Have you heard of Design Diva Fabrics? My source for all things textile knowledge told me about this whacky site. It's whacky in that they are ALWAYS running sales, and those sales change by the minute. Yes, you can go look at a fabric, refresh the page, and the price has changed. It's totally bizarre, but so much fun to browse! The prices range from what we consider normal for such things as taffeta all the way up to the most outrageous lampas--we're talking close to $1000 for a yard. Pick your jaw up off the floor now!
Currently, Design Diva is having a sale--80-90% off sale. Supposedly, there are new taffetas and dupionis (please reenactors, don't ever use that stuff) from such names as Scalamandre, Pierre Frey and Vervain for as low as $10/yd. You got my attention, I will certainly browse around your crazy website for fabrics that I cannot buy just yet. In addition, there is a "site-wide sale up to 65% off." So ... yeah. I'm tellin' ya, you can't make this stuff up! Totally bizarre.
So I went looking for stuff that's $10/yd. I haven't found much yet, but what I did find was a lovely medium-weight silk taffeta by Scalamandre for $15/yd (retail is $242.60/yd, they sell it for $99.99/yd):
I think that would make a lovely sacque for a ball. I'm still not 100% on weights, though, so it may be too heavy as a medium. But, it would be lovely as something!
My favorite color combination is purple and yellow. Any shade of purple and any shade of yellow is all right with me. My dressage saddle bag is purple with yellow trim, I have purple polo wraps and yellow polo wraps for my horses (somewhere ...), I wear purple constantly ... I'm a fan. So, I love this Vervain shot taffeta in purple and gold, on sale for $22.50/yd (retail is $332.60/yd, DDF sells it for $149.99/yd):
Another sacque for another ball. Or just a sacque in undress. Hell, I just want to make a gown from it!
This looks very, very familiar to me ... completely out of my reach at $90/yd but I feel like I've worn it before ...
Yep, I have worn it before!
What's your "if money was no object" fabric that you would love to get your hands on?
Ok now that I can freely comment, I think personally I'd never be able to buy fabric/yarn from online. I'm too touchy-feely to not be able to handle it first, and make a decision on it. Especially if I'd be spending hemps amount of money it and be unable to return it.
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point that I didn't mentioned: SWATCHES! If you have to order online (which most reenactors do), always-always-always order a swatch of the fabric first. This is will save you gobs of money, especially if it'll be a big purchase and you can't return it!
ReplyDeleteI'd go shopping in Paris or London at the two stores where I bought some of my fav fabrics.
ReplyDeleteKristin mine is the red silk brocade from Scalamadre!
ReplyDeleteOh I love that, those love birds are so precious!
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