As many of you know, I work in a fabric store, a well-known chain which shall remain nameless. I've spoken of the foolishness of some of my customers before, but when you add in a holiday in which people like to dress in weird clothes, that multiplies exponentially.
Honestly, it's like some folks have no idea that clothing ought to be comfortable, or at least tolerable.
And you're going to be wearing these items for several hours at a party (and likely more than once, as Halloween is on a weekend this year), so you'll want something you can bear to wear.
One gal came in with her son, wanting to make a Robin Hood outfit to wear onstage. She brought up bolts of green and brown felt and wanted to make clothes out of it. While felt is fine for hats and decoration, you do not want to wear an entire outfit made of it, especially under stage lights; it's stiff, hot and a bit itchy. She wanted the felt because it was on sale cheap! Fortunately for her son's sake, I was able to talk her into broadcloth, also on sale cheap and a helluva lot more wearable.
An older couple came in; the man was making a scarecrow costume and was thinking of using burlap for the mask!
I've mentioned people considering burlap for clothing before, and trust me, it is an Extraordinarily Bad Idea™. I get splinters in my hands just cutting that damned stuff! Fortunately, I was able to talk him into the monkscloth instead; visible weave like burlap, but 100% cotton and much, much softer and infinitely more comfortable than burlap.
Sadly, a woman and her young daughter came in the next day with a similar idea, and I could not talk them into the monkscloth (yes, the monkscloth is $9.99/yd while the burlap is $2.99/yd, but the treatment for the facial irritation from the burlap will more than make up the difference!). Hopefully, they'll figure it out before the Big Night.
But even these folks were more intelligent than the ones who complained about having to stand in long lines. Wow, gosh, who'd've thought a fabric store would be busy before Halloween and Christmas?!
And no, I can't cut your fabric at the register, it's for paying, not cutting. Those dozen people waiting behind you would not be happy with either of us. Besides, your 60" wide fabric won't fit across my 18" wide counter and I have neither yardstick to measure nor cutting guide to cut straight. Yes, I know the bolt label says "10 yards". That's how much was on the bolt when we received it two weeks ago. I can tell just by looking at it that there's not ten yards left on there (A. the edge is straight as it's been cut, and B. it's noticeably thinner than a typical full bolt). No, that is not false advertising, that is the nature of a fabric store! Sorry, you'll have to stand in that awful long line at the cutting counter.
Honestly, it's like some folks have no idea that clothing ought to be comfortable, or at least tolerable.

One gal came in with her son, wanting to make a Robin Hood outfit to wear onstage. She brought up bolts of green and brown felt and wanted to make clothes out of it. While felt is fine for hats and decoration, you do not want to wear an entire outfit made of it, especially under stage lights; it's stiff, hot and a bit itchy. She wanted the felt because it was on sale cheap! Fortunately for her son's sake, I was able to talk her into broadcloth, also on sale cheap and a helluva lot more wearable.
An older couple came in; the man was making a scarecrow costume and was thinking of using burlap for the mask!

Sadly, a woman and her young daughter came in the next day with a similar idea, and I could not talk them into the monkscloth (yes, the monkscloth is $9.99/yd while the burlap is $2.99/yd, but the treatment for the facial irritation from the burlap will more than make up the difference!). Hopefully, they'll figure it out before the Big Night.
But even these folks were more intelligent than the ones who complained about having to stand in long lines. Wow, gosh, who'd've thought a fabric store would be busy before Halloween and Christmas?!


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