miss_philomena | Because sharing is caring~

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I hit such a costuming slump after DressU, it's really bad. x_x I've looked at things I wanted to work on and just shrugged them all off. But today turned into a day for a bit of adventure driving, and adventure shopping.

Did I buy what I intended to today? No. But I found something much better, and I want to share with with everyone that's in the Philly area. Because it's that great.

If you've never heard of it before, allow me to introduce you to the PA Fabric Outlet. It's at 758 S 4th St, on what is called "Fabric Row", only a few blocks south of South Street in Philly. Parking is a nightmare, just a warning, and all metered. But it's absolutely worth circling the blocks until you find a spot,

and here is why.

Yes, you're reading that correctly. The bolts are a mix of very slubby dupioni and much smoother shantung, if not smooth enough to be considered a taffeta. I didn't look at all of it, I admit, but from what you can see in the picture, most of the really big plaid/block silks are dupioni. I didn't notice solids, but I was distracted by the ones I zeroed in on and bought for myself.

outside/sunlight photo on the left, inside/ottlight photo on the right.

I got dress lengths of the green windowpane and the green and blue striped silk, and bodice/jacket pieces of of the other two. They measure generously here as well. I paid for 17 yards of silk, I got 19, just by what the woman measured. The green and blue stripe had a damaged spot not far in for the start of the roll, which she cut off, but gave me the just over 2.5 yard piece for free. So I actually came home with a little bit more than 21.5 yards.

And now for the plotting:

The green windowpane with either be Elinor's checked gown from the 1995 Sense and Sensibility, or a late 1830s gown. Elinor's gown was my first thought, but I have other Regency gowns already.

The green and blue stripe can't decide what it wants to be, as long as it's in my closet. Part of me thinks a Piemontaise, but it also feels 1880s too, so I'm waffling on that. I do already have a greet striped Natural Form gown, so maybe I should spread it out a bit.