Trend Report: Native American Prints and a Pet Peeve

  As a child it would frustrate me to no end.  I'd see a dress or shirt that I wanted, and inevitably, my mother would say I could not have it because the garment wasn't well made.  I'd furrow my little brow in consternation and she would patiently point out the various flaws.  Often the stripes or design would not match up (a minor problem that affected the design, but not the functionality of the clothing) , and at other times, one could see that the fabric was not cut on grain (a more egregious error that would result in ill-fitting clothes).  Reluctantly, I would hang the offending dress back on the rack, and walk away wishing my mother wasn't such a stickler about these sorts of things.


   Fast-forward to today, and I am my mother.  Learning how to sew has made me much more aware of these small details and when they're not done well, it annoys me.

   I've been lusting over so-called Aztec prints.  They're popular this season, carrying over from the summer and now popping up in sweaters and jackets.  I love the above coat from BB Dakota, but can you guess my major complaint?  The jacket retails at $130 and yet they did a terrible job of lining up the print on the jacket.  Those large diamond designs really should have been centered at center back and center front and the panels should all have been cut so that the designs match up.

   They're beautiful coats, but it's this lack of attention to detail that prevents me from buying this coat (which would still be true even if the coat retailed for a lot less).

   What's the solution if you're a precisionist like me (and my mom)?  Make your own, of course!  I love the Ahwahnee Coat from Wearing History Patterns.  Now, onto finding the perfect fabric.  Any suggestions for online fabric stores I should check out?