Saturday 26 April 2014

How do you stash?

Tonight after work I went to my local fabric store. The really nice high end one. I was feeling a little guilty because I keep promising myself I am only going to use my stashed cloth. I have about 12 bins worth- really big bins. But I had a plan and a pattern and I knew what I wanted.What harm could there be in that? Right!?

Plan A : I have a pattern for a pencil skirt and peplum top. I have a wedding to attend in the summer and I wanted to get started on it soon because I want to put a little extra effort into it. You know make a muslin, bla, bla,bla, and make it really special. I wanted a stable,medium weight piece that was elegant maybe with a print,or perhaps with some of the florals I see around the fashion world these days . Maybe a matelasse?you know, a rich type of fabric but not flashy or shinny - it's a garden wedding so I don't want it to be ostentatious .

Nothing. Zip. Nada. every thing was the exact opposite of what I wanted. Cheap and flimsy or like quilting cottons and I hate clothes made out of quilting cottons. oh yeah -with stretch please. Florals - big bold way too over whelming for my size and shape. Or they were too small Laura Engles little house on the Prairie small -what's that fabric called - oh ya, ugly! Anything remotely stately was black, nice-but black. Normally when without a plan, black would be good, proper, even perfect for this outfit but it's a garden wedding and I don't want to look like I'm attending a funeral and I don't want to look like I am the garden. I want to look gorgeous - blend in and stand out at the same time !!!! But for all the right reasons. Do you not hear me fabric Gods!? Apparently not. And white- I can't wear white, it looks bad on me and the bride is suppose to be in white , right? What ever. So no fabric and believe me, it was hard to walk away and not have some thing for that outfit. And I felt every fiber in that store and it's huge. I was going to go up stairs and check out the home dec department but I had a brain flash of Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children hanging out of trees and restrained my self. Thanks be to the gods because I could just hear my husband coming up with some crazy name like your new 'show room sampler' or some thing even worse( he is very quick witted )and I would laugh but he would be right! GRrrr!

So I bought some pant fabric - it's really nice. A print, a calm geometric I don't have a plan for it but I'm sure a pattern will present itself in time.

Next-

Plan B: I need some fabric for a casual spring coat. I'm talking outerwear. I live in a rainy place so it really only has to get me in and out of the car . I don't need rain gear. I am not Sporty Spice so I don't want athletic jogging gym type stuff . I like fashionable coats .I'm sick of trenches and I don't ever , ever wear ski jackets - yuck. I see women around here with nice clothes on and then they top it off with a ski jacket. Oh mother of God. And I don't want a plastic picnic table cloth or rubber or awning striped canvas. A twill or coated linen maybe or a calm medium weight gaberdine that has some swing and swish and does not make me walk like a robot. Calm , I like the word calm to describe my clothes . Warm , muted , medium sized motifs ,I like bold but size matters to me. Yes CALM will do nicely. Nope , zero , not a thing.

So I bought some grey and black jersey knit from France. Destination unknown, I really don't need it, but for sure it is going to become a beautiful garment one day. When the right pattern presents itself .

Thats how it happens, tonight I added to my stash and didn't get anything I needed. The two pieces I did get were wanted though- sorta like little love children. And I will love them until I cut them up.

When I got home I threw my new acquisitions in the washer , then dove into a bin labeled coat/jacket/outerwear. And low and behold I found 3 pieces -perfectly suited for my new spring jacket. Come to think of it I just remembered I have some beautiful robins egg blue sari silk with some matching embroided chiffon that would make a really nice wedding guest outfit . May be not for the pattern I intended to make , but that's okay I'll just have to shop for a new pattern.......

 

No comments: