Sewing

Gabe is sitting across me reading a textbook called Understanding Ethnic Conflict. I'm not as much disturbed by the material as the fact that Gabe is reading something other than IGN. The last book he picked up was the first Harry Potter, two months ago. The last book he finished was the last Harry Potter book, which was in, what, 2007? Gabe isn't a reader, and even though it's a textbook, it's really strange to watch.

Lately, I've been drawing to pass the time. I'm a decent sewer by hand, but a little messy with the edges. Usually, I just hem the edges with Stitch Witchery, even though it sucks when you get any on your iron and have to use everything short of the Bible to get it off. So I've convinced Gabe buy me a sewing machine next month with his Pell grand excess. I'm pretty stoked about it. I learned on my grandmother's, a fine piece of machinery that still functions, and then I took home-ec in high school, but the only machines I've ever used were antiques, back when electronics were made to work, and would last for decades. I hate how disposable electronics have become; I hate how everything is made of plastic rather than metal. When I buy something, especially if I spend more than $100 on it, I just want it to work, and I want it to last longer than a week past the 90 day return policy listed on the bottom of the receipt.

Because electronics tend to fuck up so much, I'm not going to spending more than $150, which means I can still get a decent machine since I don't know how to use a computerized machine, and from what I can tell, they are more trouble than they're worth. Maybe I'm just stubborn? I don't know, but nobody can give me a good reason to get a computerized one other than "they're cool."

Another thing I'm running into in this town is that there is only one good place to buy fabric (I'm not getting them at Wal-Mart because a) Wal-Mart is the devil and b) they're fabric is totally cheap-looking), so I have to start looking online. There are so many sites that I don't know where to start. Do you sew? Do you know any good places to buy fabric?