I am a shameless bargain hunter. I love a discount, probably to a fault, since sometimes I think I buy things because they are so much cheaper than they should be, rather than because I really need or love them. But for the most part my bargain hunting brings me happiness and a measure of satisfaction since I got whatever wonderful thing it was *for less*.
But sometimes? Just sometimes, I get exactly what I paid for. Most recently with fabric. First some $1.99 a yard cotton at Joanns that is not “crinkle cotton” but after washing and drying refuses to become unwrinkled, despite a hot iron, a spritz bottle, and much coaxing. And then the fabric I used for this dress
It is my trusty Vogue wrap dress pattern, which I can now put together without marking the darts or reading the directions (it is that easy, honest). But this fabric? Worth exactly the 99cents a yard it cost, probably less. I thought “Oh! Soft stretchy stuff with Missoni-esque zigzags! For 99 cents a yard! Gimme!” and have stitched to think again. That peachy stuff you see around the neckline? That is the lining that won’t stay inside (I will keep on tacking). You can’t see the horrible wiggly serged seams (I adjusted the tension endlessly to no avail), nor experience the way this fabric snags on everything (including itself). It is done, it is soft and comfy, but it was NOT fun and it looks so ugly on the inside I’m embarrassed (I don’t usually care much about that stuff if the outside is acceptable, but it is *that* bad).
I’ll be wearing this on my next fabric shopping outing, to keep me prudent in the face of the sale table and to remind me that sometimes a bargain isn’t any kind of deal at all!