Shopping Booty- Part 4

Part Four: Fabric and Notions

This is the section of shopping booty that has me the most excited. Now don't get me wrong, I love ready-to-wear as much as the next person, but I especially love finding fabrics and trims that inspire me to create. I don't do it for myself nearly as often as I should, but I'm trying to change that. Finding the time isn't always easy, but I love the end result, so I really should make it more of a priority. Hopefully by putting it out here on the interwebs exactly what my plans are, I'll basically be forced to follow through. So, on to the booty:

In the pile above you see 3 yards of deni, 2 yards of black & white floral print cotton, 1 yard of yellow cotton sateen, 1 yard of grey cotton eyelet, 2 thin headbands, 2 feather pads, 2 zippers and a dozen copper colored studs.


All fabrics were purchased at Mood (yes the same one where they shop on Project Runway). I love Mood mostly because of the amazing fabrics, but I also love Mood because they have a bag check at the front of the store. Do you have any idea how much easier it is to shop with your hands free? I'm the type who likes to pull the bolts of fabric out, roll out about a yard and a half and then step back and stare at it for a minute, thinking about the drape, the weight, the color- all important factors in choosing a fabric. Mostly I like to have a strong idea of what I'm making before I start shopping. In Mood, this is key, because if you go in without a gameplan, you'll be easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fabric choices available. Once you're a little more comfortable with what a store has to offer, you can loosen the reins a bit. That's what I did on this particular trip. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to make, but mostly I went in looking for fabrics that inspired me.


I've been thinking about making a simple black and white sundress for a while now, so that's where the black & white floral cotton comes into play. At $10 per yard, it's a good price, especially considering it has a bit of stretch to it (which will make the dress comfortable) and even more because it's a much more interesting black & white print than any other I've encountered locally. I have no specific design plan in mind, but since the color scheme is so basic, it will be easy to supplement with inexpensive fabrics purchased locally should the design call for it.


Next up is the denim. I have NO idea how the dress will look that I plan to make with one exception. I know I want to incorporate a navy blue pleated satin that I purchased a few months ago. It will be incorporated into the skirt, but I'll keep the details top secret until I actually execute it. I'm excited to work with denim as it is not a fabric I get my hands on as frequently as I'd like. It's an easy fabric to work with. The one I purchased was slightly damaged which is why I got such a bargain for it- only $8 per yard. Based on the design in my head, the damage to the fabric should not be an issue. Only time will tell how that actually plays out.


The other two fabrics- the yellow sateen and the grey eyelet- are designated for a skirt I plan to make for myself. I've been trying to incorporate more skirts into my wardrobe and I'm really looking forward to this one because of the color and fabric combination. I admit I was a bit torn between a salmon sateen and the yellow I ended up with. If the eyelet had been a little cheaper, I may have gone with both and made myself 2 versions of the same skirt, but at $25 per yard, I was only prepared to purchase enough for one skirt. I felt the yellow and grey was a more interesting combination of colors, a little more fresh and also a little more out of the ordinary for my closet. (When I shop and/or sew, I'm all about adding pieces that are unlike anything else I own.) I hope to put this skirt together this weekend and wear it shortly thereafter. Once again, time will tell.


Finally, the other notions and trims I bought are for some simple projects- the feather pads will each be glued to one of the headbands, creating two fun fascinators. The copper studs will be used to embellish a leather cuff I've been planning to make and the zippers are for the grey skirt and the denim dress I mentioned above.


I'll keep you all posted on the progress of my projects as I work on them. Have a great night, everyone!