Sunday, July 27, 2014

Fabric Acquisition...and first world problems!

I know I have cupboards of the darned stuff, but there's always room for another dress length isn't there?
The Fabric Warehouse is having a 40% off sale. I don't get out there often but I love the place. The owner Stephen Shaw, has been in the trade for over 40 years. I bought my very first piece of fabric off him 38 years ago. At 11, I bought some white cotton with red flowers on it to back a quilt I was making - I think it was 20c a metre.
By the time I was 16, I was buying 10 fabrics at a time, getting them home and realising 8 of them were red. We are what we are.. :)
Anyway, yesterday's buys are lovely!
On the left is a glorious purple sequinned black net. It is subtle but intense and I bought 4m. For Constance. She is so spoilt! On the right is a buttery soft viscose with a cottony hand, and a slightly brushed texture. I LOVE IT. What you're seeing is a border that rocks its way in a sine wave along both borders. I spy another maxi dress for summer. Because, well summer!
But before summer I am going to have to haul out all of my summer dresses and take them in, they are hanging off me. Partly because I tend to make things a bit big, but also because I am svelting out a bit especially through the top. This is good for my health I suppose, but tedious for my wardrobe as I dislike adjusting any clothing let alone my own!
Note lacing of jacket is considerably closer in the second photo, and is even closer now. Not bragging and definitely not looking for compliments - I do NOT buy into the whole getting excited about other people's weight fluctuations thing so do spare me. But it does make sewing easier, and trickier -the former because now my mannequin is my size, and the latter because of alterations required to extant makes and my sense of my own spatials. La di da, first world problems eh!
Anyhoo, MrC and I had to head out there again today to get a 95% cotton or viscose or silk weave with 5% lycra to line the brown velveteen frock coat I started oooh, two years ago? I am determined to nail this damned coat this week, to wear to the Caburlesque Steampunk vs Rockabilly show next Saturday!
So wish me luck!


5 comments:

  1. I miss that store here in Christchurch; looks like you had fun though!

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    1. I miss it too, I really loved the one in Christchurch. I have heard it will be back though, in Woolston!

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  2. We are what we are. Blue and white fabric, and beige corduroy...
    It looks like you've branched out a bit again, though. Unless you're showing us the two fabrics out of ten that aren't red. :-) You're really spoling Constance with those purple sequins!

    I think "weight fluctuations" is a correct term. I've never paid much attention to it with myself, maybe because there had never been much fluctuation, outside of the slight differences in bust and hips. But right now, I think I'm too thin. Hot summer weather left me without much appetite for eating. :P Hoping it's really just a fluctuation; I don't feel right that way. Off to have some lunch!

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    1. Oh the idea of summer food in a hot climate, so delicious. :) Yes, I don't do blue and white and beige much but I love those colours on you. In my life, I have noticed that purple has made its wy out of my built environment and into my wardrober and red has done the opposite. Still lots of red in my wardrobe though :)

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    2. It's just 21 Celsius right now. Not so hot! But it was for several weeks. Either hot, or stormy.

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