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When Online Shopping Sends Lemons - Turn Them Into Blueberries


Hi all,

Have you ever bought a fabric online and thought, “Oo, I know what to make with that,” only to get the fabric and discover it isn’t what you were expecting?

It happens to me all the time. Probably due to the fact I pick the patterns before the fabric arrives.

I ordered this blue fabric online months back. It's more of a blueberry blue than a bright blue like the picture. After taking an age to reach me, it finally arrived a couple of days ago.


The shipping company decided to take it on a cross-country tour. I’ve been watching the tracking. It’s made some very interesting reading! This is a very well traveled piece of fabric!

With a stopover in every northern State west of the Great Lakes, except Alaska, it’s had a better road trip than most humans get in a lifetime. I wish it could talk. I’ve never been to the Dakotas or Montana… The stories it could tell!

I think the arrow hiding between the E and X in the company logo must be a euphemism for boomerang. This package arrived and left the State I’m in three times before finally getting to me.

One of the main reasons I don’t buy fabric from this online store very often, is their insistence on using such an infuriating delivery service.

The bad news, I still have fabric coming from the same online store… Its route so far has seen it go to Illinois. It’s now in transit to Tennessee. Via Ohio and Minnesota. I wouldn’t mind but... I’m in Washington! Hopefully, I’ll see the fabric at some point before it takes a detour to Hawaii.

Anyway, by the time this blue fabric arrived, I’d forgotten what it looked like. I'd already selected the possible patterns while I was waiting for it. There was a choice of three:



On closer inspection of the fabric though, it turned out to be Moleskin in 100% polyester. None of these projects are going to work as hoped. It’s not denim-ish enough for the overalls. I think there is too much drape for either of the jackets which need a bit more structure. In fact all three patterns need something with less flow and more rigidity.

So it was back to the drawing board.

Then, Eldest mentioned she wanted a trench coat. That got me thinking. After a short search on eBay, I found this pattern. Simplicity 7627 from 1991. That check coat has a Burberry kind of look to it.

This pattern is for three different styles of a flowing trench coat/coat-dress. The Yellow is unfastened, the Burburry and the blue have buttons and a matching belt.

Bingo! I've got the perfect match for a coat like this – a flowing, draping fabric in a blueberry blue. That's almost the same shade as the one on the cover. It was meant to be!

A prime example of why I never make any solid plans when it comes to sewing garments at a certain time or in a specific order. Or even with a particular fabric. There’s always an unexpected blip throwing lemons at me.

This fabric lemon is going to be a Burberry. I mean a blueberry... I mean a trench coat.

The other patterns will have to stay in my to-do pile for a while longer. But hopefully, Eldest will be pleased her project is now next in line.

You never know, she might be able to wear it on route to New York to collect my other fabric. Before it jets across the Pacific to Hawaii.

Bye for now

Olly


For more sewing tips and adventures, follow me:


Facebook.com/olwenwhite/

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