The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Fun with Fabric => Topic started by: sewmuchmore on October 03, 2017, 09:36:40 AM
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Going through my stash i have quite a few pieces of fabric that i absolutely love but keep putting them back because i love them so much. I am afraid that if i make something it will look awful/not fit/choose the wrong pattern for fabric so they remain on the shelve.
Does anyone else do this?
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Oh yes! Amongst many others, I have some gorgeous red and cream fabric that desperately wants to be a summer dress, but I can't find a pattern that is worthy of it. I know that if/when I do find the right pattern (and really, I have plenty of perfectly suitable ones!) I will be too scared to cut into it.
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I still have one piece from many many years ago, when I got rid of all my sewing stuff except that one piece. I think it's currently in the bottom of a blanket box, which is buried under other stuff while the extension is being built. I'm still thinking about how to use it :)
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I don't. I'm still in the same mind set as when I sewed with actual shops readily available. Decide I want to make something, find a pattern, get some fabric, make it. The only difference now is that I might buy a couple of patterns or more than one lot of fabric online to cut down on postage but I always have something in mind for the fabric even if I take a bit of time to get round to it.
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I have several lenghths of preciousness which I shall never cut. I was unhappy with my sewing and would be so upset if I made something crap from one of these fabrics.
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I'm trying not to, because it's just as unusable as an uncut length as a wadder... But I don't have $$ for the "good" fibres, and neither did my mom - I've got 2m of cream silk that she bought in 1993 and couldn't cut into and I haven't had the heart either! I'm trying to find the "perfect" pattern now, knowing that it was probably fabricland clearance fabric and will turn out horrible to wear in any case ><
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I've got huge amounts of fabric like that :S. I don't know where my confidence has gone despite all my training and experience, I look, fall in love and buy it, get it home and find I'm frightened to cut it in case I make a mess of it :S
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Any fabric I buy I'm frightened of cutting :'( the worry of not cutting straight, or being able to find the straight of grain, gets to me every time :'(
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Well there are the lengths of Linton tweed that have been maturing for several years.
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I've a length of self patterned grey silk which will be a beautiful shirt but it's got to be the right one and I've got to get the FBA perfect and I'm afraid of cutting it. It's well protected from light and moths though.
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I've got 2m of cream silk that she bought in 1993
I've got 3m x 45" soft white silk fabric bought in the closing down sale at David Evans of Crayford, so 2001. Still has it's price ticket; 3m x £7.95.
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I feel just like that about any fabric I buy off the roll. It has to be the right day before I take a deep breath and cut into it. Give me a remnant however and my confidence blooms - all those inhibitions seem to disappear.
Having said that though, I have 3 lengths of fabric that I bought in an Oxfam shop for a couple of pounds, at least 10 years ago - if not more. It is hand woven fabric, on a narrow loom, that someone has obviously taken great pains to produce. I have never cut into it because if I mess it up all their hard work will have gone to waste. Maybe I am wasting it anyway by not using it?
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Thought i would share this with you.
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Yes I'm completely with you all on this one and I'm glad I'm not alone! I've just bought a length of fabric from a local dressmaker who bought it from a nearby fabric shop which closed down over 20 years ago. Do I already have some fabric in the stash that I bought in the closing down sale from said shop? Oh yes!
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Yes my growing collection of liberty is sitting waiting. I still look for a pattern that I really love, but I do have quite a lot of it now. Hopefully a couple of the plain colours might help me take the plunge!
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I have drawers full of fabric that I love so much I'm afraid to use it. I may make a cutting out mistake (My big fear) or it may not fit, or there are too many awkward seams to match that pattern. -<
The other problem I have, is not wanting to waste any of the length. A 2mtr. pattern and a 3 mtr. fabric length is a definate no, no. :S
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Shakes head in absolute disbelief :ninja: :D
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Oh Low you are never destined to have a fabric stash...I have cupboards of fabric... I have become less precious about it.. I made myself a quick cotton robe from some Liberty fabric in the summer... I needed a light robe and I looked at my 'tiny' liberty stash and thought why not... I'm worth it and cut.. I have cut into fabric that was £200 a metre I can cut into my stash
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I do envy people who can make clothes <3
Just made half a dozen lavender bags for the charity shop... used up the last of my batik fabric I bought on impulse from Doughty's at the Exeter quilt show in April. I was tetchy at having fabric lying around for so long :| and got sweaty palms when I opened the container :| Now .. it's gone :D :toast:
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I have cut into fabric that was £200 a metre
:S HOW MUCH!!!
