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Old 10-14-17, 10:52 AM  
DawnP
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fabric & sewing patterns, ugh

I have too much fabric and too many sewing patterns.

I like to sew dresses and tops for work. I've also sewed dresses for my working daughter, it's fun to sew for a 5'11" tall size 0, she appreciates the longer sleeves & dress lengths.

The great thing is I can sew pockets into EVERYTHING. Pockets in my dresses, pockets in my pants. I've even sewn pockets into my ready-to-wear clothing. No more searching for my cell phone or eyeglasses!

I am trying to figure out a way to make my fabric stash more visible, maybe storing it in my living room (worry about risking sun damage on open shelves or counters) so I will stop hunting for more fabric.

It seems like fabric stores are a thing of the past & craft stores are scaling back on bolt fabric or yardage - it must not be profitable. And I thought cosplay was reviving the home sewing industry!

So I shop mostly online. I love fashionfabricsclub.com, GirlCharlee.com and Fabric.com. The shipping (or "cutting fees") are high enough to keep me from buying too often. But when I do, I usually get multiple items to justify the shipping. Just like exercise videos.

My sister & I will find patterns at local thrift stores or on sale and send them to each other. Sometimes I have the same pattern in my size and DD's size!

Sewing & fabric collecting is an obsession. I follow the pattern companies on Instagram for (a) ideas, (b) upcoming styles and (c) sales. I need therapy.
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Old 10-14-17, 03:36 PM  
wendug
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnP View Post
I have too much fabric and too many sewing patterns.

I like to sew dresses and tops for work. I've also sewed dresses for my working daughter, it's fun to sew for a 5'11" tall size 0, she appreciates the longer sleeves & dress lengths.

The great thing is I can sew pockets into EVERYTHING. Pockets in my dresses, pockets in my pants. I've even sewn pockets into my ready-to-wear clothing. No more searching for my cell phone or eyeglasses!

I am trying to figure out a way to make my fabric stash more visible, maybe storing it in my living room (worry about risking sun damage on open shelves or counters) so I will stop hunting for more fabric.

It seems like fabric stores are a thing of the past & craft stores are scaling back on bolt fabric or yardage - it must not be profitable. And I thought cosplay was reviving the home sewing industry!

So I shop mostly online. I love fashionfabricsclub.com, GirlCharlee.com and Fabric.com. The shipping (or "cutting fees") are high enough to keep me from buying too often. But when I do, I usually get multiple items to justify the shipping. Just like exercise videos.

My sister & I will find patterns at local thrift stores or on sale and send them to each other. Sometimes I have the same pattern in my size and DD's size!

Sewing & fabric collecting is an obsession. I follow the pattern companies on Instagram for (a) ideas, (b) upcoming styles and (c) sales. I need therapy.
This is such a useful skill to have! I wish I could sew. I've got the basics down, but that's it! I'm sure your daughter appreciates what you make for her as since she's 5'11 size 0 it must be a nightmare for her to find clothes that fit! And putting pockets in everything- NICE!
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Old 10-15-17, 12:50 AM  
FitBoop
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Originally Posted by LynnO View Post
Late to this with an aside? Fitboop, how do you figure out whether the clothes run, big, small or true to size. And what even is true to size anymore? But, I need some professional clothes and prefer petite sizing.
Hi Lynn! To figure out sizing, I check the size charts and read customer reviews, if I have never bought the brand before. If I am not sure, I sometimes order a couple of sizes. I buy from retailers that have free shipping and returns. Most retailers don't have much, if any, petite selections in stores, so the choices are mostly online for petites. For professional petite clothes, I like Talbots, and Tahari suits and separates (sold at LordandTaylor.com, Nordstrom.com and Macys.com).
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Old 10-15-17, 12:55 AM  
FitBoop
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnP View Post
I have too much fabric and too many sewing patterns.

I like to sew dresses and tops for work. I've also sewed dresses for my working daughter, it's fun to sew for a 5'11" tall size 0, she appreciates the longer sleeves & dress lengths.

The great thing is I can sew pockets into EVERYTHING. Pockets in my dresses, pockets in my pants. I've even sewn pockets into my ready-to-wear clothing. No more searching for my cell phone or eyeglasses!

I am trying to figure out a way to make my fabric stash more visible, maybe storing it in my living room (worry about risking sun damage on open shelves or counters) so I will stop hunting for more fabric.

It seems like fabric stores are a thing of the past & craft stores are scaling back on bolt fabric or yardage - it must not be profitable. And I thought cosplay was reviving the home sewing industry!

So I shop mostly online. I love fashionfabricsclub.com, GirlCharlee.com and Fabric.com. The shipping (or "cutting fees") are high enough to keep me from buying too often. But when I do, I usually get multiple items to justify the shipping. Just like exercise videos.

My sister & I will find patterns at local thrift stores or on sale and send them to each other. Sometimes I have the same pattern in my size and DD's size!

