Stashoholism Confessional: NYC and More Fabric Mart

Source: style.com via Trena on Pinterest

So, shortly after we made our pilgrimage to Fabric Mart, I placed an online order.  The mustard ponte is the impetus for the order--I only bought one yard when we went to the brick and mortar store, and I realized that was just not enough.  I want this for a dress, suitable coloring be damned.  I had not made a Fabric Mart order since they transitioned to the new website (that is how good I had been!), so I was able to use the "WELCOME" code for 20% off the first order.  The prices reflect the discount.

One of the fabrics I had permission to buy on our Fabric Mart excursion was for a trench coat.  I didn't see anything while I was there, but when I saw this gold snakeskin-embossed coated linen on the website I couldn't resist.  Don't ask my why I didn't turn it right side out for the photo, but you can see a little bit of the right side at the upper left of the photo.  B&J has a coated linen snake print for $29.95.  My $6/yd is one fifth that price.  I think I got a deal.   In snoop shopping ideas for a gold trench, I came across this Burberry Prorsum.  It is from Spring 2006, so old news in the fashion world, but I don't think it has lost any of its allure in the intervening 6 years.  Love!

The silk/cotton, I realized when I received it, is what Karen made into her wedding dress!  It is really lovely stuff.  I am still contemplating patterns.  But at less than $4/yd for a silk/cotton?  Please.  No way I could leave it there.


As for the pique, again, $1.60/yd?  Please.   I like red/white/blue prints for subtle 4th of July stunt dressing, and also just for every day of course.

I was randomly looking through old posts the other day (a couple months after this order) searching for a specific inspiration piece and I stumbled across my Spring/Summer 2011 inspiration post.  Well, look what I found!  I had completely forgotten about this inspiration piece, but clearly I still love the fabric, lol.  I don't know if you can tell from the snippet in the photo, but it is definitely the same fabric (though the red flowers bled a bit in the wash and my white bits are now faintly pink, boo).





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As I have the past several years, I went to NYC in early November to give a speech for work.  What's a trip to NYC without a visit to the Garment District?  That's a rhetorical question.  I know you feel me.

This lot is rather boring and virtuous, sweaterknits for simple long sleeve tops.

I got this wool/silk from Paron for a CRAZY steal.  While I was in NYC I saw on Clio's blog that Paron had a Groupon.  I immediately bought it and printed it out in the hotel's business center.  For some unfathomable reason, this had made it into the 50% section (note:  at the new Paron, the entire back section is *not* the annex--you have to check each individual fabric to see if it has the 50% off tag).  The Groupon was $20 for $40, essentially a 50% discount.  So I got this at 25% of its original price--$6/yd!!!  This fabric was worth every penny of its original $24/yd price.  Huge bargain.





The fabric drapes well and isn't sturdy enough for a fitted piece.  I saw someone make Simplicity 1796 on PR and knew it was perfect for this fabric.  It doesn't look like much on the envelope, and I never would have chosen it from the catalog.  I got the pattern at Joann during the most recent sale and can't wait to make it.














I am required to inform you that Kashi is lonely and sad about not getting enough visits from bloggers/Pattern Reviewers.  Duty discharged.

The lace was just so cool that I couldn't resist.  I really love the lace trend, but find it difficult to wear in the office.  My tone-on-tone lace skirt is a staple (though not bikeable so I haven't worn it much lately), but  floral lace seems hard to make professional.  This square lace can totally work in the office, in my opinion.  I was thinking I'd make another tone-on-tone skirt, but now I am in love with the idea of a shift dress with a gold lining.  Which is more cocktail than office, thus defeating the purpose.  And my life is waaaaaaay more work than cocktail.  Le sigh.

The silk dupioni is for another obi, as I wear the three I've made all.the.time.  The RPL is for a dress--it is so hard to find stretch wovens!!!!  I'm not sure I love the color, though.  It was the only non-black/navy/gray color in the lot.  We'll see.

The lime-colored silk was an indulgence.  I have never seen anything of that quality.  The weave is something like habitoi, but fine with no slubs.  It has body, but isn't crisp.  The sheen is remarkable.  I just had to have it. 




And as you know, I've already sewn up this printed denim from Chic!

