Fabric Dilemmas Can Happen !

I thought I'd tell you about my fabric dilemma because IT CAN HAPPEN and I am glad it came about because you learn from your mistakes !

Majority of the fabric I am using for my collection is Stretch Cotton Sateen. I honestly didn't even think about the chance of a specific colour running out, I thought this type of fabric was commonly stocked on a regular basis. But no, like any other fabric Meg, it can run out !

So not realising, I used quite a bit of my black Cotton Sateen for my birthday dress back in July. When I went into purchase some more from Spotlight Noarlunga, they had no black !!!! I did have a little heart attack, but was reassured because there are other Spotlights in Adelaide.

Over the next week I went into the City Spotlight, I picked up what I thought was the fabric, as it was under the sign and was with all the other Stretch Cotton Sateen's. I didn't think to look at the label. So I washed it because it is a cotton and when I went to cut it out, I thought to myself that it looked a bit weird. Not as sheen as the other colours I have. I cut out my patterns for one of my tops, but the fabric was worrying me as it didn't look like the others. I got my receipt out to find that I had just bought 5 meters of Stretch Poplin ! They obviously accidently put the roll of fabric in the wrong place. So not only did I just waste money, I also didn't have the right fabric.

I then went into the Melrose Park Spotlight and they didn't have black of course ! By this time I had tried three Spotlight stores and none of them had black, eeeep ! So at this point I was really worried.

I called DK Fabrics and they didn't have any either...

I didn't want to call the Fabric Agent because my last experience with him was unfortunate as the company he went through was rather unreliable.

My other option was to contact a friend of mine who owns her own label. She didn't have much black left as she had just created a collection of her own.

I ended up calling the Spotlight Hotline and they said it could take up to two weeks to arrive. But they did inform me that Spotlight in Mount Barker had some. I was a bit hindered in going all the way there, as it would be a minimum 45minute drive. But I did really need this fabric ! I triple checked that they had it, I called them and got her to repeat the fabric to me over the phone about three times, haha. But it was definitely it. Luckily it was a beautiful day, so the drive there was actually really nice.

But long story short, make sure you are organised at least a month ahead so that if you are low on your fabric you have enough time for it to be ordered in. It's just a chance you can't afford to take.

I am just relieved that I got the fabric ! haha