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:: March 1, 2008 New Fabric
I don't often buy multiple fabrics from one line, but I loved Come Quilt With Me by Pat Yamin for Marcus Brothers. I'm thinking of making a semi-traditional quilt with it ... like this or this. I ordered it from Z & S Fabrics -- this was my first experience with them and they get the big thumbs up.
The mailman also brought a good load of barkcloth scraps from eBay. The seller followed my email address over to here and liked Dioramarama a lot and sent a nice email and included some extra non-barkcloth vintage goodies in the package. How sweet is that? She has an etsy shop, trees3. Clearly Liz, you need a blog now! posted by in Fabric :: Comments (10) :: link :: November 2, 2007 Quilt Market Report Roundup!
Hey, I'm collecting Quilt Market reports for those of us who couldn't go because we are not manufacturers or retailers or press or anything that would qualify to get us in the doors. Disdressed met oodles of people and launched her new children's clothing patterns. She gives us a look at her beautiful booth. J Caroline reports on the new lines and also reminds us how the "quilt market" is not really even mostly about quilts anymore. Lizzyhouse also met oodles of people and saw the show. That Hisae Yoshida quilt she posted about is amazing. I will post more as I find them. Heather? Annie? Gina? posted by in Fabric :: Comments (9) :: link :: October 30, 2007 Fabric News
Michael Miller fabrics now has a blog, Making It Fun, written by co-owner Kathy Miller. I love seeing the inner workings of a fabric company, since it's my dream job and all. Through the blog I learned of their new organic cottons line (shown above), which will be in stores in January 08. It looks just lovely. They also have a new line of cotton laminates, available now from J Caroline, for one. I don't know how this stuff compares texturally to oilcloth but it looks like it has a little more drape. It looks perfect for baby projects, beach bags, placemats, anything that gets wet. Repro Depot also has a selection of vinyl coated reproduction-flavored prints from Japan, like these:
I'm looking forward to hearing about the new stuff coming out of Quilt Market, which happened this past weekend. Someday I'll go myself ... somehow ... posted by in Fabric :: Comments (8) :: link :: August 20, 2007 Fall Fabrics in HoP
The new Hancock's of Paducah catalog arrived last week with some glimpses of things to come in the fall. As Mel already pointed out, they make it look like they already have the fabrics, but then you try to order it online and everything says "out of stock." But these are lines that aren't even being released till September or October. Kinda frustrating that they don't make that clear in the catalog or on their website, but not frustrating enough to stop me from sharing some of my favorites. I've never been a big fan of the Aunt Grace reproductions, but there is some good stuff this time around -- the "Aunt Grace Ties One On" line is introducing larger-scale prints:
The next is from Moda's American Jane ... it looks familiar ...
And this one is from In the Beginning's "Aunt Sukey's Choice" line:
Moda's Urban Chicks has a new line, Blossom (pdf link). More birds. I think I'm through with birds. Birds and deer. Well, maybe not. Everything can be done well and done poorly. Otherwise, everything is starting to look like cheap imitations of Amy Butler. Why imitate when there is a whole world of fabricky possibilities out there? Humph. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (8) :: link :: July 15, 2007 Recent Acquisitions
I had some postpartum eBay luck and scored this batch of fabric cheaply: about 24 yards of vintage pattern goodness, meticulously folded. My favorites:
And! Last year's Austin Area Quilt Guild second chance boutique yielded such spectacular treasures, it was all the motivation I needed to leave the Otter Pop at home with dad and get out of the house alone for the first time. Not a trace of vintage fabric this time, but on impulse I bought this Elna Lock serger:
It seems like a good sturdy machine -- can anyone confirm this? I know nothing about Elnas or sergers. It came with its manual and a thick workbook detailing the five dozen or so different stitches and techniques (examples: 1 2 3). And since I bought it from a guild member, I'll be able to keep in touch with her to ask questions. We also have an Elna shop in town that hopefully can give me some lessons and troubleshoot. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (11) :: link :: March 15, 2007 Flickr Collections
The new Flickr feature, Collections, is awesome. Of course I rearranged all my vintage fabric scans/photos, putting them into sets by color and print. This has a lot of potential in terms of being able to audition and put fabrics together without pulling them all out and making a mess. Now I want to scan all my new fabrics too, but that would be the biggest time-suck ever. Have you done any interesting collection-ing? Let me know. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (3) :: link :: March 12, 2007 Count Your Blessings
For the first time in either of our lives, we OWE taxes this year. $812 -- oof! One or both of us messed up on withholding this year. I'm so stupid with this stuff. Fortunately next year we'll have a big fat baby boy deduction, right? (And, unfortunately, far less income, in all likelihood.) In order to not cry I took to admiring and ironing and scanning the best pieces from a recent eBay purchase of little tiny scraps. Which of course I shouldn't have bought, now that we owe money. But anyway. eBay is NOT what it used to be with the vintage fabric lots -- have you noticed?, so I was pretty fortunate with this one.
posted by in Fabric :: Comments (5) :: link :: March 2, 2007 Most Exciting Mail Ever #2
Shortly after Amy Butler's package arrived, I got a surprise from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. It arrived a couple weeks back, on the first day I got that nasty flu, so I had come home from work feeling just completely awful. When Bryan handed the package to me, it literally felt like my brain was being injected with a warm happy drug.
