Let's Get Fancy!

You can tell by my online presence that I am all about fabric.  Granted, I own a fabric store, so I guess that's a given. But even if I didn't, I'd still be in love with fine fabrics - I'd still appreciate the entire spectrum of textile choices that today's fabric sources offer to home sewists. Perhaps that's what keeps me inspired here at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics - stocking fabrics that can turn your wardrobes into clothes that matter. 

I'm so proud of my staff for keeping Stonemountain on trend.  They have a feel for what's happening in ready-to-wear and are picking fabrics that our customers are wanting to add to their own wardrobes. One of the big trends in special occasion fabrics this year is embroidered tulle or mesh. It looks daunting for the average home sewist, but in reality, it's pretty easy to work. The variety of prints and patterns is extensive, from subtle pattern and color changes to vibrant floral prints.

If you are like me, you get so inspired to see what others are doing with fabric you love. Check out what Kat Makes made out of our embroidered tulle!

Isn't she lovely! Check out Kat's blog!

If you're going to try one of our embroidered tulles, we suggest making a "toile" (fancy word for a muslin) first.  With any special fabric that you are not used to, making a muslin for fitting purposes will save you from making a costly and ill-fitting mistake.  We might also suggest that you think about buying a quarter of a yard extra so you can practice sewing on your special fabrics as well as making adjusting on your machine to handle their unique qualities.

Laurel's granddaughter got married this summer, so she chose one of our embroidered tulles to make a dress that would be paired with a metallic linen slip dress. Not sure of the styling she wanted, she purchased two different tulles - one for a wearable muslin and one for the wedding. (Okay, not everyone would have done this, but it's Laurel, and she doesn't mess around)

For the wearable muslin (to wear for a fundraiser dinner)

And for the wedding...

Still trying to decide on a pattern...

As with any fabric this sheer, seaming needs to be as narrow as you can make it.  And if you have a serger, so much the better.

Serged seam...

or Sew then serge

trim those darts...

Bonus - four dresses! two metallic linen "slip dresses" and two special occasion dresses

Perfect for a Gala, but Laurel made some adjustments to the length of the bodice for the final version.

Oh, and of course Laurel the GOB (Grandma of the Bride) was lovely.  She also totally remade her daughter's MOB dress (which came in a hideous red instead of burgundy), as well as altering the bride's gown and even whipped out Schoolhouse Tunic Dress for her mom out of one of our Rayon challis prints.  Four Generations of sewing bliss!

Laurel's Mom taught her how to sew at 10, Laurel taught her daughter in her teens...
just got to get that granddaughter on a machine!

In choosing my own fabrics and patterns for my personal Destiny wardrobe, I tend to stick with casual, comfortable and uber-wearable styles that I can wear to work - easy care clothes that don't fight with my body. I have a couple of different wardrobes - one for work, one for vacation, and maybe one for my casual nights out. I don't have a lot of "dress-up" occasions in my life, but that doesn't mean that my personal preferences keep me from appreciating the fine silks, beautiful woolens, and soft velvets that grace the shelves at Stonemountain.

When I do have the occasional need for something "fancy" - perhaps a night in the City or a wedding, or when I want to look casually elegant, I certainly have a lot of choices.

Oh you beautiful silk...

Silk Noil can be dressed up or down...

Velvet is not just for dress-up...

Tried and true Linen is not always casual... metalic linen is "da bomb"!

For your next special occasion, think about coming in to see our embroidered tulle collection or our selection of silk prints or our great wall of velvets. Many of these fabric begged to be touched but are available online as well. If there's something you can't live without, tell us - we are always looking for new fabrics!

Thank you so much for reading.

Peace, Love, and Sewing,
Suzan Steinberg
Fabric Lover
Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics

Five Years, Baby!

“And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new 

and trust the magic of beginnings.”  

An ancient philosopher wrote these words in the 1200's, but how appropriate are they still today? When I took over the fabric store that my father built with hard work, vision, and devotion, I knew that I wanted to make my mark on the business and industry that he had lovingly nurtured over the years and leave a legacy of my own. Somewhere in the back of my mind a vision began taking form, though its shape and path had not fully developed.

