birdieopolis

faggottingprobably twelve years ago i bought this eyelet fabric and faggotting with the intention of making some dainty p.j.s for my daughter. after lying in wait in the stash closet their time had come to manufacture into something else for my daughter. she had seen an eyelet skirt at a local shop that she loved and which cost around $150. knowing full well that i could easily make the same thing for nothing i went home, pulled out a pattern (also stashed away for years) that was the exact replica of the skirt in the store (three tiers of gathered fabric with an elastic waist), pulled out the fabric and at last it would all come together into something new. what i didn't expect was how delightful the marriage of the eyelet and the faggotting would be.
it makes me crazy that real quality fabric stores are disappearing all the time. just this year one of the best quilting stores in seattle closed. a couple of years ago a local store with gorgeous fabrics closed. no one seems to enjoy sewing anymore to support this sector of the marketplace. i know fabric has become expensive and labor is cheap so why sew? because like with anything hand made there is a great sense of accomplishment when you make an object, especially when it is useful. having something one of a kind, instead of one of thousands, is also a lure of making things by hand. yes it take time and skill but the results are ultimately far more gratifying than plucking something off a store shelf where someone somewhere was paid next to nothing to make it for you.
if you know how to sew and a young person you know doesn't please teach them how to sew (i'm a 4-H needle arts leader...teaching the next generation to appreciate needle arts is very important to me)! you can make just about anything...it's not limited to clothing. i just made a dry bag for the dinghy last weekend etc. etc.