CHANEL JACKETS

We'll start today's blog with a quote from Coco herself- "I am neither in the past, nor avant-arde. My style follows life." To a certain extent, everyone's style reflects the life they are living- and living luxuriously in this current economy is nearly impossible... Until you read this post! Fabrique has all the pieces you need to create your own timeless Chanel jacket- including great prices. This week, we received 2 new tweeds for $17/yd! Vogue has designed the perfect pattern (7975) that happens to flatter every body shape- 40%off! You can also find Chanel buttons, trims and chain here at Fabrique too! Let your classic style shine!!!

The Fringe Benefits to Giving Your Clothes a Facelift

Everyone deserves a second chance- well so do your old clothes! Instead of bypassing that same shirt in your closet everyday, pull it out and make it new again. Trends today can easily be done without having to buy high priced garments. Here are a few fashion images pulled from various stores and blogs:



























So many of these gorgeous pieces can be duplicated by simply adding trim, fringe, Swarovski crystals, or appliques! We carry all of these items and more- here is just a handful of items that would take your plain shirt from boring to chic. Look great by spending little!

3 More Accessories

BELTED CAPE:

This cape was made out of 2.25 yd of wool/Tencel jersey knit. The belt comes through buttonhole slits- this feature can be tweaked in many different ways. Here, there are two slits in the front of the cape, but not in the back. You can also dress it up with a traditional buckled belt!

Time: about an hour

Cost: $68.20

BUTTON-UP SCARF:
This scarf was made with 1/2yd of Oscar de la Renta Leopard Print Angora/Virgin Wool.
Time: about 30 minutes
Cost: $46.58

BRAID SCARF:
This scarf is made up of left over fabrics braided together. For the three strands I used an iridescent silk chiffon strip, a magenta silk charmeuse, and the third one is a checkered strip of random fabric squares quilted together. The bottom is made up of a bulky tweed that I stripped to create fringe. This is a very colorful, casual scarf that can go with just about anything! To stabilize it, it is simply pulled through the braid in the front.
Time: 1 hour
Cost: little to nothing!

The Weekly Wardrobe- Chic & Easy Accessories

This week we are presenting 5 quick, easy, and chic accessories: a cuff, a shawl, a belt, a scarf, and a cowl collar. All of these things can be added to multiple outfits and some of them can be worn multiple different ways! Everything takes between 30 minutes to 2 hours to make (depending on which one you do).

CUFF:

This Chanel-inspired cuff was made with 1/8th yd of trim that had rabbit fur, leather, and silver studs, a silver dome button, and about 1.5" of 1/4" black elastic.

TOTAL: $5.35 with tax!

SHAWL:

To make this shawl, I cut a 2-yard-cashmere remnant in half lengthwise and attatched 1 3/4 yd trim that had rabbit fur, feathers, and a leather braid. I still have the remaining 30" X 72" of cashmere to play with- my mom's birthday is in November. Hmm.. I hope she doesn't read this :)

TOTAL: $228.41 with tax!

BELT:

This belt was made with 1/2 yard of trim and 2 yards of grosgrain ribbon. There are so many ways to make and wear this! I have worn it around my waist, at my hips, and around my head too for a modern Twiggy look!

TOTAL: $25.15 with tax!

SCARF:

This scarf is SO easy, affordable, and GORGEOUS. It is a three step process: cut, stitch, and wear! It is 1 1/2 yd of a silk chiffon burnout. There are so many ways to twist these scarves- this twist is called "the pretzel."

Total: $55.21 with tax!

COWL COLLAR:

This collar was made with 1/2 yd of knit fabric and 1 7/8 yd of studed trim. This idea allows you to have the warmth of a scarf and the bling of a necklace!

TOTAL: $31.39

Everything you need to make these items are here at Fabrique- including the instructions!

