Day: 27 October 2013

fabric stash

some fabric love

It’s rather ironic really – our accountant/financial advisor is located in the same street as Darn Cheap Fabrics.  So I am sometimes forced to drop in and check out the fabrics when we are also checking out our finances.  I thought you’d like to see some of my recent purchases.

embroidered cotton and silk/cotton from DCF

As soon as I clapped my eyes on this embroidered cotton I knew it would be coming home with me. I bought the last on the bolt, but have noticed that it is still for sale in their online shop. It is fairly narrow, and each selvedge has a fancy shaped and embroidered edge. I found some silk/cotton to line it with. The most difficult question now is whether it will be used for something for me or something for one of my girls. I think that Clare has her eye on it.

embroidered cotton from DCF

There was also this border embroidered cotton that absolutely had to come home with me. At this stage it will make a dress for Stella, possibly the Oliver + S Croquet dress. We’ll see!

sequinned fabric from DCF - reduced as imperfect

These stretch sequins came home with me to practice on and play with, since it is an imperfect piece and was dramatically reduced. I have seen so many beautiful sequinned fabrics lately, and since attending the Miss Fisher’s Costume exhibition a few weeks ago visions of simple shapes in luxurious fabrics have been swimming through my mind. I wonder how well they would drape and swish on a short plump woman?

printed cotton - from DCF $2 per metre table

And of course, the $2 per metre table did strike again. The printed silver dots on fine white cotton, and some slinky polyester that I am planning to use for lining a sheer polyester dress.

from DCF $2 per metre table

Although I do prefer natural fibres, in my opinion good quality polyester does have a place – and I am not lining a polyester dress with silk/cotton! So there you go, my latest acquisitions. So, does the coral/cream embroidered cotton go to Clare or to me? And what you would recommend it becomes for either of us?

Darn Cheap Fabrics haul October 15 2013/p>

by thornberry
bags, sewing

the hurrier I go…

I counted up the items on my “finished but needing to be blogged” list this morning.  There are eleven items on that list.  My “sewing plans for me” list has seventeen items on it. My “sewing plans for the kids” list has eleven items on it – but there is a pile of fabric on my cutting table calling out to become special dresses for the girls as well. I have a basket of semi-completed fabric necklaces that are destined to become Christmas gifts. My phone also has a list of Christmas gifts to buy, and the ever present “Thursday’s List” – the list of things that I have to do on Thursday, the day after I finish paid work for the week. The hurrier I go*…

2013-10-26 12.25.44

We were interstate last week.   First we visited family then I attended a work conference once my family had returned.  It was a very productive and enjoyable conference but I was SO exhausted when I returned! Fortunately for me I was able to spend yesterday recuperating by sewing at Nikki’s Zippers for Bags class. Karen has reviewed this class before, and I second her comments. It was well worth attending.

2013-10-26 15.48.01

I managed to get through three of the six zipper techniques that Nikki had available for us to choose from. I really enjoyed the freedom of selecting which of the techniques that I wanted to practice, because I chose ones that were all appropriate for the teacher bag that I want to make this year for Stella’s teacher. And I have instructions for the others and will do them at home. Despite having tested patterns for Nikki in the past, and having sewn plenty of bags from her patterns, there is nothing quite like having an uninterrupted day to dedicate to sewing a particular technique with the teacher right there on hand to help with with any part of it!

2013-10-26 13.45.35

GJs was an excellent venue for classes too. And there was great coffee and strawberry & chocolate muffins at Padre across the road. I had a wonderful day with only four of us in the class, tim-tams as bribes, an outstanding teacher, and very pleasant company.  A big shout out to Carmel for successfully managing a lapped zipper in crocodile textured PVC!  Very impressive.

Now I suppose that I should consider getting back to some of those lists…did I mention that I’m going to Sewjourn the weekend after next?

*The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.  Lewis Carroll.

by thornberry