These are bolt ends and odd cuts from their Mendhi line -- ever since their new quilt design was
The fabric is even nicer in person. The colors are so deep and saturated and the designs are so versatile. Now what to make with them? And lastly: A big public thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Funquilts! Hot diggety! posted by in Fabric :: Comments (6) :: link :: February 21, 2007 All Nighter
Sorry about the absence, especially to those people who are still volunteering to take the estate sale patterns. They are all spoken for! Thank you! I wish that former seamstress lady knew how much love there was for her old stuff. I've been knocked out by the flu since Friday. That + pregnancy = one sorry ass mofo! Last night I decided that I couldn't take another sleepless night of mouthbreathing and coughing so I went to my Approved Medications list and picked Robitussin. I worried about it and researched its safety and finally took a dose anyway. BIG mistake. I woke up at 11pm after taking the stuff at about 8, heart and baby pounding like crazy. I ended up awake, speedy and parched yet still congested and mouth-breathing and coughing, till 5 freaking A.M.!! When I may have fallen half-asleep it was those crazy work-stress dreams mixed with anxiety that I might have just seriously hurt my child. So, not a good night, despite the hot tea at midnight and the counting slowly and the breathing deeply. I still made it to work today, fortunately it's an easy and gentle day. I got three fabulous packages in the mail this last week. The first, and maybe the least exciting of the trio, is this, from eBay:
A baby quilt made from shirting in the book Last-Minute Fabric Gifts The other two packages deserve their own posts, and will get them, coming up next. I also have lots of works in progress I'm excited to show but are gifts for some of the 8 (!) pregnant people I know right now beside myself. Baby avalanche! posted by in Fabric , Miscellany :: Comments (6) :: link :: February 3, 2007 Superbuzzy Fabric
I was ready this time the moment they updated the shop. After that my first Superbuzzy order arrived lightning fast -- thanks Mariko and Kelly!
As much as I have coveted Japanese fabric all along, I do believe this is the first time that I have actually owned some. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (4) :: link :: January 14, 2007 Moda Steps Up
Kathy beat me to this, but I just have to second all the great new fabrics in the Hancock's of Paducah catalog. My catalog came with an order comprised mostly of those great measuring tape prints from Moda's American Jane Building Blocks line (.pdf link) ... too bad I didn't see the others in time. You can only justify so many shipping charges, you know? Anyway with their new lines Summer in the City by Urban Chicks (.pdf) and Uptown (.pdf again) by Erin Michael, it looks like Moda is finally going after the younger market. I associate Moda mostly with Victorian/Shabby Chic/country kinds of stuff, though they have put out some of the best mid-1900s reproduction lines as well. I think the inspiration behind Uptown is genius! "Motifs include many elements Erin remembers from fashions of years ago (like Mom’s floral couch, Dotty’s Chippendale fretwork sofa, and Bob’s geo ombre shirt)." Witness:
The paint by numbers birds are my favorite. I could see all kinds of paint by numbers prints. Both lines are sold out at HoP right now, but they're brand new and will certainly be at your favorite retailer pretty soon. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (6) :: link :: November 17, 2006 More on Fabric and The Man
My previous posts here and on Whipup about fabric legalities garnered lots of interesting comments. People are all over the map with their opinions. One new thing I learned: I assumed that fabric printed with licensed logos/characters were in a special class and of course you can't resell items you make from it, but what do you know? I was wrong. One commenter pointed to Karen Dudnikov of the company Tabberone, who has successfully fought against numerous corporate behemouths over this very issue. Companies such as Precious Moments, Major League Baseball, Disney, Sanrio, and M&M/Mars have forced eBay to shut down her auctions because she was selling products made from fabric with their licensed whatevers on it. Check out this audio interview, this article, and this article. Also see her own page detailing the legal battles she has had. Karen Dudnikov has actually been pointed out as an example in the comments before, plus she wrote her own comment following my first post on fabric and copyright. Sorry for not putting two and two together earlier -- I guess it's because the issues involving copyright, licensing, and trademarks are so confusing and I was trying to separate out the trademark issues at that time.
