Bombshell dress fabrics

LIKE AN OASIS FOR A THIRSTY WOMAN... 

I'm in LA, and as profoundly ambivalent (oxymoron I suppose) as I am about this city it's fantastic to have access to serious fabric and sewing stores.  Today headed downtown to Michael Levine, and then to Silverlake for the new-to-me SewLA.

The main goal was to find fabrics and notions for Gertie's Bombshell dress class.  Gertie recommends Japanese cotton for this, which I've always assumed is essentially high-end quilting cotton.  The fabrics I bought were made in Korea, and lack that weight and barkcloth-like texture she mentions.  I suspect these are technically too light, but with all the under-pinnings I think they may work.

 The orange is a Kaffe Fassett and the washed-out pink is "Kamari Garden" by Free Spirit.  The lining fabrics are shirtings and seemed a fantastic value - super soft, and only $6.00 a (60" wide) yard.

Originally I picked the striped shirting to line the orange fabric, but maybe that's just a little too crazy...

I've always avoided quilting cottons for the usual reasons, but these fabrics are gorgeous. Rich, lush colors,  intricate and perfectly balanced patterns with a lustrous sheen that is fantastic to the touch.  I'm hoping that with a muslin interlining, lining, boning and cotton batting cups the fabric will end up being up to the job.

LOOK AT THESE COLORS AND PATTERNS! 

KAFFE FASSET  

WONDERFULLY SOFT SHIRTING IN THE SLIGHTEST, BLUSHIEST PINK

After Michael Levine I hit up Sew LA in Silverlake, and decided that I had to buy a "real" Japanese cotton in the heavier weight that Gertie recommends.  This one was the most subdued, and I picked it to balance out the loudness of the other prints.  If you are in LA I highly recommend SewLA, they have tons of indie patterns, and a full selection of Japanese cottons.

Gorgeous!