I also bought 10 yards of batiste.  My last source, Vogue Fabrics, appears not to carry batiste anymore and I was dangerously low--down to my last 1/2 yard, I think.  Chic's batiste is narrow, but the quality exceeds what I've bought from anywhere else--and it is not $4/yd anywhere else.  Frankly, I think they (or at least the salespeople) have no idea what they have on their hands.  The guy was kind of incredulous that I wanted that much of the fabric, and tried to sell me some shirting instead.  It is quite sheer, however, and may not add the needed opacity to some fabrics.  This time I prewashed in the bathtub, which wasn't fun, but didn't get it all creased up like using the washing machine.  I also ironed this SOB before rolling up it.  Ironing 10 yards of batiste:  not my idea of a swell Saturday night.

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I am woefully late in blogging this meetup, but it has been well-blogged, especially by Robin, our hostess (seriously, visit the post, if only to see how fab I look in the group photo.  I have no idea how that happened.  I am *never* the one who looks good in a group photo.)  Suffice it to say, we all brought truckloads of fabric and patterns to swap!



Given how much there was to choose from, I think we can all agree that I was remarkably restrained, lol.  (And Seraphinalina reminded me about the offset of bringing fabric to swap--I brought, in volume, about 3 times as much as I took.)



In addition to the fabrics pictured above, I also picked up some odd-shaped remnants in this starlight mint print in two colorways, perfect for whimsical boxers.  The boyfriend wears boring dark plaid boxers, so at his birthday and Christmas he can expect me to try to inject some levity into his underwear wardrobe.  It is my opinion that sewing up one fabric from a lot justifies the entire lot.  The boxers were made within a couple of days of the party.  Justified.  (And that denim dress?  Justified the entire NYC purchase.)

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In my defense on this one, I bought a Groupon to G Street several months ago and had to use it before it expired.  I bought several notions, and this gorgeous teal silk.  I normally am firm about resisting silk sheers.  I don't see the point of sheer fabric--it's not really "clothes" if you have to wear it with something else!  But this is my color, and the weave is really nice.  It's not a chiffon or an organza--the texture is somewhere in between.  It will be another Burda 02-2009-123 shawl collar wrap blouse.  And will you look at that?  The knit I got at the meetup (second from the right) will be excellent for a camisole underneath.  See, it all comes together.

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Source: saksfifthavenue.com via Trena on Pinterest

The excuse for this purchase from Fabric Mart was the cotton flannel for interlining a coat (which, err, is still in the flat fold stage).  It was 50% off, and PRers had described the quality as excellent.  I wasn't going to get that price, width, *or* quality from Joann, so I decided it was time to get it.

I haven't been able to get Cidell's gold shorts out of my mind so I ordered the metallic linen.  It's not quite what I expected--instead of a subtle sparkle it has visible silver lurex threads running through it.

I was drawn to this Maggy London wool blend for a Fall/Winter dress.   After I placed my order, I realized the fabric was perfect for this Oscar de la Renta dress ($1890) that was one of my top picks last year.  I have been looking for a suitable fabric since then, believe it or not.  It needed to be something with body, but not a lot of bulk with all the pleats. I really wish I'd bought another half yard.  Hopefully I can squeeze it out, which may entail narrowing the skirt.  Butterick 5558 (now out of print, unfortunately)--a Maggy London design, by coincidence--is a great pattern match.




Athletic fabrics for t shirts.  These are *excellent* quality--thick with great recovery.  Unfortunately, I was unhappily surprised by the colors of the two $6 fabrics.  The red is a very orangey red, not the blue-red it appeared on my monitor and that flatters me, and the "honeydew" is very, very pale and doesn't suit me.  I am debating sending them and the metallic linen back.  Does anyone have experience doing returns to FM?  Is it bad form to consider a return if there's nothing wrong with the fabric, I just don't like it?  FM is a great company and I don't want to take advantage of them.


My free bundle.  A friend just started taking sewing lessons and mentioned wanting easy-sew cottons to practice on so I will give her the cotton print.

I was not at all turned on by the red stretch lace--floral, you know--until I realized it would actually make a cute nightie (backed by an opaque knit!).  






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OMG.  I know.  Out of control.  I have been sewing diligently, I promise.  Alas, no amount of diligence can offset this damage in under a year.  Gulp.  I need to come up with a workable plan for fabric-buying this year.  Maybe every other month?