As we all can see, there are fewer and fewer fabric stores around the country that sell fashion fabric. Over the last 20 years, many of the fashion fabric stores have closed while fewer people were making their own garments. One day I was sitting in the store and I looked down at myself and then out to my sales associates and customers and saw the writing on the wall. No one was wearing what they made. This deeply impacted me and I began to dream into a new story of what could be! I saw that if I began wearing clothes that I made or were made for me, perhaps that would inspire others around me. With the exponential reach of my store, Facebook, Instagram, and my blog, I envisioned that a garment sewing revolution could be ignited. The excitement of making garments that I felt in the 80's could come back in a whole new way.

Five years ago this month, I threw out a small morsel in the Stonemountain Newsletter, asking for interest in sewing garments for me and the store. I wasn't just looking for a seamstress, but a collaborator of sorts - someone who believed in the magic of fabric and of sewing clothes as much as I did. I had a lot of responses from sewists who wanted to sew and who already made a living doing so. I thought it would work - that person could advertise her talents and probably increase her business.

But one email caught my eye - a retired corporate woman who had sewn since she ten. She had been in my store several months beforehand and loved it.  She even sent me photos of garments that she had made with my fabric. When we finally spoke in person, she said she wasn't interested in sewing for anyone else and in fact, that "sounded like a job".  She wanted to work with me to teach other women that sewing is not a lost art - that's it's a gift that anyone can learn - and she wanted to be a part of my vision, however it took shape.

I'm not sure that I knew at the time that such small beginning would lead to a five year collaboration and deep friendship.  That day, I sent Laurel home with beautiful silk fabric and a bias cut tank pattern - okay, that was mean, but you can tell a good seamstress with that assignment. She still laughs about it to this day.

In our five year collaboration, we have worked on this blog together. Our initial goal was always 1) to Teach and 2) to Inspire - to develop Fabriclady into a little more than news, store happenings and fantastic fabrics. We wanted to show sewists how to pair great fabric and patterns together with courage and to let their creativity blossom. Basically, we wanted sewing to come to life.

Our first post together was in June, 2013, It's Time to Sew

 

It was just the beginning of a great collaboration.  The vision began to take shape - what about posts about both sewing successes and failures, beauties and "not-so-much's"?

  

Make your Wardrobe Pop - ooh La La

beautiful fabric, but???

One of my secondary goals was to make sure that I put a piece of myself into each post, so many blogs touched on the importance of keeping a healthy lifestyle. Shamanic Astrology is a vital part of my life, so I like to bring a little spirituality in my conversations with you as well. Clothes might make the woman, but it's what inside that counts and deeply connects us all.

 

Sewing tips and tricks have always been a part of Fabriclady blogs. We show you our tried and true methods and well as help get you over the tricky stuff. And of course, we like to keep the photography telling the story too.

 The Zen of Sewing

  

As we moved through this creative journey, I found that my vision for a sewing "community" began to really take hold with greater clarity.  I started to feel like we were truly part of a movement. We began really emphasizing our love of independent pattern designers and in 2015, we dropped the Big 4 pattern companies.  Instead, we wanted to celebrate the creativity of women designers brave enough to fight the odds and made a name for themselves within the sewing community.  We wrote about our Indie designers then, and we have never looked back.

Why Independent Patterns

We love to highlight Indie patterns that are "Tried and True" Patterns - you can make them over and over again and each creation is different with just the change in fabric. Laurel and I often make the same pattern but our choices in fabric are usually different.

You Can't Have Just One Dress No. 1

I once overheard in the store: "I love the details that the Big 4 patterns offer," so we write about advanced sewing techniques frequently.  We love "hacking" our favorite patterns to make them our own. Laurel is an expert seamstress and has made everything from tailored suits to couture jackets to wedding gowns, so don't tell her about lack of complexity and versatility in Indie patterns. A case in point, we've highlighted bra making, swimsuits and even jeans.

Ginger Jeans

Make a muslin first!!!

 Safran Jeans

It's all about the top stitching

Towards the end of 2016, I began sensing that I was standing at a fork in the rode. To make an impact in the world, we have to tune into what our heart is yearning for. I discovered that it still was about sharing fabric with our growing community. I enrolled in an online course on empowering women to discover their gifts and to help them break through their own glass ceiling to make their largest impact. It's so amazing that the same things that made me 100% commit to Stonemountain & Daughter in 1984 were still what excited me the most in my life of service, inspiration, and contribution. There are plenty of astrologers out there (one of my other dreams), but no one in my unique position and experience to spread the love of fabric around the planet. What is your unique gift?

