At Fabric Mart: Our New Year's Resolutions!
It's time to dump your dirty secrets and make a new year's resolution.
Yes, I know, we all hate to admit that we fail in some areas.
But it is a fact of life, and a new year means you get another chance to try to fix those hairy areas of your past.
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| Back in the day when my stash was organized! |
I will be the first to admit that I am awful at finishing projects and in result I have way too much fabric for all the projects I thought I would have time for.
I have come to terms with the fact that I do not have time to do everything and already began the process of elimination in my "collection." I vow to only keep the fabrics I truly love and get rid of those I cannot remember what I was actually going to make with them or those I just don't see myself wearing. I have to be brutally honest with myself in this process! And so far...I still have too much fabric.
To counteract my situation I have decided I need to do ONE project at a time and FINISH them. And how am I going to do this after so many failed attempts? First I am going to hide my fabric from myself! Well, kinda hide. I started organizing my fabric that way Julie demonstrated in a past blog post. I currently have my fabric scattered throughout bins that are sitting in the middle of my future sewing room. So I will keep my swatches out but put most of the fabric on mini bolts and arrange them by color on my bookshelf in the sewing room. And then my overflow fabric in their assigned plastic tubs (I have them organized by natural fibers and synthetic fibers) and putting them in my closet. When I am ready to do a new project I will go through my swatches and pull out the material for ONE project. To encourage myself to finish that project I will blog a sew- along on my personal blog, Love is Why I Wake.
Wish me luck! - Katie
I don’t always like making up a new year’s resolution because I don’t want to feel like a failure if I don’t follow through with it. But I haven’t made one in a while, so I’m going to for 2013! A few months ago I read a book called, Overdressed: The High Cost of Cheap Fashion. This book opened my eyes! I would like do a blog post about it in the near future, but I’ll give you a quick run-down. Basically the book talks about how today’s fashion is considered "fast fashion." Fast fashion in the form of cheap fashion that is poorly made and made from poor quality fabrics. To wear something of quality you either have to make it, buy from an independent designer or get a home equity loan on your house! So my resolution for the year is to do my best to stay away from the malls, shopping centers and internet and make a lot of my own garments.
I read this book back in September and almost lost the “love”of shopping for clothing. I haven’t hardly bought any clothing since reading the book, so I think this could be called an attainable, ongoing resolution (since I’ve already been doing it!) But on top of making my own garments, I would like to better my techniques. Today’s sewers don’t have quality garments to look at to replicate. We are forced to look at the past.
-Julie
What's your resolution?
Share it with us in the comments!
I don’t always like making up a new year’s resolution because I don’t want to feel like a failure if I don’t follow through with it. But I haven’t made one in a while, so I’m going to for 2013! A few months ago I read a book called, Overdressed: The High Cost of Cheap Fashion. This book opened my eyes! I would like do a blog post about it in the near future, but I’ll give you a quick run-down. Basically the book talks about how today’s fashion is considered "fast fashion." Fast fashion in the form of cheap fashion that is poorly made and made from poor quality fabrics. To wear something of quality you either have to make it, buy from an independent designer or get a home equity loan on your house! So my resolution for the year is to do my best to stay away from the malls, shopping centers and internet and make a lot of my own garments.
I read this book back in September and almost lost the “love”of shopping for clothing. I haven’t hardly bought any clothing since reading the book, so I think this could be called an attainable, ongoing resolution (since I’ve already been doing it!) But on top of making my own garments, I would like to better my techniques. Today’s sewers don’t have quality garments to look at to replicate. We are forced to look at the past.
-Julie
What's your resolution?
Share it with us in the comments!
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Posted on January 01 2013
To deal with the realization that I am finite, I stopped purchasing every fabric I liked just because I liked it. It is a waste if I don't have time to enjoy it! And after reading the book mentioned, I have been aware of the true cost of shopping. Saving for the really nice pieces has allowed me to think hard about what I want to add to my closet; the joy of accumulating just isn't there anymore. I am glad I don't have the temptation that you do day after day amidst wonderful fabrics! Thanks for shedding light on this dark fashion secret.
I've been so disappointed with clothing I order online. I need petites {height, not necessarily w i d t h -ha ha!} and there are no stores in my town that carries them. I order online. I order from GOOD stores that run sales and use coupon codes. After ordering several times a year grabbing great bargains and going a little overboard, I have a lot of new clothes I am not happy with. The cycle is going to STOP.
Now that I finally have a large sewing space setup and close to opening my home-based business, it has occurred to me that if I build my fashion sewing skills, I can cater to those in my town with the same problem of getting the right fit. I worry about getting a decent price from customers, but QUALITY will be my goal and stronghold.
Happy New Years ladies!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for your reply. I definitely feel that same loss of joy in accumulating things. I have saved money and it made my Christmas shopping a little easier too this year! I tried to select items the recipients really wanted or something they could use. I hate to give gifts that they probably won't use.
I've thought about making a resolution saying that I wouldn't add anymore fabric to my stash—-but I see new fabrics every day and unfortunately…I don't have the will power to say no! (But my temptation is passed on to all of you because I got the excitement out of buying for our customers!)
Sounds like a great idea! I hope that all works out for you! ~Julie
I set out five challenges for myself but I'm a mess so we'll see. I have resolved to blog more often, knit for an hour a day, participate in the Dreamstress's sew fortnightly challenge, sew one simply thing a week, and stick to a household budget.
So here's to the new year lol!
Good Luck Katie,,
I too have put all my fabrics in tubs and plan to work on ONE project at-a-time. When all my fabric is out, and staring at me, it becomes overwelming and I can't decide what I want to do next.(All that fabric is yelling "me next" "use me next" and I can't show favorites):-)
So, I have decided to choose my pattern/project and then pull out the fabric I want to use.
It is sew much more quieter in my sewing room now.
Janet Bander
P.S. If you hear me screaming through the pages of the blog, you will know all that fabric has escaped….
Good luck with your resolutions, ladies! We are here for moral support!