Models of restraint

This is where I was yesterday:

This is just a smidge of the lovely selection at Nancy’s Sewing Basket, where despite a gorgeous array of charming prints and top top quality wools, I failed to purchase anything. Somehow as I perused this store, everything I gravitated to turned out to be 100% cashmere. Sigh, the Selfish Seamstress and her expensive, expensive taste. But if you’re in Seattle, this store is definitely a winner and you don’t want to miss it.

All was not lost, though. I caught up with my old friend Mel, who is on a fabric diet and has barred herself from any new fabric purchases. We decided it would make for a good photo if we pretended something was REALLY funny:

And we also got to meet the adorable new mommy Christina of Assorted Notions,

who saved face by purchasing a turquoise zipper! Seriously though, is fabric gluttony a thing of the past?? Three avid seamstresses leave a wonderful fabric shop with one zipper among them?

I haven’t had the opportunity to meet many other sewing bloggers in the past, and I have to say, meeting Christina would have been a delight, as she was so sweet and charming, but I was too busy seething with envy at her lovely white Burda blouse with contrast topstitching. I think she had somehow sensed that I had traced that pattern out some years back and not gotten around to sewing it. Perhaps she has some sort of envy ESP. She didn’t say as much, but I’m guessing she wore it to make me jealous. And it worked.

Since she’s got a new baby though, I refrained from challenging her to a fight. (Aww, the Selfish Seamstress is such a softie!) Instead, I decided to wrestle one of her possessions from her hands and refused to give it back. **

This looks like a great sewing reference so far, and I don’t own a lot of reference books. I’m particularly keen on reading the tailoring section on my plane ride back, a topic about which I know very little:

Mel and I also checked out Stitches, another great independent fabric store, with yet another wonderful selection of prints, also well worth a drool-inducing visit next time you’re in Seattle:

And guess what… I came away empty handed again! Now readers, I understand that you’re probably disappointed in me, but 1) my lack of purchases wasn’t for lack of trying and 2) whatever, I don’t shop for your sake :) But that means that my total, rather mundane haul for the weekend consists of two patterns and a half yard of fusible fleece from the sale at Jo-ann. What can I say, I’m a model of restraint.

In any case, although I’m leaving with a suitcase only half-full (or, as your rather pessimistic Selfish Seamstress likes to think, HALF-EMPTY), the trip has been great. Old and new sewing buddies, a little interaction with really soft cashmere, and 99 cent patterns are nothing to sneeze at.

Oh, and I may have managed to snag three packages of Chukar cherries from Pike’s Place Market:

What’s that you say?  You only see two packages? Hmmm… I wonder why that is. Perhaps just a little gluttony has been happening here on my end…

** It is possible that Christina meant to give the book to me anyway- if so that would explain the gift wrap (Thank you, Christina!) But the Selfish Seamstress sees no reason to wait until something is offered when she can simply snatch it away like a spoiled child.