how to explain not sewing up a fabric?

OK, I usually just lurk on this group but I just have to find out, from others who understand, if there's a good way to explain not having sewn up a fabric to laypeople!

Some friends of ours brought me a lovely piece of fabric from Burma last fall, in fact I got it at the beginning of December. I thoroughly enjoy looking at it hanging in my sewing room/spare room closet whenever I go in there. But I haven't made anything out of it yet. It hasn't even been six months! But every time one of us talks to them, they want to know what I've made from it! Argh!

Now in 15 years of marriage, my husband has learned my fabriholic ways but my attempts to explain to this couple about the joy of just looking at and fingering a lovely fabric while contemplating what it will eventually (maybe) become just aren't getting through. Does anyone have a good way of getting through to laypeople? The fella was one of my husband's mentors on his path to becoming an Episcopal priest, so I wouldn't feel quite right just lying to them....... heehee, besides, we see them in person too often to carry off a lie. sigh.... maybe I'll just have to use some of it for something soon, but I'm in the midst of several other projects.

Maybe I can put it all off on my husband - if he would stop changing sizes and would only buy pants that truly fit (oh, my wife will hem them and let them out for me.....) or if he didn't want a rainbow of clerical shirts in colors not commercially made and wants them fitting his uniques shape better than store bought maybe I could sew some of the fabric up.

Reply to
Nann Bell
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Just tell them that the fabric is really special and very beautiful, and you are waiting for it to tell you the perfect garment for it. Look up a few seriously nice patterns and print off the pix, and pin them up beside the fabric: then you can show them part of the problem - especially if you find nine jacket patterns and 12 skirt patterns, and

14 dress patterns that would ALL look glorious in this fabric!

Oh, and you have my permission to tell them about the pewter and black heavy poly fabric my hubby bought for me a tad more than 20 years ago that I have still to find the perfect pattern for, the glorious batik rayon I've had about 4 years, the 12m of silk and cotton mix satin I have yet to make into an Elizabethan extravaganza and have been hoarding for 3 years, and the bits I have in the loft that I bought 'just because', and which have yet to tell me what they want to be...

Reply to
Kate Dicey

I have to have an inspiration too......

If they keep at you.......run the fabric crosswise and make a full gathered skirt out of it. Later, you have only to remove the waistband and hem, and you have the yardage back!!!

Just a thought........

Pat in AR

Reply to
Pat in Arkansas

One of my friends collects crocks. She has about 50 of them in various styles......some were terribly expensive as in the thousands of dollars, but they are nicely displayed in her farm house kitchen. Recently we went to lunch and she picked me up. When she noticed my 'fabric stash' (which I must add, is very small and cannot compare to some unfortunately) she asked me when I was going to sew it all up. I replied " they day I see pickles in one of your crocks" A horrified minute later she replied that she understood perfectly and would never ask again....... .Tell them you view it at art or a collectable and just looking at it give you so much pleasure that cutting and sewing it is the lesser enjoyment, should be all the explanation needed. I still have a piece of batik with a fish 18 x 18 " square, given to me 16 years ago. I consider it art only.

Reply to
Hannas Mum

All my "art pieces" are framed.........no kidding. I have 3 pieces of fabric I love.......Took them in to Hobby Lobby and had them dry mounted and framed............

Really beautiful, I think. Have hung on my walls for years. Beautiful scarves work too.........

Reply to
Pat in Arkansas

Tell them the greatest joy is in the possibilities, the day one of the possibilities becomes more of a joy than the whole of them, you will be sewing so fast that they won't see you for a week. LOL

OR, just tell them you're waiting for an occasion special enough to make you willing to cut it. they might understand that.

Kitty

Reply to
Kitty In Somerset, PA

Hi Nann,

Maybe you could make them understand that since there is such a shortage of fabric stores in the states anymore, that you want to make certain that you save it for something very special, because of that shortage. Every fabriholic will understand for sure. I have fabric that I just love 'visiting' and feeling ,as you say but am often immediately sorry after I cut into it unless I give it a lot of thought before doing so. Would it be something that would look great made up for a Christmas outfit? Many need one but often wait too late to either buy or make one. Would that work? Diane in Ks.

Reply to
dekauf

That is an absolutely wonderful story! And it makes me feel so much better.

Reply to
Phaedrine

A lovely wall hanging!

Mike

PS - I have a beautiful blue fleece that is so nice I can't bring myself to make anything with it. Malden Mills French Blue.

Reply to
Michael Daly

On Mon, 8 May 2006 11:19:09 -0400, Kate Dicey wrote (in message ):

LOL, I did tell him Saturday about the hand woven tweed I bought in Donegal almost 16 years ago. I've come close to sewing it up a couple of times, even made a muslim for one pattern, but i just haven't had the time to sew it with proper reverence and respect. laypeople just don't understand these things!

Reply to
Nann Bell

Nann,

I totally understand and we won't go into how many pieces I'm saving.

Ok. Here's what you say (edit as you choose): That piece of fabric is so beautiful and I love it so much!! I just haven't found a pattern yet that matches the beauty of that fabric. I'm afraid if I make it up into "just any old thing," I will be so disappointed with myself for not using that fabric in the best possible way. So I am just waiting for a project to speak to me and say it is Perfect for that fabric.

;)

Sharon

Reply to
Sharon Hays

Glad to know I'm not the only fabric-a-holic in existence. My relatives won't quit complaining that I shouldn't buy anymore fabric until I've made all those yards in the sewing room's closet into garments and stuff...

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Reply to
darksunmoon

Well, I have 48 boxes and a few good sized bags of different sorts of stash!

I have off-cuts and roll ends from a friend's curtain making shop that I use for crafting activities with kids, fabrics I got for specific costume or garment projects (one of which got put on hold for three years after I joined Weight Watchers: now I'm almost at goal, I might dig it out), stuff I bought 'just because', and stock things like £1 metre stuff I pick up for making toiles... Then there are the rolls of things like standard lining colours and interfacing I keep to use with customer projects (it's cheaper by the roll!), a few rolls I'm nannying for a sewing sister with no safe storage.

The bit I dug out for my winter coat (the herringbone one on my web site

- look in Posh Frocks) is older than my son James, now 11.

This doesn't even begin to cover threads, elastic, ribbons and trims, buttons, zips... I also have a box of quilting fabrics and one of batting... Mine is a small collection. I know of ladies younger than I who could sew every day for the rest of their lives and not get to the end of their quilt fabric. It doesn't stop them buying more!

Reply to
Kate Dicey

PS: Dunno if you caught my new thread... in both senses! 20 more reels dropped through the door today, and I'm adding to the fabric stash - £1 a metre stuff for toiles! :)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

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