Fabmo is an awesome volunteer-run store-ish place that gets crafty type donations from designers and sells them at discount prices in order to prevent the stuff from going into landfills. I had no plans to go to their last open sale because I’ve never managed to go without buying some fabric, but I had some crafty friends visiting for memorial day weekend and figured I would bring them because I’m such a good hostess.

So, here was my haul, for $16.50 total!

Two half-yards of terry in blue and pink and a yard of blue flannel in order to make some burp cloths (don’t worry, if this blog ever threatens to turn into a mommy crafting blog, I give you permission to thwap me with insertion lace until I get better).

4 yards of a wonderful teal coating material (I can’t get the color to show up correct in the photo). I suspect it is not 100% wool, but I also don’t think it’s 100% dead dino. Maybe one day I’ll do a burn test to figure it out. This is either going to become a modern hooded jacket, or an Edwardian skirt. (Or neither! The joys of a fabric stash),

I was only going to buy 3 yards, but there was a bit over 4 yards left on the bolt so at $2/yard I figured I would just take it all.

My most indulgent purchase; 1.5 yards of a ridiculously soft jersey that I have no idea what to do with. I almost never do knits!

And the most exciting purchase of all, a wooden tailor’s clapper for only $5!!!!

Squee a clapper!

I think every volunteer at the shop stopped to ask me what on earth this thing was and why I was so excited to buy it.

The flat side (bottom) is used to help press open seams. This is especially useful on bouncy wools – steam press the heck out of the seam, then press it open with the clapper until the seam cools down. The wood clapper helps to absorb the steam back out of the fabric, which keeps it nice and flat, instead of burning your hand off keeping the seam open while it cools.

The pointy bit and other strange shapes on top help you press open bizarre seams, especially enclosed ones. The pointy one is especially useful for pressing open seams on something like the upper and undersides of a collar, when you can’t get an iron in there.

So if you are anywhere around the Mountain View area, you should check out Fabmo for their awesome deals!