Just as I was making some good progress depleting my stash, a new shipment of stash-to-be shows up. And that means more rambling about sewing to you guys, instead of actually sewing! I received a couple of basics, but they’re not so photogenic in their unsewn state so they won’t be making an appearance in this entry.  I would, however, like to introduce you to 3.5 yards of cotton and silk blend poplin in the perfect shade of teal blue:

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I don’t think your monitor can properly convey the luxurious, jealousy-inducing qualities of this fabric.  Trust me, if you were here now, we’d be tugging at both ends of it, screaming very unladylike things at each other.  It’s not shiny like charmeuse, although it looks shiny in the photo. Instead it’s glowy like a sandwashed silk but without the dusty haze.  It doesn’t reflect light; it gives off light.  Well, not really but it sure looks like it.  And the color is intense without being bright- my favorite kind of color to wear.

I had the poplin earmarked for Simplicity 2497, the lovely Cynthia Rowley pattern above. And then when I saw the fabric, I had a pang of doubt.  Not because it isn’t a wonderful match for the pattern, but rather because the pattern is just so trendy.  The cinched paper bag silhouette, the frothy ruffle on the neck, it’s all very this moment.  But this is long-term-relationship, wear-it-for-years fabric. So I pondered, should I make a more classic dress from it?  Perhaps a slim shirt with sharp collar and French cuffs to be paired with wool trousers for work?  And so I agonized- go with a classic design that would maximize my time with this lovely fabric, or bite the bullet and make a cute dress for now? And then it dawned on me, like a bolt of selfish lightning: MAKE THE DRESS AND BUY MORE OF THE FABRIC. Sometimes the Selfish Seamstress surprises even herself with her cleverness and problem-solving skills.

(Ok, fine, since you’re looking at me with those envious eyes, I’ll tell you. The fabric is from Fabric.com, but don’t buy it all up or I will cut you.  It won’t be the first time that the Selfish Seamstress has resorted to violence where fabric is involved.)

And next up, the Vera Wang brocade that I mentioned in a recent post:

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Well, it certainly is intense and exudes vintage luxury. It has a satiny face and when I pleat it in my hands, it’s simply decadent.  It does also, as some readers commented, bear a strong resemblance to curtains.  But the kind of curtains that would make me think, “Ooh, those curtains would make a pretty dress.”  I’m still pondering the Vogue 1117 Michael Kors pattern for it, but the stiffness of the fabric (like a heavy taffeta) is also making me think I should opt for something with a little bit more architecture to the skirt. 

Anyway, that’s what turned up here at Chez Selfish yesterday. If you’re feeling sick with envy, I can’t blame you. The best way to get over it is to acquire some pretty things yourself and then start a blog so you can brag about them to other people. Such is the way of the truly Selfish Seamstress.