Must-Have Garment Makes

How many things in your life are non-negotiable? We could all list several character items that ultimately define who we are as a person - trustworthiness, loyalty, being loved and valued, living in the moment,  making a contribution, etc. Whatever thing you might think of, we know instinctively they are important to us, as we come back to them over and over again when we are looking for friends, a partner, or even a new endeavor.

"Must-have" or  "I need it now" things are probably negotiable, in truth.  But when we see something we like, it feels non-negotiable. We are drawn to it like honey and we know in hearts that "It is Right."  Our garments reflect choices that make us feel better about ourselves and express our creativity and uniqueness. Most sewists would tell you that's why they make their own garments...to have that freedom of expression.  So "must haves" become non-negotiables - a particular hemline, a belted waistline or a certain sleeve design. Our choices revolve around those things that fulfill that image of ourselves in our brains—until the next big thing comes along.

Wardrobes constantly change, and therefore so does our list of must-haves. Maybe there are certain colors or shapes you don't usually gravitate towards, but it only takes someone saying "Dang, girl! You look amazing in that!" to inspire you to branch out.

One of the pluses (huge plus!) of my owning a fabric store is that new patterns and fabrics are a daily experience, so what used to be on my must-have list is in a constant state of flux.  I could almost have a new list of must-haves every season. So technically, all these looks below are not necessarily "non-negotiable," per se, but they are among the garments that to me are timeless and will always be a integral wardrobe staple of my wardrobe. I just change the fabric, perhaps do a small pattern hack and Voila! Something new!

So what is on my list of "Must-Haves?

1.) A good, lightweight coat...

The Pilvi by Lotta Jansdottercoat is so simple to make 

and just by changing up the color, the fabric, the length, you can make it your own.

Fabrics to make your Pilvi - Boiled Wool, Linen, Denim,
Kolkata Textured Cotton Cloth, Indian Kantha Cloth

2.) A great tee-shirt...The Scout Tee!

Who says you can't make a tee-shirt in crushed velvet?

The Scout Tee is designed for woven fabrics.

The Lark Tee by Grainline is a close fitting knit tee, in either short sleeves, 3/4, or long.

The Lark Tee

3.) A pair of "you were born for those" jeans...

Love these pockets on the Safran Jeans by Deer and Doe

The Morgan Jeans by Closet Case patterns are designed for non-stretch fabrics.

Probably the most popular ever pair of Jeans - The Ginger Jeans, by Closet Case.

4.) An ever-versatile casual dress...

Dress No.1by 100 Acts of Sewing - we've made this pattern so often in many different fabrics!

I highly recommend the E.S.P. Dress by Decades of Style in a fun fabric you have been stashing!

5.) A pair of go-to pants...

Pant's No. 1 by 100 Acts of Sewing - sew simple!!
Shown with my all time favorite Tea House Dress or Top, by Sew House Seven - just amazing, right?!

My new favorite - Lander Pants by True Bias

and 6.) Something that reflects your inner soul...

The Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated. Her patterns are amazing!

And since our wardrobes change with the seasons and with new patterns and fabrics, we can update our "Must-Have" list any time we are moved to do so. So many patterns, so little time! Of course I keep a list of Must-Have fabrics - you can pretty much see what they are the minute you walk into the store.

Cotton Ikat...

Rayon of my dreams...

One of my favorites - the Cinema Dress by Leisl + Co

I've got Linen on my mind... 

What are your Must-Haves in your wardrobe?  Do you change it up very often or do you stick with TNT (Tried and True) patterns and fabrics?  I have learned that my tastes have changed over the years, mostly because I am surrounded by a knock-your-socks-off staff, a whole cache of cyber-sewist friends, and a willingness to put myself out there. Whatever your particular "destiny" or life-calling, you were made to do this:  to be a wardrobe trendsetter, to let your me-makes speak your own personal truth. And by all means, keep that mental list flexible and be open to new designs and new fabrics.

All that being said, my only true "Non-negotiable" is being at peace with my surroundings - don't really care what I'm wearing...

I love you, Mother Nature!

Love always,

Suzan

A Definite Must for our Destiny Wardrobe: The Scout Tee

Lately on Instagram we noticed that many sewists are showing their "Tried and True" patterns, or TNTs. A TNT pattern is one that you've made so many times that you know it will always fit and you can experiment with different fabrics. As we begin to put together our Destiny Wardrobe, we want pieces that we can make in a variety of fabrics. Even though it is the same pattern, each version communicates a little bit of who we are through the careful selection of fabric.

