Sewing Uncertainty + Fabric Fun!

Was it Albert Einstein or Marilyn Monroe who originally said, When you can't make up your mind, don't.  Or did I come up with that myself?

Anyway, I find myself not knowing what to make with my wild wool challis fabric (up top) so I'm going to just move on and not worry about making my mind up.  Or rather, I've made up my mind not to make up my mind.  Does that make sense?

Instead of agonizing, yesterday I visited my friend Jamie in Montclair, New Jersey, a beautiful leafy suburb just 1/2 hour from New York City by train.




 
We spent a lovely afternoon together, and Jamie brought me to see a great independent sewing/fabric/craft store, Rock Paper Scissors, owned and operated by a woman named Beth Rowan.  (I love to visit independent stores like these, don't you?)   In addition to a well-curated selection of fabric (plus books, patterns, notions, etc.), they also offer classes, run a summer craft camp for kids, and host all-day workshops.  AND, you can purchase fabric from their Etsy shop!

Owner Beth Rowan

If you're ever in (or near) the Montclair or Glen Ridge area, check them out!

In other news, today my friend Johanna and I swung by the Chelsea flea market, now a single outdoor lot (which costs $1 to enter; this was waived today on account of the iffy weather, which drew fewer vendors).   Despite being smaller, it's still a lot of fun.







I seriously considered bringing home a large piece of vintage 40's/50's barkcloth (below), but opted to leave it behind.  Once you adopt the vintage barkcloth lifestyle, it tends to take over: first pillows, then drapes and slipcovers, and before you know it, bedspreads, bags, and bowling shirts.   Back home, I checked eBay: rest assured, the world is still full of vintage barkcloth.



Speaking of fabric, I received a box in the mail today, a gift from MPB reader Michael C, who is apparently downsizing his stash.  Being the selfless person I am, I was very happy to help him in that endeavor!





I love these two slightly gauzy striped cottons -- perfect for this time of year.  (The wavy stripes are so much more fun than normal stripes imo.)





I am over the moon about this Hawaiian print.  It has a vintage tiki feel without the kitschy Les Baxter-Yma Sumac Exotica vibe.









And that's it!

In closing, readers, how do you deal with sewing uncertainty?

If you don't know what to do with the fabric in front of you, do you agonize until you come up with something, or are you able to put it aside and move on to something else?

(I fear my tendency is more the former than the latter.)

Have a great day, everybody!