Recently in Home Decor Category
If you are like me you are a huge fan of the Nikki Shell's Wardrobe Refashion. I have to check it out at least a few times a week and am always getting new ideas sparked by the creative pictures hosted there. It is a great place to find wardrobe and decorating ideas. It has helped me see quite a few sewing patterns in a new light. All of these new prespectives were quicked followed up with said pattern purchases. On the home front though, I wanted to share with you a quick home refashion I worked on last week. I have been moving furniture all around my house in hopes of finding its perfect spot. Some pieces are easy while some need help creating that spark. One such problem piece was a lamp, purchase on clearance about a year ago. I love the modern edge it had and in my old house, the white lamp shade was no problem. However, I haven't had the budget to paint my new place to my colorful satisfation and knew the white wouldn't cut it. I have had this fabric, by Joel Dewberry, in the back of my mind every since it hit my desk and looking at the lamp made me remember it afresh. I grabbed it, my spray glue and 5 min later, I was much happier with my lamp. It really fits in with the style of my house and brightens up what was formerly "the brown corner". You should give it a try. This is a great project for fat quarters, or if you are feeling funky, charm packs or try sewing some scrapes together until your piece is big enough and go to town. I used 3M77 spray glue to affix my fabric on to the shade. Don't forget to embellish. I am toying with the idea of buttons along the bottom but I am still feeling is out. Try sequins, ribbon, or even some hole punching. Don't forget about us when you are done. Send us your pictures or post them here, in our Sew & Tell Gallery. I can't wait, I have plenty more lamps and need some ideas!
I recently read an article ablout Amy Butler's new Studio on Quilters Buzz (best seen in Mozilla Firefox) and it really got me excited. How awesome would it be to have a studio as sweet as Amy's! Greek Revival sounds so romantic. I don't know about all of you, but not only am I bouncing around my office, popping my head out any time I hear someone near and screaming "Amy's new patterns are coming out at the end of THIS MONTH and... that includes her Lotus Dress! I am so making that". I continue to bounce as they slowly walk away, with their hands up in the air, making soothing noises before they turn and run. 
One can only imagine the ideas a new studio such as Amy's would inspire. My own new space has already helped me to create many new ideas. And while I do not have time to work on them, I have a notebook full. It is infinitly easier, creatively speaking, to see all of my yarn and most (Man, do I have alot) of my fabric out, so when an idea pops in, I can see it in color or sometimes just looking at prints or colors together creates ideas. I already feel as if the Muses have moved in with a nice comfy recliner, chilled beverage and the latest Martha Stewart Living, tossing ideas at me as they flip pages and I am not nearly 1/2 done moving into the room or decorating. My sewing machine is downstairs in the dining room till further table purchases. But I want to share what I have so far, to inspire you and also in hope of gaining ideas for my room from yours. Send me your pictures or post them in our Sew & Tell Gallery.
You know you spend most of your time there and would love to show it off and I have no scruples when it comes to stealing sewing room design ideas( and I refuse to feel ashamed. I am well past shame!) Pretty is pretty, so let me see 'em. I will post more pictures as it comes along and maybe, just maybe you will be able to see a little of yourself in my room and be able to tell your friend, "Hey, that blog chick from Fabric.com totally stole my sewing room idea!"
Sincerely,
Tara
P.s. If you are jonesing for some pre-pattern release Amy fabric purchasing look here, or if you need a Retro & Mod fix but not exculsively Amy, check out our great section here!
I have always loved animals and I grew up with lots of pets, but this is crazy! About 2 years ago, I was living happily with my two older cats Mitzi and Mac until one fateful day when strange noises started coming from the garage. At least 2 days passed before we identified what the funny squeaking noise was...A two week old black and white kitten, his eyes still shut just barley hanging on to life. We rushed to the vet and were told not to get our hopes up but that we could try and nurse the kitten to health. Nurse the kitten we did. Every 2 hours (yes middle of the night too) we heated special kitten milk and fed this tiny thing. He went along to tennis matches, friends houses, even on our vacation so he wouldn't miss a feeding.My husband named him Max and we gave him lots of love. We do not
have children of our own and this little kitty became our child substitute and still is. Max is now a fat cat who runs our house! In the meantime Max's mom took up residency in our backyard and had three more litters of kittens. In our basement, under the deck...it was kitty city. We worked with a kitten rescue group and were able to provide veterinary attention (spayed & shots) as well as find homes for most of her kittens. Mom is now spayed, vaccinated and living with us. The cats "r" us dust has settled and now my husband I have a total of 6 cats! Max, of course, is the boss.
