Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Celery

Well hello there!  I've been back from my trip for a few days, and slowly getting back into my routine and catching up with things that need to be done.  I'm hoping to write a proper post about my SUPER fun time in Toronto with a whole bunch of very lovely ladies, but today I want to talk about something that's weighing on me.  Consider this "True Confessions, Sewist Style."

So you know how you'll be on a diet and everything's going great.  You're controlling your urges and trimming down.  And then all of a sudden, you have a week-long cookie, ice cream and candy binge.  And then you have to spend the next month eating nothing but celery.

Well, whatever the fabric equivalent of celery is, that's what I will be consuming for the foreseeable future.  I now "owe" myself 2 fabric purchases, for which I'll have to create 8 garments from stash.  Ouch!

It all started pretty innocently.  I had one purchase credit available. (I've got a little tally in the right sidebar to keep myself honest.)  I decided that aside from a Robson Trench, which I've already started, the one thing I must have this spring is a floral bomber like all the cool girls.  And to up the coolness ante, I decided it must be silk charmeuse.  So I spent some time browsing all the websites I could think of, trying to find something that fit with the idea in my head.

I didn't find anything bomber-worthy, but I did stumble across this beautiful silk georgette, and I fell hard.



After a few days, I couldn't stop thinking how it would make such a great Nicola dress.  So I decided to table the bomber idea for a while and use my available purchase to buy this.

Of course, the next day, when I went to JoAnn's to pick up the notions for my Robson, my eye fell upon a fabric that was exactly what I had in mind for the bomber!


Even though it's polyester charmeuse instead of silk, the colors and style are exactly what I wanted.   At $6 a yard, it's a lot more economical too, and I won't have to worry so much about messing it up.  So I went ahead and broke my diet.  Not even sorry!

Of course, the following day, I found out that a fabric I'd been wanting from Hawthorne Threads had come back in stock.  This is the Robert Kaufmann small herringbone chambray, and it tends to sell out quickly.  Since I'd missed out on it last time they had it, I figured - in for a penny, in for a pound - and I broke my diet again!  I've been planning a denim or chambray dress for spring, and this is the fabric I wanted to use.  So, still not sorry!


And then there are the Roaming Charges (Andrea - that's a little joke for you!  For the rest of you:  I got totally freaked out by the idea of incurring massive roaming charges in Canada because I forgot I was in a foreign country!)

Incredibly, although Andrea took me around to all the fabric stores in the garment district in Toronto, I only purchased one piece of fabric.   This is a 60" piece of 60" wide silky soft polyester georgette, which I bought to use as a huge scarf - so really it wouldn't even qualify as a fabric purchase, right?  But it doesn't count anyway, because I gave myself a travel allowance of 4 pieces of fabric per trip.  Sadly, I also made that allowance non-transferable, so it doesn't help me out of my sticky situation! 


How cool is that?!

And then there's the very generous and lovely gift Andrea gave me.  Look:


 Gah!  I can't even believe it!  It's the one with the jewels!  So, so beautiful!  Thanks again, Andrea!

So, I'm five pieces of fabric heavier than I was a week ago, but I'm going to try very hard to be good from now on.  For some reason, I always feel compelled to tattle on myself.  No one would have known if I'd kept my mouth shut, and then you guys would all think I'm a great role model.  But that's just not how I roll!

22 comments:

  1. Gifts don't count against the stash diet at all, and your other purchases are wonderful and are already earmarked for particular garments. So don't feel bad, just go forward and start sewing! Maybe you'll sell off some older items in your stash, too (I know you sorted through it earlier for swapping, but there may still be something left behind that would stimulate someone else's sewing mojo more than it does yours).
    -- stashdragon

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  2. The funny thing is, you'll probably get nothing but ENABLING comments here, HA! I'm looooving your new fabrics, but especially that silk georgette and the herringbone. Diets are for quitters. ;)

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    1. Oh man, you called it, Susan! I felt like I should fess up since I was one of the people who got everybody else to go on a stash diet! These gals are all enablers!

