fabric Archives - Page 2 of 12

Fall Capes

May 3, 2020 by Sarah Safranski 9 Comments

Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s just cold enough to curl up with a blanket and hot tea, but still warm enough to enjoy a walk outside. When I lived in Chicago, I used to hit the pavement every weekend in my favorite fall outfit: jeans, boots, and a cute fall jacket. This year, however, jackets are being replaced with capes, and I, for one, couldn’t be more thrilled. Can you think of anything else so functional and chic?

This short and hooded gray cape by Dainty Things is the perfect combination of simplicity and style. Made of soft fleece, it is sure to keep you warm, and the neutral color will go with every outfit. Dress it up with a sparkly brooch or wear it as is for a more casual look.

I just love the charming plaid pattern, and large wooden button on this sweet cape by Qinliumei. The gray-lined hood and soft wool fabric will block out the cool fall wind, while the cropped sleeves are perfect for showing off a stylish pair of gloves. Falling around the hips, the length of this cape flatters all body types. And best of all, red is in this season.

I couldn’t gush more about this cape by Artlab, which can be made in tan, black or gray. I just love the drama of this piece: the longer front and shorter sides, as well as the lovely sculpted fabric around the neckline. Made of medium weight cotton, it won’t feel too heavy while you’re on your fall walk, and you’re sure to turn plenty of heads along the way.

If I make it home to visit this fall, I may just have to splurge on one of these sweet capes to keep me warm. Every one of them would look great with my jeans and boots!

**The beautiful photograph of rural Illinois featured at the top of this post was created by Lauren Powers Photography.

Little Blue Pretties

April 1, 2020 by Valerie Williams 4 Comments

When I came upon Maria’s booth at the Fenton Street Market, I nearly had chest pains. Her lovely little space was brimming with so much prettiness, I didn’t know where to look first! As a sewer, I am always drawn to lovely things made with fabric, and Maria’s creations were the prettiest fabric things I’d seen in a long time.

Maria makes a variety of jewelry and fashion accessories for her shop, called Little Blue Studio. She uses fabric, crystals, semi precious stones, wire, and even sea shells. Every item is a little bit different from the last, because she’s always looking for something new to make, and new ways to interpret old favorites.

In addition to her gorgeous flowers that become hair accessories, brooches, and necklaces, I was particularly impressed by her mermaid lures, jewelry pieces that are created from found sea shell fragments and pearls.

Not only did I find the concept of a mermaid lure undeniably seductive (like living in a fantasy novel!), I completely fell in love with her modern and unusual presentation of pearls. It’s so easy to dismiss pearls as old fashioned, but that would be impossible with Maria’s creations.

The imperfections in the found shell fragments are what inspire Maria to turn them into something gorgeous…to force viewers to see the beauty in something that was discarded and overlooked.

Maria comes from a family of makers. Sewing, cooking, gardening, carpentry, and many other creative pursuits made up her home life. Although she started her creative career as a painter, making jewelry became more practical as her family grew, and she needed to be more flexible with time. She was drawn to using fabric, because of her mother’s skill as a sewer, but is looking forward to incorporating more metalsmithing into her creations.

Maria’s favorite thing to make is always the item she’s working on at the moment! “When you make something, it carries an intangible to your customer,” she says. “The only way to do that, is to love what you are doing.” Maria believes that when you are no longer in love with the thing you are making, it’s time to move on.

You can find Maria’s work in her online shop, and visit her Facebook page to find out where to find her at local markets and craft shows.

Retrofied

March 20, 2020 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

I’m Rebecca, I’m the artist, seamstress, photographer, designer, model, admin, janitor, etc. behind retrofied. Retrofied grew out of a love for vintage fabrics – and a need to do something with an insanely large fabric stash.

All bags and patterns are original retrofied designs. Each design is something I have created to meet a need in my own life and love sharing with others.

Counting the Days

March 19, 2020 by Rebecca Hadfield 3 Comments

At our house, December 2009 was a blur of working, crafting and traveling. Somehow, in all of the excitement and frenzy of the holidays, the 31 days of 2009’s final month felt more like 13 days. There just never seemed enough time! That must be why, almost a full week into the new year, we are just now getting around to replacing all of the calendars in the house. In past years, I have always grabbed a big, glossy shrink-wrapped calendar from the big-box bookstore, but this year I am looking for something different. Because we are going to have to live with it for the next 12 months, I want something unique, clever and, of course, eco-friendly.

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Yellin’ Moon

March 3, 2020 by Valerie Williams 3 Comments

Steph Dempsey and I were neighbors at a craft show this summer, so for three days I got to do one of my favorite things: look at pretty fabric all day long. Steph makes lovely handmade dresses for little girls under the label Yellin’ Moon, and has a wonderful eye for combining fabrics in unexpected ways.

Even though none of the dresses were big enough for me, I had great fun looking through them all, just to see Steph’s pretty and unusual blends of pattern and color.

The mixing and matching makes Yellin’ Moon dresses just as appealing to parents as they are to the young ladies they are intended for. . .I heard enthusiastic squeals of “oooh, lookit the dresses!” from women and girls of all ages that weekend!

Steph loves fabric and color, and you can tell by looking at her creations. She says she is “not a snooty shopper” when it comes to fabric, and finds new goodies for her stash wherever she goes: fashion fabric shops, quilting shops, goodwill and thrift stores, and occasionally her husband’s closet.

The vast variety of her sources, and the fact that she buys in small quantities, means that her fabric stash is ever changing, and with it the inspiration for her dresses. Every single dress is one-of-a-kind, and is created from a happy accident of on-the-spot inspiration from the fabrics themselves, and sometimes input from her daughter, who has her own sharp eye for pattern and color.

Steph’s love for quilting and the attention to detail in vintage clothes comes out in the dresses she makes. “It seems like when you only have one small piece of something, it becomes so much more precious,” she says. Combining small bits of fabric not only makes each dress she makes unique, but also adds complexity to her otherwise uncomplicated designs. Steph keeps the silhouettes of her dresses simple on purpose, to make sure they stay easy to wear and care for.

Steph has been sewing all her life, and started saving up for her first sewing machine at age eleven. She’s always made quilts and clothes for herself, but didn’t think to turn her hobby into a business until after her children were born. The first Yellin’ Moon dress (although she didn’t know it at the time) was a sundress for her first daughter, refashioned from an old muumuu. Her daughter loved wearing it, and soon friends started to ask her to make their children dresses.

Eventually, with encouragement from an entrepreneurial friend, Yellin’ Moon was born. In addition to dresses in a handful of styles for little girls, Steph also makes winter hats and mittens, party hats, pants, skirts, shirts, and bibs. She has plans to expand to little boys’ clothes and perhaps even some items for adults.

Steph sells her pretty clothes at local art and craft shows, and you can find her show schedule on her blog. She is also planning on restocking her online shop this fall, so keep a sharp eye out, because everything is one of a kind!