Linen, Spotlight - Mostly Dunedin
I went to Spotlight again today, as it said in the flyer that linen was on special and I decided to get some to line Gary's wedding jacket. (The main problem with which will be whether I have enough of the main material... I don't want to check just in case it is bad news.) Apparently it is supposed to be lined in linen. I got a brown blend that was nice and soft, but not fluffy surfaced, about half linen, half rayon. If you remember, rayon is a substitute silk. So that seemed fairly authentic in terms of theoretical feel and look. Even in the States, where you can apparently buy everything, you cannot get a real silk-linen blend I hear, but historically I think it was a fairly popular fabric, so it is good to look out for linen-rayon if you are into that kind of thing.
To my horror, I was told that since linen doesn't sell well, or really at all, in Dunedin, they are selling it all cheap and will in the future only stock what they are sent as part of the general stock that goes to all the stores, but won't be ordering any extra. It was difficult enough to get it in the first place. However, they would be able to order it. Problem with that of course is then you don't get to check the surface, feel or weight of the material, although I'm not sure you have to buy it if they order it - maybe they get a bolt and then you get what you want and they sell the rest as normal. A small amount of linen is sold at the other Dunedin fabric shops, all 2 of them, but it is generally much more expensive and they don't always have it. What Spotlight does have at the moment is on special at the moment, so if you want some you should go look. Ask at the desk because it is not all in one place.
I have to commend Spotlight, actually, on finally hiring some competent people. The best person I have talked to lately is a man, somewhat oddly enough for a fabric selling position. He is good, you should talk to him. No doubt he will leave soon and get a job somewhere else where his competence, friendliness and good memory are better rewarded with good pay. Some of the women I have talked to (less consistently) have been really good too actually. Well done them, I appreciate it. Asking at the desk at Spotlight is no longer a disaster.
Another good place to get fabric, other than the upholstery department also at Spotlight, is TradeMe, or eBay for other countries I assume would be useful. You don't get to "try before you buy" as it were, but it is cheap, or at least should be if you do it right, so if you choose badly or it is not what you thought then you can buy something else and not spend any more than you would have done from a shop. Plus you now have more material to do something fun with. Of course, you can't choose the amount either, so it is a bit like getting remnants. You have to accept these disadvantages if you want the reduced price, but if you have long term projects it is a good idea to keep checking back and no doubt what you want will come up. And, seriously, WAY cheaper. (Get an idea of the normal price for that sort of thing first if you don't know, so you don't get ripped off. But even if you do, get ripped off I mean, just buy a whole heap of cheap stuff to make up for it ;) )
To my horror, I was told that since linen doesn't sell well, or really at all, in Dunedin, they are selling it all cheap and will in the future only stock what they are sent as part of the general stock that goes to all the stores, but won't be ordering any extra. It was difficult enough to get it in the first place. However, they would be able to order it. Problem with that of course is then you don't get to check the surface, feel or weight of the material, although I'm not sure you have to buy it if they order it - maybe they get a bolt and then you get what you want and they sell the rest as normal. A small amount of linen is sold at the other Dunedin fabric shops, all 2 of them, but it is generally much more expensive and they don't always have it. What Spotlight does have at the moment is on special at the moment, so if you want some you should go look. Ask at the desk because it is not all in one place.
I have to commend Spotlight, actually, on finally hiring some competent people. The best person I have talked to lately is a man, somewhat oddly enough for a fabric selling position. He is good, you should talk to him. No doubt he will leave soon and get a job somewhere else where his competence, friendliness and good memory are better rewarded with good pay. Some of the women I have talked to (less consistently) have been really good too actually. Well done them, I appreciate it. Asking at the desk at Spotlight is no longer a disaster.
Another good place to get fabric, other than the upholstery department also at Spotlight, is TradeMe, or eBay for other countries I assume would be useful. You don't get to "try before you buy" as it were, but it is cheap, or at least should be if you do it right, so if you choose badly or it is not what you thought then you can buy something else and not spend any more than you would have done from a shop. Plus you now have more material to do something fun with. Of course, you can't choose the amount either, so it is a bit like getting remnants. You have to accept these disadvantages if you want the reduced price, but if you have long term projects it is a good idea to keep checking back and no doubt what you want will come up. And, seriously, WAY cheaper. (Get an idea of the normal price for that sort of thing first if you don't know, so you don't get ripped off. But even if you do, get ripped off I mean, just buy a whole heap of cheap stuff to make up for it ;) )
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