Thread: You know you're a costume-making nut when...

-you've considered bringing your current project to a coffeehouse for the afternoon, in hopes of finding fellow costuming soul mates
-you know very damn well that there is NO such thing a having too many drilled coins on hand
-you don't accumulate stash by project anymore, too limiting... now you accumulate it by COLOR.
-you get a bag of cowrie shells in the mail and the first thing you do is group them in size
-you see a table runner at the charity shop and you think "hip scarf!"
-you eyeball a piece of fabric at the store and know whether or not you have enough there to make a circle skirt
-you know you have enough fabric for a circle skirt, but you buy an extra 2 yards "just in case"
-you wish someone would put a comfortable couch and a nice long table in the trim dept already. a vending machine nearby would be a bonus.
-there's a line in your will for your pile of Saroyan fringe


..l;,

your turn

Hahahaha! I had to click on this thread.

It's true, I can relate to many of the things you said.

If I owned a fabric store, I would definetly put a couch and some vending machines in... Maybe some sewing stations for the ones who can't wait to get home to start sewing - but then my customers would never leave the store!

... you consider spending a rainy Sunday morning at JoAnn, followed by a trip to the nearby Goodwill, quality time (yeah, I know that JoAnn is ho-hum, but it's Pittsburgh, not LA or NYC).

I always thought the fabric shops should play happy music too.
I like to go visit when I'm in a down mood - I walk around touching everything, dreaming of projects till i feel better....

You go shopping in a busy fabric store and stick out from a tote bag your beaded Egyptian bra and walk around with it in you hand to try to match fabric for a skirt.

This distabilized the other shoppers, believe me! ..l;,

Qamar

Originally Posted by Qamar60

You go shopping in a busy fabric store and stick out from a tote bag your beaded Egyptian bra and walk around with it in you hand to try to match fabric for a skirt.

This distabilized the other shoppers, believe me! ..l;,

Qamar

LOL Yes! People always look at me like I'm whacko when I bring out a glittery bra to hold against fabric.


- you unfold 2-3 yards of fabric at a fabric store and fluff it around in the air to see how it floats/hangs and then wrap yourself around in it and do spins to see how it would swish as a skirt

- you stab yourself daily with needles/pins in weird places (bottom of purse, sticking in pant legs/couch arms/bag straps)

Everything you see is looked at with the potential of becoming a costume. . .

You're sewing on Swarvoskis underneath your desk when there's nothing going on at work...

When you're at the fabric store, and the woman cutting your fabric sees your sparkly bra sitting on your cart and asks if you're a belly dancer (this would probably make her a belly dancer, too)!

you decided you can't really afford a bagel & coffee before work, but you go home & order $100 worth of rhinestones

your husband buys you plastic totes for your birthday, hoping you will take a hint & stop overflowing into his side of the loft

you decide a perfectly good costume really could use a ruffle (or a cuff, or more fringe...) just for a bit of a change, and end up with an entirely new skirt/costume instead.

The lady in the costume jewelry part of the local antique store knows what colors you are looking for and calls you when they get something in.

Buy used costumes that you love but are absolutely the wrong size...because you just love the challenge of resizing and reblinging. I am currently taking a B-ish Dina bra and DDDing it, even though I know full well that Dina bras can look mighty foolish at my size and in the end I'll have to wear a choli under it to avoid indecent cleavage! Oh and did I mention I have about ten other projects on the go?

You've become known as somewhat of a costume zealot and your friends suggest a drinking game around every time you go on one of your manifesto-preaching-recruiting sprees.

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

Everything you see is looked at with the potential of becoming a costume. . .

Yes.......I do this too, totally.

Originally Posted by crystalllized

LOL Yes! People always look at me like I'm whacko when I bring out a glittery bra to hold against fabric.


- you unfold 2-3 yards of fabric at a fabric store and fluff it around in the air to see how it floats/hangs and then wrap yourself around in it and do spins to see how it would swish as a skirt

- you stab yourself daily with needles/pins in weird places (bottom of purse, sticking in pant legs/couch arms/bag straps)

I know I love walking around with one of my blingy bras and matching fabric, it is funny, most of the time people do not ask me about it, very conservative around here!

...you organize your craft room and find you have fabric & notions for TWENTY-TWO costumes...

Oh dear - there is at least comfort in knowing Im not alone. In my recent clear out I found a half made belt tucked away in abox, with all its beads and fringe that I DO NOT REMEMBER making...

Originally Posted by alibelly

Oh dear - there is at least comfort in knowing Im not alone. In my recent clear out I found a half made belt tucked away in abox, with all its beads and fringe that I DO NOT REMEMBER making...

hahahahahahH!..l;,
See Costume Maker's rule #127 : cease all projects before 2:00 AM.

...when you shop in the teen prom dress area during the sales, cuz you know they make a great Belly Dance outfit when cut in half!

Originally Posted by LiesaB.

...when you shop in the teen prom dress area during the sales, cuz you know they make a great Belly Dance outfit when cut in half!

Wooooo Liesa! Come to Montreal this weekend, it's the last sidewalk sale of the season on Plaza St-Hubert: The Mecca of formal gowns and prom dresses, lots of kitsch flashy stuff covered with beaded at more or less $20 a piece!