The Weekly Wardrobe

Fall is approaching and there's no better time than the present to be brainstorming about your new signature piece. Why not try an untraditional style with a new fun fabric? You can do a structured jacket with cool couture touches or a laid back, easy to do over sized coat that lets the fabric do all the talking. Come in, get inspired, and leave with new fabric, a few helpful tips, and the motivation to make your winter 2009 statement piece!

The Weekly Wardrobe

This week, we are challenging you... to challenge yourself! We are showing the same fabric in 2 different looks. We have pulled 3 flattering patterns: V8482, V1035, and V8583 to create these mixed up designs.

Make a whole new casual look by adding denim to accent a comfy knit shirt OR by remaking your favorite pant pattern in the softest Italian cotton denim!

The same top pattern can be transformed into an instant night-out-on-the-town outfit simply by adding layers of lace on the sleeves or inserting it into the neckline! Make a classic, figure flattering skirt out of black 4-ply silk and you'll be adding a casual, a businesswear, and a dressy piece all in one!

Find a fabric you love- and make the most of it by adding two fabulous looks to your wardrobe!

The Weekly Wardrobe- 08.26.09

Create a look that is flattering, updated, unique, and the perfect transitional piece for every woman! This week we have chosen two Vogue patterns (V8464 and V7898) that flatter every body shape. How do we know this? On every Vogue pattern there is a ‘Body Shape Recommendation’ chart that shows what body types would be best for the style. These two patterns show all four body types!
To update this style, we have taken the jacket and used black denim with a wax finish. This allows it to reflect the leather jacket trend while sticking with the classic jean jacket feel. To balance out this jacket, we have put a printed knit wrap dress. Deep rich colors from the knit is perfect for fall and complements every skin tone while the fluid design of the print easily hides any small bump or an unwanted undergarment line.

All of these things can be found at Fabrique!- so stop in and let us help you create the perfect transition piece to add to your fall wardrobe today!!!

(click on image for larger view)

What are nap and selvage?

Selvage refers to the lengthwise finished edges on a piece of fabric. These edges are
usually a little stiffer and firmer than the crosswise, or cut edge of the fabric, and will not
ravel. When you look at your pattern cutting instructions, it will show you where the selvage is when cutting. Be sure to line your selvages up evenly to avoid cutting off grain. In addition, you can measure from the distance of your selvage to your grain line to make sure you have the piece position properly.

If you buy a piece of fabric that is 45" wide by 2 yards long, the selvage edges are along
the 2 yards, and the cross wise edge is along the 45" side of the fabric.

Fabrics "with nap" will reflect light differently, or have a one way pattern or design. If your
fabric has nap, it is very important that you follow the "With Nap" layout on your
instruction sheet. Fabrics with nap include the following:

1. Pile fabrics - like velvet, velveteen, velour, and corduroy.
2. Fuzzy surface fabrics, such as brushed flannel, fake fur, plush felt.
3. Shiny fabrics, such as satin, damask, and some knits.
4. Plaids and stripes with an uneven repeated pattern.
5. Printed or woven motifs with a "this end up" look, or one way design.

Be sure to always check your pattern to find out how much yardage is needed if you have a nap to your fabric, because you may need a little more length to get your pieces to comfortably fit going the same direction.

**Parts of blog excerpted from Simplicity's "FAQ" page.

Marking Grainlines

One of the most difficult fabrics to work with is chiffon. Now make it a burn out chiffon. That combo just might be the worst nightmare of the average seamstress. It's so easy to lose the cross-grainline which absolutely must lay straight in order to cut your pieces perfectly. You can mark your grainline using a thread from the fabric. Here's how:

To pull (remove) threads for marking the grainlines, clip through the selvage, if any, with scissors. Then start about 1" from the edge by loosening and pulling a thread free with a needle. You might need a magnifier to identify one single thread. Hold the inch-long end in one hand and slightly gather the fabric along a few inches at a time, never pulling hard enough to break the thread as you work toward the opposite edge. Gather the fabric just enough to loosen the thread so that you can visually see the line created through the width of the fabric. Use that line created by the pulled thread as your basis to straighten your fabric. Do this on either side of your pattern pieces to ensure that both ends are straight. Once you have your fabric perfectly arranged be sure to use weights to ensure that it doesn't move. You don't want to "un-do" all of your hard work!!