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It was the most beautiful French corded lace .. It was a wedding Dress and it was a short fitted dress .. it was for a friend of my sisters unfortunately the bride became a widow so I have never asked for a picture
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People .... you need to let this go. There will always be more beautiful fabric. Seems to me, if you bought the fabric to make something, then until its made into something, it is a liability, a waste of money.
I bought a lovely big piece of brushed cotton, wonderfully soft. It marinated in the stash for a few years, and then I finally committed myself and made a dress. Well it was my famous gertie dress, that was a complete disaster. But, I loved the fabric, so upicked the lot, cut a new bodice, and remade the dress. Its still not perfect, but its a dress that gets worn, which is better than a length of fabric that won't. If it hadn't worked, then it would have been made into a skirt, or cut up and used for a baby outfit.
I am guilty of loving fabric and being scared to cut. But I buy this fabric for me, and being frightened of it means that I am punishing myself. Be brave, and if it doesn't work out, better to have tried.
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I am trying to tell myself that if it's sitting in the cupboard then it's value is just the same as if I've made something that didn't work out But at least I've tried to do something with it, and I've had the joy of looking at it and planning something, and the sewing of it. Now there is a luscious length of silk....
The same with stuff I want to get rid of-it's not being used and it's just taking up space so I might as well give it to the op shop & let someone get the good of it, plus the charity gets the money. I could sell it myself but that takes effort (I've been thinking of that for 3 years, but never get around to it)
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I've been stash busting now for a while, and if there is no chance of making anything, then away it goes to the charity shop. Out have gone all patterned fabrics that look great on the roll but are so in your face when made up. Mutters grimly through teeth - plains and neutrals, plains and neutrals. The only thing still looking at me is a piece of Linton - might have to go shortly - don't know what I was thinking of, but it's pink!!
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Yes, I have this problem! But not because I'm worried about mucking something up, or it not fitting. I'm pretty unhappy with my weight at the moment, and I think anything I make at the moment, I'm not going to be happy with how I look in it :(
I am on a weight loss journey, so I also worry that if I make something that fits now, in a year it won't fit anymore. So, I've got some lovely fabrics in my stash that are waiting till I have hit my goal weight (or close to it). Mostly more expensive or unusual fabrics that I won't be able to find again if I want to make another version! Mostly some gorgeous wool coatings and a couple of unusual suiting fabrics that I want to make up into work clothes.
A couple of months ago I was having a bad time of it, not wanting to sew for the above mentioned reasons.... the way I got myself out of that slump was to go and buy some fabrics that I liked, but won't be devastated if I only get to wear them for one season, and make some nice clothes that fit me now, and accept that I'll be throwing them out/giving them away in a year's time!
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I'm guilty of fabric hoarding (all kinds of hoarding, precious fabrics to miniscule scraps and pieces that might do as interfacing or to make a trim). Taking stock recently I realised that if I don't cut into the good pieces they'll probably outlive me. DDs aren't especially interested in sewing, so precious silks could finish up being dumped. I'm just finishing a pattern for a beautiful cornflower blue silk velvet now. Got to use it.
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I’m not afraid of making a mistake or it not fitting, rather that I can’t make my mind up quite often which pattern to use, so it gets put away again
When we were clearing my Mum’s house, I gave a lot of her stuff that I really couldn’t take and gave it to the local college where she had taught dressmaking, believing it would go to a grateful home.
No such thing, not even a thank you. I vowed then that I wouldn’t leave anything behind for it just to be disposed of.......... I think I need to do something about it now!!
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I am fairly good at using up my ‘best’ fabrics, it is time rather than fear that keeps things maturing in the metal vintage trunks! If I am going to use an expensive or particularly pleasing (to me) piece where to waste it would bring a tear to the eye then I make a toile first, and if I feel I can live with the loss if it all goes wrong then I don’t. The only thing I haven’t used up is a very expensive piece of Chanel fabric, mostly because I can’t decide what pattern would really do justice to it. When the time comes though I’ll have to fight Toby for it, every time I take it out of the case he makes a beeline for it!
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Next year is going to be the Year of Busting the Stash. I have so much fabric I forget what's there....
My excuse is lack of time to sew, and also dithering about which pattern to use.
I have to admit to being a sucker for a nice piece of bargain fabric though.....
Jessie
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I'm amazed you have time for half the things you do J. between work, VAT returns and making for the next but one generation. I think I'd just flop in front of the telly :D
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I get up early Low! ;)
I don't sleep well, and reading in bed is difficult with my bad eyes, so I get up. It was ironing this morning, which has been left from the weekend so that I could crack on with the Belles. OH draws the line at me using the Overlocker so early though, as it's a tad noisy!
Having said that, I don't do much gardening now - my knees won't let me, and OH pushes the hoover around.... ;)
Jessie