Fabrics: Who among you has pretty fabrics? Tips and tricks

Dear users, dear designers,
we don’t talk about fabrics very often here in the forum, but maybe we can gather a few posts here for this thread?
Do you have pretty fabrics? Which fabrics do you like?
Do you have any tips and tricks?

I have a lot of clothing fabrics lying around, like jersey, sweatshirt fabric, and fabrics for pants and blouses, since my main focus is on sewing clothes. I only sew decorative items to order for family members—in those cases, I buy the fabrics they want that match their decor. I usually buy my fabrics locally, because with three fabric stores plus various home furnishings stores that also carry fabrics, I truly have plenty of choice. I’m the type who has to feel the fabric before buying it. :-)
When I sew bags, I always make sure to get scraps of upholstery fabric—they’re 1. more durable and also work great for machine embroidery.

Thanks for your post, Akela.

Who else would like to add something?

I never used to dare sew with jersey. But ever since I bought jersey needles for my machine, it’s been no problem at all.
I only sew simple things, though. Crocheting and knitting are more my thing. But sewing is much faster.

ruhtk, with a serger, jersey fabric is a breeze—you don’t even need a sewing machine.

If all goes well, I’ll be starting my first sewing class in two weeks. I already have the perfect fabric—with little pink hearts—ready to go.

I already sew simple things, but I haven’t dared to try zippers yet. I’ll learn how to do that in class.

Oh yeah, Gabi, zippers are my Achilles’ heel, too! There’s always a bump somewhere.

When sewing in a zipper, many people make the mistake of pulling either on the zipper or on the fabric where the zipper goes in. Both are wrong—first pin the zipper in place, then baste it, and then sew as close as possible to the zipper teeth as you can; there are special zipper feet for this. Also, don’t set the presser foot pressure too high, or it will just push the zipper forward as you sew. But these are all things you’ll learn from experience over time. Personally, I don’t pin or baste—unless I’m sewing a zipper into a knit fabric.

Thanks for the tips! I’ll keep that in mind next time.