SO. MUCH. FABRIC.

[DesertRose]

One of my SCA friends invited me over to her house this evening because she is trying to downsize her fabric stash.

OMG.  I now have enough fabric to keep me sewing until Christmas!

*toodles off to piece and cut and probably sew some tonight*

[Jerusha]

Do I foresee a lovely new gown? A winter cloak?  (OK, it's cold in Canada.) Enjoy!

[DesertRose]

Well, the first item on the agenda is to make chemises for my daughter and me.  That fabric is in the washing machine right now, and I'm going to try to get it pieced tonight, probably not sewn yet.  My daughter needs a full-length chemise.  I sewed her two blouse-length chemises when she was about 12, and oddly enough, they still fit, 10 years later, but she needs a floor-length one like mine, and I want a second floor-length one for myself, too.  I used to have two, but one of them has gone missing at some point.

I do have the fabric from my friend's stash to make myself a lovely gray brocade bodice and a gray velvet skirt to go with it, and that'll probably be my first project for myself.    DD finally made her mind up about a persona, so she needs basically an entire new garb wardrobe (she had been wearing tunic dresses because they're kind of generically period for the SCA, and occasionally the pirate/tavern wench attire I sewed for her when she was 12), and I'm going to be sewing on her wardrobe for a good bit, but after I get her at least halfway situated, I'm going to make myself the brocade bodice and velvet skirt!

[Laurna]

Oh what fantastic fun!
I myself am a material girl. Nothing like a new set of underclothes to make a girl feel good. You are planing on braking out the sewing machine or will it all be authentic hand work? Power to you if that is the case. Although velvet is easier to handle by hand than by machine. Makes me want to sew.

[Evie]

I myself am a material girl.

<singing>"Laurna is a Material Girl, she lives in a material world . . . ."</singing>

Great, now I've got that song stuck in my head! Not to mention I'm picturing Laurna as 1980s-era Madonna, dolled up in pink satin and diamonds and made up to resemble Marilyn Monroe, doing a dance number with a bunch of handsome men in tuxedos for her music video. . . . 

[revanne]

yet again searches desperately for a portal... we have a wonderful remnant store near us and I can never resist the stuff with the result that I have heaps of lovely fabric just itching to be made up by someone without two left hands.

Desert Rose your descriptions sounded wonderful.

[DesertRose]

This will be machine sewing, Laurna.  I'm not that great at hand-sewing though I'm better at it than I used to be (practice makes perfect, after all).  I also am fairly slow at hand-sewing and machine sewing goes faster for me.  It's not period, but heck, most people machine sew their garb if it's not for an Art-Sci entry. 

Evie, LOL!  That was where my mind went too; I used to be a HUGE Madonna fan in the 80s.  I still have a boatload of her CDs, and I once did a lip-sync and dance routine to "Material Girl" for a school talent show.

Revanne, thank you. I know what you mean.  Only my budget keeps me from having a ridiculously large fabric stash.    I also have some lovely silk satin that I bought online (imported from Indonesia, IIRC) that when I have the money, I'm going to have someone sew up into court garb for me.  I don't trust silk satin to my sewing skills, so I'm going to find someone who's a better seamstress/sempster than I to sew it for me, providing them the fabric and notions and compensation for their time.

Evie, when I get that silk garb sewn, I might be able to send you the scraps for the Mini-Deryni.  There is royal blue, silver, and white silk satin and I bought rather a generous amount of it because I almost always overbuy my fabric.  I'm one of those who'd rather have too much fabric for any given project than not quite enough.  That may be a while down the road, though, because it will probably be a bit before I have the money to pay someone to sew up that silk for me.

[Evie]

DR, if you can't afford to pay someone to sew the garb, many SCA folk would be glad to barter services.  So maybe you could cook up some freezer meals for them (with them supplying their own groceries the way you're supplying your own fabric), or do some writing or editing for them,  etc.

[DesertRose]

That's a good point, Evie.  I might try that.  Thanks!

[Laurna]

I once did a lip-sync and dance routine to "Material Girl" for a school talent show.

I love it! 

I am afraid I have a horrible addiction. It is called Fabric Hording. I am like a dragon with a huge horde of fabric in one bedroom in bins on shelves covering 3 walls from floor to ceiling. (Ok some of it is my sisters but still....) We use to go to the fabric district in LA every 2-3 months and buy silks and brocades for $3-6 per yard. Eyelet for $2 per yard. We finally had to curtail our shopping to once a year because face it, I just don't sew like I used too. And the good cheep fabrics really aren't available anymore. We had a good sewing class yesterday, and I was reminded Dickens festival is a few weeks away and I really need to finish the dress I have been working on for 6 months.

So your sewing is an inspiration for me to do it too. I love when other people create things. So keep us informed, and show off the results.  I love that too!

[DesertRose]

My friend who let me raid her fabric stash has quite a hoard too, and now I have a ton in my apartment, which is a challenge because I don't have a lot of space for it all.

I think I'm going to need a new garb box before this is all over with.  Oh, well, the kiddo needs at least one herself.  I see a trip to the Rubbermaid section of Walmart or Target in my future, in any case.

[Evie]

Buy a large plastic tote, stuff it full of folded fabric (or your garb), cover it with a pretty cloth, and pretend it's an end take.  :-)

[DesertRose]

Yeah, I use big rectangular Rubbermaid totes for my garb.  Kiddo is presently using cardboard boxes but this is unsatisfactory as they are not all that durable.  I could drape them with a piece of fabric and make end tables for my encampment at events, but honestly, I don't spend that much time in my encampment.  I'm usually doing stuff at Scribe's Point or in the kitchen or SOMETHING.  I basically store my stuff, change clothes, and sleep in my tent, and SCA events are not really for sleeping anyway, LOL.

[Laurna]

If I had a Portal, I would love to join either of you ladies at an SCA event.  I have never been to one.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

[DesertRose]

Oh, it's a blast, Laurna.  The people as a general rule are very friendly and helpful to new participants, and you could, of course, go find your local SCA group. (www.sca.org has a local group finder function!)  You'd have a whole new social group who would love to meet an accomplished seamstress and costumer!