Monday, April 14, 2008

My Loss = Your Gain

I can't stand it anymore. I've been sewing through my stash as much as possible, but there are certain fabrics that are just going to continue to hang out on the shelf no matter how much I sew. It could be because they're fabrics from the days when I bought because it was pretty, with no thought that the color would make me look like death, or they could have been inherited stash, or they just might have been purchased for a project that didn't happen and now they're sitting around taunting me.

Tastes change; fabric stashes are eternal.

So the gain would not be entirely yours - I'm going to get some shelf space out of this, and that's worth a lot to me. All fabrics are free with shipping (paypal preferred). All fabrics are described as accurately as possible; pre-washing notes are included in the fabric descriptions. Not all fabrics have been pre-washed, and if they haven't, at this point I will leave that happy task for you. Non-smoking household, but you will probably find a few stray cat hairs.

So in the interests of reducing my stash (and helping to add to yours), I offer the following:

3.0+ yards of white and lavender floral home dec (garment weight). Two cuts, each 1 2/3 yards. This was purchased with a specific vintage pattern in mind - can't you see it as a garden-party type dress, with a full skirt? I could, I just don't see it on me anymore. Purchased at my local home dec fabric store, approximately 2003 (though the fabric selvage is marked 1998). A little discolored on the selvage, but the actual fabric is still creamy-white. No pre-treating done on this one. Not sure how it would handle the washer, but it wouldn't object to being hand-washed and dried in a cool dryer.

3.0 yards olive/gold/aqua cat-tail print cotton from Fabric.com, approximately 2006. I loved the Art Deco-ish vibe to this fabric, and the colors are right. So why haven't I used it? No idea, but I'm pretty sure I'm not going to. 100% cotton, pre-washed (so hopefully, pre-shrunk).

1.0 yards candy pink jersey. Wonderful drape, not quite slinky but similar drape. Great fabric for t-shirts, wrap tops, etc. Completely the wrong pink for my complexion, and it's not something makeup will cure. From my local fabric store, approximately 2006. Pre-washed.

2.25 yards red cotton jersey – more t-shirty than the pink above. I changed the photo so you could see the drape; the square in the corner is the actual color. This stuff is RED. Not blue-red, not orange red, but smack-in-the-middle-of-August Tomato Red. Gorgeous color, makes me look jaundiced. From my local fabric store, same shopping trip as the pink jersey. Pre-washed.

1.0 yard Amy Butler Belle fabric. I love the pattern, but it's a little large for what I had in mind (that's what I get for clicking "buy" before engaging my brain). This is one of the fabrics that is taunting me.
3.5 yards of brown/gold/caramel snakeskin print stretch twill (minimal stretch but enough). There was a project for this, honest and truly, but for the life of me I have no idea what it was. Pre-washed, pre-shrunk. Obviously wrinkled from stash-sitting since 2000, but not a wrinkly fabric when cared for.

And lastly, 3.0 yards of 100% acrylic "tweed" boucle from Fabric.com. I know it's 3.0 yards because it still has the order sticker on it. How lame is that? Bought about 3 years ago, not quite the color for me after all. Glad I realized it before I cut into it, given that sewing boucle is a royal pain in the bobbin.

So that's it, for now. Anything strike your fancy? I'm sitting here with fingers crossed.

13 comments:

jo said...

Hi, I live in the Philippines and have no access to the kinds of fabric you have. I am also just starting to sew again after a long hiatus when I thought sewing was too expensive for me (third world economy and all). So any freebie really helps me out a lot. I would so much love to get your extra fabric and will pay shipping. I suspect that the effort needed to get the shipment cost might be inconvenient, so I know it's asking a huge, huge favor. But if you would consider helping out this sewing sister I'd appreciate it very, very much. Thanks.
joregor2005@yahoo.com

narcissaqtpie said...

I would love the boucle if it is not already claimed. Thanks! I do paypal.

narcissaqtpie said...

PS if you email me via gmail first I will give you my pay pal email address. narcissaqtpie @ gmail dot com.

stacysews said...

OOOOh, that snakeskin print might be calling my name......

Karen said...

Jo - I checked on the US Postal service website, and a package weighing 5 pounds costs almost $40 to ship, and that's for the slowest, cheapest option. I think the cost of shipping there outweighs the freebie.

Stacy, let's talk. I think the snakeskin would be very happy to meet your stash. Email me at karen6790 @ msn dot com

Dawn said...

I would take the boucle if narcissaqtpie doesn't end up with it. :) Thanks for sharing!!!

jo said...

Ok, thanks anyway.

Vildy said...

omigod, I am sick with nostalgia. :)
I once had a full skirted dressing gown of the white with lavender flowers, double collar and double ruffles at the sleeve ends, both bound in flat lavender.

I would love to have this and I do Paypal.

Your comments about it remind me - you once said you'd worked out the best palette for you, would you write more about this some time?

Unknown said...

Although I have no business thinking about bringing even more fabric into my home, the cattail print, the Amy Butler (I'm addicted to Amy Butler) and the red jersey are calling my name. Well, so is the pink, oh and the twill. Ah gee -- whatever you have left that does not have a taker, I will gladly give a home.

Karen said...

I never knew enabling was so easy. Anybody who's truly interested, please email me your shipping info to karen6790 @ msn dot com. That's also my paypal address. I will let you know the shipping cost as soon as I know who wants what so I can pack it all up.

Right now it looks like:

Narcissaqtpie wants the boucle. Dawn is backup if she changes her mind.

Stacy is considering the snakeskin. Christy is backup for this.

Vildy wants the lavender floral.

Christy wants the cattails, the Amy Butler, the red, the pink, and the snakeskin if Stacy changes her mind.

Any changes, let me know. The sooner this goes out, the sooner I'll find some more.

Gaile said...

I would love the red jersey if no one's claimed it? jazminecat@gmail.com

Brooke said...

dang. i wanted that cattail fabric. that's what i get for being all responsible and not blog reading from work. :-)

Maryissewfast said...

I will shout out for the candy pink jersey if no one has snatched that up...I will e-mail you my shipping info...thanks...Mary