My No Sewcation

Today is Day Nine of my self imposed 14 day sewing hiatus. I have been getting much done, much that has been begging for attention. It has been a battle to deal with the rain and yesterday I planted my flower beds in the mist. Finally today the sun broke through but gardening was not on my schedule today. I have a plan I am working to get done all I need to and then it will be back to the sewing life.

During all of this I managed to get to the Joann sale yesterday and scoop my five patterns and a few fabric bargains. What you see above and here is the boucle I scored. I can be a bit of a fabric snob and rarely touch acrylics. Actually I avoid them like the plague.  My Chanel jacket was rayon and cotton. This boucle is 100% acrylic but would you look at these selvedges?  TDF, I tell ya'! I bought all left on the bolt at 2.50 a yard, over three yards. I love the color, but my doubts kept resurfacing so I did some research.

When it comes to acrylics I have visions of sweaters I owned, before I got smart, that would stretch out and become massive carpets of pills. I remember shaving these things with my husband's razor and then finally swearing off  the stuff. But impulse set in and this jumped in my cart. The way it looks and drapes, Fabulous! I came home and did some research. It seems today's acrylics are now treated to not pill. We shall see. I also found some very good information that pointed out some positives that I was not aware of. You can read it here but I will share this paragraph with you. I found it pretty enlightening.From eHow.com,

"Acrylic fabric tends toward fast drying, natural stain resistance, durability and color fastness. Acrylic fabric holds a bright steady color and ultraviolet ray resistance and is great for rugged outdoor wear. It removes dampness, moving it away from the skin and toward the outer portion of the weave thereby allowing the moisture to evaporate more quickly than a natural fabric. Its stretchy quality keeps the shape of the garment far longer than natural fabrics. Acrylic fabrics do not shrink and are moth proof. There are those who find acrylic fabrics to be itchy and uncomfortable and some who claim they are allergic to acrylic. Static electricity is a hazard when wearing acrylic because it builds up between the skin and the fabric as a person moves."

I guess I may not wear my outfit on a cold dry day in February, ZAP! Bemberg is anti static so maybe that will help. I am also iffy about the "stretchy" quality but when I use this it will be fused to a tricot interfacing. So I am feeling it is worthy of a semi couture Chanel jacket, one with a Bemberg lining instead of silk. 

My other purchase and more bucks than the boucle is this 4 way stretch knit stripe, a chocolate and ivory combo. I think this will make a great top, just not sure which one I will make. The stripes are a half inch wide. I would love to do something that really plays with that feature.

 

And of course I picked up my five patterns. Those Amazing Fit pants are the exact same style as my TNT pants and I am basically curious to see how the two compare. Speaking of, I do have some pants lined up for June, a neat linen pair from New Look. That may be my first effort when the hiatus is over.In the meantime it is back to gardening. We have the veggies and a couple of shrubs left to deal with. Tomorrow is another sunny day but gardening is not on the schedule. I am a real bugger about sticking to my schedule. I did a major simplify and have tons to bring to town to the consignment and GoodWill stores so that and a few other errands and chores are on tomorrow's list. So far the schedule is working. Back to sewing soon....................

Hope you all have taken a moment to give thanks for the brave men and women guarding our freedoms. Say a prayer for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee our lives, liberties, and pursuits of happiness....Bunny