Also, Amy Butler's response on Quilter's Buzz to the controversy surrounding her Chrysanthemum design (within her new line Belle) has been out there for a little while now. Have you read it? Very interesting. I am intrigued by the documentary swatch houses she mentioned. Now that's the business for me. Anyway Amy Butler says that these houses "make sure" that the designs are in the public domain. Hmm -- I wonder how these places are able to do that, and if they really exclude designs of unknown origins. I also wonder whether "make sure" means "we will take the legal responsibility if the design turns out to be protected by copyright"? I don't mean to sound accusatory, I'm just curious! But I still don't think it's smart or cool to restrict product sales, which, keep in mind, Amy Butler is still doing to those who buy her fabric wholesale. Shortly before that post, Liesl of Disdressed wrote a great post about the Amy Butler affair. It appears that the fashion and fabric industries have always been quite cavalier about lifting or re-working vintage designs. The practice doesn't seem to have bitten anyone in the ass -- yet -- any maybe it never will. As I responded to her post, just because it's done all the time doesn't make it ethical or legal, but my uppity righteousness on this issue is very much at odds with my desire to see more vintage inspired and vintage repro prints out there on the market. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (10) :: link :: November 11, 2006 IQF Report
The last two weeks have been hectic -- first a whirlwind trip to Monterrey, Mexico for a wedding (see many pictures of people you don't know here), then the International Quilt Festival in Houston last weekend. So here is my reportage from the IQF. In a nutshell, I'm glad I went, but I don't have to go again. There were around 2,000 quilts on display (!) and 1,000 vendors (!!). I went with my mom, and our entry point into the convention center was smack in the middle of the vendors -- maybe a mistake because once I managed to extract myself from the sales floor, I was exhausted and WAY overstimulated. I got to see real live quilts by Angela Moll, Jane Sassaman, and Bean Gilsdorf, which was very cool. Unfortunately, the ones I most wanted to record were off-limits to photography. In fact I only managed to take ONE picture.
Fortunately Mellicious took a whole bunch: see her Flickr sets of the judged show and the (non-judged) exhibits. Overall, I was more impressed than inspired. I don't know! Maybe it was just my mood, maybe I just have narrow tastes in quilts. Or both. Maybe I am just a quilt poser. But never mind that. Wanna see some of what I bought?
There were a handful of vendors that sold vintage fabric exclusively. They were expensive, of course, so I had to show restraint. One vendor Margaret Meier of Vintage Fabric & Etc. from Oakland Park, Florida (no website or email). It is one of the only, if not THE only, bricks-and-mortar vintage fabric store in the U.S. I talked to her a while and she told me she has a book coming out about barkcloth. I can't remember the publisher though, sorry.
I also scored these wax prints from Ghana depicting boxing gloves and walking love letters. I've been on the lookout for this kind of fabric since seeing this set from Extreme Craft. They are no smoking mufflers or batteries or steam irons, but still pretty cool. They were from St. Theresa Textile Trove out of Cincinnati, OH. They also had a print with hands that had disembodied fingers along the border. I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting it, but it was a color combo that I didn't like too much. The ladies told me these prints are not on their website now but will be shortly. Now, off to Stitch Austin, the closest thing we have to the Renegade Craft Fair. posted by in Fabric , Quilting :: Comments (4) :: link :: October 22, 2006 More Fabric and Copyright
I wrote a new post on Whipup about the fabric/intellectual property law/right to resell products issue, which is less about the emotional drama of the week and more about the actual law. Next I need to learn more about reproductions, influence vs. stealing, and so on, especially since this was brought to light. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (7) :: link :: October 17, 2006 Fabric and Copyright: The Issue du Jour!
There I was, ready to admit to myself and the world that maybe I'm on a blogging break, and The #$@(*#@ hits the fan today! Boing Boing threw in its two cents about one of my favorite contentious issues, fabric and copyright (our prior discussion here), and it caused all sorts of turmoil. Here's what happened: 1. Boing Boing takes issue with Heather Ross for releasing a fabric designated with "for personal sewing projects only. This print cannot be used for items made for resale. " I have to come down on Boing Boing's side on this one, minus the scorn directed at the designer. 2. Boing Boing implies that Reprodepot deserves equal scorn apparently just for selling the fabric and merely notifying customers of the restrictions. Sheesh! (But see #4) 3. Reprodepot responds, and sends readers to Amy O'Neill's blog The Hook and I. Amy's post got a lot of comments. Do read all these from start to finish -- both Heather Ross and Djerba of reprodepot.com respond to others' comments point-by-point. 4. Well it turns out that Djerba of Reprodepot wasn't "merely notifying customers of the restrictions," but wrote them herself. She recinded and said that she should have worded it as a request, not a legal threat. Heather Ross, in the meanwhile, wrote that she just does not want her name associated with things made of her fabric -- she cites a particularly naughty item sold on eBay with her name in the title as an example of how her name can be, uh, cheapened. (Note: this is a *trademark* issue that is not unrelated to the fabric copyright issue, but separate enough) 5. It also turns out that restrictions like the ones lambasted in the Boing Boing post are almost certainly not backed up by copyright law. This is very interesting and is contrary to what I previously assumed (re: by buying the fabric you are entering into a sort of "user agreement.") 6. An anonymous comment on The Hook and I sums it all up eloquently: Under freedom to contract as I understand it, anyone can agree to anything that doesn't contravene public policy. So, it appears that restrictions such the ones that used to accompany Amy Butler's fabrics are likely not enforceable? Apparently Heather Ross and Djerba have been through hell and back today, and that really blows. I would think that the people sending nasty emails aren't fabric buyers in the first place and hope that the attention ends up benefiting both ladies. I love Heather's designs and Reprodepot, I have never NOT bought fabric I liked because of restrictions that I happen to not agree with, but that's just because I've never had the occasion to sell anything I made. The side effects of such restrictions, namely the ill will amongst fans/customers, seem worse to me than the possibilty of brand-cheapening by products made without the fabric designer's permission, but having never been a fabric designer, I doubt I am one to talk. I would LOVE to hear what FreeSpirit (the manufacturer of the current Heather Ross line) has to say about this, as well as Weeks Ringle and Heather Bailey, who also design fabrics for FreeSprit. I will send them emails to see if they have anything to add to the debate. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (21) :: link :: September 1, 2006 Fabric Friday: Vintage Fabric From the States
This week I received this book from Giant Robot -- I wish I could remember the blog on which I first heard about it so I could give proper credit. It's a lovely little book with an English title on the cover but (sparse) Japanese text within. Not much text, though, can be found in its 200+ pages. There are hundreds of fabrics inside, grouped by sections such as "Dutch," "Checks," "Kitchen," "Ribbon," and "Kids." I was slightly scandalized at first because I recognized some of the fabrics from my own collection as well as Hillary's, as seen on our vintage fabric Flickr group. I mean, I thought they were lifted directly from our Flickr photos. But there are some additional stylized shots of the fabrics with cute vintage tchotzkes and Caucasian babies, so my conclusion was that whoever put the book together must have bought their stuff from the same eBay sellers as I did. Not as if I have any claim to these prints anyway!