(Oh dear I should wash my brain with soap for having "dirty" thoughts about more costume projects, YIKES! ,f::)

Also... when you come home after shopping with bags full of fabric, thrifshop treasures and sparkly nicks and nacks, discretly tipy-toeing to the sewing room and your husband ask: "What's in the bags?" and you candidly answer: "Hum? Nothing!" (Gulp! )

Qamar

Originally Posted by Qamar60

Wooooo Liesa! Come to Montreal this weekend, it's the last sidewalk sale of the season on Plaza St-Hubert: The Mecca of formal gowns and prom dresses, lots of kitsch flashy stuff covered with beaded at more or less $20 a piece!

(Oh dear I should wash my brain with soap for having "dirty" thoughts about more costume projects, YIKES! ,f::)

Also... when you come home after shopping with bags full of fabric, thrifshop treasures and sparkly nicks and nacks, discretly tipy-toeing to the sewing room and your husband ask: "What's in the bags?" and you candidly answer: "Hum? Nothing!" (Gulp! )

Qamar

I want to come, I want to come!!!

& yeah- that fabric's been in the bottom of the bin for ages, I bought it last summer & just pulled it out this week- really, why don't you believe me? I'm working through the stash, I promise! *hides credit card receipts...*

. . . when your husband wakes up with loose sequins stuck to his back (which you try to lovingly remove before he realizes so you don't get "that look").

-Devora

Originally Posted by maiaraqs

...you organize your craft room and find you have fabric & notions for TWENTY-TWO costumes...

Oh dear! As for myself, I'm so afraid to count my upcoming projects!

Qamar

Originally Posted by Qamar60

Wooooo Liesa! Come to Montreal this weekend, it's the last sidewalk sale of the season on Plaza St-Hubert: The Mecca of formal gowns and prom dresses, lots of kitsch flashy stuff covered with beaded at more or less $20 a piece!

(Oh dear I should wash my brain with soap for having "dirty" thoughts about more costume projects, YIKES! ,f::)

Also... when you come home after shopping with bags full of fabric, thrifshop treasures and sparkly nicks and nacks, discretly tipy-toeing to the sewing room and your husband ask: "What's in the bags?" and you candidly answer: "Hum? Nothing!" (Gulp! )

Qamar

GAAAAAh! Qamar, you're so awesome!! The "gulp" fits some of us to a tee, eh!
Ooops, can't get up to Montreal this weekend - because I am going to the LEILA OF CAIRO workshop & show in Vermont this wkend!!!!!!
I haven't gotten out much lately on any road trips so I am super excited! [In fact I haven't even been to your beautiful city in far too long!!]
Leila workshop & show in White River Junction, VT, about 3 hours from me, so a troupe mate & I are treating ourselves to overnite in the hotel where the workshop is - so how is that for a fun Bellydance weekend!!
Almost as much fun as shopping for costume projects!!

Originally Posted by Qamar60

You go shopping in a busy fabric store and stick out from a tote bag your beaded Egyptian bra and walk around with it in you hand to try to match fabric for a skirt.

I just came back from doing this with a green project I've been working on! ..l;,

Or -Heading to the Clearance area, "Just to check" and coming home with fabric for costumes you didn't realize you were making yet- until you saw THAT fabric! .w.: But, but... it's so beautiful! It was on sale!

Originally Posted by Devora

. . . when your husband wakes up with loose sequins stuck to his back (which you try to lovingly remove before he realizes so you don't get "that look").

-Devora

or when his physiotherapist finds sequins between his toes...

Originally Posted by steffib

... you consider spending a rainy Sunday morning at JoAnn, followed by a trip to the nearby Goodwill, quality time (yeah, I know that JoAnn is ho-hum, but it's Pittsburgh, not LA or NYC).

were you in Ontario, I'd take you to Len's Mill. <imagine a football field size fabric store, if you finish a bolt, they give you 15% off. even if it's already on sale.

Originally Posted by Qamar60

You go shopping in a busy fabric store and stick out from a tote bag your beaded Egyptian bra and walk around with it in you hand to try to match fabric for a skirt.

This distabilized the other shoppers, believe me! ..l;,

Qamar

LOL

Originally Posted by crystalllized

- you unfold 2-3 yards of fabric at a fabric store and fluff it around in the air to see how it floats/hangs and then wrap yourself around in it and do spins to see how it would swish as a skirt

yup, guilty too. Although the Fabricland ladies now know that the "fabric weirdo" is completely harmless, the customers tends to give me wide berth...

Originally Posted by Qamar60

Wooooo Liesa! Come to Montreal this weekend, it's the last sidewalk sale of the season on Plaza St-Hubert: The Mecca of formal gowns and prom dresses, lots of kitsch flashy stuff covered with beaded at more or less $20 a piece!

(Oh dear I should wash my brain with soap for having "dirty" thoughts about more costume projects, YIKES! ,f::)

Also... when you come home after shopping with bags full of fabric, thrifshop treasures and sparkly nicks and nacks, discretly tipy-toeing to the sewing room and your husband ask: "What's in the bags?" and you candidly answer: "Hum? Nothing!" (Gulp! )

Qamar

*drool*

Originally Posted by TuijaR

or when his physiotherapist finds sequins between his toes...

I'm sure the physio dude was happy it was a sequin and not athlete's foot or whatever. I don't see a problem here. ..l;,