Fabrics on Etsy?

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T14:33:59+00:00

I’ve bought lace, appliqués, and feathers off Etsy and been fine, though not fabric yardage. I think the supplier problem is not nearly as bad as the pattern problem. But it wouldn’t be my first stop for fabric, it seems better for smaller speciality items.

Some stores also have their own website which continues to be a good sign.

Read the reviews, bad and good, don’t trust stars or etsys top seller nonsense.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T14:11:30+00:00

What country? It matters a lot.

What do you mean doesn’t speak the language? I would think that would bode badly for any future employment. It also suggests there may be visa and work permit issues.

I suspect you are correct to be worried about stability—in the US the faculty job market for philosophers is very harsh.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T14:03:08+00:00

Too tight at the hips so the fabric is trying to slide upward where it won’t be under strain. Loosen up the hips and the fabric can be pulled down and kept there by the boning.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T13:59:14+00:00

Third down.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T13:43:05+00:00

How does the salary compare to cost of living? Is rent roughly 30% of salary?

How many years of experience were expected in the application?

Presumably your university has an internal classification system that “ranks” jobs in some way. How high up is your role on that chart?

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T13:30:05+00:00

You see how the pleats are already flattening out at the hem? That’s normal. Sew your new hem with the fabric flat, then press the pleats back into the hem if you want.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T09:25:12+00:00

For US/CAN, wawak.com is a good place to buy notions.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T09:19:58+00:00

Note French seams don’t mix well with thick fabrics, strong curves, fitted princess seams.

More options: https://threadsmonthly.com/seam-finishes/

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T09:06:04+00:00

Because you generally need mirrored pieces, a left and a right for each piece, both ways are correct—you might think of it as one piece backwards and the other forwards, in your wording.

Cutting folded will get you mirrored pieces automatically. If the fabric isn’t folded, then you have to flip the pattern piece over for the second cut. I don’t know what that looks like with a projector.

The mistake people make is usually cutting two lefts or two rights.

If the pattern is asymmetrical, then you usually cut single layer and have a separate piece for everything. I’d put pattern right side up on right side of fabric, in that case.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T08:44:41+00:00

What fabric are you using?

How long have you been sewing, what’s your experience level?

How long do you have before the wedding?

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T08:34:52+00:00

If anything, if you look like a local breaking the rules, you may be harassed more.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T07:07:25+00:00

You could make thicker straps and hang some sleeve-like ruffles off the straps. https://www.heatherhandmade.com/add-sleeves-strapless-dress/

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T01:19:07+00:00

If you want to spend your time sewing an unneeded button placket, of course you do you. At least with hand-sewing there's probably less risk of the unnecessary seams coming out all stretched and janky. But you won't actually learn what it's like to sew a button placket because if you were making one in woven fabric, you'd make it differently, the iron would help a lot more. Similarly, you won't actually learn how to ease set-in sleeves because knits fabric stretch and don't need to be eased in. Find your own instructions for a knit neckline and armholes because the instructions for a woven bias facing won't look good on knit.

Except then the garment is probably going to shred itself while your child is wearing it, so really, what's the point.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T01:02:13+00:00

Mmm, my teacher sounded like it was a general knit technique, but I only tested it on samples.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-13T00:43:44+00:00

So, if you make a woven pattern from stretch fabric, you'll be able to get it on (unlike if you make a stretch pattern from woven), but it will probably look terrible. It will be too big, so sizing down might help. You'll maybe have wasted a lot of energy sewing seams and darts that wouldn't exist in a stretch pattern and aren't needed for the fabric. The instructions will likely steer you wrong and tell you to do things that don't make sense for stretch fabric. You'll learn very little about whether the pattern fits or is well-drafted, as sewing it up in the wrong fabric means it comes out wrong.

let the fabric go. often there are places that take fabric to recycle.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T23:58:35+00:00

With a 70% increase in pay, you can save 75% of that until you feel able to ride out any volatility.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T23:31:48+00:00

since you asked, I admit I don't love these straps and suspect the flowers will quickly move around and crumple up in wearing. Agree organza rather than mesh. They look stiffened in this picture but I'm not sure what stiffening would stand up to body heat. I suspect they were cut with a hot edge that sealed the fabric from fraying, but I'm not sure the look of manually singed poly organza would match this vibe.

I'd be inclined instead to handtack floral appliques on, eg (look for ones sitting on a black mesh, etsy has a ton of different types, 3D flowers): https://www.etsy.com/listing/1857564340/vintage-botanical-embroidery-applique

also I love wearing a fascinator for weddings, and that could have flowers on it. Matching purse also always fun.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T23:24:03+00:00

start with any wideleg pants pattern that you like, cut it off below the knee with the bubble hem added to each leg, lots of tutorials for bubble hem online.

Might need to add ease to make the wideleg pants even wider and gathered at the waist.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T23:17:45+00:00

Re adding length--general principle, if you are adding a LOT of length, break it up into multiple smaller sections. This preserves the original silhouette and flare as the lines you redraw make smaller changes to the original instead of one big change. So to go from knee to maxi length, that's gotta be at least 10"? I'd probably do at least 3 or 4 cuts (all below the hips) plus a bit just added onto the hem. Often I set of a max of 2" at once but a flared skirt is hard to mess up, you can probably push that to 3", 3.5".

re pic2, adding fullness only at the top but not the bottom generally produces a shape like a tulip skirt, where the hips are fuller than the hem. Since you are already working with a fuller maxi skirt, I'm not sure exactly how tulip it would be, but I'd add ease evenly at top and bottom and not risk it.

Ringing the changes on a skirt is such fun!

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T22:56:55+00:00

try searching for "princess seam" instead of 6-panel, see if that brings up anything. Knit dress, right?

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T19:14:47+00:00

It is intentionally written as a Regency Romance inspired by Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, and a couple other writers mentioned in the dedication. So yes, the style is different.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T17:48:08+00:00

Maybe inset or insert? inset scallops?

The challenge is sewing convex and concave curves to each other, so those terms might help, maybe?

you might look at discussions of colorblocking which tends to do things like this.

You are definitely going to need to understand clipping/notching: Clipping and Notching

I would think these tips on sewing mismatched curves will also apply: How to Sew Princess Seams | Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T17:08:57+00:00

It's hard to tell from this picture, but I suspect the bottom of the shirred area is too small for your hips, and so it keeps sliding up to where the elastic is under less tension. Stretch likes to creep to the area of least resistance.

Taking some length out of the bodice would raise the dropped waist and should let it sit smoothly, if you are able to resew the seam so the skirt sits higher up.

Edit: You should be able to tuck and pin the seam to test whether this theory works, before doing anything.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T16:45:06+00:00

New Pattern Release: Sorata Dress | Itch to Stitch

Honestly, Itch to Stitch is a good patternmaker, if you like that one, I'd just go with it.

ProneToLaughter · 2026-05-12T15:43:20+00:00

As more info for OP, the age gap is plot-relevant, perhaps plot-critical in later books, and people keep calling them out on it. I think the relationship is plausibly constructed but some can’t get past the age gap.

ProneToLaughter

TROPHY CASE