linen and stuff
Mar. 15th, 2007 06:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenI put in a small order to fabrics.com because they were having a sale on some linens. Then I got an email from fabrics-store.com offering free shipping, so I went there and put in a much larger order, as many of their prices are better than fabrics.com, including a 20-yard bolt of 5.3 oz. white. I have another 20-yard bolt of 3.5 oz. already, but that's better for underwear/chemise-type stuff. A little of the colored linens will probably go to medieval clothing, but the bulk of it is eventually destined to become everyday clothing. I quailed a bit at how much I ordered, but since it will all be worn for many years, it isn't a frivolous expenditure. And likely I won't be using all of it immediately, so if one of us wants/needs something new, I'll go 'shopping' through the fabric stores, pick something out and make it.
Some of it, if it looks as nice in real life as it does on the screen, I may make into my version of druid robes. I'm a practical person, and full-length clothing in the woods seems well... inadvisable. If you're in a space that doesn't have lots of twigs and brush and such it doesn't matter, but in the Pioneer Valley, we have generous portions of brush on the hillsides. So, pants and maybe a knee-length tunic will be just the thing, I think. And a hat with netting if we're on the hill at certain times of summer.... I love nature in general, but I have a thing about bugs flying anywhere near my head.
I'm looking forward to gradually working more linen and wool into our wardrobe. And of course we have a bit of silk in the fabric collection :) I like cotton too, but in general it doesn't wear as well as the others. Although I did get some organic cotton yarn to try weaving as towels, so we'll see how well that stuff holds up. Short plant fibers don't last as long as long plant fibers, and cotton is softer than linen to boot, but if something lasts only 15 years, I'm not going to complain.
Now, things that only hold up for a year or two, those I have little use for... I never was a fashionista, and as I make some of our clothing, I suspect we'll be even further from whatever is trendy as time goes on :D Although of course we'll still have at least one formal jacket each, etc. -- we so rarely have occasions we need to dress up for, what we have already will last for years.
This summer I'm hoping to have some time to play with spinning some bamboo fiber I got at Pennsic last summer. I have a sweater made of hemp & bamboo, and it's very comfy and holding up well so far.
All in all, I'm looking forward to shopping even less at the mall and downtown stores!
Some of it, if it looks as nice in real life as it does on the screen, I may make into my version of druid robes. I'm a practical person, and full-length clothing in the woods seems well... inadvisable. If you're in a space that doesn't have lots of twigs and brush and such it doesn't matter, but in the Pioneer Valley, we have generous portions of brush on the hillsides. So, pants and maybe a knee-length tunic will be just the thing, I think. And a hat with netting if we're on the hill at certain times of summer.... I love nature in general, but I have a thing about bugs flying anywhere near my head.
I'm looking forward to gradually working more linen and wool into our wardrobe. And of course we have a bit of silk in the fabric collection :) I like cotton too, but in general it doesn't wear as well as the others. Although I did get some organic cotton yarn to try weaving as towels, so we'll see how well that stuff holds up. Short plant fibers don't last as long as long plant fibers, and cotton is softer than linen to boot, but if something lasts only 15 years, I'm not going to complain.
Now, things that only hold up for a year or two, those I have little use for... I never was a fashionista, and as I make some of our clothing, I suspect we'll be even further from whatever is trendy as time goes on :D Although of course we'll still have at least one formal jacket each, etc. -- we so rarely have occasions we need to dress up for, what we have already will last for years.
This summer I'm hoping to have some time to play with spinning some bamboo fiber I got at Pennsic last summer. I have a sweater made of hemp & bamboo, and it's very comfy and holding up well so far.
All in all, I'm looking forward to shopping even less at the mall and downtown stores!