It's absolutely a book worth having if you're a vintage fabric fan. I like it especially because there's nothing showy or capital-D Designer in here -- just everyday vintage prints grouped and catalogued in a simple, beautiful way.
posted by in Books , Fabric , Fabric Friday :: Comments (6) :: link :: July 12, 2006 Embarrassment of Riches
Monday night I went to the Austin Area Quilt Guild meeting. On the agenda was a "second chance boutique," and I expected a couple people selling off frilly country things. I walked in to a gym-sized room stacked to the gills with people selling fabric, books, quilts, sewing machines, and craft supplies. It was heart-pounding -- all the stuff I look for at thrift stores and estate/garage sales, distilled down to one location without any distractions. I found one tres 70s piece of brown fabric with jungle animals (below, left) and the seller thought I was weird for loving it. Then I found the woman with the stacks of vintage fabric. At $1 a yard. Yardage! Most of my collection is little squares and scraps. Everything was kind of a blur after that.
Some of these are large-scale and border prints -- I don't know what I'll do with them, but they are awesome. I photographed them with a fiestaware mug for scale.
The moral of the story is, join your local quilt guild and go to their sales, because they are full of women who want to unload fabric like this because they Lived Through It the First Time Around. Elsewhere ... posted by in Fabric :: Comments (26) :: link :: June 13, 2006 Color Week - Brown
Mostly-brown fabrics from the stash. Color week by Little Birds and Port2Port. posted by in Fabric , _____-Alongs :: Comments (2) :: link :: May 25, 2006 Grandma's Bag
I inherited this bag from my grandma. She kept sewing and crochet stuff in it, I've used it for toting knitting projects around. I love it so much. The latest procurement of vintage fabric had this piece that I thought was exactly like the bag, but it's more like its younger sister. I was shocked and delighted to find the bag fabric in the book Textile Designs : Two Hundred Years of European and American Patterns Organized by Motif, Style, Color, Layout, and Period
posted by in Fabric :: Comments (13) :: link :: May 22, 2006 More eBay Headspinning
I've been keeping a closer eye on eBay vintage fabric auctions after spotting this one ... here are more auctions to make your heart ache and your head spin: 12 pounds of vintage fabric scraps - $236 Four (pristine-looking) yards of vintage circus print - $310 (that's the one pictured above -- seems worth it, actually) One yard of just-OK pink juvenile print - $114 (and the seller has a whole bolt) Three yards of a kinda bleah floral print - $114 1.5 yards of pretty fly midcentury print - $117 I see that some sellers are setting the base price rather high but that tactic probably backfires more often than not. I also discovered seller Atomic Boom, which has a bricks-and-mortar store in Brisbane, Australia. Man oh man. Why do you have to be so far away? Well I think if I went in my head would explode, so maybe it's all for the best. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (7) :: link :: May 21, 2006 More Vintage Fabric
I just put a new batch of scans of vintage fabric up on Flickr. They're all from a couple recent lots I snagged off eBay. One of the lots was from seller wishingtime -- the fabric was cut into 9" by 12" squares and she had a number of lots, meaning some yardage was likely cut up, which breaks my heart a little, but it's also a good way of sharing the wealth. She sent along an extra bag stuffed with not-insubstantial scraps which was nearly as delightful as the main lot. So I just wanted to give Ms. Wishingtime my hearty recommendation! posted by in Fabric :: Comments (4) :: link :: May 4, 2006 eBay Mystery
Anyone have any idea why a measly yard and some change of this juvenile print fabric is going for $150+? updates: The final cost was $182.50. The seller responded to my email about it, saying "Wish I knew! Often novelty prints go high." Kathy from Pink Chalk Studio recognized that the buyer has a history of insane eBay bids. I wondered if this is the same buyer who has sniped me on a few recent occasions during the last seconds of the auction, but turns out it's not. (But I'm keeping my eye on you, "sgreger.") Jan from Bemused seems to have hit on the answer: the buyer is a Japanese reseller, and vintage prints are selling for tons of money over there. Wacky. Hmmm ... I wonder what I could part with in my stash ... posted by in Fabric :: Comments (18) :: link :: May 2, 2006 WWDSD?: A Dye Lot Dilemma
Every knitter has had a dye lot trauma. It never struck me that fabrics have dye lots as well, and differing dye lots will be especially obvious in solid fabrics. You know, the solids that Denyse Schmidt has brought back from obscurity, the solids that define her quilts. You see what's coming? So it is that I have hit a roadblock in the Pie in the Sky quilt.
