Happy #FabricFriday friends! What have you got planned this weekend? I'm on a hen do on Saturday, but hope to sew away my Sunday :o)
I'm sure you'll agree that the fabric I'm sharing today is nothing short of sublime. Yet my mum and I always get the giggles when we talk about buying it, referring to it as the time we got hustled! We were trawling for vintage fabric in Cyprus a couple of years ago, much to shopkeepers' disdain. When we came across the shop selling this fabric and asked if they had any 'old stock', the owners got very offended and assured us they only carried the latest trends. Once they realised we were weirdos that we actually wanted old fabric, they led us down to their basement which housed all their leftover bolts from as far back as the late 1950s. There were glorious silks, brocades, wools, crepes...you name it! My mum and I were like kids in a sweet shop, literally unable to keep our cool. So when it came to prices, we were totally hustled! The owners could see how keen we were, and even though they literally couldn't give this stuff away to the average Cypriot, they played hard-ball with us. My mum and I are both terrible at haggling, so we left the shop weighed down by our lovely purchases, but feeling like we could have negotiated a way better deal!
Anyway, enough reminiscing...back to the fabric! It's 1950s / 1960s silk (I seem to have more silk than I realised) and I fell in love with the 'sketched' rose-print in both colourways. I have 2.5 metres of the blue one and only 0.6 metres of the green one. Both pieces are 90 centimetres wide. I'm thinking a dress and a blouse are in order! Ideally I'd like to use vintage patterns, but the question is...which ones?!?
What a great story - that basement sounds like heaven! It looks like a large scale print so something simple like the Afternoon blouse?
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful Marie! I especially love the blue one. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the story of how you came by this - I'm sure most of us would have been too enthusiastic to haggle when faced with a whole basement of vintage fabric!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful fabric - love the idea of you two getting hustled to get your mitts on this stash. Totally worth it mind ;)
ReplyDeleteThat basement sounds like heaven. Beautiful fabric. Xx
ReplyDeleteWow, this is just absolutely lovely. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh this is gorgeous! I'd NEVER be able to cut this... it's too gorgeous! I would just pull it out and float around staring at it! Great story though... and if it makes you feel better, I'm hustled ALL the freaking time here in China!
ReplyDeleteWhat a story! I think that basement would be sold out quite quickly if the readers of your blog could easily visit that store ;) Vintage silks and wools and crepe... swoon.
ReplyDeleteNow, about what to make from this fabric... I think you're in trouble with the smaller piece. Because it's so narrow 0.6 meter won't be enough for even a simple sleeveless blouse (not unless your bust measurenent is less than about 86 cm). I'm afraid you'd have to find another facric you can use it with.
Ha! I know the feeling. I'm awful at haggling. But deal or no deal that is some gorgeous quality cloth you have there. Whatever you make with it it will be truly stunning. That fabric is going to shout from the rooftops! x
ReplyDeleteThey definitely need vintage patterns. Sounds like you were hustled but in a good way! Jo x
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I think I would die and go to heaven in that shop!!!
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