"TIME TO CHECK YOUR INVENTORY"

COUPONS

REMNANT CHALLENGE

Who: EVERYONE WHO SEWS!
When: Starts Wednesday Feb. 17, 2010
Ends Wednesday March 17, 2010 (St. Patrick’s Day!)

How it works: You get to pick out and purchase one (or more!) pieces from our remnants at an ADDITIONAL 50% off (that’s half of half!!!). Then, you have until St. Patrick’s Day to create a garment worth winning!

Prizes:
1st- $200 Fabrique gift certificate,
2nd-$100 Fabrique gift certificate
3rd-8”Ginghers

What the judges will look for:
creativity, technique, and overall transformation from a small remnant to a gorgeous, wearable garment!

Rules:
- You must register for the remnant challenge when you make your purchase.
- 75% of your final entry must be out of the remnant registered.
- Your challenge entry must be wearable.
- You must turn in your entry by 6:00pm on St. Patrick’s day to Fabrique.
- You MUST have fun while working on this challenge!


FAQ’s:
What if I have already purchased a remnant previous to the start date- can I use that as my remnant challenge piece? You may not use it as your main fabric, but you can incorporate it into your design!

How many remnants can I use? As many as you like!

Does the final entry have to fit ME? No.

Do I have to use the entire piece? No.

Do I have to turn it in physically or can I send pictures? We can only judge what is here physically in the store.

When is the last date I can purchase and register? March 16th, 2010

Can I enter more than one garment? ABSOLUTELY!

Can I use a purchased pattern? YES! The design is your choice and the pattern is your choice!

Do I HAVE to use a pattern? No- be creative and have fun!

Is there a maximum $ amount I can spend on what I put into the entry? No.

"You will never know what you can achieve if you do not attempt."

~anonymous

The LITTLE BLACK DRESS

Okay sew great fashion bloggers...You have a night on the town, a gala, or whatever you might have it, and that horrendous question that boggles our mind arises..."WHAT DO I WEAR?"

You plough through a million blouses, skirts, and dresses, and still nothing seems to suit. Then with a defeatist attitude, you walk to the back of your closest and say "I guess I'll wear this black dress, ahh."

Well no worries ladies, whatever age you are the L.B.D is a FAVORITE always safe, and can be dolled up any way.

Maybe you are blessed to walk to the first outfit or dress and pull things together in a whim but many of us RACK our brains for the intent of finding that perfect garment.

I just wanted to say it is okay to pull out or MAKE that little black dress that has an endless amount of opportunity.

Where it all started

Different women all shape, ages, and sizes: how they wear it

I love the black dress because since it is black, pops of color really can turn a look from drab to fabulous!

For instance, wear your dress with a plum shoe or any color to turn up the edge.

~Add black tights or any color that compliments the shoe.

~For a conservative or sensual look, wear the black dress with a nude shoe, open toe, peep toe, or pointed to exaggerate the line of your leg.

~ Also for another conservative look, you can stay all black but play with touches of color in your make up or maybe an earring. This works at any age!

ALWAYS REMEMBER!

The FIT is one of the most important elements of the black dress. We want to see shape...Not a black potato sack! Whatever size or age you are, you can flatter your body by having the dress fit properly in the right places. Choose a length that you are comfortable with too and that your body will appreciate. Too long reads formal, and too short screams bachelorette party!

You want to find a median length that will suit many occasions, because more than likely you will be wearing this dress more than once!

Have fun with the dress and play up your accessories, hair, or make-up. Just because you are wearing black does not mean you have to take the look seriously!

Lastly, don't forget...We have you covered at Fabrique!
We have a huge selection of black fabrics and so much you can embellish them with!!!

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WEAR BUT WHAT YOU CAN

MAKE OR MAKE OUT OF WHAT YOU WEAR!

Fabrique Fashion Forecast- Spring/Summer 2010:

It is all about COLOR! Color is emotional. Color catches the eye and can lift your mood. Colorful clothing is essential in today’s market!

The biggest color now is GREEN. Any shade of green- even neon has become a ‘basic’ for this upcoming season. Green works well with soft refined pinks and the neutral tones. Yellow remains exciting. Marigold, daffodil and always butter yellow.

If you wear a lot of black you need a pop of a shocking color in at least one accessory.

Clothing should look effortless. Drapey jersey, soft gathers, and tucks that fall close to the body are great on many women. Knits are good transitional pieces and very easy to sew.

Small details that many designers agree are new looking for spring 2010. Circle cut ruffles that are inserted in seams give a soft feminine touch. Pleated ruffles on bows in surprising places give the eye a pop of interest. Cording in a seam can define the lines of a dress or break up a floral pattern. Mire floral patterns, they don’t have to even look like they together and they will!

The trench coat is a blockbuster for this spring. We love all the defining details and it can flatter any shape or size at any age. The interpretation can be traditional beige or tomato red. Pockets, epaulets, and all that top stitching make it a project worth your time.

Feathers are showing up in prints or sewn on to fabrics. Feathers everywhere you look are fresh and fashion forward.

Sleeves are detailed and made special with lace or gathers. Never let your sleeves be plain!

This season you can expand your wardrobe by sewing a few key pieces that make you feel confident, pretty, and fashionable. If you start with a color that excites, you then find a design detail that you can master. Now go forth and SEW!!!

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHTS!

We absolutely LOVE when our customers show us the work they have done with our fabrics! It is very interesting to see what happens to a gorgeous fabrication when different hands have molded it into a living garment.

This week we turned our spotlight on Becki Berri for the unique and intricate creation made for her daughter. She pieced together many fabrique fabric pieces and long and behold a jacket was born!

She came to us during the process to show us what she was up to. Not too much later, she provided us pictures of the garment when it was all done. We love to see what our customers have produced. Awesome job Becki!