Fashion Interest Groups

There are several groups around the nation that specialize in fashion/costume. If you have a certain interest in an area of fashion it's always nice to meet and interact with others that have common interests. Below is a list of a few groups that you can join:

International Textile and Apparel Association
http://www.itaaonline.org/
The ITAA is a professional, educational association composed of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education. ITAA welcomes professionals employed in those fields who wish to join with members of the Association in the pursuit of knowledge, interchange of ideas, and dissemination of knowledge through meetings, special events, and publications.

Fashion Group International
http://newyork.fgi.org/
The Fashion Group International is a global, non-profit, professional
organization with 5000 members in the fashion industry including
apparel, accessories, beauty and home. The FGI mission is to be the pre-eminent authority on the business of fashion and design and to help its members become more effective
in their careers. To do this, FGI provides insights on major trends
in person, online and in print; access to business professionals and a
gateway to the influence fashion plays in the marketplace.

Costume Society of America
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/
The Costume Society of America advances the global understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance. We work to stimulate scholarship and encourage study in the rich and diverse field of costume.

American Sewing Guild
http://www.asg.org/
American Sewing Guild is a membership organization that welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels and from many different walks of life. Chapters are located in cities all across the country and members meet monthly to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community service sewing projects. Membership in the Guild gives you an opportunity to experience your love of any type of home sewing with others who share your interest. (The Plano Chapter meets at Fabrique on the first Thursday of every month.)

Most of these organizations require a small membership fee. If you have any other associations that you think would be helpful to spread the word about, please feel free to post a comment and let us know!

10 Common Mistakes of New Sewers

1. Selecting a Complicated Project
If you don't have a lot of sewing experience, don't try to tackle a wedding dress or a tailored suit jacket. Look for beginning patterns that have words such as "easy," "simple," and "quick."

2. Using Inferior Tools and Materials
No one does their best work when using cheap and/or poorly designed tools and materials. Always choose the best you can afford, even if it means waiting awhile before you have all the tools you'd like to have. Add good quality fabrics and thread, and you'll have a much more pleasant sewing experience!

3. Starting with a LARGE project
When learning a new technique or working with a new material, always start on a small scale. Learn the necessary techniques on a project that's easy to handle, then move on to something bigger.

4. Selecting the Wrong Fabric
Always check the back of the pattern envelope for "Suggested Fabrics" and select a material similiar to those listed. You may not be familiar with all the types listed, but you'll have a better idea of the sort of fabric for which the pattern was designed. For example: don't choose a soft, drapey, lightweight fabric for a pattern that recommends "firm, woven fabrics such as suiting, twill, denim;" on the other hand, don't use a stiff fabric when "lightweight, soft wovens such as challis, rayon, and silk" are suggested.

5. Using the Wrong Needle
While the Universal needle size 80/12 is great for most sewing projects, it can cause problems on others, particularly when stitching with specialty threads and/or fabrics. Always choose a needle that is suited for the technique you are stitching.

6. Using Poor Quality Thread
Do you constantly have stitch problems? If the thread you're using is a "5 spools for $1" special, the problem isn't you or your machine, it's the thread. Cheap thread is just that - cheap. Using good quality thread not only eliminates your stitching problems, but will last longer and make your projects look more professional. Poor quality thread is made from very short fibers, spun together to form a strand. The resulting thread has thick and thin places that do not flow through the sewing machine evenly; it also sheds fibers creating lots of lint. Good quality thread is made from long fiber strands, is very even (which keeps the tension even), and makes very little lint. The next time you have a problem with stitches, make sure you're using a good quality thread such as Mettler or Isacord.

