Falling out of love with Sandra

Well I think it's fitting that tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I find myself falling OUT of love with Sandra Betzina! I don't actually celebrate Valentine's Day, never have - although I am smiling to myself to realise that the acronym is what STD's were once referred to!!! hahaha

Anyhoo...I already own her Fast Fit book, and I love it, so I borrowed Fabric Savvy (the link is for the updated version) from the library. She is right in saying that the hardest thing about learning to sew is what fabric to chose and how to sew it - seams, hems, needles bla bla. So I was prepared to be told EXACTLY what to do.

So I'm making a little camisole top, using silk satin and silk chiffon - sweet! Sandra recommends pre-shrinking the silk satin, but not to bother with the chiffon. I thought long and hard about pre-washing silk, as I will most likely dry clean the top once it's finished and from then on...but I believed her and it's WRONG! Although it's not water marked, apparently silk satin doesn't do that (Sandra says), it has lost it's luster and sheen, something that draws you to satin in the first place really. I made a test garment out of calico, but decided to use the ruined satin to try the design out, so now I just have a very expensive toile and I will have to go to Spotties today and buy some more....aarrrrgggghhhh!

New rule - if I'm going to dry clean the garment always, don't pre-wash. Does that sound fair fellow sewonistas?

PS - sorry for the hiatus - two week shock to the system - back to being a working mother!