Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Online Thanksgiving sales

A few weeks ago a bunch of the online fabric stores were having sales, and I decided there were some fabrics I could no longer live without.

These first two are from Gorgeous Fabrics. They only cut in whole yard increments, but always seem to be generous on most items (except for silks, as I've noticed.) So, I tend to buy 60" wide fabrics from them, and only get 1 yard. On the left is a stretch sateen in red, white, navy and tan. I'm planning to use Butterick 5351 view A to make a little dress for summer, which will match perfectly with this jacket. The one on the right is a thin white cotton called Instantly Heirloom Cotton. I'm thinking a summer tunic of some sort, maybe with 3/4 sleeves. No pattern has been selected.

These next two are also from Gorgeous Fabrics. The turquoise & yellow snake print is a jersey knit. No plans for it yet. The one on the right is a thin silk chiffon. It makes your eyes a little crossed to look at it all folded up, since you are seeing multiple layers from the top. I'm thinking Butterick 5355 view D, but not with the contrast neck binding. This will look great over white linen pants for summer.

All the others are from Fabricmartfabrics.com. They had 20% off everything, and there were a few things there that I've had my eye on for awhile. This first one is a slinky Maggie London border print knit. I've laid it out on my couch to show you the whole thing. It's very wide. This will have to be used for some sort of simple t-shirt. Perhaps I will include a neck binding of the solid mauve, so I'm not washed out by all that flesh color at the top. Or maybe I need a simple dress in order to utilize the flowers on the bottom.

I splurged on some fabulous silks, which they have wonderful prices on. This is an Anna Sui tie dyed China silk fabric, now sold out. I think the vertical vertebrae looking design is really interesting. I have no idea of what to do with it yet, but do have a little over 2 yards to work with. Maybe a fall/spring top with long sleeves? Suggestions???

Here are the other two silks, also Anna Sui designs. Does anyone know who exactly Anna Sui is? I confess ignorance in the area of fashion designers or labels. It would be interesting to see what she did with the same fabrics if she's got a collection somewhere. Maybe I should just search the web for that information... Well, anyway, the one on the left is a fun wide stripe of patriotic colors. I am planning a bias skirt, with seams of diagonal stripes meeting on the sides and the center front/center back. I use to have the perfect pattern for this, but can't seem to find it. These stripes will make cutting on the bias a snap. On the right is a silk I couldn't pass up, with stripes and embroidered butterflies along both selvages. I purchased 2.5 yards because it is somewhat narrow. No designs are springing to mind for this, either.

Did you happen to know that yellow is my second favorite color? I love it and am buying quite a few cuts of it lately. On the left is a polyester charmeuse that I bought for it's gorgeous print. A blouse? A dress? Not sure. The right side is a yellow cotton velveteen bought for Burda 11-2009-119, which I would link for you but it's in archive limbo land on their site. It's actually a little paler than desired. But since it's made of cotton, I thought I could dye it a darker yellow without any problems. However, draped over it is another yellow I happen to have in the stash, which matches perfectly. A monochromatic yellow ensemble might be a really great look. Thoughts?

Augh! I am buying fabrics faster than I can make garments!!! Why can't I help myself?

19 comments:

  1. That Maggy London and the butterfly border are wonderful. If you do a top from the ML, focus on the lower section so there is not much flesh tone near the face and maye make a binding from scraps of the more flowery part (?)

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  2. "I am buying fabrics faster than I can make garments!!! Why can't I help myself?"

    Uh-oh. Yeah...I'm afraid this is an inherited trait...sorry about that!! :)

    Love, Mom

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  3. They are all so beautiful. The tie-dye silk is amazing. Of course it's sold out now. lol. Can't wait to see the outcome off all this fabric.

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  4. Oh, be still my heart! Love your purchases. I know you will make lovely things.

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  5. Anna Sui is a designer of funky clothing - think a little Betsy Johnson with some Anthropologie thrown in for good measure. I have a couple pieces from her that are just beautiful! Here is her website: www.annasui.com

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  6. Here's a link to past Anna Sui collections (2000-2010)at Style.com. Colorwise, it seems your fabrics would be part of the 2008 collection (see Spring) but I didn't see them when I glanced. She has also been contributing designer patterns to Vogue since the 1990s.

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  7. I bought the Maggie London border print and the silky poly charmeuse too. It will be interesting to see what you make with these pieces!

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  8. Okay, duh, I do have several of her Vogue patterns. She definitely does some fun things with her designs.

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  9. I've really enjoyed looking at your fabulous fabric finds and you've made me feel much less guilty about my own rapidly increasing stash! I love all of your choices and it looks like you have,very wisely, been thinking ahead to summer (especially as in Texas I guess you get more summer than we get in London!). I made up Butterick 5351 last summer - it's a really nice pattern and will look wonderful in that print you have chosen for it. The Anna Sui silks are all gorgeous and I'm sure you will be turning those into really special looking garments.

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  10. I bought that Maggie London border print, too. I am thinking about making a dress from it but I am not sure which one.

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  11. I'm loving your fabrics!!! Especially the stretch sateen and Anna Sui fabrics!!! I can't wait to see your finished garments with these. I understand how you feel about stockpiling the fabrics faster than you can sew them. But you kinda have to. Who would ever want to run out of fabric. Now that would be a tragedy! LOL!
    ~Victoria
    www.Tenthousandsewinghours.blogspot.com

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  12. Great fabrics, great choices. I'm considering the red/white/blue stripe at the moment - FM is talking it up like the 2nd coming - what does it really feel like?

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  13. I have an overwhelming urge to go fabric shopping now. Love your fabrics, especialy the border prints. I would love a simple sheath dress in the butterfly fabric, it reminds me a bit of the black skirt with embroidered flower hem I made in the summer.

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  14. Hi,
    Is a beautiful fabrics!!!
    Good work ;)
    Sílvia

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  15. Great looking fabrics! I just recently took advantage of Gorgeous Fabrics knit sale and anxiously awaiting my purchase.

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  16. Wonderful choices, they're all so pretty! But, I have to disagree with you on Gorgeous Fabrics... my silk I recently ordered was very generously cut! Even if it wasn't, I understand, since they are the most expensive fabrics.

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  17. They're lovely fabrics, especially the Gorgeous's stretch sateen and the black butterflies!

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  18. I am happy to know that someone else was buying a lot of fabric recently too. In the past, Dec. has not been a big fabric month for me, but here were a lot of good deals that were hard to pass up. You purchased some beautiful fabrics. I also bought the navy white batik silk. In my idea file, I have some pictures of simple short sleeve tops made of a similar fabric, worn with solid colored pencil skirts and high-heeled sandals. Sorry I can't get more specific on the style of the blouse. It would take me quite a while to find the picture at the moment. I am looking forward to seeing what you sew from all these lovely fabrics.

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