I got a ton of RK Kona Cotton in peacock blue from Hancock's of Paducah for the two DS quilts I was making. I had to re-cut the background squares for the Pie in the Sky blocks because the first round came out all skewed. That forced me to order another couple yards, again from Hancock's. I didn't notice the discrepancy until I had cut the borders and sewn them on. It is subtle, but really obvious when they're butted up against each other. It was hard to capture so the photo above is doctored a bit -- neither batch is really so blotchy -- but the second (bottom) batch is noticeably more grey. Sewn together, it looks like a mistake, like I'm trying to get away with something, and since I was entertaining entering this quilt into the Austin Area Quilt Guild show this fall, I want it to be as perfect as possible. Even though I would enter it into the novice category, I can just picture those quilt ladies, all white gloves and pity, shaking their heads and tsk-tsking. They may do that anyway, but I don't want it to be about something under my control! Sigh. I considered that the problem may be due to using the wrong side, but no dice. It COULD be because I didn't pre-wash the first batch, but I'm pretty sure that I did. I wrote to HoP and they said that there are indeed different dye lots, that they don't have a way to keep track of the dye lots you have ordered, but that you can send swatches and they can try to match it. This sucks! At least if you run out of yarn in a certain dye lot, you can beg your fellow bloggers to check their stash and give some up. The moral of the story is: if you're using lots of solids in your quilt, order a few extra yards. So what do I do? WWDSD, ha ha? This calls for my first experiment with blogpoll.com. OOPS! Choice "E" should read "Both C and D." I'm confusing myself as well as you. And scroll down for some photoshop mockups!
Option B: Option C: Option E: Option F: posted by in Fabric , Quilting , _____-Alongs :: Comments (18) :: link :: April 29, 2006 Estate Sale Finds
It's been a while since I've found any good vintage fabric at thrift stores or garage sales, but I got lucky at an estate sale today. Did you know the Vintage Fabric group on Flickr recently passed the 500 members mark, and now has over 2000 photos? That just blows me away.
posted by in Fabric :: Comments (14) :: link :: April 17, 2006 Protect Your Stash From Moth Babies!
Clothes moth larvae feed on wool, feathers, fur, hair, leather, lint, dust, paper, and occasionally cotton, linen, silk, and synthetic fibers. They are especially damaging to fabric stained with beverages, urine, oil from hair, and sweat. [ed. note: eeewww.] Most damage is done to articles left undisturbed for a long time, such as old military uniforms and blankets, wool upholstery, feathered hats, antique dolls and toys, natural bristle brushes, weavings, wall hangings, piano felts, old furs, and especially wool carpets under heavy furniture and clothing in storage. Damaged fabrics have holes eaten through them by small, white larvae and often have silken cases, lines of silken threads, and fecal pellets over the surface of the materials. [ed note: double eeewww.] Moths are destructive during the larvae stage. Adult "millers" or moths are entirely harmless. Prevention? Good housekeeping is critical for preventing or controlling clothes moth damage. Never allow clothing, rugs, etc. to lie in a neglected pile. [ed. note: no problem there.] Regular use of a strong suction vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool to remove lint, hair, and dust from floor cracks, baseboards, air ducts, carpets, and upholstered furniture is necessary. Keep closets and dresser drawers clean. Regularly clean rugs where they fit close to the baseboards and under the quarter round. Inspect stored foods and eliminate bird nests and dead rodents. [ed. note: awww, do I have to?] Launder and dry clean or steam clean clothes and other items before storage. Egg-laying clothes moths are attracted to soiled articles. Ironing will also destroy all stages of clothes moths. Sun, brush, and expose clothing to the weather. Outdoors, bright, hot sunlight, and wind will reduce larvae and damage. Frequent use of woolens and other animal fiber clothing almost assures no damage from clothes moth larvae. ... So there you go. I have lost some wool yarn that I had stored for about 10 years to moths (or something else with shredding powers), but fortunately it didn't involve all the nasty evidence mentioned above. It seems that as long as you keep your craft area free of dead animal carcasses and move your piles around once in a while, the risks are pretty low. Thanks, Rose, for inspiring this research! p.s. more than once in this post while trying to type "quote" html tags I typed "quilt" instead, which I think is nice. An ex-co-worker in the politics department who also loved country music said he always typed "country" instead of "county." Do you have any habitual typing errors that reveal your true loves? posted by in Fabric , Miscellany :: Comments (13) :: link :: April 15, 2006 Tower of Power
My recent IKEA trip yielded these wire drawers ("Antonious" if you're curious) that I'm using to store my cottons. I have an armoire that I also use but it's hard to take things out and put them back. It was also getting (ahem) overstuffed. Anyway this new unit it goes from floor to almost ceiling, so I had to collage the photos together to convey its power. Now it's so much easier to see, access, and group fabrics by color -- I'm just a little worried about moths and dust. posted by in Fabric , Miscellany :: Comments (2) :: link :: March 27, 2006 Loodles!
