Pilgrimage

Once a year I get out to Fabric Gallery, a high-end apparel fabric store in Williamston, Michigan. I go with my friend Valerie (that's her in front of the store) in January on a little outing we take to celebrate our January birthdays. We go on Martin Luther King Day because she always has the day off.

This was the first trip I'd made there since I started sewing lots of clothes, so I had in mind that I should not leave without some fabric for a dress. But seriously, how do you choose?

One of the main benefits of going to a specialty store (besides the obvious one that the stock is higher quality) is the staff. They are so knowledgeable about their products. They know where they come from (because they were all hand picked by them!). They offer advice about technique. They look through their store with you, trying to find just the right fabric for your project.

This particular store also has the most extensive selection of unique buttons and trim in every color that I've ever seen.

It's a perfect place to spend time on a very cold, very gray January day.

Fabric Gallery also carries several brands of patterns that you can't find in any other stores. I broke form and actually bought a shirt pattern and fabric for it together, on the same day. Actually, for two shirts from the same pattern. I rarely do this. Normally I just stash up on both separately and match them up later.

This shirt will be my first attempt at sewing knits. I'm hoping I'll fall in love with it because I really do like a lot of styles that utilize knits.