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How do you choose? (Moderated by EleanorSews)
Posted on: 7/2/08 2:26 PM ET
I'm already addicted to buying fabric and patterns. I sometimes sit and look at fabric and patterns in my sewing area and can't decide what to make or what to make it out of. I must change my mind 15 times before I actually cut something out.
I know this is such a subjective question but how do you all choose what to make and what fabric to use? I like having a stash so I doubt I could do a buy one piece of fabric for one pattern.
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I know this is such a subjective question but how do you all choose what to make and what fabric to use? I like having a stash so I doubt I could do a buy one piece of fabric for one pattern.
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http://kimsewsilly.blogspot.com/
Posted on: 7/2/08 5:38 PM ET
I have the same problem, so I don't have any answers but hope someone else does
Posted on: 7/2/08 8:42 PM ET
Sometimes you can sort of "paralyze" yourself by giving yourself too many choices. There will always be another pattern you want to try or something else you coud have made out a particular piece of material. When I have a project that I am doing for someone else or some volunteer work, I can get right down to business, but I tend to stew in my creative juices when it comes to making things for myself. Then the next thing I know, my precious time to make something for me is gone. So here is a plan of attack: choose one. One fabric you want to make into something or one pattern you want to try. If you have to, do the close your eyes and "pick a card, any card" routine. For the sake of getting you off the stew pot, imagine that is the only choice open. If it is a fabric, give yourself a several choices of patterns and a time limit to choose. If it is a pattern, give yourself just several choices from your stash.
Then go for it. There will always be another great fabric or another great pattern that catches your eye, but get yourself moving now or you will end up with a full fabric shelf, a full pattern file, and an empty closet.
Okay, now I have to go cut out that scrub top out of my RugRats material before my patients are all too young to remember RugRats!
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Then go for it. There will always be another great fabric or another great pattern that catches your eye, but get yourself moving now or you will end up with a full fabric shelf, a full pattern file, and an empty closet.
Okay, now I have to go cut out that scrub top out of my RugRats material before my patients are all too young to remember RugRats!
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Svetlana
Posted on: 7/2/08 8:59 PM ET
I decide what I want to make first, then I look for pattern and fabric. I generally don't buy fabric without a project in mind, and I use the same set of patterns over and over. It's easier for me to do design adjustments to a pattern I've already adjusted for fit than it is to do a fit adjustment on a new design. I get a lot of design mileage out of very few patterns -- I must have four skirts in my wardrobe made from pattern A and five from pattern B, but they come in different lengths and have various styling "extras," so I certainly don't feel like I'm wearing the same thing every day.
Posted on: 7/2/08 9:08 PM ET
Someone made a suggestion on the boards that you "Shop Your Stash." What she suggested is making a binder with swatches of all your fabrics so that you can flip through and see what you have. It might be easier than being overwhelmed just looking at the fabric.
I have a 3-ring binder with tabs dividing fabric into fabric content; linen, cotton, wool, etc. I used Deepika's Fabric Organizer and it's wonderful. (Scroll down the page to see her post with the information. ) When you buy new fabric, you attach a swatch, write down all the information and you have it at your fingertips.
That way, if you're starting a project, you can decide on a pattern first or a fabric first and put the two together. I have all of my patterns in a file drawer, grouped by type of garment (pants, tops, etc.). If I decide I want to make a top, I can go through and find a pattern I want to try, look at the suggested fabrics and go to my stash catalog book and browse to see what fabric I want.
Maybe this isn't the advice you need, but I thought it might help if you had things organized.
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I have a 3-ring binder with tabs dividing fabric into fabric content; linen, cotton, wool, etc. I used Deepika's Fabric Organizer and it's wonderful. (Scroll down the page to see her post with the information. ) When you buy new fabric, you attach a swatch, write down all the information and you have it at your fingertips.
That way, if you're starting a project, you can decide on a pattern first or a fabric first and put the two together. I have all of my patterns in a file drawer, grouped by type of garment (pants, tops, etc.). If I decide I want to make a top, I can go through and find a pattern I want to try, look at the suggested fabrics and go to my stash catalog book and browse to see what fabric I want.
Maybe this isn't the advice you need, but I thought it might help if you had things organized.
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If I sewed any slower, I wouldn't be sewing at all.
