The one that got away...

[gem]

Do you have any depressing stories of garb pieces you passed on, or fabric/trim/etc you talked yourself out of buying because you didn't "need" it? Let's share!!

For me, I think all the time about this fabric I saw all one winter at Joann, but knew I didn't have room for in my stash. It was a crosswoven blue-and-cocoa brown corduroy that was just amazing! I have never before or since seen changing-color corduroy (and I've searched in vain!). It would have made a splendid doublet for Milord. Alas.

[DonaCatalina]

Golden D'Or had two bolts of 100% cotton jacquard. One was a forget-me-not blue and the other was black. I passed on both because I had just invested in a large fabric purchase. By the time I decided I wanted them for my stash, they were gone. Of course this was about 5 years ago and I've learned my lesson.

[Adriana Rose]

I had gotten some really pretty purplish/mauveish almost tapestry weight jacquard for 1 DOLLAR a yard and I stopped at 4 yards because I didn't have the space. I went back for the rest and it was gone  I really kicked my self on that one!

[irish]

Oh I have swore at myself in buying 'just enough'!
The fabric was priced at $20.00 a yard for the sale price of $1.00! I only had $5.00 in my pocket at the time....so that's a good reason, but when I went back 2 days later, it was gone! 

[PrincessSara]

10 yards of red/gold Scalamandre silk damask for $98....I will never get over that loss.  I still don't know exactly what I would use it for, and I would probably mostly just stare at it and be too terrified to actually cut it, but 10 yards of Scalamandre!  Just one yard of that stuff usually goes for around $200.  Unfortunately it was an online order and I don't have a credit card of my own, and I wasn't able to talk my mom into ordering it for me because I didn't have a specific project planned for it.  Ah, my indecisiveness and lack of negotiating ability!

But this sort of thing happens to me often.  My local fabric stores never, ever have anything remotely period appropriate (this is quilting country) so I order pretty much all of my fabric online.  I often see things that I love and are really decent prices, but since I don't have a project planned for them I don't order them because I can't justify the purchase to myself.  Although sometimes that turns out to be a good thing, as I learn more about costume and fabric and so on, because I've not bought a lot of things that I really wanted at the time but now I wouldn't buy.

[Cilean]

Fabric regret it is just not right. 


Okay so my story began at Costume College and down to the LA Fabric District, I had just spent a lot of money and I found this chenille that was purple and silver, my personal favorite colors.  It was $18.00 per yard and I really did not need it, but it was purple and silver so I picked up 2 yards.   Then I made a choice to reupholster my chairs and it went went towards that. i called Home Fabrics and they sold out of it and I have never found the same every again.

In fact this very thing is the reason I began to create my stash!  Because I did not have any space to put the chenille I could not in good thought bring the fabric back home. I was of the opinion that if you needed to use the fabric that is why you bought it.

Cilean

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I learned my lesson years ago regarding fabric so unique.

I have in my stash yards of fanric bought for future projects I have not gotten to yet, but will some day for myself or someone else. This past Sunday, I bought 8 yards of a Eggplant shade of Taffeta with Blackish/Silver flowers on it for a gown, 5 1/2 yards of a lovely Tapestry print perfect for Doublets or Bodices. I did not need to buy this extra fabric, but if I hadn't, I would have rued my decision to save money.