Fall Palette

I've been fabric shopping lately. Online mostly. Which can yield a few unusual surprises in color, texture and design once seen in person! Ostensibly I am shopping for fall fabrics, however in the back of my mind I want these pieces to fit into a versatile travel wardrobe. This should carry into mid-Spring.

You know about travel wardrobes: those ambiguous piles in suitcases that are supposed to come out wrinkle free and go with anything else you packed. So far, they've been something of a pipe dream for me. I always travel with an iron. Or steamer. Or both.

I love this Sing Me a Song dress from ModCloth.com Maybe I will pull out a vintage crochet book and start working on a collar.

So far I like Navy, Chartreuse, Grey/Steel/Silver, Blush Pink (nearly a neutral, nearly a peach), Coral-Orange. Maybe Seafoam and a Light Mud color, too. Black. It's a requirement.

Fabric-wise, I am in love with luxe textures. Velvet, velveteen, silk, silk charmeuse. For comfort I ordered some grey flannel (that looks curiously formal) for a soft jacket. A blouse in a flowy pink/peach would feel very feminine.

Accessories! I am finishing up my final skeins of glace yarn, making them into a sumptuous neck scarf. Have you seen these flowers from Anthropologie's wedding site, BHLDN.com? I'm thinking of making one into a brooch:

These are a steal at $10.oo

I have several silk scarves which I hope to pull out and wear more regularly this year. If you have spare time just laying around, I double dare you to search You Tube for scarf tying ideas. There went 20 minutes.

On the cold front, I have a red velveteen swing coat cut out. It has bracelet length sleeves with a slight bell. Currently, I have more coat patterns than fabric with which to make them.

Not on your life. Source.

Is it just me, or does travel make you want to feel more formal? Put together. Decisive. Something about visiting a place far away and exotic makes me more daring in my clothing choices. It also makes me want to slim down. But that's not really anything new :)

You Give Me Fever

A couple of months ago I took a class on Weaver Fever quilts.  This quilt, designed by Jackie Robinson (seriously), is a twist on bargellos (strip piecing and cutting to make a detailed and often illusional quilt).  I chose to create the "weaver fever threever" requiring a light, medium and dark tone of two colors, with a neutral fill tone.  

I signed up for the class on impulse, but I am unable to impulsively select fabric.  This time I dragged my mother and sister along to my local fabric shop, and we spent around an hour selecting the seven beautiful fabrics.  Now, I am a calm and subdued person and so the bright cover of the book was immediately a turnoff to me (I truly only wanted to try out the technique).  Having just returned from a vacation in LA, I channeled my inspiration from the ocean.  I chose very calm greens and blues, with a fill color of grey.  These colors make me sigh and feel at peace.  I could not imagine snuggling up to watch my latest Netflix documentary under a wild mad, mad, mad, mad quilt.  

Now you color theorists are thinking, "she's going to be doing a lot of cutting and piecing and ironing and she's not going to get a lot of visual 3-d out of her fabrics."  And you'd be right, to an extent.  I showed up for the class and the instructor nearly audibly winced.  My fabrics do have shifts in value, but they are subtle.  This presented a clash among the group, who enjoyed predictable and traditional fabric choices.  I think the quilt I am creating is more modern in its color schema and because quilting is such a traditional technique there is this juxtaposition I truly enjoy.  More to come on the class materials, instruction and--God Willing--my finished piece.

Book Report

Twinkle Sews by Wenlan Chia

I was in my favorite mega bookstore the other night and looked though about 20 craft books before deciding I could not live without this one.  Wenlan Chia, who previously authored knitting books, has successfully created a sewing book and pattern disc.  In true Project Runway spirit (she references the show in her introduction), the clothing borrows from the past and is most remarkable in its superbly executed details.

Anyone looking to advance their sewing technique beyond "Sewing for Dummies" would be intrigued by these projects.  I can't wait to try out one of the six raglan sleeved tops, and the diamond pleating showcased on the Balancing Act shirt will be a new technique for me.  Chia uses exquisite fabrics, and reminds the reader the value in spending a little more for quality.  Silk-and-viscose velvet, stretch tweed (wool, nylon & Lycra blend), and viscose-linen are among my favorites.  

Look for more posts to come as I try my hand at a few new looks.  With sizing from 0 to 16, I can reprint any number of times (I'm thinking homemade Christmas).  Bottom line: I would recommend this book to anyone looking to branch out beyond simple sewing techniques.  

A fast fall furniture facelift

The hubbo and I walked & shopped the Plaza this weekend.  We noticed an obvious recurring trend in upper end retail shops:  inexpensive burlap pillows embroidered or appliqued which are sold for rather exorbitant prices.  I am compiling a list of links that may get your creative juices flowing.  

Pull out some scraps of fabric.  Try:

• Ironing on an image- make your own or buy some OTC, my favorites come from Sukie 
• Applying a single word in a graphic font via applique or stencil using fabric paint
• Weaving fabrics for a pillow top
• Embroidering fall leaves or a pretty quote
• Sewing simple sashes around your existing decorative pillows  
  

Pillows to adore:

Jonathan Adler's orange & pink Union Jack

Restoration Hardware: woven & embossed leather

Anthropologie: linen & jute transfer image pillows

Pottery Barn: burlap cafe pillows

Crate & Barrel 2: embroidered la vie pillow

Blissliving: prosperity pillow

Anyway, keep the $98 retailers are asking.  You can make a custom pillow that truly reflects your home's unique style at a fraction of the cost.  If you make some, email me some pics.  We'll post them to the site.

Spoonflower

I just found out about the coolest fabric at Spoonflower.  Design it yourself.  I can think of a myriad of possibilities: an heirloom quilt, the kids might design their own school clothes, make handbags, curtains...you name it.  The Spoonflower blog hosts weekly contests that reflect the zeitgeist of modern fabrics. 

Check it out, and if you design your own fabric be sure to let us know.