Shopping

There is a small town outside of Roanoke, called Floyd. Interesting place, rather ecletic.

They have a fabric store called Schoolhouse Fabrics. They boast of having 3 floors of fabric. I have to say they cater to the quilt maker, the home dec sewist as well as the apparel sewist. Something for everyone. The top floor consists of three rooms one is home dec, one is fleece and cotton, the third is more fleece, wool and corduroy.

The second floor, which is the entrance area, consists of several rooms, as well as check out area and small alcove with sewing related books as well as knitting. There is one room that I would call craft room. One room is trims, buttons, threads, zippers, and various notions. They also sell McCall patterns. The room next to this one is mainly cotton fabrics for quilting and then there is another room with more quilting fabrics.

You then go down a few stairs to another level which makes this the first floor. One room has lots of fabric for the fashionista including knits, cottons, polyesters and various blends of fabric. There are some pretty good treasures here if you want to rummage through the aisle ways and the shelves of fabric. They have gotten better at putting similar fabrics together in one area.

When you go further back on this floor, you will find Ultrasuede and faux suede (polyester type). You also will find various bridal and prom/evening satins and taffeta. Also in this area is some great silk varieties as well as lace fabric and lace trims. You then come across the fabrics for lining and more solid silk fabrics for that evening/bridesmaids gowns.

They have a great variety of lining fabric. Hang loose, china silk and another polyester lining. By variety I also mean colors. There is no place local besides JoAnn's where one can get lining fabric. I needed some lining fabric for the jacket and the dress I am working on and since I was off today, I drove to Floyd, which is about 45 minutes away traveling on a windy and curving road where you pass such "hollows" as Cheek, Bent Mountain to name a few. You also pass some good ole fashion produce places with great fresh vegetables such as corn, tomatoes, onions, blackberries, and more.

I bought several yards of various color linings today-yellow for my jacket, pink for future projects, black for dress and future projects, as well as white and taupe.

I also purchased some buttons. I have a white jacket that use to go with a black skirt that I cannot tolerate wearing it anymore. I have worn the jacket with a black and white dress I have and it looks great with it. I need a white jacket to wear with my new sleeveless green/white dress. But black buttons don't work. Thus I bought some white buttons to replace the black and now the jacket is even more versatile. Makes the dress wearable quicker also.

Other purchases included some other colors of buttons to add to my meager button collection. Meager compared to my pattern and fabric collection; and thank goodness. I also purchased another hem gauge; mine get misplaced all the time.

When I returned to Roanoke I needed to do some grocery shopping so I can have a chore free Saturday again! Friday is becoming my new grocery shopping day, love the free time I have had on Saturdays the past few weeks. Once home, I unloaded my sewing goodies and finished the pattern alterations for my jacket. More on that later.