Unintentionally, of course. I was only looking for stretch twill in a very specific shade of green. Which I found. And haggled down the price, too! It’s all my daughter’s fault. If she hadn’t been so intent on finding something for yet another pair of those ridiculous utility pants, I would have promptly left the store!
From L to R: black silk chiffon, Italian wool suiting, 4-ply silk crepe, black stretch cotton sateen, silk chiffon print, knit, white poly microfibre, black embroidered silk chiffon and 3 different cuts of ivory silk peau de soie
Honestly! I would never in a million years have looked at the remnant racks. Even though a bargain is a bargain, y’know know what I’m sayin’? And there was a sign saying 50% off the already reduced prices of the fabric ends! Now, how can a savvy girl refuse that offer? And I do actually have plans for a couple of the pieces: the loden twill and black cotton sateen will be pants, the graphic knit is for my DD1 – a dress perhaps? – and the green/orange leopardy print chiffon is going to be an Alice + Olivia top for DD1.
From R to L: ice blue linen, red Italian linen, Solstiss sequin lace, shot silk taffeta, lavender silk chiffon, greeny-ivory silk charmeuse, and the fabric that started it all: dark loden stretch cotton twill
There’s actually a funny story to the linen purchases on the far right. Today was a date with a good friend and her daughter who is looking for a prom dress. My DD1 loves a store in the Fashion district called Original, and we made an appointment to look for prom dresses amongst their 5000+ stock (it includes Vivienne Westwood pieces which I photographed – bad bad bad! – and studied furiously, but more on that in another post). After wasting the staff’s time trying on dress after dress and learning about a completely fabulous designer called Byron Lars, we nailed down a prom dress idea that could easily be made for considerably less than the retail price, and so went snooping through all the fabric stores that were open. (Today being Sunday, not many are in this city!)
The second store we wandered into has the dearest proprietor that loves to haggle. He asks for it. I’ve been in his shop numerous times but never purchased anything because… well, he just never had anything I was interested in buying. Today, however, as I saunter into his domain….
Mr. Shop: Are you a sewer? Tell me what this fabric is and I’ll give you a yard for free!
Me: Yes, I sew. (having a good look and feel at the bolt he’s pointing to) You’re actually going to give me a yard for free if I tell you what this is made of?
Mr. Shop: Yes!
Me: It’s bamboo linen.
Mr. Shop is absolutely beside himself with joy that I correctly identified this fabric. I don’t think he remembers showing off this very fabric a couple of summers ago and bragging to me that bamboo can be made into any type of fabric, including linen. Ha! Anyways, after wandering through the store and not finding what we needed for the desired prom dress, he insisted on giving me the free yard of fabric. !?!? OK. But I had my dear friend choose a colour (the ice blue) because I really wasn’t interested in yet another length of linen in my stash. She originally wanted the red linen in the picture (it’s a beautiful deep blue-toned blood red), but there was less than a yard and it had a spot of dirt in the middle. I bought it anyways, because it will wash out, for $5.00. I did only want to spend $2.00, but Mr. Shop said I was unkind to want to kill him.
Anyways, all this to say… so much for stash-bustin’.
Mezzo Couture 
That was a funny story! and your stash is a dream!
I know that store … The Russian guy! Have purchased there, but have not otherwise “won” there. I’m in Toronto now, delightfully close by, but for work so can’t spare the time to shop. Rats!
Well, I didn’t know where he was from, but in all honesty I’ve avoided his store more often than not because I can be a little intimidated by bargaining! I’d just had a double shot of espresso before venturing into his shop, so it may have helped to boost my ability to play his game! Ha ha!
Oh, well done and you made Mr. Shop’s day…funny story. I am green with envy at those purchases however. I just got back from JA and that was a slightly depressing shopping expedition.
We don’t have Joanne’s up here, only Fabricland, which can be quite disappointing on most days, too! And this is why I avoid the fashion district unless dragged down there….
holy shazbot…. i am crazy jealous of your delectable remnant score!! Remnants here are rarely more than a meter, and never in natural fibers!! Poly all the way… yeuch LOL… I’d have bought up the whole thing too!! Also, nice work on scoring the bamboo linen! 🙂
This little fabric store (they know me by name although I’ve not been there much for the last few years) has always the most delicious fabrics. I love shopping their remnant rack!
I can totally relate! I’m a total Bargain hunter. My local quilt shop is moving to a larger location….sniff, sniff……Now I’ll acutally have to drive to it. But anyways, they are having a ‘must sell everything’ sale. That will be death to my checkbook;)
Well, just sign the cheque and look the other way! DD1 was with me and thought she’d double-check the receipt. She’s a little more careful with her savings than I am!
I’m breathign into a bag- everything is so pretty!
Ha ha! That’s what I do in some of these fabric shops… which is why I try not to go into them unless my life depends on it!
Tee hee, and well done!
Tee, hee, hee!
I always console myself with the thought that a binge on fabric is far cheaper than a binge on clothes. And fabric yet to be sewn up is not going out of style. Unless it is an unfortunate print.
No you didn’t blow it. Not if you have plans for everything. Alright, for a couple of pieces. Well, alright there’s a price to pay for loving something and if this is it then so be it. Besides, you will use it all eventually and its gorgeous!
Thank you for so eloquently justifying my first no-fabric-purchase failure of the year! Hopefully it’s the only one of the year….
I love remnants! I think it’s my inner environmental freak, because I get such a sense of satisfaction from using a piece of fabric right down to the selvedges 🙂
Looks like you’ve got some sewing to do then!
No a girl cannot pass up a bargain like that. You might have to wear a disguise next time so Mr. Shop doesn’t recognize you and your great bargaining techniques (LOL)
Susan