So why the story? If you have read any of my earlier blogs then you know my home decor is inspired by my life passions. When I first saw the Alexander Henry Elizakitten fabric of Victorian costumed cats I knew I had come across a unique print. It screamed "NANCY'S HOUSE". The cats on this print resemble Max, Sunny, Lari, Mac, Momma and NB (New Buddy) looking donned and regal. Within seconds I knew I was going to make decorative throw pillows. I wanted these to be nice so I consulted my sewing mentor and Max's babysitter Vicki. Not only is Vicki a very talented seamstress she is also very creative and she had some ideas of her own. She suggested that we cut the frames out, center Max and assemble the rest of the court in the corners. Brilliant! She thought of exactly what I wanted. We selected brown soft suede, gold gimp and down pillow forms. Vicki wanted to share her quilting experience with me and offered to help during lunch time hours. Well we stay on the go around here and this lunchtime project just wasn't happening. Finally I asked her to please sew them and send me a bill. Thankfully she agreed!
I ask you...are they not FABULOUS?
Where we get our inspiration from is different for everyone. If you are crazy about your pets or love animals check out our animal print section and see what inspires you.
The creative lot here is constantly coming up with new ideas and projects. We enjoy sharing them with each other and hope that you are enjoying them too!
Happy Sewing!
Ciao for now!
Nancy
This past weekend, I went to a chili cook off in my neighborhood and had a blast. There I was mingling and chatting, when I noticed something strange. As I went silent to ponder my observation, I heard a snippet of conversation to my right: "Must be in the water, that is why I am sticking to soda. I certainly don't want to catch baby! I only just had my youngest." That was it! I realized what the strangeness was which I had noticed but could not quite put my finger on. Everywhere I looked, someone was pregnant, holding a baby or desperately chasing a youngster down the alley between houses. "Wow!" I thought as I gazed at the glass of water in my hand, "I hope they are wrong about that part at least." To confirm my suspicions, I turned to my friend and asked her opinion of the water/baby virus situation. As she was gazing over neighbors' heads to keep an eye on her young son, she did not give me her full attention. "I don't know", she shrugged, "I did hear that they might kick you out if you don't have a baby in two years, though". She then laughed and I breathed a sigh of relief. While my residence in my new neighborhood is safe, my brain is not. I love babies and want to have one or two someday, right now I am more distracted by all the fabulous items I can make for baby, even though I am not yet ready. I often browse our Sew & Tell gallery to see what is new, but since my baby encounter this weekend I have noticed how many cute baby goods our customers have created. Here are some of my favorites.
This crib set made from Funky Monkey by Moda. It includes bumpers, bottom pad and a little pillow. All are perfect matched. I love how fun Funky Monkey is and it is really just perfect for a crib set. I give it 5 stars!
These booties, made by one of our customers, are made of felt and embellished with the sweetest details. I love the subtle pink with the mint green and the tiny rosettes. I can just imagine how cute they look with little feet in them!
Last but not least, This quilt is made of blocks that each house a different item from baby's first year. The items are not cut up to make the actual quilt but are sewn on top of the block. It looks similar to an applique. I just think it is a clever idea and super cute to boot. Get it? To boot...baby booties! nevermind. Keep up the good work!
Tara Miller
I am all moved in to my new house and I am loving it. However, I need a bit of a break from home decorating but can't get it completely out of my mind. With the promise of fall around the corner (in Georgia that means the temperture comes down to only 80 degrees) I am distracted by thoughts of new fall clothing. Being surrounded by home decor fabrics all day but thinking of apparel allowed me to find inspiration in using home decor fabrics to wear, Amy Butler's Nigella not withstanding. Here is what my wandering mind has come up with. See if you don't agree.
