Apparel: November 2007 Archives
Every Fall and Spring Fabric.com has a huge warehouse sale. Last weekend, we had our fall event. We sell end rolls, returns, slightly damaged, etc. fabric at drastically reduced prices. For those lucky enough to live in the Last Spring I had the pleasure of meeting a very memorable group of sewers ( If I did not think I would look like a fool, I would invite myself to their sewing sessions). They kept returning to my table with the best fabrics... Alexander Henry, Amy Butler, Moda, on and on. I was very impressed with their keen eye and tenacity. Even though CJ (ring leader), Shannon, Maribel and Winnie were 50th in line this year and a stones throw behind their "warehouse sale shopping nemesis" they managed to find their magic and appear at my table all morning with incredible fabrics. I just had to know how they did this...Before the sale started I didn't find these beautiful fabrics for my own stash! So I observed their behavior and was able to pick up on a few of their methods. They also shared a few of their secrets with me. Of course I cannot disclose this highly sensitive information with you but let's just say these chicks are smart! I can however share some of their creations from the great bargains they purchased from our sale. After hugs goodbye to my special girls I made them promise to send me pictures. CJ and Shannon sent me these photos of clothes they made for their children from the warehouse sale last Spring. Wow what talent...not to mention adorable models!
Fabric.com has the best customers!
Post your photos in our "Sew & Tell" gallery and be sure to share you best sewing tips on our forums!
Ciao for now and happy sewing!
Flash forward to this past Summer when we were all sitting around for our first blogger's meeting, and Nancy said, "I think we need to start having contests!" Now armed with a co-conspirator, we set off to come up with our great contest debut. This was our first contest, so we knew that we had to keep it kind of simple; no big projects, not a lot of rules, and as gallery-centric as possible. Nancy was just wild about the Cute Skirt pattern by Favorite Things, and I pointed out that we just got a shipment of their new Hip Skirts and Little Hip Skirts patterns. These patterns, we reasoned, are simple enough for a novice sewer but leave a lot of room for "creative interpretation" and "artistic alteration." Plus, we'd get all sorts of ideas and inspiration for our Spring wardrobes...
Well, after some pre-planning and creative sessions, we had our email and web page ready to go. We were ready and excited! Little did we know, the extra patterns we ordered were nothing against a sea of creatives biting at the chance of a challenge. By the end of the first day we were calling Favorite Things in a panic (Thanks for the help, guys!).
A few weeks and a couple minor bumps in the road later, and we had 52 entries ready for the vote. I can honestly tell you that I am happy that I didn't have to play judge in this case. Even to this day I cannot begin to pick my favorite (or even top 10), they were all so fantastic! All that creative power out there just amazes me. With the power of the vote in our customers' capable hands, the following winners were declared:
1st place - Brown Suede "Ruffled Dream" by Jessica Kathleen
2nd place - Pink "Glitter Nouveau" Skirt by Anna M.
3rd place - Ariel's Skirt By Ariel Lennon
Congratulations to all our winners, and a MASSIVE thanks to everyone who participated. We'll be leaving all the entries up in the gallery so that everyone can "ooh" and "ahh." We'll have another contest in the near future, so stay tuned for more info!
Happy Stitching!
Melanie