Hello, I am back from not having anything to say for the past week. Actually I was in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for a conference. Let me tell you that speech pathologists are a weird bunch and I sometimes worry about my destiny. Just don't get between them and a free slice of cake (which might be to blame for all the mom-butt going on) or a free promotional tote bag (which, when slung over your arm, makes you look like you have mom-butt even if you don't). On my way out I took a little side trip to IKEA in Frisco and went to Carrollton to hit up a quilt store, which was a bust. However the town square also had a really nice antiques mall where I got the fabric above. The tag said "poodles fabric" but I would think those guys are lions. Someone else voted poodles too so let's just compromise and call them loodles. There was a booth in there with a dizzying collection of vintage buttons, all carded and sorted by color and composition -- pricey but not outrageous -- unfortunately I was too hungry to concentrate and had to leave to meet someone, so no scores on that front. But if you ever find yourself in the north Dallas suburbs, it's worth the trip. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (13) :: link :: March 14, 2006 A Fabric Order, and Some DSQ Thoughts
This haul from Reproduction Fabrics arrived recently. It was my first time ordering from them, and I can heartily recommend them. For one, they stock some Japanese imports that I haven't seen elsewhere, and some of these were discounted. The fabric arrived quickly. I had ordered two yards of the blue print up top there, intending it for some quilt backing, and they called me shortly afterward to tell me that they only had two smaller chunks of the fabric, and did I still want it? I got the message too late -- we're SO bad with checking our voice mail -- by the time I heard the message the package had arrived already, with an extra 1/3 yard to make up for the problem. Isn't that nice? --- Jane and Liesl have some recent posts on Denyse Schmidt that resonated with me. They talk about the disconnect of having patterns for DS's loose, improvisational quilting methods, likewise having a fabric line that is coordinated in a traditional fashion when her aesthetic is very much more serindipidous. I agree with both of them, but I don't mind the disconnect at all. I have been kind of bothered by the fact that I'm making two quilts out of the DS Quilts book and following the patterns almost exactly, down to the colors and everything. If you will allow me the pretention of quoting myself, here is a comment I wrote to Sarah a while ago in response to her post about a creative slump she found herself in: I've been feeling that way a lot lately -- that I should be doing more than just following other people's patterns. Especially down to the letter, with the same colors or quilting patterns or whatever, like I tend to do. Some I guess would define following patterns vs. improvisation/"coloring outside the lines"/making something original as the line between craft and art. If so, it's OK to "just" be a crafter, right? I'm telling myself that, anyway. I figure that it's still valuable for learning, and when I've gained enough of experience, my own ideas will come naturally I'll have the skills to make them reality. So yeah. When I started quilting, I had aspirations to do grand, improvisational things, but quickly found myself overwhelmed, paralyzed by options, and lacking the solid basic construction skills and/or courage to carry anything out. I bet that some people with the same level of experience have aspirations to do grand improvisational things, then go forth and do them. But for someone like me, the DS Quilts book, with its improvisational quilts distilled down to patterns, is perfect. By mimicking, I am learning things that I will be able to take into my own original patterns. Sure, I am ending up with what, as Liesl says, "a quirky, off-center quilt block which will match everyone else's quirky, off-center quilt blocks," but I love the original quirky, off center block so much that I wanted it for myself. Besides, I don't know anyone in my real life who is doing this kind of work, so I do think I am making something rare and great. In sum: sure there is a disconnect between patterns and the DS style, but having patterns provides a path that some of us need to take to get to a higher level of artistry. As for the fabrics: I guess I did expect a more eclectic line as well. Then again, read Jane's first paragraph. I sometimes wonder if the craftblog world gives us an inflated idea of the demand there is for the Denyse Schmidt/Heather Ross/vintage-retro-modern aesthetic. What do you think? posted by in Fabric , Patterns , Quilting , Sewing , Shops :: Comments (20) :: link :: October 23, 2005 Fabric Friday Followup: Fabric and Copyright
I've been wondering about copyright laws as they apply to fabric. The question of interest to probably most of us: is it legal to use fabric to create something that you turn around and sell with your own label on it? Internet research yields some enlightenment. I know some designers (e.g. Munki Munki) specify that their fabric can be used for personal creations only, not for resale. The Amy Butler website says: "You can make items for sale on a small scale, for example, from your home for a craft bazar. If you are purchasing the fabrics at retail cost, you can use them to make a few items. You can not 'produce' items to sell in mass on a website or in a store, or for 'wholesale' - manufacturing items to sell to retail shops, catalogs, or websites." From those two sources alone, it seems like the answer is "it depends on the company." I couldn't find the question addressed on other company websites, such as Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, and Robert Kaufman. If you are selling items, it would probably be smart to contact the manufacturer to find out their policy. But then there is what the companies say vs. the law of the land, which appears to vary across the country. From this thread on the community.lawyers.com message board: "The typical issue involving fabric is whether the use of copyright-protected fabric to make an article of clothing (or something else) constitutes the creation of an unauthorized derivative work. The law on this subject is not uniform throughout the country. In some circuits, simply making a 'mechanical transformation' isn't sufficient. In other circuits, you would have to alter the copyright-protected fabric itself. In other circuits, a 'mechanical transformation' is sufficient." (What does mechanical transformation mean in regard to fabric? Hmm.) I would bet that if a company's policy is more strict than local laws, it wins out -- that, in buying Amy Butler fabric, you're in essence agreeing to their user policy -- but of course, I am not a lawyer. And what about, say, scanning a fabric and using the pattern as the background image for your website, or printing it out on paper to use in projects? It's almost certainly illegal to reproduce patterns/designs to make other materials for financial gain (though I can't find that stated explicity anywhere), but what if it's just for personal projects? If it's for your own scrapbook or whatever, of course nobody's going to know, but what about using it on your blog? I also wonder about these issues in regard to vintage fabrics. I figure nobody's going to come after you for doing anything you can imagine with any pre-1980-or-so fabric, but I'm still interested to know about how copyright/intellectual property law applies here. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (18) :: link :: July 21, 2005 I Won the Fabric Lottery Too!
