Sh, Don't Tell!

Maryn · Apr 4, 2015

A friend here at AW--who I'm pretty sure never leaves one thread and won't see this--is getting married next month. Alas, the wedding is too distant to attend.

She and her lady-love are huge fans of purple. But what do you do from a distance, send purple china or a vase or something?

I don't know about you all, but at our house, we always need more pillowcases because we like extra pillows. So I've just finished cutting out the most awesome collection of purple cottons to make them four sets of pillow cases with contrast hems and bands. My mom's voice is talking in my head: "You know you've gotten someone a really good gift when you'd love to have it for yourself." Which I would.

They're not stitched up yet, but I can do a lot of the preliminary pinning tonight in front of NCAA games I care very little about. I hope to post photographs when they're done.

Maryn, who bought most of the fabric online

mirandashell · Apr 4, 2015

Oh that's a nice thing to do!

Just as an aside, is it safe to buy material online or have you ever ended up with some and thought 'ugh! That's not what I thought.'

Maryn · Apr 4, 2015

I've had a few WTF moments with fabric I bought online--but the place I buy from has been great about it. Most often they refund my money and suggest I donate the fabric to any organization or charity which can use it. (Here, there are several which are happy to have it for resale.) Even the time the fabric was expensive, they didn't ask me to send it back.

This is Fabric.com, by the way. They only ship in the US for free (on orders $35 or more), although they do ship internationally. Daily deals to your email, and they always, always give you at least 37" per "yard." Most of the time, I get at least 18" more, and quite often, an extra yard, two yards, or even three. I like them so much better than what I can get in stores.

Maryn, who's got the sets laid out on the sofa

mccardey · Apr 4, 2015

What a gorgeous idea! And it's true that there are never enough pillow-slips.

mirandashell · Apr 4, 2015

Thank you! I would probably find someone UK based. Can't be arsed with Customs!

mccardey · Apr 4, 2015

Maryn said:
Maryn, who's got the sets laid out on the sofa

We'll need photos, of course...

Filigree · Apr 4, 2015

Brilliant idea, Maryn. (seconding Fabric.com.)

Orianna2000 · Apr 5, 2015

I love Fabric.com, too. Although, since they got bought by Amazon, their customer service has seriously gone downhill. I've emailed them repeatedly about problems, and never heard a word in reply. For instance, when I order half-yards, they're cut so crooked, that by the time I straighten the grain, I only have maybe ten inches of usable fabric. I complained, but they didn't respond. I'm also having trouble with the ID stickers they put on the fabrics. My last order, on two different fabrics, the stickers didn't peel completely off, they left a paper residue. Not cool! I also miss the 15% coupons they used to give out all the time.

But they do have really great fabrics, and if you don't like one, or it's the wrong color, you're free to return it. I love that you're allowed to order half-yards, too. I usually make doll clothes, so I don't need a whole lot of fabric. Not all fabric sites will let you order less than a full yard, so I appreciate that.

Maryn · Apr 5, 2015

Speaking of Fabric.com, anyone who buys there needs to be mindful of the fact that you can no longer earn frequent shopper points, which add up to coupons when you have 300 or more. Existing coupons expire in June.

I didn't know Amazon had bought them, but that explains why the uber-generous yardages I'm used to receiving are recently mere inches more than I ordered.

Man, the cuts being crooked is awful, though. JoAnn is bad about that, but I expect better of Fabric.com. I've only had it be that bad in terms of grain one time, and they refunded me.

Maryn, who used her coupons

Orianna2000 · Apr 5, 2015

Yeah, they've cut my yardage crooked a few times. I kept one of the pieces to use as an object lesson for my students. It demonstrates grainlines and the importance of straightening your fabric before cutting your pattern.

A few times, they've sent me an extra half-yard, because it was the end of the bolt. That hasn't happened in awhile, but one time I had two or three different fabrics with the "end of bolt" sticker on them. That was pretty great! A couple of times, they sent me the entirely wrong fabric. Like, I'd ordered taffeta and they sent me a couple yards of fleece, or one time they sent me power netting. I got to keep it, which was unexpected.

I'm kind of upset about them canceling the rewards program. They never give out coupons anymore, so that was the only way to earn a discount. Now there's no incentive to buy from them, especially given the lousy customer service of late.

Maryn · Apr 27, 2015

I still prefer Fabric.com's selection to what I can get locally. Here, in a metro area of a million or so, JoAnn Fabrics is all there is, with the exception of upholstery fabrics.

I finished the cases and boxed them up just today. It was surprisingly difficult to do them justice in photographs.

StoryofWoe · Apr 27, 2015

Those are friggen' gorgeous! I'm sure both brides-to-be are going to love them. Thanks for posting photos. I don't sew (or knit or crochet...) but I love seeing what people who are more talented in those DIY arenas come up with. So darn pretty.

cmhbob · Apr 27, 2015

You're pretty awesome, Maryn. Beautiful work.

Orianna2000 · Apr 27, 2015

I love the fabrics you chose, Maryn. Purple's my favorite color! You did a great job with those.

I don't know why it's so hard to take decent photos of your sewing, but I have the same problem. Either it's out of focus, or there's some clutter in the background, or there isn't enough light--or something! So frustrating. Photoshop Elements has saved my butt many times, when a photo turned out too dark, or had a foot showing at the edge. . . .

I like to keep sewing diaries, documenting every stage of my sewing projects. It's helpful for my students (and others) to see my struggles, to know that even the "experts" have trouble matching plaids, or getting a zipper that isn't wavy, or whatever. Of course, it would be a boring diary if I didn't include photos of every step of the construction! I look back at my early diaries and shudder at the picture quality. Not that my current photos are award-winning, by any means. As I said, it's something I struggle with. Which is kind of ironic, considering that my dad used to be a professional photographer.

Kind of got off topic there, but anyway--great job, Maryn! Will it be hard for you to give them away? I have trouble with that sometimes. I'll spend hours and hours working on something, and when it comes time to give it to its intended recipient, I don't want to part with it!

Chris1981 · Apr 27, 2015

They're gorgeous.

Chris, a) totally copying your sign-off and b) not normally a purple kind of guy. But yes. Gorgeous.

Sh, Don't Tell!

Maryn

At Sea

mirandashell

Maryn

At Sea

mccardey

mirandashell

mccardey

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Orianna2000

Freelance Writer

Maryn

At Sea

Orianna2000

Freelance Writer

Maryn

At Sea

StoryofWoe

Sick and pale with grief.

cmhbob

Did...did I do that?

Orianna2000

Freelance Writer

Chris1981

Just Another Transman