Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Frosting Ingredients (aka Wholy Hot Sauce Fabric Binging, Batman!)

First, there are still a few hours to enter the Layer Cake Giveaway

As I understand it, when you start a diet, it's helpful to fill your pantry and fridge with the ingredients that will help you stick to the plan. This sounds like good sense to me. So, for my frosting diet, I decided to make some fabric stash "enhancements" (ie: go on a fabric binge). 


Best. Diet. Ever.

It started like this: I had a $100 groupon to Paron Fabrics that was going to expire last week. Since I had no specific fabric needs, I walked on in and said to one of the helpful employees, "I'm here to buy fabulous fabrics."

This is the aftermath...

Silk Brocade
This silk brocade is just 30" but is absolutely gorgeous! It will be a pencil skirt. Maybe a high-waisted pencil skirt. I've never been a big fan of black and pink, but this changed my mind. I had to have it.

Since I've got couture sewing on my mind these days, this silk leopard print organza seemed like just the ticket. Won't it be the most fun underlining ever?




Tie died silk habutai also found it's way into my hands.




But the piece de resistance from my Paron haul: white Magaschoni silk jacquard.
 


 
Why, yes! The jacquard IS the Tabasco hot sauce label. This will line a jacket. An utterly fabulous and stupendous jacket. Sigh. I love fabric!

2014: Year of the "hot sauce" diet??? Tempting.

Once I got going, I did spend more than the Groupon amount. But I recommend that you try this "show me something fabulous" strategy at least once. With no agenda, I ended up with four to-die-for fabrics that I will be thrilled to sew up.

Then a few days later I decided I needed some knits for an upcoming project or two. 

L to R: from Spandex World and Spandex House

On the right is a knit that looks like gray marble. Sewing knits is not-the-norm for me, but I've been having fun with them lately. And the left is... is... well... there is just no easy way to say this. Less than a year after basically swearing off - and swearing at - faux leather, I've proven myself to be a hypocrite. It's black faux leather backed in spandex from Spandex World. It's really quite good looking - their picture is better than mine. In my defense, I've been wearing leggings a lot this winter. Plain, boring leggings. And, I've secretly desired leather pants for as long as I can remember.  So... yeah.

At the moment, I literally have four sewing projects going on plus two more that I'm working on in my brain, if you know what I mean. So, it feels like I've been sewing a lot, but have nothing to show for it. I also have 4 knitting projects on the needles. (Distracted much?) 

Not that long ago, I was an avowed one-project-at-a-time sewist. I'm not sure what happened. What about you, are you a one-at-a-time sewist or do you multitask? 

22 comments:

puu said...

oooh! i am eager to hear your opinion on the faux stretch leather, because i'm considering grabbing some of it myself (for a frosting project, obvs!)


also love that tie-dye silk...i might need some of that myself...

Karin said...

Whoa! That's my kind of frosting! I can't decide which I like best. I think NYC has better fabric than London.

sheila said...

Wow...you have so beautiful pieces. My favorite is the gray marble fabric. For the most part I am a one project at a time gal.

House of Pinheiro said...

Ohhh drooling over those fabrics

Carolyn Norman said...

I honestly find that if I sew one project at a time I have a better end result than if I start multiple ones. That being said I do keep a list so that I know where to go when I've finished one and to have on hand to dream about when I'm in the midst of one.

Clio said...

Will let you know! (obvs! yep)

Clio said...

That's much more like how I normally sew! One project in the works and one in fantasy land. This whole multiple projects going at once really has me out of my comfort zone. But it all seems to be ok at the moment (*knock on wood*).

Kathleen Cooper said...

I work on one project at a time but I'm a recovering multitasker. Your fabrics are lovely

Alyssa Opishinski said...

Oh, such delicious fabrics! I can't wait to visit Spandex World!

SewingSveta said...

I try to be multitask but not very successful%))) Too sloww!

Faye Lewis said...

One at a time for me.

Ginger said...

Wow, what a fun batch of fabric! The brocade is particularly killer!!

I'm typically a multi-tasker, but I've JUST decided to be more sew-y monogamous. Working on multiple projects leaves me drowning in UFOs and clutter, and I can't take it anymore!

Clio said...

I fear that in the very very near future I will need to go into recovery, too. LOL

Clio said...

Will you be in NY soon? Holler if you want a shopping buddy (or buddies)!

Clio said...

Yeah, one at a time has basically kept me UFO free. So, I'm a little stressed about that.

Tia Dia said...

hehehehe.... I have one fave shop here called LA Fabrics, and they always have yards and yards of frosting. I 'specially like their remnant rack, which is always full of fabulous frosting, too, in smaller amounts and prices. Love LOVE all your silks!

T. Sedai said...

This haul is AMAZING!!!! I am in LOVE with your silk brocade - it will be a fabulous skirt. And the Tabasco lining is fantastic. And I have to throw out a YAY for Spandex house. I just spent a lot at their online store. Although, to be fair, most of it wasn't for me. So I just spent a lot of other people's money at their online store. But I like them anyway.

And - it seems that I multitask? I used to be very one-at-a-time, but now I seem to be doing projects in twos and threes - trace two at a time, cut two at a time, then sew in whichever order. Not exactly sure how or when that happened - maybe when I started sewing team dance costumes for skating partners?



In any case - LOVE your fabrics! I can't wait to see what you do with them all.

Clio said...

The hot sauce lining totally tickles me!



That's kind of how it happened with me - I got going on tracing and pattern alterations in a bunch, then cutting since I had everything out... and it just kind of mushroomed from there...

Clio said...

Oooh, you can sometimes find the best frosting among the remnants - things that are just a bit too off the beaten path, right?

oonaballoona said...

tabasco saauce? FAUX LEATHER? mind blown. and not even because i'm tipsy.

which paron angel helped you? blond angel?

Elizabeth said...

OMG, I am seriously jealous of your new stash additions.

Clio said...

No! Owner (I think) angel! She was pulling out things that she'd just brought back from France....