It took a trip to two different JoAnn stores. The first is what I consider the farthest JoAnn within reasonable distance (~20 miles). I had been stalking some of their red tag fabric since I visited that store a few weeks ago, so I was very excited about them still having it when I got to the store this morning. It was possibly the best JoAnn sale day experience ever. First, they had all the red tag fabric I wanted. Second, they were well stocked in Simplicity patterns (except that one...). Thirdly, I met a super nice lady who was looking for a button. We kept running into each other. She was older, but used to do ballet (until her 30s!) and made her own ballet costumes. She was very interested in my skating costumes (I had my fabric swatches for thread matching), and informed me about a good German bakery (with strudel!) in the next shopping center over (I was on a schedule, but this bears the need for further inspection). She was super cool and probably one of the nicest random people I have met in a long time. Fourthly, they had ALL of the Gutterman thread colors in stock and were even re-stocking the shelves as I was looking! Amazing. Fifthly, they actually carry tailoring supplies at this JoAnn location!!! None of the other ones have such supplies that I have seen (at least, not in the quantity as this store), so I got some fun new toys. Sixthly, and most amazingly, I only had to wait about 3 minutes at the cutting line. Now, I had a ton of fabric to cut, and, unfortunately, the other lady getting fabric cut was making a wedding gown for her future-daughter-in-law, so she had a ton of fabric to get cut as well. So, sorry poor people behind me! I hope your AnimeCon costume turns out well! Thanks for waiting! Also, as this store has mostly fabrics and fewer crafts, and I effectively blocked everyone from checking out by taking so long at the cut counter, I had no line at the checkout counter either (bwahahahaha, ermh, yeah). All in all a great first stop and totally worth the drive. The only disapointments: no white grosgrain ribbon and no 10 yard bolt of muslin.
Since I had such success at the first store (and used my 10% off everything coupon), I wasn't planning on doing as well at the second store, but I actually found some amazing things. I went to red-tag land first. Found some nice rayon fabric for a button down shirt, some stunning taffeta (I could not leave it behind....), and (are you ready for this?) $5/yard 100% silk doupioni! At a JoAnns! I was letting my fingers wander over the fabric, so I felt it before I saw it. It felt like real silk, but my first thought was no, can't be. I looked at the label - yup. 100% silk. Well then, can't be red tag. Wrong again! $10/yard red tag silk - half off goes to $5/yard. Happy dance! I was also able to pick up the remainder of my Simplicity patterns (except that one...), found some white grosgrain ribbon, and the bolts of 60" muslin! Yay! Luckily I had speedy cutting lady, not grumpy cutting lady. But most of the people at this store act like they wish you weren't there (the other customers, I mean), and the are ALL there for home dec. All of them. When you are buying garment fabric they just give you that look, like, what, are you so poor you have to make your own clothes? There was one nice couple snapping up Simplicity patterns, (wife at the book, barking out numbers and letters, the husband pawing through patterns). Unlike first store, NONE of the drawers are labeled correctly (you would think they could at least get the right pattern company on the drawer?), so I was more than happy to help them locate a few of the patterns (princess costumes!) for their kids. Is it insane that I look up all of these things online, go to the stores with a list of the pattern numbers and sizes, and just start digging? Am I really the only person who does this? I can't be the only one who actually tracks these sorts of sales? (Trust me, if we had a Hancock, I would track them too!). *Sigh* Maybe other people don't care because they are just there for the home dec? Whatever. Anyway, to make life better, nerdy check-out guy was sort of trying to flirt with me, so even though I didn't have the 10% off everything coupon (as I had already used it), he scanned one for me anyway. Win!
Ok, enough blabering, let's look at the goods!
I really wanted to get some of this stretch mesh in every color! I really want to do a sheer sleeved figure dress at some point, and can't beat the pricing on these:
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| Stretch mesh (aka "that nasty sh*t, as dubbed by grumpy cutting lady) |
Next: normal clothes fabric. The green is destined to be a button-down shirt, as is the aqua. The light blue was $2/yard, so they will be used for (possibly wearable) pants muslin for my Burda Style patterns.
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| Green: rayon blend, aqua: linen/cotton/lycra, blue: poly/rayon/lycra. |
Next, I got some flannel. This is apparently NOT intended for children's sleepwear. I don't know why. This is like the new label on EVERYTHING at the store. Are the children supposed to sleep naked? I don't know, whatever. The dark purple will be used for interlining a coat, and the crazy print for sleepy pants. I guess I will be sleeping in it at my own risk? It was $2.50/yard, and I love it. It's so 80s. The stripy knit will be a shit, and the light blue is going to be a (possibly wearable) muslin. I hear the pattern runs big, so I want to test it out on a knit with similar drape to one in my stash, but that doesn't have the sentimental attachment.
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| Back row: cotton flannel (not intended for children's sleepwear), front: knits. |
Now, the pretties. The red was $2.50/yard. It it has the black flocking, and will either be a coat or a dress, possibly in some vintage pattern? The brown/gold was fabulous (even better in person) and it wanted to come home with me. I love it. I have a plan in mind, but I am not 100% positive of its future use yet. And, lastly but not leastly, my 100% silk! $5/yard. Love!
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| Red: flocked poly taffeta, brown/gold: embroidered poly taffeta, green: 100% silk! |
Ok, that was it for my fabric stashing, onto the other goodies. First, patterns.
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| Costume patterns. My kryptonite. |
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| Normal people clothes. |
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| Doll & toys. Vintage Barbie pattern is for my mom! |
Next, my new toys! Got a pressing ham, a seam roll, 10 yards of muslin, and some super fin pins.
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| Tools of the home couturier. |
Also, got lots of buttons! I wasn't going to get the large packs, but I really want to make some button down shirts, and the only good color matches were in the mixed packs. The ones on the left are gold sew-on jewels; the right are a silver color.
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| Buttons, buttons everywhere. |
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| My fav button find. The picture does not do it justice. |
And thread!
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| Polyester, cotton, embroidery floss, and storage! |
And other useful things...
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| Shoulder pads, 20 yards of elastic, clear elastic, grosgrain ribbon, invisible zip. |
I went in with a list and a plan. Everything was 40-60% off except the ribbon and the zipper (which I need for one of my next 3 projects, and I was able to use a 40% off coupon). On top of that, 10% of total purchase at each store. Since I bought so many patterns, I saved over twice what I spent at each store. Other happy news: my source finally has June Burda for sale! Score! My stash is quite happy now, and quite full. I will be making some online fabric orders in the near future for a very specific project, but I don't know that I will be doing as much intake at JoAnn sales in the near future. The next few large summer sales will happen around competition dates, during which I will be busy and preoccupied. My list of pattern wants is much reduced (there are a few Vogue, the new Buttericks, and that one Simplicity!), but I can now wait and evaluate the new styles as they get released, instead of searching about and hoping to get patterns before they go OOP.
All in all, a good start to the long weekend. The plans now: finish putting stones on the skating dance dress, hem my coat, and sew on the buttons. Finishing two projects in one weekend? We dare to dream.
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