Wednesday, April 22, 2009

What Fabric Attracts You?

Welcome to Windsong Fabric!

When you are on a fabric journey... how do you select your first destination? You walk into the store.... the possibilities for all the glorious garment fabrics before you overwhelms...

Where do you start?
Which do you go to first?
Are you usually on a mission to fill a specific need... or a pleasure trip to see what can evolve in your mind's eye with the temptations in front of you


Do you head to your favorite color?

Do you follow the signs to a particular fiber?

Do you let your fingers be your guide and first succumb to texture?

Where does the adventure take you?

5 comments:

  1. Locally, because we are very limited here, I don't bother to shop unless I have something specific to get. I head straight for it and rarely get sidetracked. I know what is there and it is pretty blah.

    However, there are several shops out of town that I visit. The process is very different; it is for pure pleasure. Usually, it begins visually with a quick scan of the whole store. A color or sign for Silk, Wool etc. will catch my eye. That determines my direction/destination. This is where texture comes in - along the way I have to touch and feel the fabrics. My husband makes the appropriate ooohs and aaahs; he is a pretty good sport. Generally, it takes a while to get where I was originally headed. Eventually, I make it through most of the store. I really hate to miss anything.

    I often buy a piece of fabric that I love with no plan in mind. Sometimes it goes with nothing else in my stash (until I get to a good fabric store again, that is). Most of the time the fabric tells me what it should be made up in. Then begins the search for a pattern. Or I will revise one I already have.

    The whole process is wonderful. I can while away many hours lost in my own world.

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  2. Leslie thank you for posting! As you've probably surmised I am new at blogging and for some reason I wasn't seeing any new posts.

    Hopefully more will join in along the way and we can talk about other fabric/sewing topics as they strike us.

    For me the answer is TEXTURE! Even if it's a bad color if I see texture my fingers lead the way... then I start thinking "could I dye it?" (but I never do!). I am often on a trek to get something specific but of course one must look at all that's in the store as long as you're there anyway, right?!

    I am a firm believer that when the fabric tells you what it should become while it's still sitting on the bolt in front of you - there is no doubt that it should go home with you. :)

    Where is local vs. out of town for you?

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  3. Hi, Karen.
    I have read your comments on other sewing sites. By the way, I'm using my wife's blogger identity. I hope I don't muck things up. I am still looking at Pfaffs. I saw one on ebay that looks like an awesome machine - the 2058 Performance Sewing Machine. Should I buy some reconditioned Pfaff off of the internet? Should I stay with my local guy - even though he is old and looks like he's ready to move to Naples? I do really like the Expression 2.0, but geez, look at all those stitches on the 2058 ! Karen, I don't even need a machine. I am this way with pianos and old stereo consoles. It's a crazy obsession! I want to sew, but should be happy with the Creative 3.0. Any more advice would be most welcome. Bert.

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  4. Sometimes I buy the fabric because it attracts me in one way or another (texture, color or a combination of both) but usually I'm starting with a model.
    (I'm also going to start my own blog soon)
    Wishing you many happy hours of sewing, Phebe

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