yardage of the weak

YOW Gertie Floral Can you believe I found this cotton sateen at Joann’s of all places? Because I cannot. And I’m the one who bought it! It’s from the new fabric line, “Gertie”, designed by our favorite vintage-crazy, blogging seamstress, Gretchen Hirsch. And, I really, really dig it.

Gertie Swatch

Finding cotton sateen at Joann was a miracle all on its own, but to find a print that reminds me of this Dolce & Gabanna collection I’ve been stalking for months was downright magic.

Dolce & Gabanna Floral Collection

I think it’s brilliant to choose ONE print for so many garments. D&G’s collection has more than I featured above, but I’d be happy with just three pieces in a mini capsule wardrobe.

I didn’t get 10 yards of Gertie floral, however. Only three. Figured I’d make one dress (get a little pattern placement practice with those massive flowers – mind the girls, now) and see what happens from there. Though I can predict getting tired of the print after hours of handling it and walking away from my One-Print-Many-Garments fantasy.

Gertie Floral

What would you make with this bold cotton sateen floral?

YOW Floral Sweater Knit

My fabric stash is filled with unsewn yards of goodness that I haven’t properly appreciated. True appreciation is a sewn garment or at least a swatch card for inventorying, but in the past couple of years, my poor neglected stash as had little of either. And it’s STILL growing!

I admit my addiction to fabric acquisition (hence the play on words in the title), but the only thing I plan to do about my weakness is blog about it. A self-intervention of sorts that will hopefully inspire me to sew up some of it — at least to make room for the new stuff I can’t quite stop myself from buying.

My fabric stash lives in the linen closet. Never mind where the linens are.

I figure a weekly post to feature some of the fabulous but forgotten fabrics I’ve acquired is just what I need to cringebust my sewing of them. Hey, and since I have an audience for this project, I’ll be gladly accepting ideas for what to make.

Let’s take a look at this week’s YARDAGE OF THE WEaK (YOW). A floral sweater knit I was surprised to find on a bolt at Joann’s. Their discounts are just ridiculous. Everything is always on sale. And, if it isn’t, there’s coupons for days. Lately, I’ve been noticing they’ve stepped up their game, too. The last few times I stopped in for a pattern sale, I got ADD in the fabric aisles. This gorgeous sweater knit was a recent distraction.

YOW - Floral Sweater Knit

I bought it thinking I’d be bold and make a sweater dress (another Moneta perhaps), but chickened out on the idea when I got worried about the minimal stretch of the knit. It’s relatively stable, so a negative ease pattern might be tough to pull off. Then again, that’s probably me being chicken. I’ve never sewn a sweater knit before and for some reason the bravery I had when I bought it has evaporated. But at the same time, I REALLY want to make something with it before spring shows up for real and sundresses start to haunt me like a Poltergeist.

Swatch card inventorying in the works.

The new Oslo cardigan from my subscription to Seamwork Magazine is another promising make. Or, even a simple, pull-on pencil skirt. So many options for 3 yards of loveliness.

One of the challenges of this fabric will be coordinating it with other things. It looks like a black and white floral, but the black is closer to gray, so when pairing it with something else that’s a true black, it looks a bit off or laundry-faded. I may have to treat it like it’s a dark gray and style it accordingly. Oooh…a pairing with yellow could be nice.