Purchasing Fabric Online, Wholesale Dreaming, and New Projects!

I recently ordered a bunch of fabric online.  I'm not used to doing that...   I've been told that people are getting more and more comfortable with it, but personally I like to feel the "hand" of the fabric that I'm purchasing before I actually buy it.  But regardless, I bought what I hope is a very basic, traditional fabric that should arrive with some of the characteristics is usually has when it's in a store: black cotton velveteen.

This'll be a first for me--I'm starting to explore wholesale sources.  I've never had the opportunity to purchase things like that.  I'm still not sure I know all the "ins-and-outs" but with some practice I think I'll figure it out.  I look forward to the rates at which things can be purchased with a "reseller's license".  What I don't look forward to is the necessity to buy everything in bulk amounts!  Just because I can get 100 yards of a particular fabric at an incredibly cheap rate doesn't necessarily mean I can use it, nor that I can afford to pay for it no matter how cheap it is!  I'm still "bootstrapping" this business, so it's gonna be a while before I see any profit.

There are several things that I am looking forward to being able to do, one of which is to be able to explore the Garment and Fabric District of Los Angeles with a little more "gravity".  I am looking forward to visiting "The Mart" (I think that's what it's called) with friends to guide me through it.  I live way too close to LA not to take advantage of what they've got up there.  I need to explore it a LOT more if my wearable art venture is going to succeed.

In the meantime, I have been trying to use up what little fabric stock I have that's left over from my 30-some odd bankers boxes of fabric that I regrettably "donated" to my former university over the last 10 years...  What I found is a bunch of odd fabrics of odd shapes that have been tantalizing to use...  It's really forcing my creativity!

Left over corduroy, strips of old upholstery fabric...  It's been my own little "Project Runway" of challenges--"How can I possibly use this?!"  Below is a picture of the 30's-inspired corduroy coat I pieced together (listed on Etsy, by the way!).

And finally, here's a couple preview pics of a coat I'm making with leftover upholstery fabric samples.  I found a picture of a coat by Poiret from 1923 that I have in a book, and I'm using that as inspiration... Simple little "kimono-esque" look.  But since all the pieces were 8" wide, I had to get creative...  Thus, a wavy, contemporary, asymmetrical look...  I'm still workin' on the sleeves (piecing is taking a LONG time), but it'll get there...

 

Okay, enough for now!  Live life with Relish!