Don't forget, at Fabrique we are family! We are very proud of our customers and their work. So, if we can be any help at all during the process, we try to make ourselves available for all your sewing needs.

Don't be intimidated or shy! Come on in and show us your work...you could be featured in our next spotlight!

FAQ: about custom

dressmaking including

a wedding dress.

~ It is a fun easy process!

~ You get exactly what you want without any compromise: fit, color, and every other detail is your choice.

Fabrique will work with you on your design and yardage requirements and then match you up with the best dressmakers. The fittings are conducted here in the store. The time process is about 3 to 6 weeks depending on the dressmakers schedule.

BRIDES DON’T FORGET! For the rest of January everything you need for your custom bridal dress will be 30% off!!!

We will help you create your completely unique dream gown!

HOW DO I FIND MY DREAM MACHINE?

Thank you Mildred! At Fabrique we love helping you get where you need to be in the art of sewing! Techniques and knowledge are both very important in the sewing world but so are the tools.

With that being said, one of the main tools we use is the SEWING MACHINE, unless you hand sew everything...in that case hats off to you!

There is such a huge selection to choose from. So many brands and so many purposes. One can get lost and end up paying for a machine that you settle for and not one that can truly meet all your needs and future purposes.

Mildred has been doing some reading and came across an excellent short article from Vogue Pattern Magazine (issue Dec 2009/Jan 2010).

http://www.voguepatterns.com/vpm/intro/documents/VPMsewingmachineguide.pdf

Hopefully this will help you get a few steps closer to finding the perfect sewing mate!

Goodbye 2009...Hello 2010!

It is time again to part with the old and say hello to the new. Many of us make resolutions that become New Week resolutions rather than lifetime or for the whole year. Some of us do not even like to make resolutions because we know that we won't keep them.

What if you had a resolution that didn't restrict you but pushed you to be productive?

We challenge you to a new years resolution to... SEW MORE!

Allow yourself to have some time for you and only you, with the exception of your friendly sewing machine. Too often, we all get caught up with daily routines in doing things for others...which is not a bad thing. But many times, we leave our interests and the small things that make us happy on the back burner. So this year, why not try the resolution to SEW MORE for yourself or whomever you choose. Sewing and making home made projects can sometimes be the therapy you need. Setting a goal to make a garment, accessory, or whatever you choose, and completing it brings a huge sense of accomplishment to your daily hectic life.

To SEW MORE...you must make time for yourself! Once you give yourself that time, you will make sure that somehow, someway...you will always give yourself a little "me time".

Don't forget, that if you ever need help in all your sewing endeavors Fabrique is here to help you out. We offer amazing $10 classes that will continue on Jan. 12. These classes help you maximize your sewing skills. Also, we are always open to questions if you are in a sewing jam. Feel free to take advantage of our free swatch requests to get that project of yours going!

From our Fabrique family to yours...Happy New Year!!!

FOLKWEAR PATTERNS

Folkwear patterns offer a certain nostalgia. They transcend other patterns in the sense that they will take you to another time and even to a new culture.

Some of you may have thought of folkwear patterns to be strictly costume but many patterns are actually very wearable and can become a priceless original piece. Whether you plan to make a garment for someone else or yourself, you will definitely love making it and really appreciate the completed product. Allow yourself to be creative. Imagination is a BEAUTIFUL thing!

We sell the patterns in store and a few are offered at a discounted price.

A few of the patterns brought to life:

"Wall Street Blouse and Skirt"

My favorite!

"Swing Suit"

How very chic and freeing to the body.

"Egyptian Shirt"

Example of a garment of culture brought to everyday wear.

You pick patterns and fabric to customize it to your liking.

"Flamenco Dress an Practice Skirt"

This may seem "costume" but imagine this with a rich solid fabric.

Make it softer with a light weight fabric and customize the pattern to your liking.

I see the bell of the ball potential!

75 NEW PIECES JUST IN!


Here is a preview of the fun new arrivals. The hand feel is AMAZING!

"The Perfect Gift"

What does the perfect gift consist of? The perfect gift is defined differently by many but I believe the "perfect gift" consists of:

~ the thought behind it

~ personalization of the gift

~ ability to be used on more than one occasion

At Fabrique, we encourage you to present the occasional, expert, and aspirational sewer with the "Perfect Gift"!

Stocking stuffers are great but if you want to go beyond that, we have an abundance of options to help your holiday shopping go a little smoother! Today we are featuring three classics we all love.

*Pattern book co-written by our very own Carol Foley*

$65.00

This Pattern Making book is an easy-to-read companion to commercial patterns. Open up your imagination through this book to discover how each pattern piece can be slightly altered to create a whole new shape and design. Each page is filled with helpful information on how to alter an existing commercial pattern to achieve a perfect fit or desired look. Chocked full of useful diagrams and example drawings to reinforce the straightforward instructions, this book will surely be the most useful tool in any sewing room.

*Silver Star Gravity Feed Iron*
$250.00

This is a fantastic heavy duty iron that is used by the best tailor shops around. This iron helps transform a garment to look more professional through the use of the heavy steam exhausted by a gallon of water suspended above the iron. It is truly a sewers dream. The iron comes complete with filter and bottle.

*Gingher Rotary Cutter*
$70.00

They were crafted to achieve a perfectly weighted balance that translates into improved handling and comfort in cutting. With a classic look and elegant form, the cast metal handle is satisfying to use from the first to the final cut. With meticulous attention to detail Gingher makes sure that the quality and the performance are unsurpassed. 45mm- This cutter comes in a tin container with a formed holder to keep your cutter safe.

*Don't forget, we also have gift certificates available in any amount if you just can't decide.*