Coat, Trench & Blazer
I am all about the coats this fall. Heck, I am all about
the fall period! I cannot wait for crisp mornings, cooking stew and wearing sweaters and coats.I am cold blooded by nature so according to my family as soon as the temp reaches 69 degrees I reach for outerwear. I figure they are just jealous that I get to wear my awesome coats before them. More for me!
We have some really great options no what what your coat preferences. However, let's step outside the norm just for fun and look at what home decor fabrics have to offer for coats. I think this embroidered microsuede is so beautiful and different. It would really great with a trench pattern or if you prefer something classic and demure. Try this pattern with our Faux Suede in dark grey that is so popular this season.
Finally, don't forget about the fuschia this fall. Our Fall Forecast predicts this is one of the hotest colors this fall. And all too rightly! Who says we must bundle up in darker colors the rest of the year. Carry your favroite spring and summer colors with you to brighten the shorter days. Perfect for this task is this combo of Fuschia Polka Dots (Who doesn't love Dots!) with a fun, funky for fresh jacket pattern by Favorite Things. The non-tradional closure and new spin collar coupled with classic dots in a feminine color make this combination a sure thing and a staple.
Dresses
I have recently been watching reruns of Sex in the City and fell
in love with Charlotte's entry, whose walls are covered in a blue plaid. Ever since I have been on a plaid kick. It reminds me of so many things I love, Family, warmth, crisp weather and Scotsmen (wink). It is not tricky to wear and is a must for keeping warm and sheik this season. I love this print with this dress pattern.The modern cut and details make it perfect to take the 'school marm' image out of this plaid. The shorter hem makes it so tempting to wear tights in either a trendy or classic color. This dress is also perfect for either boots, heels or flats, your choice but you can't go wrong with this lovely plaid.
Another great trend this season are bright colored or patterned tights. This simply shaped retro style dress is perfect to show off your fashionable legs in the best colors or patterns. I used Simplicity's Retro Pattern 3833 with our new Ultrasoft Sueded Twill in Rasberry. I paried it with dark grey tights. It looks so comfy but so sleek. Great for a lunch with friends, shopping or to wake the weekday doldrums.
I can't wait to get started on my Fall Fashions and I hope you will join me. Be sure to post your pictures in our Sew and Tell Gallery so everyone can admire and be jealous! And remember "If you don't look good, we don't look good."
Oh wait, wrong slogan, but still true!
Tara Miller
One of my many joys (or chores depending on the day) is to create custom design coordinate groups for our customers to use as a guide, inspiration or template for their homes. Since you know your schedule and your family's needs, how you use these groups is entirely up to you. But isn't it great to have some of the work done for you! I research market trends and color combinations and hunt through our warehouse to bring you fabric combinations that include color, pattern and texture that will work perfectly together so all you need to know is which colors work for you and your rooms and your yardage needs. I hope these postings will be the next best thing to hiring an interior decorator. About once a month I will feature a new design inspiration, whether it be your dream bathroom or that family dining room you have always dreamed of. First, let's focus on the center of the home, that family room or great room. Since this room will probably be the most popular and most used, it needs to feel calm, crisp and clean (even if it isn't).
Let's use our Khaki and Robins Egge Blue Collection. It has just the right amout of color without being overwhelming and the blue with khaki is very refreshing without being washed out. The sofa would look great with P. Kaufmann Sarita Cocoa. This pattern should hide dirt and light stains that little hands tend to share but with still look great when friends drop by.
Don't forget the pillows for extra Pop and comfort on movie night. Try 2 in P. Kaufmann Jacquard Picnic Check Azure and 2 in P. Kaufmann Vassar Paisley Horizon. Both prints with compliment the sofa beautifully.
Next we will need some extra seating. Try pairing to comfy but stylish club chairs with our new Matleesse in Ivory. This will add duribility and texture to really make your room come to together. On the windows, I love the idea of roll up shades with Dupioni Silk Bisque on the underside (to show just a hint when you let the light in) and P. Kaufmann Yazman Cocoa on top as the dominate.