There has never been a time for women as there is right now. Wherever we are we can make a difference and change the world. I am holding a vision of how sewing garments could forge a bond between women. This is the time we have been waiting for both personally and as a garment sewist.

"Fabric Fuel" for the Future 

In March of this year, we introduced the concept of a Destiny Wardrobe. Whatever our place on this earth, we each have a destiny to not only make our own lives better, but to share our wisdom, spirituality, and love with the people around us.  "Sewing Clothing that Matter" is the culmination of 5 years of growth, friendship, community and impact. We are the catalysts and as each one of us touches the life of another through sewing, each of them will touch in another, and so on. 

 We ARE the village.

3 Powerful Steps Toward your Destiny

  

 Clothes that Matter

  

Won't you join us on this sewing adventure?  Who knows what the future brings, but know that each of us has a part to play in this world.  And what better way to enjoy the ride and put greater meaning into you life than to join us in our sewing community.  After all, the makers of cotton fabric call it "The Fabric of Our Lives™" for a reason. I guess we are just taking the notion one step further - fabric is the fabric of our lives - let's create our Destiny Wardrobes together and rise up together!

Here's to another 5 years!

Suzan Steinberg
Fabric Lover
#stonemountainfabric

Breaking the Mold with Sewing Your Destiny Wardrobe

I came from a family of mold breakers.  
Dad rebelled against traditional sales in fabric business and opened up a hippie fabric store in 1967 in Hollywood. Mom became a trail blazer in the record industry and was the highest paid woman for Promotion at A&M Records. She was a huge stand for women’s rights and equality and power and broke many barriers and molds in the 60's and 70's. 

And I continued their legacy.  Sewing, fabric, and music have always been my canvas for breaking molds.  Through them I broke the constraints of expressing myself as a woman.  Through my store I have championed women to express fully their creativity and their passion – beyond the molds of corporate patterns and what society thought they should wear on their bodies.

I started breaking existing molds early in life...

My Sunday playground was The Fabric Emporium, a ground breaking retail fabric store my father, Bob Steinberg, founded in West Hollywood in 1967. My love affair with sewing and fabric goes all the way back to the impressionable age of eight. Feeling the cotton drape over my young hands, seeing the paisley dance in the collective vision, loving the colorful and progressive embroidered patches, experiencing the smiles of customers as they found treasures to spark their dreams and hopes - all blew my mind open and expanded my imagination. 

I would pick my favorite African cotton prints and my father would have dresses made for me. I can still feel the soft colorful cotton on my skin while admiring the deep bells of the sleeves and the way they flowed when I walked. Wearing these dresses, fitted for me, I felt special and loved. I was breaking the molds of my own imagination.

A child of the '60's breaking the molds of mainstream fashion
Through my handmade garments, I became a unique expression of the late 60’s  — a child of the flower-child movement. I was turned on to fabric that ignited and symbolized a whole movement of alternative, “hippie” fashion. 

Sewing brought with it a whole new level of expression. I revelled in the freedom to make something personal to me. To completely free myself of someone else’s vision of what I should wear or be limited by what was in the stores.  

Love all our cottons from India!

Many of us may remember taking sewing in school. My own experience was very positive. I loved the strawberry embroidered appliqué from my Dad's store that I sewed on my bib overalls back in 1969. I struggled with straight stitching and fit, but felt so excited I had made something I could wear and share in our class fashion show. Finding just the right fabric for each of my projects was such a thrill. I have always found the fabric "talked" to me and guided me to what it wanted to become. 

Sewing enables us to break the molds of what we should look like and instead make clothes that fit us and truly support us to be who we are.  Think back to your relationship with your clothing.  Not many of us can fit "off the rack" when buying clothes. How often have you felt that you have "nothing to wear" – just because your body did not fit some imagined norm. Many of us do not want to go out in public and feel self conscious in our clothing. Trying clothes on is frustrating and often traumatic. Gaining sizes contributes to us feeling anxious in our clothes. 

