A good couple of days

Some may recall that some time back I asked for sites for historic costumes sites for a friend with a husband with a terminal condition and who was doing a fashion design course. Sadly my friend has had to give up the course but through her I met a lovely young Canadian woman who was also on the course.

Before my friend gave up, she asked if I would be the dressmaker's dummy for both of them so they could do pattern fitting on me and then make outfits for me as a part of the course work. The request was framed in terms of, "we want someone who doesn't have a perfect figure!". With such an invite, how could I refuse?

Anyway, to cut a long story shorter, my friend told me I had to dig our ALL of my stash and sort it as she and the Canadian girl would descend on me to pick suitable fabric to make the 3 outfits.

I was somewhat dismayed by this request as some of my stash I probably haven't seen for at least 15 years. When the Canadian girl asked me how I currently had it sorted, I told her that it was 'archaeological'.

What a job! Before I could get to the stash, I had to clean up the sewing room. I found the floor! I vacuumed. I moved in a bookcase. I filed all my books. I can now put my spinning wheels in my sewing room and my lace pillows. Then I got to the stash. How embarrassing! So much fabric (but thanksfully no moths or insects).

It took me AGES but eventually I laid it all out in the spare bedroom in a rough order Knits/woven/fleece/denim/lining/rib trim. Wovens in the order of linen/wool/cotton/silk. And then they descended, laughed and giggled, mauled and tugged. Finally the choice of jacket fabric was made (a hot pink silk with matching lining), and the pants and top are to be a white heavy weight linen.

But THE best thing is that I now have some order in the stash. I have it sorted into colour groups, got the husband to buy enough plastic bins today to put it into and have now been loading the bins up with the fabric that has already been washed and is ready to sew. The fabric that needs washing is gradually being overlocked (if needed) and going thorugh the washer. And what a day for fabric drying! It's blowing a gale of hot air and by the time I had hung out the last piece of fabric from the last load, the fabric which was hung out second to last and third to last were both already dry (synthetic wovens).

I'm now as happy as a pig in a good wallow of mud. What a feeling of achievement.

Reply to
FarmI
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*Phew* Now I'm exhausted and need to go sleep!

Want to come over and do mine? ;-)

Reply to
Pogonip

Congratulations!

I share in your feeling of accomplishment, I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. I love going into the sewing room now, and starting a project without first having to clear a bunch of stuff off the cutting table, search for the pattern, locate the notions, etc. And I found so many wonderful pieces of fabric! I really must make a prioritized list of garments to get made.

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Thank you for the congratulations :-) but I do feel that we have both earned accolades for our efforts. I didn't realise it'd be such a marathon effort to get the stash out. I knew the room was a pigsty but the blasted stash! I too have now been sifting through patterns and doing al ist in my head which I MUST commit to paper. I think I have the first 3 items all figured out so far.

Reply to
FarmI

Me too. I put the fleece jacket on the back burner for a couple of days. My younger DD works in a hospital lab and takes her breaks and eats her meals in the break room. She has to wear her scrubs, but worries about spilling food on them while she's still on duty. Long story short: she picked up some beautiful green/blue/teal/purple batik fabric a couple of weeks ago, and I'm making her a couple of "aprons" (AKA bibs) to keep in her locker at work.

Beats banging my head against the wall figuring out what to do with the Kwik Sew pattern alterations.

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

If you are in (or want to join) 'Fabrics and Notions' group on Yahoo!Groups, there is a 'template' for organizing a fabric stash.

Fabrics and Notions is a fabric and other items co-op group. It even organizes made-to-order fabric colors, ie. Maldon Mills chamois, fleece(s), Power Dry. Siltex interlock, SS fleece and ribbing.

There is no profit attached to the group. Just a great opportunity to get great fabric.

Just an idea, not an advertisement. AK in PA

Reply to
AK&DStrohl

Not a memeber of that group and I think I already spend too much time online anyway, but a few questions if you don't mind answering them:

Is it a database type template? Or something else.

Is this a different group to the Yahoo group? Is it a stash swap group?

Thanks for the thought.

Reply to
FarmI

You go into the F&N group page. Click on the link 'Files' on the left. Go down the page until 'Stash organizer'. I think it is a PDF file. Just down load it. No strings.

No, not a swap group.

Nope, same group. Well, actually there are four parts to the same group. FabricsAndNotions Main group where most of the action happens. FabricsAndNotions 2 Offers other items. Patterns, tools, thread, other specialty notions.

FabricsAndNotions Shipping Dept. FabricsAndNotions MTO Made to order fabrics. Arranges with manufacturers to run up a quantity of fabric to specific colors voted on by the group.

Lots of stuff. Addictive.

AK in PA

Reply to
AK&DStrohl

Wicked woman! I need another addiction like I need another hole in my head. I've printed out your post and will investigate it, but I warn you, I might come back here and bite you if I get addicted. :-))

Reply to
FarmI

Me! Wicked!

Just wait til the Evil Fabric Queens' (Ressy) wand gets you!

AK in PA

Reply to
AK&DStrohl

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