Project 2: Buying fabric

One of the most challenging things about being new to these craft projects is buying the right materials. I need some familiarity with how I’ll use an item before I can shop with confidence. As a beginner even shopping is filled with guesswork and trial and error. The last time I bought fabric I picked something that looked pretty, but once I’d sewed up my garment it turned out the be the wrong kind of fabric entirely. I didn’t want to make that mistake again.

At first I thought that I would just use an old king-sized sheet I had on hand to make my first baby wrap. Instead I did some research and learned that the most important quality of my fabric would be its strength. This disqualified my sheet — its fitted counterpart had completely fallen apart during normal use and the one I wanted to use was beginning to get some holes. The last thing I want is for the baby in my care to take a tumble because I used cheap fabric! So I went to the local big box fabric store to see what I could find.

It’s a good thing that Jan at sleepingbaby.net warned against the calicos right up front. If she hadn’t I certainly would have bought one. They were by far the largest section of fabrics and they were all in such attractive colors and patterns. I confidently (sort of) strode past them on my way to something else, although what that something would be was still a mystery. I was trying to be mindful of her advice to examine the weave and avoid fabrics with a simple over/under texture. That was painfully difficult. Those threads are tiny and hard to see! I ended up drifting over toward a section with baby themed cotton flannels instead, which may not have been her most perfect choice but it seemed good to me.

I selected a cute white flannel with pink and brown dots and bought 2.5 yards of it (the length that Jan mentioned in her article). Would it work? Find out tomorrow.

Photo by qusic