Rummaging: JoAnn's Red Tag fabrics

I have a love/hate relationship with JoAnn's "red tag" fabrics racks.

On the first hand, they're a mess. Organization is at a minimum, and the bolt labels are iffy at best. (Knowing how to do a burn test is a valuable skill.) On the other hand, if you're willing to treat the red tag rack like a thrift shopping excursion, some gems will emerge.




Friday's sifting of one store's red tag rack was fruitful. And cheap - all the red tag bolts were 50% off!

• The best find of the day was a medium brown pinstriped 100% linen, in a light-weight weave. This will be perfect for bloomers for for my ongoing 1890's sporting costume ensemble. $3.20/yard. (I'm using Laughing Moon's 1890's Sporting Costume pattern. The wheeling basque is done; the skirt is cut out.)

• 6 or so yards of an off white/beige narrow stripe, in a moderately heavy weight. The tag said cotton/rayon/poly blend, but a burn test says all cotton. I've got several ideas for this yardage; perhaps a duster, or a nifty underskirt. It's a home-dec weight, which is heavy enough for an unlined skirt. I often look for historical fabrics in the home dec sections, because they're the right weights. Think the weight of denim jeans (although not the weave). $2.80/yd

Late '90s Sporting Costume

• About 5 yards of a yellow/brown with a burgundy stripe and a thin white stripe. Might become a sporting basque, or an Eaton suit. I don't yet know. Again the tag was a cotton/rayon/poly blend, but a burn test says that it's all cotton, except for the white stripe which is poly. Also home dec weight; also $2.80/yard.

That is, admittedly, a lot of brown - and I tend to avoid Steampunk brown. Although brown predominates the Steampunk palette, it's not a "typical" Victorian color and it's an overused trope. Yeah, they used brown, but they also used every other color possible with aniline dyes. We view the Victorian world in sepia tones, because those are the photos that we have. It happens that sporting costumes (and "safari" attire) were usually in browns, and so that's the palette that I'm currently working a lot with.

Red tag fabric racks are one of the Cheapside rummaging enterprises; like thrift shopping, it takes some persistence and tenacity. To make it a success, you'll need to have a strategy.

• Check the racks frequently. The stock rotates, and its a mish-mash of fibers, weaves, patterns, and weights. Work through the racks methodically; there's no telling what you're going to find where.
• The inventory will not be the same at different stores. You might make an afternoon of touring the stores in your area to have the widest variety of possibilities.
• Know the "hand" or feel of the fabric you're looking for. Spend some time in the regular racks to get a feel for cotton, silk, and polyester. Read the label, but don't depend on it. Make comparisons if you need to. Learn how to do burn tests when you get home. A good guide is here.
• Ask store staff about upcoming sales, to make sure that you're as efficient with the fabric budget as possible.
• Get on JoAnn's coupons mailers. Most of their coupons are for regularly priced merchandise, but there are sometimes percentages off your total purchase, and these will apply to the discounted merchandise, too.
• Never wait to buy. (The exception is if the stuff is going on sale soon.) Don't wait until the the outfit needs to be made and expect to find just the right fabric on the red tag rack. It's like going to the thrift store to pick up the perfect vest or an eyelet dust ruffle. The odds just aren't in your favor. Conversely, if you find the perfect fabric and don't buy it, it's not likely to be there in a week.
• Allow possibilities to unfold at the red tag rack. Is there a fabric that you think is perfect, but you don't know what it's destined to become? Buy it, launder it, and put it in your stash. It's just waiting for the right idea.