Posted on: 7/2/08 9:14 PM ET
In reply to OP Gal
Quote: OP Gal
Someone made a suggestion on the boards that you "Shop Your Stash." What she suggested is making a binder with swatches of all your fabrics so that you can flip through and see what you have. It might be easier than being overwhelmed just looking at the fabric.
I have a 3-ring binder with tabs dividing fabric into fabric content; linen, cotton, wool, etc. I used Deepika's Fabric Organizer and it's wonderful. (Scroll down the page to see her post with the information. ) When you buy new fabric, you attach a swatch, write down all the information and you have it at your fingertips.
That way, if you're starting a project, you can decide on a pattern first or a fabric first and put the two together. I have all of my patterns in a file drawer, grouped by type of garment (pants, tops, etc.). If I decide I want to make a top, I can go through and find a pattern I want to try, look at the suggested fabrics and go to my stash catalog book and browse to see what fabric I want.
Maybe this isn't the advice you need, but I thought it might help if you had things organized.
Someone made a suggestion on the boards that you "Shop Your Stash." What she suggested is making a binder with swatches of all your fabrics so that you can flip through and see what you have. It might be easier than being overwhelmed just looking at the fabric.
I have a 3-ring binder with tabs dividing fabric into fabric content; linen, cotton, wool, etc. I used Deepika's Fabric Organizer and it's wonderful. (Scroll down the page to see her post with the information. ) When you buy new fabric, you attach a swatch, write down all the information and you have it at your fingertips.
That way, if you're starting a project, you can decide on a pattern first or a fabric first and put the two together. I have all of my patterns in a file drawer, grouped by type of garment (pants, tops, etc.). If I decide I want to make a top, I can go through and find a pattern I want to try, look at the suggested fabrics and go to my stash catalog book and browse to see what fabric I want.
Maybe this isn't the advice you need, but I thought it might help if you had things organized.
I only wish in my wildest dreams that I could be that organized! It's an awesome concept but there is no way I could do that.
I think once I get better at sewing, I will purchase fabrics more based on project. At least I'm hoping!
I think the "eeny, meeny..." technique might work the best for me...

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http://kimsewsilly.blogspot.com/
Posted on: 7/3/08 3:12 AM ET
I just started sewing again after a 12 (or so) year break-- and the first thing I did was rebuild my stash
... almost compulsively.
It seems to be a personality thing. I love sitting in my sewing room, surrounded by stacks of beautiful fabric, leafing through my hoarde of patterns until something strikes that chord of passion/inspiration. Half the time, I find that I just *have* to find a different fabric that matches the floating vision in my head, so off to the computer for more shopping...
(heavy sigh...) Its a rough life
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... almost compulsively.It seems to be a personality thing. I love sitting in my sewing room, surrounded by stacks of beautiful fabric, leafing through my hoarde of patterns until something strikes that chord of passion/inspiration. Half the time, I find that I just *have* to find a different fabric that matches the floating vision in my head, so off to the computer for more shopping...
(heavy sigh...) Its a rough life

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"Try, try again"
www.conniebrz.com
www.conniebrz.com
Posted on: 7/3/08 8:35 PM ET
In reply to Kim12469
Quote:
I only wish in my wildest dreams that I could be that organized! It's an awesome concept but there is no way I could do that.
I only wish in my wildest dreams that I could be that organized! It's an awesome concept but there is no way I could do that.
Oops! I forgot to tell you that I'm compulsively organized. Sometimes I forget that everyone else isn't as obsessed with getting everything cataloged, filed and stored as I am. Just continue to be a free spirit and ignore people like me.

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If I sewed any slower, I wouldn't be sewing at all.
Posted on: 7/3/08 10:13 PM ET
I had fabric and patterns everywhere, in sacks in plastic storage tubs. So I would end up buying something new for a project because I could never find anything.
I bought 4 6 ft storage cabinets at Home Depot and assembled them, they are each 2 ft wide. I then sorted all my fabrics by color and put them on the shelves, when hubby got home on leave he put the doors up and bolted them together for stability. Now I have nice enclosed cabinets to keep everything neat and clean.
Then I FINALLY found about 2 months ago some pattern cabinets for sale. The local Hancocks was remodeling, YES!! I've been trying to buy some for years. I then organized by patterns by blouses, slacks or shorts, ensembles, lingerie and pajamas, and costumes
I'm not satisified with the pattern divisions but that will do for now and I need to spread them out more, there are plenty of drawers and I've got them in 2 only. I've used a lot of the other sections for buttons, zippers, bindings, sewin machine accessories, marking papers, and needles etc.
