Fabric Gamble or Goldmine

Blah! I am sick. I have a sinus infection/ cold /flu thing. I am coughing, sneezing, achy all over. It hurts to do just about anything. My hubby is an awesome caregiver and I have been resting up in bed. If you know me, I am chomping at the bit to get to my happy place.

I have been asked to teach a few friends to make t-shirt quilts. Before the class, I plan to have a few variations made up for them to choose from. I have had about one hour each day to do a tiny bit of work. Here is the top of a 12x12 twin quilt/ duvet cover I am working on for my daughter.  I plan to add a border along  the edges and may tie this one off. I will have better pictures with the final.

I have a client with a 60th birthday  in June. She has asked me to make this McCalls 7047 dress for her. She is a sassy grandma and has the figure to pull this off. I will be making this in a red sequin knit.

Before getting sick, I made the muslin for this one and I am so glad I did. I do not usually make them for myself, but it is a must when sewing for others. The dress  comes together easily, and the fit is great on her. I cannot wait to be better to get this made.

In addition to this dress, I will be making others for her family members. Her grand-daughter wants a dress with embroidered mesh lace like that seen here:

This dress is lovely, but this lace is hard to find. I have searched and searched, but to no avail. I am still looking, but it is looking slim. I asked for help on a Pattern Review forum and was directed to Aliexpress. It feels like an international Amazon.com. I had seen items for sale on the site, but I never purchased because the prices seemed to good to be true. Based on the PR recommendation, and downtime in my bed, I decided to check it out.

I did not find the lace I was looking for, but I did find a world of African Dutch Wax fabric. There are so many wonderful prints and colors; I searched for hours. I know China is the hub of manufacturing, but it is also a hub of knock-offs. Are African Dutch Wax fabrics made in China? When the selvedge says "Super Wax" or "Vlisco" am I getting the real deal? I do not know, but for $30 for 6 yards with free shipping, I figure this potential goldmine is worth the the gamble.

 I ordered this                  

and this one

                        

Aren't they lovely? This is order is the epitome of delayed gratification. The listing says it takes 35 days to process and 5-15 days to ship. The shipping on my order says it will be here in 54 days. Lucky for me, I am not in a rush for it. If it turns out to be the real deal, it will be worth the wait.

Okay, I am spent. Time to go back to bed.

Happy Sewing,

Bianca