OT: Wish me luck

Oh, man! I love that bag. Please do post a pic when you're finished.

Re: Zippers: I had to put a zipper in the A-Line skirt, which was my Home economics project in 1970. An "invisible zipper" as they were called. The teacher made me rip it out twice. Nearly in tears, I sneaked it home in my bag and asked my Grandmother, an expert seamstress, to just do it for me. She was incensed that she got a C.

I'm sure they're really not that hard. But let me know., :-)

Sherry

Can't wait to see it Sunny.

Hi Sunny,

To put it into perspective, how does it compare with the intimidation/ trepidation you felt making your first quilting project? (If you can remember back that far... 8^=C6=BF )

I don't know if anyone else has heard this, but in discussions with LQS people about fabric shops in "the good old days", I've heard mention several times now that there is a resurgence of interest in garment and other non-quilting sewing and that we may begin to see real fabric stores again instead of just quilt shops stocked with cotton and flannel.

Doc

You don't need luck!

I'm sure that with your quilting experience, this is going to be a breeze for you!

Look forward to seeing pics!

Claudia

that's a hoot Sherry! cheers Bronnie

LUCK TO YOU! I'm scared of zippers too - but Lyn5 says they're simple. hhmmmppphhh.

Musicmaker

Zipper sewing tip: It's much easier to get a neat stitching line if you do it with the zipper closed. But even using a zipper foot, the pull sometimes gets in the way. Solution: when you get close to the pull, leave the needle down, lift the presser foot, and carefully open the zipper just past the point where you have already stitched.. You'll only have to do a little bit with the zipper open.

Nice bags >Tomorrow and Thursday I'm going to be in a class to make the

You'll do fine - I have no doubts at all! I can't wait to see pics.

Best of luck, Sunny! Have a wonderful time, and good luck with the zippers. :)

ONE stitch at a time. If you amke a mistake STOP THERE, undo it, and start again. Don't sew to the end and then have to undo...it's much more frustrating that way.

NOT just on zippers--even with regular sewing. Stop as soon as you realize you made an error, correct it, and go on.

With it being flat, it'll be easy for the first, easier for the 2nd and a Piece o' Cake for the 3rd.

There. Now you can do it

Butterfly (also waiting for pix)

Oh man oh man oh man, I HOPE that it will get easier to find garment fabric! I really can't wear polyester, so that cuts out 90% of the "garment" fabrics at JoAnn's. 3/4 of the rest of them are juvenile prints. Which leaves slim pickings! Hancocks is slightly better, not much. So I have to shop online and you can never be sure of matching colors.

How I would love it if it were easier to find decently-nice garment fabrics!

One of our LQSs started out about 20 years ago with garment fabric & quilt fabric, but gradually dropped the garment stuff because quilting cottons sold better. The last few years they've added back in some rayon batiks. It's a step in the right direction! It would be an improvement just to have more "real" fabric in the chain stores, and some nice garment fabrics in some of the independent LQSs.

Dragonfly (Pam)

Hi Pam,

Maybe it's where I live. During the "good ol' days" I was reminiscing with the LQS folks, we had a place in Rochester called Farrel Bros. They had some kind of connection/contact at some southern fabric mills, and brought fabrics to town by the truck/RR carload - all kinds. Their "store" was 3 floors in an old factory building (no frills, pipes & conduit running everywhere, 8 ft. flourescent lighting, unfinished squeaky wooden floors... the works - but cheap rent!) They sold fabric of every kind imaginable... BY THE POUND! Coolest fabric place I ever saw. Reminded me of a used bookstore (The Annex?) that used to be in Cambridge that sold BOOKS by the pound! Ahh... the good ol' days...

When my mom passed away we had to split up her stash. Mom never made a quilt that I know of; her stash was mostly wools for making suits & skirts and lightweight stuff for blouses/dresses, but beautiful timeless quality stuff nonetheless. What the family didn't want went to friends of family and then local charities.

Check some of that polyester again (the cloth - not the resident expert). We were shopping upholstery fabrics in Joann's for a dog bed, and there were some rolls of stuff I would have *sworn* was 100% cotton (look, feel/texture/washability/breathable) but it was poly... The technologies they are a changin'...

There are (at least) 3 quilt shops (not including joanns) within 25 miles of here that sell fashion/home decorating fabrics.

Remember the old Singer stores? :-) I do, but just barely and I

Doc

It's where you live. Nothing like that here. The only polys at the JoAnn's and Hancocks are prom satins, silkies, and polar fleece. None breathe! And I live in New Mexico, so breathability is important.

We have 6 quilt shops in the metro area, plus 3 JoAnns and 2 Hancocks, but almost NO garment fabric.

Dragonfly (Pam)

Hi Pam,

I have no idea of the size or demographics of your community, but when I see statistics like that, something just sets pinging lightbulbs off in my head... [Obvious need] + [Gaping hole] =3D Potential Opportunity!

I'm not suggesting anyone drop everything and plow their nest egg into a fabric store - that could be foolish. I'm just making the kind of observation some entrepreneurs look for.

Last time we visited a relative in the southwest we decided to order a pizza the last evening of our visit. Lo & behold, in a community 1/10 the size of the one I live in (which has 4 successfully operating pizza places) there was only ONE pizza place, and they closed at

I guess time will tell if this alleged revival of interest in other kinds of sewing is true, and if so to what extent.

Doc

About 600,000 or so in the Albuquerque metro area. My ASG group is organizing a road trip to a tiny tourist town 3 hours south of here that has a store that carries some garment fabric, in November.

Dragonfly (Pam)

Sorry I don't know what ASG is. Is it big enough/worthwhile to consider starting a fabric co-op?

Doc

Doc

American Sewing Guild. :-)

Looks like about 40 people come to most of the meetings, but I'm new and have only been to two meetings. :-)

I think, for now, simply snatching up all the available garment fabric in the local stores, and asking them to get more, is the way to go. Tastes vary so much! A co-op might be hard to arrange.

Dragonfly (Pam)