I want to feel good, creative, and safe in my clothes, and I want you to as well! With sewing you can create something personal to you and perfect for your shape and style. Beyond what is in the stores, what garment do you wish you could create for yourself?

Championing sewists worldwide

From that first experience of wearing garments sewn for me, my passion for individualistic fashion and garment sewing has never wavered. Finding wool, silk, linen, rayon, and knits from designers around the world makes me so happy. Connecting sewists with fabric and patterns fuels my journey. 

We are ready to dream again and create garments that are creative, self-expressive, and flattering!

Even when sewing garments started to become a lost art, I stood strong.  When schools stopped teaching sewing, Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics stepped up to keep the flame of garment sewing burning. For twenty years, 1996-2016, we taught all ages how to sew and quilt. Running a school that has influenced and impacted many thousands of people in their relationship with fabric and sewing has been one of my life’s greatest contributions.

Celebrating 37 years in Berkeley and a new story

The current story of our industry and all retail is one of the shrinking and closing of brick-and-mortar stores. Over the past 30 years, many home sewists have left garment making for quilting, or stopped sewing altogether. 

My personal mission is to change this story, to break through and amplify the fabric world that my family started 99 years ago in California. I am here to empower and serve sewists — to champion their transformation, creativity, and passion. 

During the month of March 2018, we have been celebrating 37 years growing and evolving in downtown Berkeley.  Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics has always broken the mold of other fabric stores and now a new story is coming to life. This is the time to break through, be visible, and reach a wider audience. My Dad used to jokingly say, "we are a well known secret."

Sewists around the United States and the world are discovering our vast collection of fabric, patterns, notions, and expert service. Everyday I give thanks to the talented and creative women who broke the mold of corporate patterns and began drafting and marketing their own patterns to fuel our Indie Pattern movement. 

This is our time to actualize our full potential. This is our time to break the glass ceiling that has been limiting our self expression and visibility.

This truly is a grass roots, feminine powered movement!

What constraints are you ready to break through with sewing?

Picking out Kantha cloth and an ikat for my Kalle shirt!

Can you see how your relationship to your own creativity, to sewing, and your Destiny Wardrobe is a metaphor for breaking molds in your life?

Whether you are curious about sewing, already sewing your own garments, or wish to collaborate with another sewist (largely my path), the time is now. If you are feeling a call for something more, let your curiosity guide you to sewing. 

Of course, it would be fun to receive a compliment on a dress you have made and be able to say "Thanks, I made it!".  But beyond that, ask yourself ‘What is the next mold that you want to break in your life?’  And how could sewing help you break it?  What kind of fabric would you choose – sensual velvet, comfy knit, or soft silk? What would be just the right pattern for a top or dress? And what would it mean to you to have made it and be seen wearing it?

And if you sewed that destiny garment, what impact would this have on your life? 

I get chills when I look back and see the impact created by the 200+ garments I have blogged about and displayed in my store. It is clearly time to sew a garment or more. Your garments can make an impact too!

Through sewing, I was part of the movement that broke the mold of mainstream fashion.   Beyond the constraints of store bought clothing, we seeded a new era of natural fibers and art-to-wear.  We are creating clothes that fit our individual bodies, styles, and personal comfort. And through this we can let our vision and creativity fly wild and free.

We can let our authentic color explode into the world.  And through our destiny wardrobe, we can fully express our new story of resourcefulness and possibility.  Enabling us to show up authentically in the world, and to sew garments that matter deeply – as they reflect all that we are. 

Now is the time for which we have endured and survived. There is a new movement of sewists and makers around the world creating on a level new to all. Join us!

As always, I am standing with you celebrating your creative potential.

From the heart,
Suzan 
email me at fabriclady3@gmail.com

Please join me on instagram - fabriclady3 and my store can be followed at Stonemountainfabric

Sharing and supporting boosts and helps us all with our creativity, right livelihood, and prosperity projects :)

#destinywardrobe #clothesthatmatter #garmentsewingrevolution

#stonemountainmagic #keeponsewing #handmadewardrobe #handmadestyle #slowfashion #creativeprovocateur

Thanks for being a part of the Stonemountain Magic!

