Adding to the Stash : Bassetti Tessuti, Rome, Italy

Rooms upon rooms of fabric. Heck yeah!

Have you heard of Bassetti Tessuti? (which is really fun to say!)

Before I'd read the NYT article about them and been to Rome, I hadn't either. In planning my trip to Italy last month, I KNEW I had to stop there. I'd heard it was overwhelming, amazing and so fabulous they gave you a GUIDE, but until I got there, I had NO idea what kind of "Alice in Wonderland" kind of experience I was in for. Floor-to-ceiling fabrics of all sorts. Here, a room full of men's suiting, there, a room full of crisp cotton shirting. 99.9% of it completely unavailable in the US. I was like a kid in a candy store, but oh, what candy!

So, without further ado, let me show you what I bought and what I plan to do with it.

Alpaca wool in teal and purple : Soft enough for some beautiful sweaters!
Anyone got a good sweater pattern?
I'm open to suggestions.

100% silk panel. This will be hemmed into a scarf.

Black and white burnout velvet. I'm thinking of a long-sleeved button up. Cute over a tank top and trousers.

Bitmapped 100% silk fabric from Gianni Versace (!!). Destined to be one of these.

Olive burnout velvet. Will be lined in nude and made into a tank top.

Heavy lycra jersey destined to be cute, long-sleeved tops. Possibly with cowls (my new favourite thing!)

The splurge: sequins! That are black on one side…

And silver on the other. This will be a tube top to be worn under sweaters and jackets.

None of it was cheap – averaging about $30US/yard. It was a PITA to ship (and spendy!), but I don't regret a purchase. Or the fact that my handsome "helper", Marcello, flirted with me mercilessly and begged me to go to lunch with him that day. Who am I to resist? I was furthering US/Italian relations. Just doing my part. Viva Italia!