I think I've done everything on here but the coven robes, and that's only because I don't need specific/specialized religious clothing.
>>I hand sew because,...<<
Same.
You have to set the thing up, which is a pain. Then it keeps quitting, which is frustrating, and if you've gone to the trouble of setting it up, it usually breaks right in the middle of a massive amount of work, because why go to all that trouble for just a small job?
Plus the machine is noisy and needs specific space, so it's hard to do anything else at the same time. With handspring, you can have a conversation, meditate, think about your to-do or grocery list, watch tv/listen to the radio, etc.
And handspring allows for specific detail work that you can't do on a machine.
I think machines might only be better for sewing long straight lines, speed*, or sewing bulk amounts of sewing*.
*...but only if the machine actually works!
>>...although a small sample...<<
A sample an inch or few inches would be cheapest. I'm not sure how large it would have to be to show drape. I have seen upholstery and wallpaper samples in the 1 ft square to 3 ft square range. That might work if someone wants to order a larger sample before ordering something /really/ expensive.
Also, if larger samples are just for the drape, they may be able to offer cheaper under samples of different materials/weaves. (Though I can see how someone might want to check drape and color together.)
>>There's a place we spotted that does custom clothes. I'm trying to resist the temptation because that's an expensive habit I don't need,...<<
That's one of the reasons I sew. I can thrift quality stuf and do basic tailoring myself. Alternately, I can scrounge fabric, and make something that is exactly what is want.
>>Trouble is, fabric has a high rate of churn, especially the fashion fabrics.<<
I could see that for high fashion stuff, but I'd think that there would be some 'staples' that would remain mostly consistant.
Denim will always be denim, and while the Christmas quilting cotton might have a different pattern each year, the company probably won't change the thread or weave nearly as often.
Fancy stuff like velvet... well, black velvet of a given type (material and weave) from the same company should still be roughly the same, allowing for dye lot variances.
Though I could see someone ordering tiny samples to compare quality to past years offerings.
>>But it's still greatly inferior to having a large affordable fabric store.<<
You can n only do what you can do.
Maybe someone could set up a fabric salvage or ragpicking buissiness?
>>Some people will find workarounds. Many will just have to do without.<<
I think I might already be in the 'find workarounds' group. New fabric is expensive!
Though, I'll probably check out the clearance sales, once the store gets that far.
Re: Thoughts
I think I've done everything on here but the coven robes, and that's only because I don't need specific/specialized religious clothing.
>>I hand sew because,...<<
Same.
You have to set the thing up, which is a pain. Then it keeps quitting, which is frustrating, and if you've gone to the trouble of setting it up, it usually breaks right in the middle of a massive amount of work, because why go to all that trouble for just a small job?
Plus the machine is noisy and needs specific space, so it's hard to do anything else at the same time. With handspring, you can have a conversation, meditate, think about your to-do or grocery list, watch tv/listen to the radio, etc.
And handspring allows for specific detail work that you can't do on a machine.
I think machines might only be better for sewing long straight lines, speed*, or sewing bulk amounts of sewing*.
*...but only if the machine actually works!
>>...although a small sample...<<
A sample an inch or few inches would be cheapest. I'm not sure how large it would have to be to show drape. I have seen upholstery and wallpaper samples in the 1 ft square to 3 ft square range. That might work if someone wants to order a larger sample before ordering something /really/ expensive.
Also, if larger samples are just for the drape, they may be able to offer cheaper under samples of different materials/weaves. (Though I can see how someone might want to check drape and color together.)
>>There's a place we spotted that does custom clothes. I'm trying to resist the temptation because that's an expensive habit I don't need,...<<
That's one of the reasons I sew. I can thrift quality stuf and do basic tailoring myself. Alternately, I can scrounge fabric, and make something that is exactly what is want.
>>Trouble is, fabric has a high rate of churn, especially the fashion fabrics.<<
I could see that for high fashion stuff, but I'd think that there would be some 'staples' that would remain mostly consistant.
Denim will always be denim, and while the Christmas quilting cotton might have a different pattern each year, the company probably won't change the thread or weave nearly as often.
Fancy stuff like velvet... well, black velvet of a given type (material and weave) from the same company should still be roughly the same, allowing for dye lot variances.
Though I could see someone ordering tiny samples to compare quality to past years offerings.
>>But it's still greatly inferior to having a large affordable fabric store.<<
You can n only do what you can do.
Maybe someone could set up a fabric salvage or ragpicking buissiness?
>>Some people will find workarounds. Many will just have to do without.<<
I think I might already be in the 'find workarounds' group. New fabric is expensive!
Though, I'll probably check out the clearance sales, once the store gets that far.