Finish off your room with accents of Chocolate Brown, Ivory and Blue to really bring in that clean, airy feeling. It will look like you paid high dollar and spent hours pouring over design books, when all you really did was jump online amd visit my hand picked collections! Be sure to post pictures of you finished rooms or design inspirations in our Sew & Tell Gallery. And don't forget, I am here if you have any questions and would love to hear what rooms you are looking for advice or just a few tips.
Enjoy your home,
Lauren!
If I said I have always liked Fall, well, I'd be lying. Returning to school always seemed to overshadow any pleasure I may have found in this season. Now that I'm older and free as a bird, I have decided that Fall is probably my favorite season. If I had to name the number one reason for this, I would have to say it's due to the rich palette of colors coming from the leaves and other seasonal vegetation. I combined this adoration of beautiful reds, oranges and yellows with one of my favorite fabrics (Dupioni Silk) in my newest project - a pumpkin.
I got the idea for this project from Tara's Blog not too long ago on Halloween projects. I took the pincushion project, but scaled it up quite a bit. For my pumpkin,
I used a circle that was roughly 16 inches in diameter - you can use a mixing bowl or any round object (I used a cat toy). You want it to be big enough to get a decent sized pumpkin, but not so big that you can't get an upholstery needle through the middle once it's stuffed. Cut out 2 pieces of orange fabric and sew around the edge using a .5" seam allowance, making sure to stop a few inches short to leave an opening for turning. Once you are finished sewing your circles together, turn the fabric right side out and push all the seams out (so you have a nice circle again).
Next, stuff your pumpkin to where it is pretty tightly packed, but still kind of fluffy. I used just a cheap bag of poly filling I had laying around, and I found that it worked better if you kept the filling coming in a constant piece, as opposed to ripping off little pieces and putting them in. When I worked with smaller pieces, my pumpkin was lumpy (my apologies to all the veteran pillow and toy stuffers out there who know the stuffing-ropes. If I did this wrong, please note that I am a COMPLETE novice at this). Once stuffed, you can slip stitch the opening closed. 
To make pumpkin sections, grab your longest upholstery needle and a coordinating embroidery floss (for bigger pumpkins, you'll probably need the whole skein of floss). Depending on the size of your pumpkin, select the number of threads you want to use (I used all 6 and doubled them up). If your pumpkin is on the large size, yarn would even work well. Tie a nice big knot at the end of the string, find the center of your pumpkin, and put your needle to work. If you used a pretty big circle, you'll really need to squeeze it flat to get the needle through to the middle of the other side. Once through, pull the thread tight and bring the needle back to the bottom and back into the center, so that the thread stays on the outside of the pumpkin and creates a ridge. Do this 5-7 more times (make sure to keep that thread tight), creating 6-8 even sections (depending on size and looks). 
For my leaf, I did a quick search of the Internet for an image of a pumpkin leaf and used it as a pattern. I cut out 2 pieces and sewed them together, leaving an opening at the base to turn it right side out and push the leaf points out. You could make this step easier by using one layer of green felt, but I'm a sucker for silk so I kept going with it. To give the leaf more detail, I did a quick blanket stitch around the edge with embroidery floss in a darker shade of green. 
For the stem, I took a scrap of the green silk I used for the leaf, folded it in half, and sewed a curved line down 2 adjacent sides (see image). I turned it, stuffed it, ran a quick stitch through the top, and pulled it closed like a drawstring bag (make sure to put a couple knots to hold the hole closed).
Some floral wire wrapped in floral tape and spiraled around a pen made the little curlies. I stretched the wire out a little and tucked it under one of the section strings at the halfway-point of the wire. Finally, I hot glued the curly wire and the leaf down into the center of the pumpkin and then hot glued the stem on top of them to hide the knots and unfinished edges. I added an inexpensive bunch of silk leaves for accent and placed it all on a small table in my living room.Part of what I like about projects like this is the ability to tweak and modify it to your own whims. Tara had mentioned making smaller pumpkins and using them as garland, whereas I envisioned a larger version as a center piece. I may even buy some black felt and make some temporary Jack-O-Lantern eyes and a mouth for Halloween. If this project inspires your creativity, I want to see! Post it up on the Fabric.com Sew & Tell Gallery and let us all share in the Fall-time fun!