7. Not Utilizing Machine Accessory Feet
How many of the accessory feet included with your machine have you actually used? Nearly all sewing machines come with at least four "standard" presser feet: an all purpose or zigzag foot, a buttonhole foot, a zipper foot, and a blindhem foot. In addition to their primary functions, many other techniques can be sewn with these accessories. For instance, the guide on a blindhem foot is perfect for edgestitching and understitching, and a zipper foot is excellent for creating and inserting covered cording and piping. Read your owner's manual and other sewing books to learn more about your machine's accessory feet.

8. Ignoring Sewing Machine Features
Many beginning seamsters are unaware that their machines may have one or more of the following useful features:
--adjustable needle position, indispensable for topstitching,
edgestitching, understitching
--satin stitch, which is just a regular zigzag stitch with the stitch length reduced so that
you get a rich, full line of stitching -- great for applique.

9. Expecting Perfection in Every Project
If most stitchers never made mistakes, there would be no such tool as a seam ripper. No matter what we do, we all have to practice, practice, practice to develop new skills.

10. Not Loving What You Sew
For most people, sewing is a hobby, not a job, and as such it should be FUN! If you focus on working with fabrics that call your name and projects that inspire you, you will continue to learn and grow until stitching up "something new" is second nature.

**Article excerpt taken from http://www.berninausa.com/

Button Sewing Tips

So you've finished your entire garment and "all you have left" are the buttons. Here are several helpful tips when putting your finishing touch onto your piece:

Tip#1:
The placement of the button on a casual shirt and/or jacket is half the button width from the edge. The spacing and number of buttons is up to you! Remember, you don't always have to do what the pattern says. You're the designer!

Tip#2:
Use dental floss as your thread to secure a shank button.

Tip#3:
Use a clear back-up button for a high stress areas.

Staystitch vs. Stay Tape

The most commonly known method for prevention of stretching and distortion of cut pieces is to staystitch. Most seamstresses are unaware of the use of stay tape.

Staystitch is a useful aid during the construction process. You stitch a line on a single layer of fabric just inside the seamline in the seam allowance. This is different from a basting stitch, because basting is a longer looser stitch that holds two pieces together before your final stitching. Staystitching involving one piece of a fabric with tighter, smaller stitches. It will hold the grain line where you need it and prevent stretching. However, staystitch does not prevent stretching during daily, normal wear and tear. Stay tape will lengthen the life of your garment, because it ensures that your garment will not stretch during daily wear.

There are two kinds of stay tape: straight and bias. You will need the straight tape when you don't need any kind of movement in the garment such as collar, waist, etc. The bias tape is best for places on your garment that need some movement such as armholes.

Do I really need a dressform?

Dressforms are an investment and many women wonder if it's worth the money or not. If you want to invest the choice is, of course, up to you personally, but here are some benefits to owning your own dressform.

A dressform allows you to hang a garment during construction to assess the design during work. This will let you know ahead of time if a piece is not draping properly. When you are finished you can check for "surprises" that show up before you or a client tries it on for the hemming.

"But what if the dress form doesn't exactly match my measurements?"

A little trick of the trade for you! Measure all bust, waist, and hip measurements then adjust the form to most closely match your body size. If needed you can add shoulder pads to strategically enhance the bust, hip, or bottom.

What dressforms are your favorite? Which ones do you not recommend?

What is "Cutting on the Bias?"

Have you ever heard someone throw around the phrase, "Cut it on the bias," and wonder what they're talking about?

When you place your pattern piece on the fabric to be cut you can line up your grain line in three different ways: straight grain, cross grain, and bias. Straight grain is when your grain line is parallel with your selvage edge. Cross grain is when your grain line is perpendicular to your selvage. However, when you cut your pattern piece "on the bias" it means that you are placing your grain line at an angle. A true bias is placed 45 degrees from the selvage edge.

Cutting a garment piece, such as a skirt, on the bias will create a lighter, more draped effect. It will allow the fabric to cling or follow the curve of the body. This cutting technique is most commonly used for cutting collars and cuffs, because the bias allows the fabric to create a curve.