Fabric Maverick - Sewing Maven: February 2008 Archives

Spring is on its way!  Smell that!  It is daffodils blooming. If you could put the scent of daffodils and a few drops of sunshine in a bottle, you could make a fortune selling spring to our friends in the North. Spring is a time of renewal.  It is time to begin spring-cleaning.  A sewer will interpret this to mean:

• It's time to have your sewing machine maintenanced
• It's time to finish winter projects or put them away for next year
• It's time to organize the sewing room
• It's time to plan your spring projects

For the apparel sewer, it is time to check out the new spring pattern books.  Look for new ideas in the fashion magazines.  This will be a good way to see what fabrics and colors are hot for the new season.

For the quilter, it is fun to curl up with the spring quilting magazines for new project ideas and techniques. What new fabric collections are being released?

For the Home Decorator, this is a great time to refresh your home.  Pick a room that you have been thinking about redoing.  If you only have a little money and little time, start small.  Changing the colors of your sofa pillows and accessorizing can make a world of difference.

March will be a month of Celebrations.  Easter, National Quilting Day, St. Patrick's Day are a few of the fun sewing days coming up. It is time for the young ladies to start picking fabrics for their Prom dresses. I know that Victoria has a grandson due in March. I know what she is already working on.

April is Fabric.com's anniversary month.  Get ready for some great sales.  Now would be the time to get fabric for your Home Decor projects.

Now is the time to Get Ready, Set, Sew.

Victoria wandered into my office last week with an interesting question.  She constantly hears questions from customers concerning color.  It does not matter if it is a quilt, selecting fabric for a dress or redecorating a room. Fabric Maverick, Please where do I start?

I looked at her for a moment.  I pushed my stack of reference books out of the way and reached for another book referencing color.

"Victoria, Here is a book on color theory. It will define the components of color such as saturation, value and hue. It will give you basic ideas.  It is like going to school and taking a class.  The information you learn in that class does not come together until you put it into practice. A color wheel is an excellent tool!

People can select a color they like. The colors next to that key color will blend with it creating a harmonious, flowing feel. For example, if red is your key color.  Then shades of orange and purple will create a harmonious feel. If you want to add a touch of color use a contrast of color such as green.  If you are feeling bold add a triad color such as blue.  This will add a lot of visual excitement. If you are a person who is not comfortable with a lot of color or you are trying to blend several personalities in your home, stay with the neutrals such as shades of black, gray, white or brown.  Add accent colors in colors that you like in pillows, artwork and accessories. These are easy to change when you tire of them.

Manufacturers have made some it easy for people by creating collections of fabric. Quilt fabric designers have color collections for everyone.  If you like bold colors, Free Spirit and Westminster have some lively designs from Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, Jane Sassman, etc.  Moda have great traditional designs from 3 Sisters, American Jane, April Cornell, etc.  There is something for everyone.

Home Decor manufacturers also have fabric collections. P. Kaufmann and Waverly are still leaders in creating pleasing collections. You will have noted that shades of brown have dominated the home fashion market. Walking through an "Open House" will give you ideas on what colors are currently in style.  What if you do not care for the color of the moment? I suggest clipping pictures of rooms that you like and save them until you are ready to redecorate. Several people I work with are planning to "refresh" at least one room this summer. Victoria has already painted a guest bedroom apple green. She is pulling her fabrics together now.  Normally I would suggest picking your fabric first, then selecting the paint color. Nancy is going to be working on an outdoor redo. Leslie and Robin are working on rooms.  These rooms may not be done in current "fashion" colors but they will reflect the personality of each of the individuals. There will be no major furniture changes.  You will see how fabric can change a room. Just like Donna Babylon, we have more splash than cash. In the coming months, we will be showing what we have done and how we did it.  Stay tuned.

 

The Fabric Maverick is excited! I have been prowling around the warehouse, hanging out with the Receiving guys to find out what’s new.  I have been peeking in the Merchandising department to see what they are imaging.  Everybody is working overtime to get new products to you.  I am happy to announce the addition of craft books to our ever-growing line up of products.  Karen, or as we call her the Great Fabric Merchant, has added these books to our President’s Day sale. This is Karen’s Valentine present to you. These are great books to add to your library.  Most of us do not make drapes everyday. The Beginner’s Guide to Window Treatments is a great reference book to keep.  It will teach the rudimentary skills to make your treatment look professional.  It even has how to make Roman Shades! Don’t miss Donna Babylon’s “More Splash Than Cash” book.  It is a winner!  For our quilting friends, we have added books with projects using jelly rolls. For the newbie, a jelly roll is a strip of fabric cut 2 ½ “wide by 42” long. It usually includes at least 1 strip of each fabric in the collection. For any quilter who has cut strips, this is a great time saver.  I hate to admit it but I still get the wonky “V” in my strips sometimes.  I have purchased the Silly Safari jelly rolls.  I am going to put this book to the test. I know Victoria’s daughter is having a baby soon.  This will make a perfect baby quilt in record time. I cannot believe the prices on these books.  You have to check it out.

 

Our Spring fabrics are starting to arrive.  If you are thinking about Easter dresses for the little girls, check out the daisy gingham.  I have seen this fabric made up into a sweet dress (Burda pattern 9885). We also have some great 28 wale corduroy. It is whisper light-perfect for Spring. The colors are Easter egg pastels. We have sretch denim and cotton sateen.  It is a great time to try the Hot patterns.

 

Here is a sneak preview.  For those friends asking for the Marcus Brothers “Wizard of Oz” collection, I believe I did spy some bolts in the warehouse.  It is almost time for Prom Season.  When I was lurking about in Merchandising, I saw some new fabrics that looked suspiciously like material for prom dresses.  If I were you, I would start planning that special dress.

 

Warm up your sewing machines, there’s some sewing to be done

For the uninitiated, a UFO is an unfinished object.  It could be a quilting project or sewing project. The Fabric Maverick cannot cast the first stone.  I have so many unfinished projects that I have lost count. Who has not started a quilt for a newborn child that is still unfinished?

On the cover of a recent issue of Quilt Home, I saw an article titled "When is it time to let a UFO die". I didn't have time to read the article, but it started me thinking. What a revolutionary thought that I could not finish a project! It made me think of my own reasons to let a UFO die a peaceful death.  I am sure some of these reasons will touch a cord with you.

Let your UFO go when:

1. You have forgotten why you were making it.
2. The pattern is lost.
3. The fabric is rotting
4. Your UFO's are making you feel so guilty that you cannot go forward
5. Your UFO's outnumber your finished projects.
6. The baby you were making the quilt for is graduating from college.
7. The room you were making the quilt for has been decorated twice already and none of the colors will match.
8. You cannot find enough of the fabric you started with to finish the quilt. You need to make a decision to make it smaller or donate the fabric.
9. You decide you hate the fabric.  What were you thinking when you bought it?

I have to think some of these reasons were included in that article.  I am sure that you can add more.  Isn't this liberating?  It is like letting go of a ball and chain around your feet!

What are the benefits of letting your UFO die?

1. There is much more room in your house.
2. Increased creativity because you no longer need to feel guilty.
3. You can claim a tax deduction for donated fabric.
4. You can buy more fabric for your stash. You now have room for it.

There will be a temporary twinge of pain when you let your UFO die, but I promise that the new fabric will take the pain away.