Happy Stitching!
Melanie
Hi!
A few years back my best friend Ann purchased a furnished "rental" condo in a resort area on the South Carolina coast. While the place had good bones, it was blah, blah, blah. Think basic furnishings, sparse accents, no window treatments...just no personality. Our mission was to turn this place into a cozy nest without breaking the bank account. We purchased new bedding, lamps, accessories and fabrics. We set out on a six hour drive to begin a two day makeover. While Ann got busy hanging pictures and arranging things, I got busy with the fabric. First up for me...drapery panels. I used a plaid promotional dupioni silk. Wow, they instantly brightened and added life to the room! Next, it's on to decorative throw pillows. I really wanted to pull all the colors from the plaid silk throughout the room. Accent pillows are such a quick way to accomplish just that. My last significant project, and the one I am most proud of, is that I covered a headboard. I had no confidence that I could pull this off. As it turns out, it was so simple! All I did was lay batting, then stretch and staple the fabric. Bye, bye boring old headboard! I wish I would have known it was going to be this easy. I am sure I could have used Fabri-tac to add some cute embellishments!
We are so proud of our quick makeover. It must have turned out well because I have not yet been able to claim my free week...The place is always rented! I have 2 projects under way right now that I am excited about. Vicki is going to help me because these are more detailed. Hope to have them ready by my next blog entry!
Please allow me to introduce myself, I am Nancy Hartness and I work in our wholesale division. My customers include the interior design community and many different types of "cottage" manufacturers. I am constantly inspired by their terrific ideas and their wonderful creations. Working for Fabric.com has been a fabulous experience for me. You see my previous work experience was selling fabric and wallcoverings to the commercial interior design industry and after 15 years I was ready to move on. I am lucky to be a long time personal friend of Stephen and I began working here on a contract basis while I was caring for my aging mother. I now have the pleasure of being here full time every day!
My specialty is quick and easy . Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is just down right funny (show you in the future). Because I am a huge fan of clip-on drapery rings and surrounded by Fabric.com's beautiful fabric, it is safe to say that I have more than one set of drapery panels for my favorite rooms. I am also a fan of Fabric-Tac glue...I have never sewn a stitch of trim. I appreciate all types of fabric design and, yes, my sewing room is piled high with fabric just waiting to be turned into something fabulous!
In the attached photos you will see what adorns my family room right now. Next to that is my dining room...Trim on the slipcovers not quite done yet (will be glued on of course) but maybe by next posting. I am thinking bullion fringe...
Ciao for now!
Nancy
P.S. That's Dupioni Silk in the Dining Room and Dupioni Silk Check in the Dining Room.
Color is truly my inspiration, my passion and my tranquility. My strengths in merchandising and design have allowed me to have my own business out of my home at first and in 1984 opening a shop in Northern Illinois. My wonderful husband and I have four amazing children, a son and three daughters. We are also very blessed with seven grand children, who I miss desperately as I am here in Atlanta and they are in Illinois. You ask why am I not with them? For now I will tell you although it is very difficult, I have the most wonderful job working at Fabric.com! This allows me the luxury of working with extremely talented people, not to mention the fabrics, the creativity and yes, COLOR! I, like Tara, do the imaging and merchandise the fabric collections in the "store". One of my favorite fabrics to image is the dupioni silk, the colors are gorgeous and I even get to name them! So if you see some "far out" names that would be Lauren at work!
In later posts I would love to share with you new fabrics, colors, decorations for the holidays and much much more, including our Home Decor Coordinates category. This category is where I gather fabrics in different designs and textures, lay them all out, personally coordinate them and present them in collections. This will enable you to feel confident that what you see in the coordinate collections has been personally selected to represent beautiful ensembles. I look forward to any questions or comments you might have or any inspirations you would like to share. Until next time I leave you with this picture of "Sir Jaxon Jacob", Jax for short! Not only is he hilarious, he is great comfort! Maybe you can guess one of my favorite colors.......
