News is out that cottons are going up in price quite a bit. There are still ways of getting discount cotton calicoes and quilted fabrics for making dresses. Using a 40 percent coupon from the web, you can get a fairly good deal at JoAnn fabrics, and the WalMart stores that still have fabric, still have good cottons. Here are some interesting rose-prints from around the web:
Cottons are good for home sewing, and especially good for making your own dresses to wear at home, because it is a casual fabric with plenty of vivid prints or solids that make garmentslook nice enough to wear to any occasion.
17 comments:
It is such a blessing to be able to sew one's clothing. Although the price of fabrics is rising, it is (as you said) still possible to make a modest, attractive dress for less than a ready-to-wear garment. The rose fabrics you have shown here are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing them.
I love the April Cornell fabric. I just bought a darling pattern for some spring/summer dresses for my youngest. I also like Heather Bailey prints and Amy Butler, a bit pricey but on fabric.com they often go on sale.
I loved seeing all these rose fabrics! I adore roses and use them in my decorating as much as I can. Just beautiful.
Thank you for this information. I have also heard from many places that cotton prices are to go up. This would also include cotton towels, sheets, underthings and husband's jeans and polo shirts etc. Quilters use sheets for backing sometimes. They also said that manufacturers have decided in some cases to substitute more synthetic fibers and use less cotton soon to keep the prices down a bit. For instance, soxs once mostly cotton will now have a higher percentage of synthentic fibers in them. I decided to buy a package of our favorite soxs and such ahead when they were on sale recently. Sarah
Those are lovely fabrics. We are having a new super wal-mart built in our town and I found out recently they are keeping their fabric dept.! I'm really happy about that, even if they are downsizing it just a bit.
Not long ago, I bought some pretty blue roses on white fabric at about $3/yard at wal mart and dd wants to make a skirt out of it.
Dear Lady Lydia,
Thank you for adding some sunshine to my foggy day! Those prints are absolutely dreamy. I'm searching the local thrift stores for some rosy sheets to use for slipcovers. I'm sure they're out there somewhere!
Blessings today,
Marqueta
I have also read that food prices are going up, in addition to cotton and clothes. Taxes are also going up in some states. It is going to be a good time to put frugal homemaking skills to work. Home cooking and sewing are skills that are going to save a lot of money.
It is interesting that you pointed out that the dress you showed can be made for a small fraction of the cost. I like a certain style of nightgown that sells for $69 in a catalog. I cannot afford that all the time, but found a similiar style in Simplicity Pattern
#2731. It is a "It's so easy" pattern and so far, it is pretty easy to make. With the pattern included, it is going to cost me just about $20 total to make. Of course, it will cost less next time because I don't have to buy a new pattern. I will also have left over interfacing and lace. I noticed at my local WalMart, they are no longer carrying interfacing in little packages. But, it can be bought even cheaper by the yard there for those that are wondering where it went.
One good source of patterns is ebay. I found that many times a "lot" of uncut patterns can be purchased for less than the cost of one new pattern!
Ladies, Do not forget to check yards sales, thrift shops and Craigslist for low prices on fabric. This is how I have gotten most of my fabric in the past few years.
Also, I have received free fabric from a few people who knew I like to sew and who were cleaning out their stash. Do not forget to tithe on your increase as it could be a blessing to someone else.
Lydia,
Welcome to the Australian reality...we've paid extortionate rates for decent cotton dress fabrics for years!
However, if one makes a dress themselves out of this fabric, or purchases clothing made by Christian modest dress clothierres, one is making an investment for the future. as has been pointed out on another Christian blog I've read recently, a dress purchased from above or home sewn can last for up to ten years if cared for properly; I know of women who have worn some for longer. Cared for correctly, they hold up age-wise also and do not go tatty. if buttons or zips need repairing, or elastic replacing, this is a small sacrifice, even if one needs to outsource. I've got a lovely black skirt that will be getting its third elastic this winter; I've had it for years, and will likely have it for years to come.
as homemakers, we know that wise stewardship is not always about the $$$ bottom line... A little more spent on quality will ensure something gives far more service than its cheaper cousin, thus taking a long-term approach to the God-given resources we have been blessed with.
Additionally, for home sewers, avoid nylon or synthetic thread; this will, quite quickly, succumb to the iron; good quality cotton thread, even if one has to hunt around for it, is a far wiser choice. Support local, independant and labour ethical retailers also (which, I'm afraid to say, usually rules out the global chain outlets and discount retailers such as 'Two Dollar Shop' here in aus (I take a fairly dim view of these outlets).
I do hope you're going to do another series of sewing posts. I really enjoy those. A trip to Joann's is in order,it seems, before the prices go up. Those 40% off coupons are the best! Thanks for the information about the anticipated rise in cotton prices.
Thank you for this post, and your e-mail reply. I found a pattern for a wrap-style skirt that I could probably make on a Monday evening, when my husband is at church and the baby is asleep. Making at least some of my clothing is appealing to me because I can make what I like: no more being a slave to what's available on the rack!
Rose fabrics are my hands down favorites-I just can't resist them. I've been fortunate to find some at thrift stores. Sometimes it will just be a small piece but the size is perfect to go across a small table over a regular tablecloth and they look wonderful.
I also just love that dress you featured-it would look so cute over a pink cotton t-shirt.
Like one commenter noted, sheets are such wonderful sources of fabric and often can be found with rose and floral prints. Really nice for dresses or skirts.
~Rhonda
Love the rose fabrics--I am always drawn to them first in the stores! I also love toile and bought several yards to make all kinds of things for our home. Thank you for always encouraging us to work with our hands. BTW, my daughters and I made some lovely molded soap the other day from a kit. I was so excited, and I was inspired by your earlier post on your sweet soap cake!
Many blessings...
Lovely!
Hi Lydia,
I am so glad to read this post on rose fabrics. I find the selection is limited at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Wal-Mart, but the prices are the best I've found anywhere.
Shabby Fabrics.com has the prettiest ones I've ever seen, but their prices are HIGH. I suppose if one only used bits of it for trim on a solid dress it would justify spending so much on the pretty yardage.
There used to be a blog and home business where the mother had 5 or six daughters. She used two fabrics a solid black and a rose print with black in it to make herself and her daughters clothes.
She used different patterns and interchanged the print and solid in different ways on each garment.
The clothes were modest, lovely and matched even though they were different. So much can be done using roses, solids and prints.
Your blogs are so refreshing and inspiring.
Thank you for sharing.
Janet W.
I love the floral cottons. I'm not a very advanced dressmaker and I'd like to ask a question for anyone who might know - if a pattern calls for laundered cotton, what is that exactly? Would quilting calico work? I have Simplicity 2249 in mind. I wouldn't want to make a big mistake in picking out the fabric.
All these pretty rose fabrics are so nice and they just 'feel' like springtime!
I made a dress from the rose medley collection.
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