Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Circle Skirt Sew-Along: Supplies and My Almost-Demise

Supply shopping will be the death of me. This I know. I made my first outing to Jo-Ann Fabrics the other afternoon and was just about ready to take a butter knife to my eyes. I'm convinced it would have been a more pleasant experience than what I went through.

First there was the fabric selection. I won't go into the gory details but it involved five different phone calls to Mary before I finally made it out with this flannel black and grey houndstooth. You might recall I had great hopes of a green plaid but in the end, common sense won. This is my first* sewing project, after all. Can you imagine the horror of mucking up a skirt that used $25/yd. fabric? My $6 options were limited, so grey/black houndstooth it is. This will actually look quite nice with my black suede pumps with the floral applique and I can still see it paired with a really fetching hat.

Don't think my shopping nightmares ended there. After the fabric selection it was on to the notions and my gawd, the indecision. It took me almost three hours to buy all my basics ranging from a cutting board to hem tape. The process might've been easier had I been able to find anything but I'm convinced the overlords of Hobby Lobby are also running J0-Ann Fabrics. Nothing was in a logical place, everything was picked over (thank you, Labor Day sale), and there wasn't a single employee available to assist with questions. The cutting table line was 10 people deep and when I finally managed to check out I missed one tiny little package and had to cut back in line so I could pay for it with cash and get the hell out of there. Yes, I was that person.

The good news is when I made it home I wasn't so exhausted that I didn't want to whip out my sewing machine and try a few things. I managed to thread a bobbin on the first go, thread my machine, and I even sewed a straight line on a shirt I plan to throw away. It's the little things that count and better to get them out of the way before we jump into the actual sewing bit of the CSSA.

Do any of you dread supply shopping? Is it recommended that I stick to online purchases from now on?

*If you've read my bio, you'll know this isn't my first sewing endeavor. I actually had a daycare lady who was a phenomenal seamstress. I watched her every step from quilting to bed-skirt-making to dressmaking. Under her tutelage I made an apron, a two-piece pajama set in a funky sunglasses print, a drawstring tote, pillows (I liked to make bolsters for my daybed), and many other crafty items. It's just been, you know, years since I did those so for all intents and purposes we're calling this my first sewing project.

-Stephanie

3 comments

  1. But did you need strong drink immediately after escaping JoAnn's? That is the real test! Where have all the really good fabric stores gone? They used to be plentiful - places where you wanted to finger EVERYTHING and yes, you walked out with stacks of fabric that cost $25 per yard just because it was beautiful, never mind whether you had a clue what you were going to do with it. I guess online is really the way to go, but oh, I miss the touch and feel of yore. Good luck on the skirt. Can't wait to see!

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  2. Thanks Rebekah!

    The rum sitting on top of my bar was very tempting...

    Online shopping does seem to be the thing but it's so hard to tell how something will look when it's online. That houndstooth? It's not the most stellar thing ever, but it's quite soft. You can't tell it from the picture!

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  3. HI Stephanie, glad to see you have chosen your fabric. Believe it or not I was also tempted by some houndstooth fabric, I think it will look lovely as a skirt (and I'm guessing you wont need to worry about matching the pattern??)

    I'm also a fairly newbie sewer and yes the supplies shopping is definitely my downfall. I usually have an idea for a pattern, but then it all falls apart when I get to the fabric store as I have NO idea what to get! Plus, I don't know about you, but I find it all very intimidating.

    This was my first venture into online fabric shopping and I must say it was pretty painless. For someone like me, who has no idea what the fabric names mean, it is tricky to know what you are buying... And it is a bit of a challenge to see the colours sometimes... But then I guess you could say the same about any online purchase.

    Ok, well this comment is turning into an essay, so I'll leave you alone now! lol!

    Good luck with the skirt! :)

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