I continue fighting my fear of fabric. Or perhaps I should say, my fear of actually using the fabric I have stashed in my sewing room.
This is the situation. I will go and buy fabric with the idea of using it for [insert project here]. It will languish in my sewing room until I decide when I am going to start that particular project. Meantime, the fabric remains untouched. Later on, when an opportunity arises to use said material on a different project, I decide I cannot use it on the off chance that one day I will begin the original project. Hence, I will go and get more stuff and the fabric stays where it is, unused.
Not anymore.
Lately, I have been attacking my stash and using it regardless of what I thought the bloody thing was supposed to be used for. The results? Excellent. My kit is growing, and my pile of fabric shriking. Yay me!
A good example is the new winter rapier set that I am making. I have a really nice grey wool that I have decided to use for a pair of trunkhose. I take it out, and I realize that I don't have a piece of plain white linen large enough to use for lining. Nevertheless, I do have a piece of pumpkin colored, lightweight linen that I had purchased at Pennsic for $5.00 per yard, with the intention of making a Roman tunic.
I agonize, since lying in the corner of the room is a bolt of heavier weight white linen that I had also purchased for $5.00 per yard. It is a heavier weight and not as suitable as the orange for my purposes. The wool is already very heavy and I don't want that trunkhose to weigh a ton.
Then I do the math, and realize that the orange one cost me the same as the white one, and it is the perfect weight. I also decide that the heck with the Roman tunic. This fabric is perfect for lining my pants. Moreover, I dig out a felted goose-turd green wool that had been languishing in a drawer, in the off chance that I wanted to make hosen.
The hell with the chauses too; this wool will make a kickass doublet. Especially if I line it with the pumpkin linen and trim it with silk of the same color.
Finally, I pull out a very nice piece of purple wool that I inherited from
stanci when she moved out of the area. It will make a terrific cassock. I haven't yet dug into the stash for the lining of the cassock, but I think that I have done enough damage in one weekend.
I am getting better.
Really.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, a picture of the cuffs I just finished embroidering forballistabob
This is the situation. I will go and buy fabric with the idea of using it for [insert project here]. It will languish in my sewing room until I decide when I am going to start that particular project. Meantime, the fabric remains untouched. Later on, when an opportunity arises to use said material on a different project, I decide I cannot use it on the off chance that one day I will begin the original project. Hence, I will go and get more stuff and the fabric stays where it is, unused.
Not anymore.
Lately, I have been attacking my stash and using it regardless of what I thought the bloody thing was supposed to be used for. The results? Excellent. My kit is growing, and my pile of fabric shriking. Yay me!
A good example is the new winter rapier set that I am making. I have a really nice grey wool that I have decided to use for a pair of trunkhose. I take it out, and I realize that I don't have a piece of plain white linen large enough to use for lining. Nevertheless, I do have a piece of pumpkin colored, lightweight linen that I had purchased at Pennsic for $5.00 per yard, with the intention of making a Roman tunic.
I agonize, since lying in the corner of the room is a bolt of heavier weight white linen that I had also purchased for $5.00 per yard. It is a heavier weight and not as suitable as the orange for my purposes. The wool is already very heavy and I don't want that trunkhose to weigh a ton.
Then I do the math, and realize that the orange one cost me the same as the white one, and it is the perfect weight. I also decide that the heck with the Roman tunic. This fabric is perfect for lining my pants. Moreover, I dig out a felted goose-turd green wool that had been languishing in a drawer, in the off chance that I wanted to make hosen.
The hell with the chauses too; this wool will make a kickass doublet. Especially if I line it with the pumpkin linen and trim it with silk of the same color.
Finally, I pull out a very nice piece of purple wool that I inherited from
stanci when she moved out of the area. It will make a terrific cassock. I haven't yet dug into the stash for the lining of the cassock, but I think that I have done enough damage in one weekend.I am getting better.
Really.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, a picture of the cuffs I just finished embroidering for
ballistabob
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Comments
No WONDER I have a dozen plastic containers of fabric, just waiting to be used. Lets talk patterns very, very soon, shall we? Then perhaps I can start to dig my way out from over 20 years of fabric accumulation . . .
Mmm. goose-poo green is rapidly becoming my favourite color for period clothes. :D
On a side note, another good wayto restrict your fabric-buying impulses is to become poor/accrue student debt. ;)
On a side note, another good wayto restrict your fabric-buying impulses is to become poor/accrue student debt. ;)
Luckily, this is a situation that will not last forever. :-)
I realized about the time I started sewing for my sister's wedding over 10 years ago that your fabric will start talking to you. You may buy it for one purpose but when the right one comes along, it'll let you know.
I had royal blue cotton velveteen, I'd gotten at Wal-Mart for $2.50/yard that I had meant for a houpelande and it became sideless surcotes for the bridesmaids for my sister's wedding. I bought the fabric quite a few years before my sister was even dating the guy whe would eventually marry, so I didn't even think about until I started going through the stash to see what I had that was suitable.
I listen to my fabric now. If it tells me it would rather be part of an Edwardian, steam punk ensemble rather than the Italian Ren I bought it for several years ago, I make the new thing. If I hadn't made what I bought it for yet (and it's been more than a couple of years), it ain't happening and wille eventually get turned into something else.
I still don't quite know what to do with all that fabric that just followed me home from places. I loved the colors and patterns but don't really know what to with it because it's so bold and bright.
I've started getting over that same problem with my fabric. I've been trying to use up some of my linen as linings - I'm tending to use nicer fabrics as the outside layer (e.g., wool & silk), so the pretty linen doesn't get used very often.
I usually buy fabric for myself, then make something for Adam with it. Happily, I usually buy what's left on the bolt, so I can eventually make myself something with the rest of it later.
I realized the other day that this fabric problem is really the flip side of a *good* habit - only buying fabric if you have a use for it in mind. I try to make sure that I can think of a good use for fabric before I buy it. This is a good thing - the problem is holding on to that notion later when you have a better idea for the fabric.
And yes! Thouch your fabric! Use it up! The fabric will like it! LOL
I am rather the opposite. Maybe 'cause I'm little and live alone, maybe 'cause I'm a certain age, maybe 'cause I'm an Army brat. Or maybe I just got overwhelmed with my parents' estate some years back. I am on a raw materials moratorium until I pretty much empty out my crafts room. I just lost two years to the accident, but I'm back at it, and slowly but surely the shelves and floor are emerging.
In my house, I can open all the closets, see what's in them, and know when I use it. If I don't ever use it (possibly because I couldn't see it) I've given it away. My basement is nearly similarly organized, got a big quarter yet to go. Don't get me wrong, I like my pretties, I have a house, I've got lots of pretty stuff to fill it. I just only need so much tonnage.