“Contritionem praecedit superbia.”

If you're an avid blog reader like me (by which I mean you spend endless hours avoiding the cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens through the reading of blogs), then you'll probably remember this post by the Slapdash Sewist, in which she gushed (quite understandably) about her recent FabricMart purchases.

Ahhhh FabricMart. Your bounty knows no bounds.

After reading said gushy post by TSS, here is what I said:

And here is what I found ten minutes ago when I opened my long-awaited box from FabricMart, eagerly anticipating my Anna Sui Harses Harses Harses print:

  

Hubris, thy name is Beangirl.

 

(I did also get the Anna Sui print… and, uh, some other stuff.)

edit: To dash hopes (I’m mean-spirited like that) – No, it did not just appear magically.  Apparently after taking it out of my cart two times in as many weeks, I then put it back in again.  And promptly forgot that I did.  It wasn’t until I opened up the box that I realized I must have ordered it to make up the 10 yards needed for that category.  Doh!  I haven’t taken it out of the dryer yet, but it seems like it’s going to wash up nicely.  So, you know, just what I need.  Three more yards of lovely lawn.

Oh.  And the Latin was just to give you a chance to use your Google translator.  I’m helpful like that.  Always thinking of others.)

Harses, harses, harses…

Ooooo…

Lookie-look what was on sale at Fabric Mart for $2.50/yard!  After much musing and debating and waffling, I bought 3 yards.  Aren't you excited?  Of course you are!

Now I just have to mull over what I'm going to make with it.  As we all know, my secret fashion girlfriend made a strapless minidress.  But as we also all know, I'm not about to wear any such thing.  So I'll just wait until I have it in my grubby little paws before I decide.  Probably some sort of tunic.  I'm boring like that.

The weird thing is that I was looking for this green-and-blue colorway a few weeks ago and it was nowhere to be found on the website.  Then all of the sudden -poof!- they have it for $2.50/yard.  Clearly a sign.  Better not miss the opportunity, right?  Right. 

You’d better get some too, right?  Hurry, while supplies last!

 

(PS.  No, I am not losing my mind… or swearing at you in my post title.  It’s from Sleepless In Seattle “harses… harses… harses…”.  When Meg Ryan is singing to Jingle Bells in the car.  I get that stuck in my head a lot.

No that does not mean I am losing my mind.)

My Girlfriend’s Back And You’re Gonna Be In Trouble

 

So you can buy this fabric at FabricMart for $13.00/yard.

If you are my secret fashion girlfriend, you can make this out of it.

 

If you are my secret fashion girlfriend you will also have provided the world with this perfect, wonderful fabric (as seen below).   Which can also now be purchased from the good ladies at Fabric Mart for about $25.00/yard.

 

I’m finding that my secret fashion girlfriend is causing me serious mental anguish and consternation over my finances. 

I think we might need to go to couple’s therapy.

My New Wardrobe: First Item

Ok, so I am still in the process of trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to make for my New Wardrobe. So far, it mostly consists of a variety of knit tops in various colors or prints, with a few woven shirts thrown in, all on top of a bunch of black skirts. The slideshow at the side of the page gives you an idea of what I'm thinking.

Yes. I am very boring. In my defense, I'm a Winter so I can get away with lots of black and white clothes.

Anyway, since I haven't really been able to focus myself well enough start fitting a pattern, I decided to begin with something simple. Really simple. Astoundingly simple. So simple, in fact, that it only took me twice as long to complete as predicted by the authors of various books and patterns. This is something of a coup for me, as I am The World's Slowest Sewer.

Um. That would be the slowest sewing person in the world. The World's Slowest Sewer, as far as I can tell, is in my old house in Papakura. Seriously. Flushing there was always a Russian Roulette experience. (Ha, see? I was going to say "a craps shoot" but I restrained myself. Admirably, in my opinion.)

My point is, I bought this panel of poly jersey from Fabric Mart (for a whopping $1.99!) with no clear idea of what I was going to do with it. However, since it's black and white, I couldn't really see any reason why it wouldn't fit into my plan.



OK, so that whole long intro is to say: "I made this skirt and it was really simple."

Here's how: I trimmed the two-yard length at the pattern repeat and then cut one side so that I had a rectagle that was 2.5" wider than my widest measurement (in my case, my lower hip). I seamed it up the side with a 1/4 seam on the serger. Then I measured and sewed together a piece of 1" elastic about 3" narrower than my waist measurement. I put this elastic loop around my waist and marked the top of the waistband so that I had an even hem (I always have to pull up quite a bit at the front waist). I sewed a fold-over waistband with the elastic inside and hemmed up the bottom with a narrow hem to preserve the white border.

Viola! Insta-skirt. Sort of. This all actually took me waaaay longer than it should have.





These are really bad pictures. I took them myself and it did not go well. Plus, I did say that I have not one appropriate thing to wear and I meant it. In these photos I'm wearing an old t-shirt that is way too big and also I don't think I would wear black with this skirt. I probably would wear a white top. I think (or hope) that it would balance my shape out a little.



And then after all that, I'm now a little unsure that I can include this skirt in my new work wardrobe plans. Does it look too... tropical? I thought the print was sort of interesting, but the more I look at it the more I worry that it looks like beachwear or something.



Thoughts?? Cool for the office or only for a cruise?