Visit my store in person!

Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics

2518 Shattuck Ave. @ Dwight Way

Berkeley, California 94704
510-845-6106

"No, You Can't Hurry Love…" The Cinema Dress, a New Favorite!

Some garments just take time.  They aren't meant to be completed in a single sitting. You can tell when you see the pattern, there's more to it than a few quick seams.  But sewing on a more complex garment brings a different kind of joy...not the quick "I want to wear it tonight" kind of joy, but the "Can't believe I accomplished this" kind of joy.

I love this Cinema Dress so much! Made out of an amazing Rayon by April Rhodes

Not that we're ever going to make something like Laurel's epic French jacket, which took her over 70 hours (you can read about it on her blog, Laurel's Quill), but using all your sewing skills in a single garment can bring a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, so take your time and enjoy the process. Remember, it's about the journey.

The Cinema Dress by another Indie favorite, Liesl & Co., cannot be rushed.  It's not that it requires any particularly difficult techniques - it just has a lot of steps, and doing each one correctly will get you the prettiest little dress.

We've made this before in a lovely cotton double gauze. It's such a comfortable dress that we decided to make another, this time out of a soft rayon. Come see how Rayon is making a huge come back —so many beautiful prints are available!

And because the rayon fabric is so soft and flowing, it takes a little extra time and patience in handling. It also requires the extra steps that a heavier fabric wouldn't, such as extra interfacing. These little squares are added to relieve the stress that pockets can have.

Rayon ravels, so extra time is needed to finish off each seam.

Even though the pattern didn't call for it, we interfaced the small V in the front bodice, so it would not roll...

The pattern recommends adding the button holes before you sew the entire dress together.  Usually it's the last thing you do on a dress, but we liked doing it earlier as they recommended. Laurel's machine makes the prettiest buttonholes!

The addition of pockets also adds extra time to your garment.  The Cinema Dress has set in pockets in the side front seam with welts.  The welts are easy enough to attach.  We finished off ours with a button at the top to hold them in place.

We love the loose fit of these set-in sleeves - they also have a "cuff" at the bottom for added detailing. Needless to say, set in sleeves are an art form in and of themselves.  But with practice, they get easier each time you try. We found that even though the pattern suggested two rows of easing stitched around the sleeve, they are pretty close fitting to the armhole, thus requiring little ease.

I wanted to show you the finished dress inside out so that you can see the detailing in the design.

Start to finish, four hours for Laurel, not including cutting out the pattern.  Again, it's not a difficult dress for an intermediate sewist, but it's more of a "I need a dress next week" kind of project. Softer fabrics with a delicious hand such as this rayon yield great results for this drapey dress, but they can be trickier to hang on to while sewing and pinning (not the sort of fabric to work with after four cups of caffeine).  The Cinema Dress would certainly work well in a nice medium weight cotton batik or print, as well as an Ikat or even a crisp lightweight linen.  

The Cinema Dress made out of an amazing new rayon - here's the link to it!

We've been living in the Summer of Love, celebrating the flower child era of the 60's.  Retro and vintage looks are very popular this year, so don't be weighed down by a particular era. (This dress actually reminds me of the 80's!) We love the "Hippie" (today's "Boho") period, but why not also try one of the fabulous designs from local indie pattern line, Decades of Style for your Summer of Love "Sew-In" garment?  We have loved the Given a Chance Dress and so many women participated when we had a sew along...it's still a great dress!  And it's probably an easy "I want to wear it tomorrow" kind of dress.

Lauren and Claire in their amazing Given a Chance Dress from Decades of Style!

However you interpret the Summer of Love for our Sew-In, we just want you to have fun and enjoy your project.  Don't stress about the time it will take you to finish...just concentrate on the journey.  Put some beautiful music on (or hey, rock and roll works too), settle in and create a masterpiece. Laurel said that while working on her French jacket she never worried about the hours it would take, she just enjoyed all the techniques that she doesn't use very often.  Sometimes there's nothing more gratifying than to perfect a Fell stitch on silk. Me...not so much.

Sending you much love,
Suzan

Come visit Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics in Downtown Berkeley - a true crossroads to creativity!

A stop over at Burney Falls on our way to see the Total Eclipse up in Oregon!