36/365, 17/30 Lost in the Fabric

They cut these bolts by the yard,
and once they have, the piece is yours.
The decision should not be easy.
You should know what you need,
the length, the fabric.
Be sure of the thickness and the give,
that the hue will be the same in daylight
as it appears beneath fluorescent bulbs.
Be sure before you reach for silk,
for spandex, chiffon, and knits with glued-on sequins
that your plan is set
and your skills are in reality
as good as you believe them to be.
For all their glitz and luster,
their smooth and elegant sheen,
they are challenging substrates to stitch,
sure to snag and wrinkle,
unravel along awkward seams,
as sure to catch your eye on the bolt
as they are to show each flaw and wayward stitch.
Do not be fooled
by the simplicity of jersey knit.
It will ruin you.
You will never look at a tee-shirt
the same way ever again.
It is never as simple to pleat and drape
as it seems in that moment
at the cutting counter,
always more challenging
to seamlessly align patterns and button holes
than when the pinking shears first cut swatch from bolt,
made this length your own,
irreversible.
It is yours now to work with.
Turn idea to reality.
Hide the inevitable flaws.
Drape yourself in this garment.
Make it look like you knew
what you were doing
all along.