Fabricholism...

[Kate XXXXXX]

First let me say that really is some gorgeous material.

Second I spent several hours in JoAnns the other day because of their wonderful 40% off coupons coupled with 10% off total coupons helping several people pick out the right material and trims for new outfits only to find the most wonderful material for my own outfit.  By the end of the shopping trip I was out of coupons everybody had their material and patterns and I also had my material without paying a dime for it.  I think I just crossed the line from fabriholic to fabric-ho.  My fabric was purchased for me in exchange for sewing a couple of the outfits.  I know I should feel dirty and disgusting but I just feel great staring at my new fabric. 

I need a program to save me from myself.      

I crossed that line a looooong time ago...  The waters on the far side are deep, murky, richly coloured, and scented with a million dyestuffs.  There is no way back.  And just up that side creek is a maze of twisty little passages that all look just the same, lined with shelves of therichest and most exotic trims.   

[LadySeasan]

oh god! i just got a couple of yards of fabric from Goodwill (well they were actually drapes-but they are awesome) for $8!!! I was so happy for that find.

pictures and actual measurements to come soon-I will definitely need you ladies help in deciding what to make

[Lady Grape]

Good heavens I have created another fabricholic and garbaholic and she doesn't even sew!!!!!!  I outfitted a (renewing of vows) wedding party last year and now she wants her family outfitted again for some gothic event in November, plus she found some other material that she thinks would make another renaissance dress.  Good part is i'm being paid in fabric, bad part is i'm too busy to sew my own clothes.  I now have a new tub for fabric that has her name on it.   

[francesca de la calabreze]

Hello, my name is Francesca and I am a fabricholic..(a material girl)... At one point my front room was totally unuseable because of boxes of fabric..(6-8 in all) and that does not count the fabric and boxes in my sewimg room..  I am moving from Denver to Albuquerque and have already moved much of it. 

This past Monday I spent a little time in JoAnn's and came home with another $200 worth of fabric (polar fleece for blankets and cloaks and cotton for bloomers). 

[Artemisia]

Thanks to your tips ::pointstousualsuspects:: I now store all my fabric in 95qt clear plastic totes. I was able to fill two of them with fabric. This is good - I don't have much fabric. Don't need more fabric. Must sew what I already have...

::looks at now empty wire shelving and twitches::

[LadyStitch]

One of the few times I was glad I'm fabraholic.  We needed a pair of last minute breeches in brown.  I had brown twill in stash.  I needed last minute cotton bloomers with lace.  Had cotton and lace.  We needed a black skirt the next day; had black cotton on hand.   Yay I used up stash fabric.   Then the next day went and bought 150 more  fabric to "replace" it 

[irish]

OMG!!!!!!!!
Joann's is having a huge sale the 10th of October! Red Tag material 50% off and Simplicity patterns 99 cents!!!!
I am going to find some control......lol!

[Lady Rosalind]

Went in to Target to get some basic household supplies, and managed to find two panels of rusty red 100% cotton velvet curtains! $6.24 a piece! Just short of 4.5 yards, so I have to go to another Target to find at least one more panel. The fabric is a little more maroon than I like, but as it is cotton, I may try to dye it a brighter red.

Plus, I also scored a gorgeous white embroidered cotton valence for about $2, to be turned into a caul, and a panel of very delicate woven-striped cotton ($4) that I am going to turn into a partlet and another caul, maybe ruffles on a high-necked smock (the panel is not long enough for a smock).

Did I mention that I have the makings for about 4 noble gowns now???

[Kate XXXXXX]

Thanks to your tips ::pointstousualsuspects:: I now store all my fabric in 95qt clear plastic totes. I was able to fill two of them with fabric. This is good - I don't have much fabric. Don't need more fabric. Must sew what I already have...

::looks at now empty wire shelving and twitches::

TWO???  Oops!

Fabric:


Thread:


Patterns:


There were 57 boxes of fabric and other related stuff, plus 5 bags when those photos were taken a year ago, but I've added more since then, and it doesn't show the stack of rolls...  Or the 4 dress stands...
Not all the plastic boxes of thread fit in the thread stack.
There are 12 of those red crates, plus the over-spill in shoe boxes.

