What to Do When You Run Out of Fabric or Coin

That lovely bias-cut skirt can eat the fabric budget before you have a whole dress on the table. Stop before you buy or cut again. Open the sketchbook and compare the client’s budget and the fabric estimate under your draft with your coin and the cloth you own. Save coin for any trim the brief requires.

Take stock of the fabric left on each roll, cut pattern pieces in the cutting table’s side list, accessories you already bought, and finished shop dresses you can sell. If you cut the wrong piece, drag it from the side list to the Recycle Bin that appears. Check that the cloth returns to the roll before you plan another cut. Do this before trimming away the used section of the roll; do not count on getting trimmed cloth back.

Still short? Return to the sketchbook and try a smaller skirt. Check the new fabric estimate and the client’s required traits. At the cutting table, place the large pattern pieces first, then fit smaller ones into the gaps before cutting. The dress can still be yours; it just needs to fit the brief and the roll.

After you complete the third commission, you can make an off-the-rack dress for your shop. Turn to its sketchbook page and use spare fabric, or choose the shop’s free burlap for a simple dress. When the dress is finished, check the displayed price before choosing Sell Dress. A sale can bring in coin, but do not assume it will cover what you spent. If you are stuck before that option opens, and recycling and a smaller draft still leave you without enough cloth or coin to meet the brief, you may need to start a new game. Treat purchases and trimmed fabric as spent when making that choice.