We have a question from a reader, Sharon:
My one 4-Her has chosen Simplicity # 2689 as her project for Knits. Does
this meet the criteria? It is a dress except for length - she is
making the tunic. Does that meet criteria or does she have to make
pants to go with the tunic? If she has to make pants, could they be
from cotton/corduroy, etc.?
Where could she fine suede cloth or faux leather to make the belt?
Hi Sharon!
The Simplicity pattern does meet the criteria for the Knits project. She can make just the top or she can make the top and coordinating pants and the entire outfit will still be considered a Knits project--the pants do not have to be made from a knit.
Another options would be to consider the outfit as two projects: a Knit project for the top and a Separates or Coordinates project for the pants, depending on the difficulty of the pants pattern.
Do you have the Textile Science Leader's Guide? It is available at your County Extension office or you can find it on the Penn State Extension website--here is the Link. It is a great help in understanding the skills and concepts that are taught for each project and it gives you ideas for what kind of garments can be made for a particular project. I would be lost without this booklet! I also look at the classes in the Farm Show catalog to get ideas of what kind of garments to put in a particular project. I save my catalog from year to year as a reference.
As for the faux leather or suede cloth, Gorgeous Fabrics has some leather skins. Fabric Mart has a couple colors of faux suede, which may or may not suit for this situation. We haven’t seen other skins or faux stuff on-line lately. There are definitely places to get Ultrasuede at full price. Vogue Fabrics has it for $70 per yard. For a belt you don’t need much, so that may be a possibility.
We hope this helps!
Maureen and Linda
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI don't know what part of the state you are in, but yesterday my daughter and I were at PA Fabric Outlet in Lemoyne. They had numerous nice quality, supple skins in a variety of colors. There were only one or two per color, but one skin (less than $15, I think--definitely less than $20) would be enough to make a belt, I think. That might be a possibility for someone within driving range of Lemoyne. PA Fabric Outlet has other locations--Leola and Philadelphia--but I don't know if they have skins there. They do have an on-line inventory system that you could check or you could call before driving to the store to be sure they have them. Good luck with the project!~ Linda