I recently won an eBay auction for a 10lb. box of fabric scraps "from the 50s and 60s." The box was not well photographed but I glimpsed some treasures. I ended up paying $18 plus $13 shipping, thinking there might be some cool stuff but expecting 90% yuck. But it was the opposite: about 5% yuck and 95% stuff that almost made me faint yesterday as I went through it all! Squeal! There are tons of samples (meaning some glue bits and thread), some scraps leftover from garment-making , and a pile of quilt squares. I didn't win a fabric lottery on the scale of Pillow vs. Pincushion's fabric lottery, but maybe a couple-hundred-dollar scratch-off ticket. But get this! As I spent ALL DAY lovingly ironing, folding, and sorting, I thought a lot about this mysterious seamstress with fabulous taste I was getting this all from. I decided to write to the seller to see if it was hers or from an estate, and could she tell me anything she could about the originator. Guess what I got back? A guilt trip about winning the fabric for so little money. Apparently this is a box of leftovers, scraps, etc. from a variety of places, and the last time the seller did a lot like this she got what it was worth. Damn ... way to buzz-kill, eBay seller. Next time, wash, iron, fold, sort, and take better pictures with more thorough descriptions! Or set a reserve! Or cancel the auction! Sheesh. Still, I can't help but feel awful. At least I'll be sharing the wealth in some upcoming swaps. Anyway, more pictures here, and I will slowly be scanning them in for the vintage fabric group. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (22) :: link :: July 15, 2005 Vintage Flickr
"green rose cotton" Originally uploaded by Alexia Abegg. The other night I was uploading my vintage fabric to Flickr, and it just so happened that Hillary was doing the same thing at the same time. She wrote to me proposing a vintage fabric group pool. I said hell yeah! She has done most of the work, so I feel a little bit like a leech, but maybe I can make up with some creative group discussions, activities, etc. I'm thinking swaps, scavenger hunts, sewing challenges. Anyway, thanks to Hillary for thinking this up -- I always wished there was something like this on Flickr but for some reason it never occurred to me to start one myself! Oh yeah: The idea is just to share images of old fabric for others to admire, but I hope it'll take on enough steam to be the biggest archive of vintage fabric images on the web (it may already be!). Just from the demographics of the Flickr crowd, you can bet the focus will be on fabrics from the 30s-80s, but of course any era is allowed. We also want to see other raw materials: buttons, ribbon, trim, etc. It's an open group, so all you need is a (free) Flickr membership to join. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (3) :: link :: July 13, 2005 They Don't Make Em Like They Used To
I got a bug up my butt to scan my vintage fabrics and put them on Flickr. So here they are, and more to come. I also posted a collection of quilt squares I scored from eBay a long time ago but am too scared to touch. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (3) :: link :: June 24, 2005 Wax Print
Batteries, originally uploaded by Extreme Craft. On Flickr: Very pop-artish wax print fabric from Ghana. Check out the whole photoset by member Extreme Craft, who also has an equally linkworthy set of scans from the 1973 oddity Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men. posted by in Fabric :: Comments (3) :: link :: June 23, 2005 Robert Kaufman - Ride Em Cowboy
I love this line of fabric from Robert Kaufman, called "Ride Em Cowboy." And so perfect for this month's Tie One On. Too late for me, of course, but then again there's nothing to say you can't make a cowboy apron outside of June ... Shill moment: Kaufman's fabrics, by the way, are of such, such good quality, and worth the price. I don't know what it is -- higher thread count or what -- but the fabric keeps its shape after cutting, lays flat after sewing/piecing, and just ... behaves. Sticking with the good stuff would surely reduce a lot of the frustration that makes so many inexperienced quilters run screaming, never to return. I'm sure the same goes for other Big Names in Cotton -- anyone care to drop some recommendations (and I'm talking fabric quality here, not the cuteness of prints)? posted by in Fabric :: Comments (4) :: link :: March 17, 2005 Finds and Acquisitions
eQuilter recently had a big anniversary bolt-end sale. Here's what I scored:
Some Amy Butler, some Jane Sassaman, a lavendar floral print that's a little too shabby-chic on its own but has a cool polka-dot pattern that I liked, and a crazy landscape.
