Better Living Through Literature
Words + Projects + Stuff I Like
I spent most of the weekend working on my lumbar pack and, um, getting another package of technical apparel fabrics and kits for waterproof dry bags and stuff sacks. (Meanwhile, the bookbinding supplies I bought last month look at me reproachfully from the corner. No obsession like a new obsession!)
Meanwhile, Toby just sleeps and smiles.
I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all the clothes and fabric in the house, so I’m REALLY trying not to buy more (and trying to think of non-clothes things to sew, like quilts or luggage). But. BUT. The new seasonal collection from Liberty is so good. SO good.
I mean, look at this David Bowie action:
Or this Temple-of-Athena print silk crepe in those COLORS:
I don’t have a silk crepe life. I don’t even have a Tana Lawn button-up shirt life, if we’re being honest. But, as the size of my fabric stash shows, that hasn’t stopped me before.
I’ve been working from home for two years in elastic-waist pants and t-shirts or fleeces. So why do I suddenly want to wear collared shirts and a ton of jewelry? I guess we can call it dressing for the job you want. Also, I discovered a place in Toronto that sells wonderful shirting and suiting: Sultan’s Fine Fabrics.
I may or may not have ordered a couple of these already (and also this rainbow stripe, of course) and I am 100% positive Sultan himself packed my order, down to the handwritten invoice and handwritten declaration of origin for US Customs:
The new seasonal Liberty of London collection is out and I just have to keep telling myself I do NOT need more fabric. Because it’s all pretty great, especially these prints:
“Glastonbury A“- can you imagine a skirt with a deep ruffle?
“Cloud Nine” – would make such a great “business but party” button-up.
I do NOT need more fabric, I do NOT need more fabric…
I have a literal room full of fabric, a list of what I want to make for the summer, three different machines–and I can’t get anything started. Some of it is the weather (lots of outside projects); some of it is work is taking all my brainpower lately. I also think some of it might be my brain refusing to accept that things are going back to “normal” and I will end up wearing clothes out of the house, after so long.
Has this lack of inspiration stopped me from buying fabric? Of course not. Please enjoy my latest find, checkered double knit in Hot Dog on a Stick colors from a Fabric Mart sale:
I don’t know what I want to make out of it, of course–a jumpsuit? elastic waist pants and a top? a jacket? but at least I’m prepared for when my sewjo comes back.
You might have noticed in yesterday’s post that I did end up buying the neon spandex I posted about a couple weeks ago. But what about fabric I already own? I was falling asleep the other night and pictured these three printed lawns all together–and then realized I had a pattern that called for 3 different prints, too.
There’s been a lot of fabric/sewing content lately but it’s about all that gets me excited at the end of the winter doldrums, coming up on a year into a pandemic. I want it to be spring, I want to be able to leave the house safely, and I want to do it all in a floral explosion of a prairie dress.
We haven’t had snow on the ground for more than a week this winter, which means all the brown and gray and dead lawn and plants are in full view. I am 100% sure this is why I’m shopping for neon yarn and fabric lately. I’ve bought a lot of yarn, but I am trying really hard to not buy fabric (because there’s nowhere to put it). Maybe blogging about it will help me not want to buy it?
I was idly clicking around Stonemountain‘s site and found this assortment of cottons that would look great together as a tiered ruffly top. Good thing I don’t have anywhere to wear a neon tiered ruffly top, or I’d have to buy all of these.
However, I DO go to the gym, and there is a lot of neon spandex over at Blue Moon Fabrics:
Hmmm… I go to the gym AND I’m about ready to buy a coverstitch machine. Maybe I DO need some neon fabric in my life.
I’ve been trying to be good about not buying any fabric to make office clothes, like blouses or blazers or pants, and instead focus on easy outfits that look interesting on Zoom calls. And I’ve been trying to sew from my stash, which is ample.
But I have always been a sucker for a Japanese print, so when Stonemountain had this samurai dobby a couple months ago, I didn’t think twice about buying it:
Then last month I saw Miss Matatabi had cotton crepe in a traditional print and, um, I also bought that and paid for shipping from Japan.
Then I discovered Fabric Godmother in the UK and saw that they had a line of exclusive fabrics using vintage prints and, while this rayon isn’t exactly Japanese, it has TIGERS and LAVA on it sooooo I bought it too:
I mean, fabric doesn’t have an expiration date, so I don’t have to figure out what to do with these right away. But I love them so much it would be nice to have them on my body. Maybe some jackets to throw on over a t-shirt for Zoom calls? Or to wear outside the house in a distant, rosy future?
This link has been widely shared on Sewing Instagram over the last day, but I thought I’d throw it here, too: A list of fabric/fiber/sewing shops that are BIPOC or ally owned., compiled by Pink Mimosa by Jacinta.
I spent some very happy downtime not reading the news and doing what I do best–fabric shopping–and found some fantastic things:
Since I’m always going to buy more fabric, I will try to make it be from more BIPOC businesses going forward. (Let’s be honest, I am going to click “order” on that first floral today.) If you too need to look at some pretty fabric for a few minutes, check out the list.