The Fabric Maverick: December 2009 Archives
My New Year's Resolution for the year of 2009:
In my heart of hearts, I do believe that it is a responsibility of me, as a human being, to have reverence for the
earth. My New Years Resolution is to change my habits to have more regard for my personal carbon footprint on the earth. I have already started by using reusable shopping bags at the grocery store.(Personally, I love the leopard and plaid printed bags). You'll be amazed as to how much you can fit into those things and they are a lot
easier to carry then the plastic bags. (We have several cute ones on our site) My next step will be to recycle the waste in my house (groan). Take the extra 20 minutes or whatever and sort out the recyclables and drop them off...
Which brings me to my blog project: Instead of throwing something away and buying new, why not "jazz up" something old? This project was super simple and turned out REALLY cute. I like to layer skinny headbands in my hair and decided to jazz it up for the new year. As long as you can safely use a hot glue gun I recommend this project for anyone. I simply cut some trim to perfectly fit the length of the headband and then hot glued it on. Pretty simple, really cute.
You will need:
1. Headbands (or really anything with a thin enough strap... Tank Top? Picture Frame? Purse? Bra Straps?) 2. Hot Glue Gun 3. Some of our GORGEOUS DESIGNER TRIM ( I used HDDR-766, HDDR-756, &
HDDR-808). You might want to go through your trim box for remnants or check out our other designer trims for a special look.
Have a safe and Happy New Years!
Jenni
(Fabric.com Photographer)
jlre
My name is Shannon and I'm the newest member of the merchandising team here at Fabric.com. I recently graduated with a degree in business from Georgia State University, but my real passion is fashion. From an early age, my grandmother taught me to sew. From that point, my door was open to a variety of creative avenues, which has led me to where I am today.
This little number, inspired by this Arabesque Embroidered Organza fabric, is my first project for Fabric.com.
I found that this beautiful, fun fabric could be used for a great cocktail dress; particularly the burgundy color would make a great holiday dress. I design and make all of my patterns, but a pattern we have in store that would work well for this design is this Kwik Sew Dress Pattern, KP-3228. Because of the layered skirts, I was able to play around with the drape of the Arabesque top layer, which allows you to be as creative as you like! I cinched and gathered the fabric to give the dress an abstract silhouette. Even though my design is strapless, I love the convenience of straps in this Kwik Sew Pattern.
The main fabric I used for this dress is the Luxe Satin in Fiesta Red .. I like to choose a lining fabric that is unexpected, so I chose a dark burgundy lining, China Lining.. To give the dress extra volume, I used Nylon Netting in Brown .. The benefit to the nylon netting, as opposed to tulle, is the stiffness and structure it gives the skirt.
I hope this inspires a great cocktail dress for you during this holiday season. This might even be great inspiration for a unique Prom dress in the spring! Appropriately styling this dress makes it a year-round wear. Add tights, boots, and a chic shrug for fall & winter, or just a great pair of heels in the spring and summer! No matter what fabric you used from the Arabesque Embroidered Organza Collection, this dress is sure to make heads turn!
I do not know about you, but Christmas has once again caught up with me. After all. I need to save a little time to make Christmas cookies and enjoy the company of good friends. There is still time to order and receive gifts for friends. Here is my list of great gifts which you do not need to make, just wrap and put under the tree. All of these range from 1rom $10.00 to $50.00.
Do you have a friend or relative who wants to start a new hobby?
1. We have several beginning knitting kits designed for childrent to adults.
2. Do you have someone who loves Debbie Macomber books? We have the audio books. Buy the companion book of patterns from Leisure Arts and knit along with the audio.
4. New marking tools for quilters and sewers- Sewline Gift Set with Case
5. For the person who would like to learn to quilt, I suggest Alex Anderson's book "Start Quilting".
6. Slip a jelly roll, honey bun or charm pack in her stocking.
7. Try embellishing from the Ka-Jinker to painting.
8. Try wool felting.
9. An old favorite is back with our cross-stitch and needle point kits.
10. Last but never least- Amy Butler's Software CD.
I know many of my friends would be delighted to receive any of these gifts. I would be happy to receive a stocking full of thread. You will never know how much thread I go through in a year.
Now that we have saved you some time, tomorrow Kristl will show you how to put a little glitz and glamour in your Christmas and New Year's outfits.
It is hard to believe that I have been working for Fabric.com for four years. It may be harder to believe that the only thing I had purchased on the internet was daffodil bulbs. At that time, it was uncharted territory for me. Somehow the shopper gene was not passed onto me by my mother, so shopping is something I do not always enjoy. Over the four years, I have become somewhat savvier to internet shopping. Always make sure that you are shopping at a secure website. The URL will start with https: or there will be a gold padlock in the lower left hand corner when ordering your items. If you are unsure always give the customer service department a call. There are some things I will never order from the Internet. One of these is shoes. I just have to try them on- usually many times and many pairs.
This year I expect that I will be ordering at least 50% of my presents online. There are many advantages to shopping online:
Pros:
- I can shop anytime of the day
- I do not have to get dressed or put on my makeup
- many sites offer free shipping
- I don't have to drive which means I do not use gas
- I don't have to find a parking space
- I don't have to stand in line
- My children do not seduce me into buying things I wasn't planning on buying.
- I have more time to sew
The cons:
- I can't touch anything
- I must shop early to take shipping time into account. I do not want to pay for express shipping
- Sometimes it is hard to decide between like products. Customer Service is not equal at every website.
In general, I have not been disappointed by anything I have bought on the internet. It's like everything else; you just need to learn the ins and outs.
Have fun with your Christmas shopping! May your money not run out before your Christmas list does!