On the top I have all my threads, I found quite a few boxes for serger threads so they are stored. I got what looks like a big hatbox to put the rest in and my gutterman threads, I couldn't find more serger boxes, need to look.
I wanted all the fabric in the cabinets but I cleaned it out of my closet and have a big rolling unit and put in in there because I have bolts of fabric I purchases when Walmart was disposing of their stuff, some very good quality items plus bolts of interfacing I've bought on sale. I don't buy anything unless its on sale.
So FINALLY after all these years I'm organized. I put a laminate floor in that room, hubby mounted me a TV on the wall and I have what looks like a long cafeteria table for my machines.
For the first time in my life I'm organized. I could have done this years ago and why I didn't is beyond me. Can also put up my iron and board and use the space for my exercise bench an tapes too. I'm a happy camper this year finally. The cabinets weren't that expensive $85 each and easy to put together, the table came from Sam's. Also have a rolling desk chair and just roll down the row, machine to machine.
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I bought 4 6 ft storage cabinets at Home Depot and assembled them, they are each 2 ft wide. I then sorted all my fabrics by color and put them on the shelves, when hubby got home on leave he put the doors up and bolted them together for stability. Now I have nice enclosed cabinets to keep everything neat and clean.
Then I FINALLY found about 2 months ago some pattern cabinets for sale. The local Hancocks was remodeling, YES!! I've been trying to buy some for years. I then organized by patterns by blouses, slacks or shorts, ensembles, lingerie and pajamas, and costumes
I'm not satisified with the pattern divisions but that will do for now and I need to spread them out more, there are plenty of drawers and I've got them in 2 only. I've used a lot of the other sections for buttons, zippers, bindings, sewin machine accessories, marking papers, and needles etc.
On the top I have all my threads, I found quite a few boxes for serger threads so they are stored. I got what looks like a big hatbox to put the rest in and my gutterman threads, I couldn't find more serger boxes, need to look.
I wanted all the fabric in the cabinets but I cleaned it out of my closet and have a big rolling unit and put in in there because I have bolts of fabric I purchases when Walmart was disposing of their stuff, some very good quality items plus bolts of interfacing I've bought on sale. I don't buy anything unless its on sale.
So FINALLY after all these years I'm organized. I put a laminate floor in that room, hubby mounted me a TV on the wall and I have what looks like a long cafeteria table for my machines.
For the first time in my life I'm organized. I could have done this years ago and why I didn't is beyond me. Can also put up my iron and board and use the space for my exercise bench an tapes too. I'm a happy camper this year finally. The cabinets weren't that expensive $85 each and easy to put together, the table came from Sam's. Also have a rolling desk chair and just roll down the row, machine to machine.
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Carolyn from Conroe, Texas
Posted on: 7/4/08 1:15 AM ET
Hmmm. Sometimes a pattern speaks to me and sometimes a fabric tells me what it wants to be (nooo, my walls don't talk
). And most of the time I just find something that I think is fabulous and hope that the other half of the equation falls into place at some point. 
I think that the most important thing is that you can find whatever you need/want in your stash on command. For patterns, I keep them organized by type of garment. My fabric is stored on open baker's rack style shelves (I do cover them w/ a sheet to keep the dust off). I keep these organized by fabric types. I really, really don't like the idea of bins/ tubs/boxes. I need to see my fabric like I would in a store...easily and not all crumpled up from sifting thru the piles repeatedly. I know it works for some, but I've found that I buy much smarter since I've put everything in plain sight. Sure, I still add to the stash, but I think I do it in a much more balanced, controlled way now.
Eve
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). And most of the time I just find something that I think is fabulous and hope that the other half of the equation falls into place at some point. 
I think that the most important thing is that you can find whatever you need/want in your stash on command. For patterns, I keep them organized by type of garment. My fabric is stored on open baker's rack style shelves (I do cover them w/ a sheet to keep the dust off). I keep these organized by fabric types. I really, really don't like the idea of bins/ tubs/boxes. I need to see my fabric like I would in a store...easily and not all crumpled up from sifting thru the piles repeatedly. I know it works for some, but I've found that I buy much smarter since I've put everything in plain sight. Sure, I still add to the stash, but I think I do it in a much more balanced, controlled way now.
Eve
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People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it - Chinese proverb
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