Iona D.

I live/sew/quilt by this simple ideal:
If if is 100% Cotton (for quilts & some apparel) good quality for other sorts of sewing projects) and feels good in the hand, I will use it.

I have been active in the sewing world for about 50 years. I saw the decline & end of secondary level public school access Home Economics classes (and the resulting difficulty) in finding/receiving the necessary training to basically sew for most anyone. I was lucky enough to enroll in a community college for one of the last offered professional sewing courses in my early 20s. Which led me to enter the fashion world for pay during most of my working life. Before the industry moved overseas for the most part.

The ability to sew and quilt in a professional matter using just basic rudimentary equipment like Straight maybe Zig Zag stitches only mechanical single lock stitch sewing machines, simple inexpensive notions, and techniques was the norm in the garment/soft furnishing sewing rooms & studios. The fancy stuff and the finer end of the sewing world is very nice, but completely out of my reach now. It is one's knowledge and skill which makes the critical difference of any given project starting with fabric selection. Pricing in of itself does not necessarily guarantee quality. Or the sewing centers/fabric stores" overly cute gimmicky decorations. That is the secret which the fashion sewing industry does not want to get out in public!

If you keep that thought in mind every time you sew, your projects will be successful!