Sewing & fabric collecting is an obsession. I follow the pattern companies on Instagram for (a) ideas, (b) upcoming styles and (c) sales. I need therapy.
This is so interesting! I like sewing but need more skills. I have had a pile of clothes that I intend to alter and bought a new sewing machine, but have been moving at a snail's pace. Every time I start a new alteration, I realize I need help, i.e. sewing knits or hems with pleats. I am envious of those who can sew well.
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Old 10-15-17, 12:01 PM  
DawnP
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Tackling tough sewing projects

Quote:
Originally Posted by FitBoop View Post
This is so interesting! I like sewing but need more skills. I have had a pile of clothes that I intend to alter and bought a new sewing machine, but have been moving at a snail's pace. Every time I start a new alteration, I realize I need help, i.e. sewing knits or hems with pleats. I am envious of those who can sew well.
Being able to sew at all is a terrific skill. In this day & age of "toss & replace" instead of repair or alterate, it's a lost art. Going slow is the way to get it right the first time, so you don't have to rip it out and do it again.

I've had friends joke that based upon my hourly pay at work I would have to sell the dress I just sewed for $1,000. I tell them it's therapeutic for me. I have physical limitations and cannot do nature hikes like I used to, so I revived sewing as my hobby.

Even I get stuck from time to time on tough tasks and YouTube is my friend. I've even watched a video of a Pakistani women mitering a corner - she's in a cave, on the ground, with a hand-crank sewing machine and somebody is holding up a spotlight wired to a car battery to light her way! Amazing. I was able to figure it out once she showed me!

Once you've sewn a knit, you'll have another lifetime skill.

Don't quit sewing! If you slow down on collecting videos, then you'll be able to collect fabric
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Old 10-15-17, 04:22 PM  
beyond.omega
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Originally Posted by killoffsonny View Post
Okay you got me on this one. We do spend money on wine. And Oregon has some great pinot noirs!!! But those we only buy on special occasions.
Yeah, the Oregon coast has some great Pinot Noirs, but I live in Southern Washington, and most of the wine around here is from grapes grown in the high desert so a lot of Big Reds. We have some great Syrah, some good Zin, Cab Franc, Merlot is coming back, and while we do have Cab Sauv, its different from the big Napa Cab Sauv.

*sigh*
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Old 10-15-17, 04:24 PM  
beyond.omega
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnP View Post
Being able to sew at all is a terrific skill. In this day & age of "toss & replace" instead of repair or alterate, it's a lost art. Going slow is the way to get it right the first time, so you don't have to rip it out and do it again.

I've had friends joke that based upon my hourly pay at work I would have to sell the dress I just sewed for $1,000. I tell them it's therapeutic for me. I have physical limitations and cannot do nature hikes like I used to, so I revived sewing as my hobby.

Even I get stuck from time to time on tough tasks and YouTube is my friend. I've even watched a video of a Pakistani women mitering a corner - she's in a cave, on the ground, with a hand-crank sewing machine and somebody is holding up a spotlight wired to a car battery to light her way! Amazing. I was able to figure it out once she showed me!

Once you've sewn a knit, you'll have another lifetime skill.

Don't quit sewing! If you slow down on collecting videos, then you'll be able to collect fabric
I'm amazed by your skill as well Sewing is something I've always wanted to learn, but never did. Your post is making me want to take it seriously again.
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Old 10-15-17, 05:34 PM  
Leonana
 
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Originally Posted by readcookrun View Post
I'm right there with all of you on makeup and skincare items. it's almost a hobby to research and buy these things. However, I have greatly curbed this since I discovered Dr. Dray's YouTube channel through this forum! (My wallet thanks all of you!) What's more is that it's revived my drugstore-only policy that I used to have back when I was a poorer student.
Same here!
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Old 10-16-17, 12:49 AM  
FitBoop
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnP View Post
Being able to sew at all is a terrific skill. In this day & age of "toss & replace" instead of repair or alterate, it's a lost art. Going slow is the way to get it right the first time, so you don't have to rip it out and do it again.

I've had friends joke that based upon my hourly pay at work I would have to sell the dress I just sewed for $1,000. I tell them it's therapeutic for me. I have physical limitations and cannot do nature hikes like I used to, so I revived sewing as my hobby.

Even I get stuck from time to time on tough tasks and YouTube is my friend. I've even watched a video of a Pakistani women mitering a corner - she's in a cave, on the ground, with a hand-crank sewing machine and somebody is holding up a spotlight wired to a car battery to light her way! Amazing. I was able to figure it out once she showed me!

Once you've sewn a knit, you'll have another lifetime skill.

Don't quit sewing! If you slow down on collecting videos, then you'll be able to collect fabric
Thanks, Dawn. I have held on to old clothes that either don't fit or are out of style because the fabrics are so nice and I figure I can use them to make something else. I learned how to sew as a kid, from my mother. I still use her machine but bought a new one with some features I need, like a free arm and the ability to sew thick fabrics. I was thinking of taking some sewing lessons at a nearby Joann's Fabrics. Youtube is good for learning, but I think I need some in-person guidance so that I don't mess up my alterations.
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