Finding Fabrics

It's a busy time of year for me so I have been trying to avoid a trip into NYC to  look for fabrics to go with my jacket fabric.  I had a very annoying time getting samples out of Mood.  Forget what I said about Mood having fixed their website.  It must have been an out of body experience because it's just the same as ever, just a little faster, which isn't saying much.  I regularly window shop on Net a Porter for ideas and boy do they have a great website.  Wonderful pictures, fast response time and when you use the back button you land where you left off, not at the  beginning of 7 or 11 or whatever the number of pages which is what happens on Mood's site.  I don't know about customer service because I can't afford to buy anything on Net a Porter.  Mood's customer service?  Nasty and obnoxious.  I have a PO box for mail and Mood says it doesn't ship to PO boxes.  However, it lists usps in their shipping list and they send out samples by mail.   One woman insisted that the site allows you to send to a PO box.  Not without a phone call or in my second try an email. The first woman I spoke to said I should have known to call them after all I should know that free samples go by mail.  I replied why can't they just fix the website?  I don't know about you, but I shop online after 5pm or on the weekend when they don't have hours.  What, I'm supposed to wait and call them when they are open?  Isn't that why we shop online, so that we can shop at our convenience?  

Enough. I love Mood in  person.   If I wanted to bore you I'd go on with a long list of what's wrong with their site.  But I won't as you can find out for yourself.  I buy a lot of fabric online, but not from Mood.  Oh, their samples, which finally came were only 'all right' and they didn't have the color I wanted in the fabric I wanted.

Next place I sent for samples is Banksville Designer Fabrics.  They sent gorgeous samples in the colors I wanted.  The fabric that I would use for the pants and tank top is a double sided charmeuse, but it's not shiny, more like a really gorgeous 4 ply silk crepe.  Only problem is that it's only 36" wide and I'd really have to figure the yardage carefully and cut it in a single lay, which is actually a good way to cut slippery fabrics.  They had a gorgeous gray silk organza for underlining my jacket and two luscious stretch silk charmeuse choices for lining the jacket.  I've decided that I want a hidden splash of color and I have a choice of hot pink or a light lemon yellow.   I am leaning towards the hot pink.  I love a charmeuse lining in a jacket, especially if I am wearing a sleeveless top underneath.  

I am still awaiting samples from B & J.  BTW, they have a website with gorgeous fabrics on it now.  They have chosen to go with unique fabrics and not basics, though they certainly have lots of plainer things in the store. I called and ordered samples.  One thing they do have is the largest selection of Liberty of London fabrics that I've seen anywhere.  The Tana lawn prices are  at the lower end of what I've seen.  If you are into these fabrics, do check them out.  They also have a large selection of guipure lace.  Gorgeous. 

Didn't get to finish my silk blouse yet but it's coming along.  We are leaving tomorrow  to spend Passover with  Josh and Sarah and Jakob.   Sunday Sarah and I are going to the park with Jake while the  Josh and Seth do the food shopping for Seder.   Can't wait.  

Have a great weekend, and if you celebrate Passover, have a good holiday.

Sewing For Fun

That's right, sewing is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  My escapades with the coat, which I still don't love, had knocked out my sewing mojo.  Then came the issues with my jacket pattern.  All not fun. 

Sigrid suggested I sew something easy to get back into sewing and I did; I  made a pair of pants. Yes, pants.  Without fitting issues pants are easy, especially when I sew them without waist and hip details, which I did.   Having that tnt pattern is really the ticket to making pants fun and easy if your body doesn't conform to the ideal body shape that the sewing companies use.  The other key to a flattering pair of pants is fabric that drapes well.  It just flows over all those lumps and bumps.  A certain weight is needed here as well.  One thing I did was add another inch to the length so that one, they are longer than I've been making them, and two that I could have a deeper hem which also adds weight and hangs well. 

Now I am sewing up two ufo tops.  One is a silk blouse and the other is double layer knit top that I started in the fall and it got too cold for  it.  

I'll show them when I get a new top done so that I have an 'outfit'.  Like Elaray, I really don't like sewing Swap's, especially those with lots of garments. I do however like to sew pieces that go together.  Of course, with my limited color repertoire almost everything goes to together in my wardrobe.