OK, so some of the boxes contain service items (I have one small one of craft fair admin stuff like bags and leaflets, and one of coat hangers for customer garments), and a couple contain completed craft items ready to sell, but still...

I am slightly relieved that there is a large pond between me and the nearest Joannes!

[Lorraine]

I moved back into my Mom's house a few months ago before some surgeries I've needed for awhile and they only had room on a small staircase landing for my sewing stuff. I started out just shoving a dresser there and heaping up my giant plastic boxes but decided it was too much work trying to haul it out and dig through everything and never knowing what I had or how much of it was left. I spent the first part of my recovery searching for an armoire on craigslist that had both a closet rod and shelves. My next project was to bolt all the furniture to the wall and bolt an ironing board rack on the side of the armoire. I then cut out a bunch of rectangles from a large sheet of corrugated plastic and serged, washed, ironed, and wrapped all my cottons so they would fit nicely on the shelves. I was amazed at how much smaller my fabric stash got when it was put away nicely, each of those "books" is 2-20 yds. I also cut some winding boards out of the plastic using a dremel and detangled my massive heap of trims and put them away. I even went so far as to color coordinate all my thread boxes and label them, and made the top two drawers in my white dresser my boning drawers with new drawer dividers. Oh, I also bought a sewing box, have never had one of those before. Heres pics of my completed project, the top shelf is trim and embroidery supplies, the 2nd shelf is two rows deep of cottons, the 3rd is twill and beading supplies, and the bottom is for notions and grommet supplies. I only had room for my embroidery machine in the cabinet, my sewing machine and serger will have to remain housed in the downstairs bookshelf for now until I can move out.

[Kate XXXXXX]

That is VERY neatly stacked.  Well done!

[Artemisia]

Good Lord women, don't enable me!
Okay, I bought a third tub.

But that's it. No more. Must sew what I....

...

::looks at photos, gets glassy eyed look and drools at the very thought of having that much fabric to choose from::

[Lady Rosalind]

And... I added to the stash this weekend, in a BIG way.

1st find: At the Joann's in Des Moines, stuffed in amongst the red tag fabric, I found 3 yards of navy blue dupioni silk, marked $5/yard! Best part of this was, when the girl scanned the upc on the yard, it rang up as being on sale for $2/yard!!!!!!!!!

2nd: Bought 6.5 yards of black dupioni silk for myself, to make a new dress for next season. I need something lighter weight for early in the season (It was way warmer than usual this year, after a summer than was cooler than normal, go figure). Used my 50% off coupon, so it was a little less than $8/yard. I bought what was left on the bolt, but needed more, as I wanted to make both a regular bodice, and a doublet bodice.

Hence, the trip to the Joann's here in Ames, where I bought another 3 yards of black silk (40% off), and managed to grab the last 4 yards this incredibly gorgeous iridescent peacock blue silk at 50% off:

Yummy!


It is a little more blue than shown here, and the other color to this gold. Just gorgeous, and I wish there had been more! I am still working on plans for this dress, but I plan on using the blue for accents, and the lining of my doublet bodice (which will be worn open over the regular bodice). I am making my own trim out of the blue silk, along with another gold trim. I have never been more excited about a new dress!!!!

I may have to sell off some of my other stash fabric, especially the maroon velvet that I really don't want to use. I will be making a dress for our princess this winter, and she'd look gorgeous in maroon (she has very fair skin, and auburn hair). I spent more on this silk than planned, but it was worth every penny!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Those all look like really nice finds at totally brilliant prices.  Well done!

[CountessofPhoenix]

Hurricane Ike really has limited my fabricholism. Two weeks of time on my hands to do anything I wanted, ( no nursing school) and I had no electricity! Finally week three arrived and after 21 days without power voila everything works except my kitchen. (had to replace the fuse boxes due to damage from storm) Since I sew at kitchen table nothing got done. Last Sun. 4weeks and 2 days after hurricane we have whole house powered. Started sewing for TRF, in amongst studying for tests, feeding family, trying to put house back together, etc...... Don't have funds for new fabric, storm ate all money. So please think of me when you are fingering material at stores!!!!!