Here's the "culprit" ...

... the delicious cotton gauze that totally broke my resolve to NOT add to the fabric stash. After taking photos of the fabric at Golden Dragon, I decided to just casually glance over the collection and this print stood out. Here is a view of the border on one selvedge: Here's a close-up of the border:And here is the border print on the other selvedge:Close up:

Designer:
There isn't much of this fabric left -- there was maybe about 5 metres left on the bolt. Cost is SGD$21.80 per metre and the minimum cut is half a metre.

I'm planning to sew a simple sun-dress for my darling monkey. I think it would be just nice for a visit to the zoo!

So much for the fabric fast. I think the only way to stick to this "diet" is to totally avoid all the fabric shops. LOL!

Well hullo, new additions to the stash!

My name is Simone and I'm a fabricaholic. There, I've said it out "loud". Hahahaha! No matter how hard I try (and to be really honest, I don't try really hard at all), I can't resist lovely fabric.

Take, for example, Exhibit A ..... a package which arrived to fuel my addiction:

Seems innocent enough. It wasn't even that big, for goodness sake. But inside, oh my, were these BEAUTIES. Aren't they simply delicious?!

While trawling the web one day, I stumbled upon the site of an indie designer from Australia (Melbourne, to be precise) and just fell in love with her self-designed, screen-printed (with environmentally-friendly ink no less) fabric.

And before you can say "stash overload!" the virtual cart was filled.

Caitlin of Pippijoe (http://www.pippijoe.bigcartel.com/) prints her designs on hemp or hemp/organic cotton mix and they are diiiivvvviiiiiinnneeeee. Her prints are all limited editions, so you won't find them everywhere, which is a big plus for me.

You can buy Pippijoe fabric by the metre (or smaller) and even in sample packs. Shipping to Singapore is really quick -- it takes less than a week -- and Caitlin is super-responsive. When I placed my order, she was in the midst of preparing for a big craft show. And yet, she took the time to very patiently and graciously answer my million questions, found prints that were almost out of stock and got everything shipped in a couple of days.

Expect to pay more than what you'd shell out for fabric from Spotlight -- after all, these are designer prints and they are printed by hand using environmentally friendly inks on organic fabric. I think they are worth it! A little also goes a long way -- I'm thinking of mixing these with some plain linen or even solid, heavier cotton. We'll see.

Now if only Caitlin sold time in a bottle for sewing. Hahahahahha! I really need to reduce the stash Everest. Maybe if I sewed more instead of just petting all my fabric :-)

Chanel fabric at Nicole Xavier

UPDATE (1st July): The Chanel fabric is still available! But I need to let you know that NicoleXavier may not necessarily be open every day. They're always closed on Sundays, but sometimes, take a day off during the week too. So if you're intending to visit, give them a call first (+65 532-7856)

I love Saturdays because that's the only day I get a few hours to myself as there is no work that day and my darling monkey spends some quality time with one set of grandparents.

Saturday is usually the day I get to do all the "me" things that get neglected during the week. It's the day for housework (hahaha! as if), getting a hair cut or sewing. Most Saturdays, though, I somehow end up at Chinatown.
These terrible taxi drivers, I tell you ... always taking me to Chinatown. Hahahahhaha! A few of my favourite fabric stores are located in Chinatown.

Anyway, this past Saturday, the decision to go to Chinatown was made easier when I received an sms from Nicole of NicoleXavier, one of my all-time fave fabric stores in Singapore and Chinatown.

For months, I had been bugging Nicole to bring in Chanel-esque boucles. Well, my wish came true and she brought in four bolts of yummy Chanel boucles AND some trim too!

They're not inexpensive -- expect to pay upwards of SGD$75 per metre for the fabric and SGD$25 a metre for the trim. But, you know, they are beeeyoootiful and hard to resist, especially if you consider that a real Chanel jacket costs in the region of SGD$10,000.

So some of the fabric and a lot of the trim leaped into my bag, all ready for my Chanel jacket project. Now to get the time and mojo to actually embark on that adventure! I'll post a pic of the fabrics when I get a chance.

Other sources of Chanel fabric that I have tried:

Alta Moda @ Arab Street. Prices are close to SGD$100 a metre and they have a very limited supply. Alta Moda is also where you'll find Pucci, Cavalli, Valentino, etc.

Linton Direct (http://www.lintondirect.co.uk/) -- they will send you free samples! These are the people who supply to the house of Chanel. Cost is between GBP20-40 a metre. Shipping is the killer, though, at about GBP35-40 for three metres of fabric.

Gorgeous Fabrics (http://www.gorgeousfabrics.com/shop/index.php) sometimes has Chanel too. I bought a lovely beige piece and another black/blue beauty. Prices are about USD$50 a metre.