Kaffee Fassett stripes, some red yarn-dye stripes, and a simple floral-geometric pattern that is more burgundy than I thought. I don't like jewel tones one bit, I guess the sale made me color-blind. And here are some recent web-finds: -- Oilcloth International has undergone a cute re-design since I last checked. (Hello Jennifer!) Check out the projects page for some excellent downloads. -- Shrinky-Dink Stitch Marker Tutorial -- A consolidated list of tutorials on Craftster.org -- I also added a handful of craft/textile-general weblogs recently to the sidebar: Amy Secrest (knitting-sushi), Angry Chicken, Buzzville, Kaleidoscope Art, Kraf-o-la, and Thimble. I'm glad to see us catching up to the all-knitting-all-the-time bloggers! If I'm missing any, please let me know. posted by in Fabric , Miscellany :: link :: February 18, 2005 Hancock Fabrics, of All Places, Has Rocked My World
I used to hate Hancock Fabric's guts. They had surprisingly jacked-up prices for such a Wal-Mart atmosphere. Some time last year though, they started carrying some of the wackier Alexander Henry and Michael Miller cotton prints. A good sign! I hadn't been there in a while so I stopped by to see if there was anything new. Dig this:
It's a new interior fabric line by Laurie (Hickson-)Smith of Trading Spaces! The patterns, textiles, and colorways are all brilliant. It's not only the best thing I've ever seen at Hancock's, but probably the most inspiring home dec fabric ever -- and it's affordable. [Girlie Squeal]! On the other side of taste, I picked up some cotton with a dogs playing poker print: one large panel and some yardage with a smaller motif. Not Laurie Smith, of course, but Cassius Coolidge. Someone at Hancock Fabrics corporate got wise! :: January 1, 2005 Los Angeles Fabric District
Hooray, it's winter break! It's 2005! Goodbye, stupid 2004. I just got back from California. My mom and I took a trip to L.A. to the fashion district (nee garment district) and hit the textile shops. There are 90+ fabric shops in about a six-block area, which is overwhelming to say the least. Despite giving myself permission to drop a load of cash on fabric, I barely got anything. There just wasn't a lot of the stuff that's in my sewing repertoire. In my non-expert opinion, you're better off going there with specific projects in mind, else you'll effectively shut down, like I did! If you're looking for something basic, you'll be able to find a bargain by going through all the smaller shops and haggling. Also, the variety and quality of home dec fabrics thoughout the district seemed to be far better than the fashion fabrics. I was expecting to find unique castoffs from clothing manufacturers, but it seemed like everything was of the cheapy boring Joann's variety. There were TONS of faux fur, too, which I though was interesting. Michael Levine, the biggest and most established store in the district, had the best selection but the highest prices. That's where I got my haul:
That's a mustardy uphostery fabric remnant, some sweet stretchy nubby wool suiting, a bit of retro barkcloth and a border print, and a load of black gingham. Michael Levine's had a bucket of free purse frames (limit two per customer) which of course I took advantage of:
Anyone know how to use these? Since the fabric haul was not living up to expectations, the money burning a hole in my pocket had to find another outlet:
Oh no! New hobby! My recent Pashupatina purchase lit the beading fire. This was all from a place called Bohemian Crystal, which had an amazing selection of glass beads. Since I was under time pressure I neglected to get anything in the purple or gray family, which is just so sad. Now I just have to get all the tools and learn how to make things. Many more updates are on the way. I am returning to a regular posting schedule, so stay tuned. posted by in Beads and Jewelry , Fabric , Shops :: Comments (6) :: link :: September 19, 2004 Funky Monkey
Moda's new fabric collection Funky Monkey would make such a great kiddy quilt. I don't even particularly like sock monkeys, but I love how the portraits are kind of outsider-arty. They also remind me of Otter Pops. Plus, the collection as a whole has a great color scheme. I must not be alone because the yardage is all but sold out everywhere I look online. :: July 22, 2004 Austin Fabric
Because I wanted one but none existed: Dioramarama's Guide to Austin Fabric Stores. posted by in Austin , Fabric :: Comments (2) :: link :: July 9, 2004 Majik Horse Fabrics
I'm constantly trolling eBay for vintage fabric. One seller that consistently makes me cry is majikhorsefabrics. I want to buy every last thing they have, but it's just pricey enough that I (usually) can't justify bidding. They're living my dream ... then again if I owned all those great vintage juvenile novelty prints I wouldn't be able to part with them. posted by in Fabric , Shops :: link
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inspired this purchase. I think some of this stuff has polyester content going on, but I love the patterns, especially the top-rightmost ones. 
In my last post I worried about the possibility of my fabric getting eaten by moths. 
