Imagine a world without fabric stores...Every day I thank my lucky stars I live within easy distance of the garment district (if you consider a 35-minute train ride easy distance), where I have a world of fabrics within a few square blocks. For me, the fabric's the thing. As I slowly regain confidence in my sewing skills by tackling easier patterns first, I need the fabric to make the simple designs I'm choosing really shine. "It's all about the fabric, baby!" as Carolyn wrote earlier this week.
Case in point is the Kwik-Sew top I just made of silk twill. This pattern couldn't be more basic, but using fine silk twill made it look (I hope) pretty close to the J. Crew top I was knocking off.
If I didn't have the garment district, I'd have to shop online, even though I'd miss the whole tactile experience of fabric shopping. My only other local option is a poorly-managed Joann's store that's really only good for patterns and notions. Which brings us to this week's Fun Friday poll: Where do you shop for fabric? Hancock's? Online? A neighborhood store? Take the poll at right and let us know. (Please click through if you're reading this in your RSS feed.)
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Results of last week's poll about Summer vs. Sewing: Who cares if it's gorgeous outside—we'd rather be sewing! At least that's what 42% said. Another 38% said their sewing productivity levels will be the same as usual, and 20% said they're going to enjoy summer first and put sewing second. Here are some comments on the topic:Paula: "Slow down my productivity rate for the summer? Are you kidding? If I slowed down any more, I might as well sell my sewing machine!"
LoriV: "Summer is my favorite time of the year and I really enjoy being outside with my family and my flowers. I plan to be at the pool or the ballfields most of the summer."
Kristine: "Being a teacher, this is my sewing season! Sundresses for DD, fall "work wardrobe" for myself, and this summer, shirts for DH. Bonus: sewing room in the finished basement where it's ALWAYS cool!"
Alexandra: "I would love to put summer first but whoever is in charge of weather here in Germany hasn't figured out that 65F should be a low in the summer, not the high for the day. So... I'll be sewing at my normal rate."
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If Deepika ever wants to put together a Babes of PatternReview calendar, I nominate Dawn for Miss January 2009. I loved the cheesecake photo of her modeling her new BWOF jacket and am still chuckling over it. (Dawn is known as cabinbaby on PR.) Read Dawn's blog for her self-deprecating sense of humor and the glimpses of life in the Alaskan wilderness she shares with her readers.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
So it's not going to win any awards for design and beauty, but I think my new sewing table will work well in the corner of my family room that serves as my sewing nook.My weekend plans include assembling my new Sauder Sewing and Craft Table from Wal-Mart, which was highly recommended both by reviewers on the Wal-Mart site and on Stitcher's Guild. At $119, including shipping, the price was certainly agreeable, so I can put the money I saved toward those Chanel ballet flats I am lusting after—right? (I've decided that I am definitely the product of New England frugality, because spending $500 for a pair of ballet flats still seems exorbitant to me.) I wish this sewing table was a little more attractive but it met my basic requirements: wheels so I can push it out of the way, and the ability to fold it up and make it less conspicuous when I am not using it.
Enjoy your weekend!
18 comments:
There needs to be an option of "all of the above"! I do some at local brick and mortar stores (Joann's, Hancock Fabrics, and a store that specializes in knits), online, and my ever growing stash!
Stacy, I was tempted to add an "all of the above" response just like you suggested, but I figured most respondents would check that. So I settled for asking where you do the "majority" of your fabric shopping. This polling is tricky business!
Great job on all the polls, they are fun. Some day I am going to shop the fabric district in NYC, maybe you can be my guide!
Since re-discovering PR (and all the links/blogs it leads to) the majority of my fabric purchases are now made online. However, JoAnn's and the indpendent stores I have access to run a close second. The internet has definitely made me more selective about purchasing fabric at JoAnn's.
Nice functional sewing table purchase. But are you sure you have to put it out of site? You get a heck of a lot more sewing done with that machine staring you in the face!
I shop "all of the above," but I do try to make it to our little "garment district" area/Perth Street in Dallas every so often.
-Nneka
I was looking for an "all of the above option". I purchased fabric from online sources, but I really prefer to see and touch he fabric first. I subscribe to a swatch service and make many purchases that way.
I voted for online, but I do go into the city. I am a 90 minute train ride or a little less if I get the express train. I was only a 30 minute ride in I would definitely buy more in the city.
Jo Ann's? Pattern sales and notion sales only.
I shop mostly online because there isn't anything close to home (other than JoAnn's) and with gas being so expensive I'm not driving to Miami very often anymore. I also occasionally buy from Kashi at Metro over the phone. My stash is huge - probably 2000 yards or so - so I shop the stash as often as I can!
Locally there is Wal-Mart. Yup. That's about it. An hour away is a Hancock's and a Hobby Lobby which has a bit of cottons. Two hours away is Dallas where you can find everything, if you know where to look. Small towns really suffer.
Thanks??
My sister actually was a pin-up girl for some local calendar to raise money. Hee hee. I guess people really do look at my blog . . .
We have a great local fabric boutique called Three Sisters'. They have great stuff just not that much selection. We also have two J-marts.
I had to LOL - that stash had to come from somewhere - so, since Most of my older stash has come from independent fabric stores, with only the additions from the last year or so coming from online sources, I'm voting for indy's.
I do think that with the rapid decline in local independent fabric stores, shopping online is rapidly becoming the most important resource.
editing to add that just recently all of my fabric shopping is from stash. The flat collection must become 3D
Still gasping over the thought of a world without fabric stores!
Everywhere!
Lindsay - believe it or not but I make most of my fabric purchases online - even being a 5 minute train ride away from the garment district 5x a week!
Before this job I probably visited the garment district much more than I do now...but since I work horrendous hours and spend quite a bit of time getting back and forth to work...online fabric shopping really works for me!
It is open 24 hours a day...it doesn't need me to lug fabric home (the lovely UPS man does that for me!)...it can be sent back if it's not what I like (though it is rare for me to send a piece back!)...and when I NEED to shop it is ALWAYS open! *LOL*
I have cut my trips to the garment district down considerably especially since I know the names of the merchants of the shops now and I feel guilty just going in to browse...I feel like I have to leave with something...so many $$$$ later makes trips to bricks and mortars necessary only when I'm meeting someone or need an immediate fabric fixx!!!
Oh one more thing...I RARELY as in hardly EVER visit retail fabric chain stores...especially since the advent of Club BMV...patterns can be bought online as well as notions so there is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED for me to venture into those "hell holes"!!!
*capital letters for emphasis not shouting!!!
Other than the garment district, the only indie I visit is when I go down to Asheville, NC to visit family and stop in at Waechters Silk shop which is down the street from my MIL. I can't help thinking that a lot of indie fabric stores closed because of bad merchandising and not keeping up with the times. The stores that survive and thrive seem to be those that run workshops and fill a niche that the big chains don't.
They organize their fabrics with buttons and patterns and make samples using independents and great fabrics and trims. In other words they show you how to put their merchandise to good use.
The online stores I usually frequent are good at showing the fabrics and what goes with what.
I have quite a stash of fabrics that have come from many sources. When I first started sewing 21 years ago, I lived in New York and kinda sorta took for granted the wealth of some of the best fabric stores around! Since moving to the deep South, I have purchased most of my fabrics at Joann, Hancock, Walmart and a couple of indie stores with wonderful selections. It's been a dog's age since I purchased fabric online, as I prefer to touch and see the fabric in person before I make a decision on whether or not to buy it. I have purchased lace and elastics from Lace Heaven recently and I was absolutely pleased.
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