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  3. I, Nakisha, self appointed chief queen master enabler...approves!!! :-)

    Gorgeous fabrics!

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  4. OMG that fabric for the bomber is just THE BOMB!!! You could always send it to me if you are feeling too bloated (just kidding). I agree with Susan that everyone here will help you justify your purchases. I know I’m supposed to keep you on the straight and narrow, but, well, I like what you got so I can't even say you were bad. How about we’re just good from now on? Pinky swear? As for the roaming charges, they were all a figment of your imagination: you could have gotten MOAR! (I’m thinking of the green polka-dots).

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  5. You know what? You really can't be sorry about any of that. I mean, if I thought you'd been reckless, I'd tell you. But you've actually just been practical. You would have had to get mad at yourself for sticking to the stash under those circumstances. It's kind of like sometimes you have to have a cheat meal (or week).

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  6. This post reminds me of the Tell-Tale Heart! I think you've justified it all beautifully and you've totally sold me! The fabrics you've bought are gorgeous and gifts certainly don't count (the Liberty from Andrea is just beautiful). I think you get extra fabric points anyway for tackling jeans and a trench coat. Oh wait - that means I get extra fabric points too!

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    1. I'm so easy - I'm always willing to give everybody (including myself) extra fabric points! But that's not going to get us out of the pickle we've gotten ourselves into, is it?!

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  7. Can't wait to see the coat and jacket! And I love that herringbone. Completely justified, in my world. Welcome home!

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  8. Look, on holidays you are allowed to break your diet a little bit...the odd treat now and again does you good :) And they are all gorgeous little tidbits, not that calorie rich really.

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  9. Wow, these are all so beautiful! I can see why you were tempted! I'm really excited to see these turn into garments! I had a terrible month in March for fabric accumulation- I panicked when my Mood project wasn't going well and bought a backup fabric, then I made a splurge purchase during a big meetup with out-of-town visitors, and THEN Clare brought me a lovely fabric gift... all told, I was up about 9 yards by the end of the month, eek! Luckily you're a pretty quick stitcher, so I've no doubt these will be out of your stash and into your closet in no time!

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  10. You have such a swanky eye for fabric.

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  11. Totally been there! Didn't buy the groupon for TDO meetup so I wouldn't spend money, but ended up buying two adorable prints at the Needle Shop later in the day - OH WELL! :) More power to ya!

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    1. Hahaha! The Diet is the reason I didn't sign up to go to TDO! But then I ended up being out of town anyway :-)

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  12. Meh you've had a great first quarter! Enjoy your pretties and move on my friend! No judgement here ;)

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  13. I think each of these purchases was totally justified! I get the feeling you don't feel too guilty, but you shouldn't feel guilty at all!!

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  14. Oooh, gorgeous! You shouldn't feel guilty at all about buying such beauties. The silk georgette in stunning, and that Liberty fabric is one I've had my eye on lately.

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  15. You have plans for all these fabrics laid out so they're very practical so buys! And asides from that - they're all such gorgeous fabrics! No guilt necessary.

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  16. As far as I'm concerned, purchases with a direct plan are completely legitimate. Just sew them up quick sharp and you can pretend you bought clothes instead of yardage.

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  17. I hear you Gail. Not two days after I told a friend of mine how I intended to sew down the stash, I drove to Hancocks on lunch and bought three pieces of fabric. My friend said "what happened to what you said the other day?" haha. Oh well. Hard not to want to acquire beautiful things, and you sure did! Can't wait to see the finished products!

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  18. These are some beautiful fabrics Gail! I think the fabric stash dieters will forgive you, no problem. Thing is, if you are going to use it and especially if it's on sale (a big one for me, I LOVES me a deal), then why not get it, right? Nice liberty gift from Andrea. It was also SO lovely to meet you on your trip here. I had a terrific time, and I'm so happy that I was able spend the evening with you!

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    1. It was nice to meet you too! I had such a great time with all you Toronto ladies!

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