same fabric for 2 diff projects. But when there's not quite enough...
DeleteI try desperately to buy just what I need, with a smidge extra for the added length I'll need for being a bit taller than the average bear.
ReplyDeleteScraps are the bane of my life. I won't use them in a quilt and feel guilty just throwing them away. But as even the local charity shops don't want them, they do tend to end up in the recycling.
I know. Fortunately, I am short with a short waist. I can only imagine how much money I save :-)
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