One of our all time favorite TNT patterns is the well fitting Scout Tee, by Grainline Studio.  It is so basic that even a beginning sewist can master it.  It might even be a good introduction to your first set-in sleeve! Over the years we have sewn up many patterns from Grainline Studio and I love them all.

Ok let's get started and discover the magic of the Scout Tee and create Clothes that Matter! Not only is this basic tee a wardrobe must, but by buying the pattern we are also supporting an independent business who cares about all of us! Grainline Studio is a "pattern shop featuring modern, fashion-forward patterns that fit seamlessly into your wardrobe. All of the patterns are drafted with a contemporary fit and they take extra care to provide clearly illustrated instructions that are easy to follow to ensure a professional finish. You can take comfort knowing all of the patterns are drafted and executed by professionally trained team with your ease of use in mind."

The first time I put on this stretch velvet Scout Tee, I was at home in it! It was so nice, Catherine wanted to try it on too! This top looks great on every generation and shape that we come in.

We have made the Scout Tee several times in a variety of fabrics...it's a great layering piece and perfect for our wardrobe, regardless of the season. Tucked in or out, it's a hit!

We love its versatility...you can dress it up or keep it casual.

Laurel has made several as well...our cottons prints are a perfect choice for a casual top paired with jeans or crop pants. Maybe it's time to think about using some of the fabric you have been "saving" for just the right project? This might be it :)

 Teal Silk/Rayon Velvet, Cotton Wovens, Silver Crushed Velvet Knit, Scout Tee Pattern, Silk Velvet

The Scout can also be pepped up in a more luxurious fabric such as silk (perfect under a suit jacket).  But we thought we'd push the envelope even more and try a stretch crushed velvet! I wanted to have an everyday velvet top to wear. This fabric is so beautiful and easy to take care of and doesn't wrinkle. Velvet is also trending right now – we see it everywhere in RTW and that's why you're seeing a large selection at Stonemountain. If you are new to sewing velvet, here's a few hints:

1) If it's your first experience, then choose a crushed velvet.  It is so much more forgiving than a smooth velvet – and you can iron it without worrying about marks. We chose a gorgeous grey and a solid black, both in crushed velvet.

2) Invest in a walking foot or even-feed foot for your machine – it's amazing how simple it is to use on velvet. The walking foot pulls the fabric through from BOTH the top and the underneath feed dogs.  Laurel says she leaves her walking foot on her Viking all the time (she's blessed to have two machines). It also comes in handy for wools and other heavier fabrics.

3) You can serge the seams if you have a serger/overlock machine. This velvet is actually a knit, so there is some stretch to it. A serged seam is great, but a stretch stitch or small zig zag would work just fine too.

The Scout Tee has a simple design – no darts, easy bias neck binding, etc. Here is the inside of my Scout.

Not like we purposely pick out the same fabric, but we do end up with the "twinning" thing going on frequently. Here are the two friends, Colette and Zanikan relaxing in the studio. Notice that Laurel made a longer sleeve on her Scout by just adding length to the pattern.

The Scout calls for a bias strip to finish off the neckline, but you could easily purchase a pre-made bias binding to finish off the neckline.  Or if you are more of an intermediate sewist, you could trace a neck facing off the pattern and make it in another fabric.

I am going to wear this black velvet version 'til it falls apart!!  So in love with it!

Why not try a Scout in an ikat...or a lightweight linen, or soft rayon or even a double gauze? The possibilities are endless!

2018 is really shaping up for us all to make and wear clothes that matter. They are the foundation of building a destiny wardrobe that represents our unique talent, style, fit – and they bring us together as a community around the world. Thank you for all your support both personally and in my store. We truly are making a difference and I can feel the Stonemountain Magic really catalyzing us all to sew to new heights!

Peace, love, and prosperity,
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 #stonemountainfabric #keeponsewing #handmadewardrobe #handmadestyle #slowfashion

Why Independent Patterns - Fabric Lady's 2015 Top Indie Patterns!

As a family owned business, operating in Berkeley for the past 34 years, we love to support other independent businesses, especially when the patterns give us high-quality, unique choices for our wardrobe.

In the past, we have been held hostage to the big companies such as Simplicity and McCall's. Early on in the 1980's they began discounting heavily to the big chains making it very difficult for us to compete with these huge box stores in our own neighborhood - do you remember when they started having 70% off sales? This was part of the reason so many family run fabric stores have gone out of business over the last 3 decades across the United States.

Fast forward to the last few years; many designers have heard our plea for quality patterns that consider our different body types and lifestyles. Now, we have a full selection patterns made by creative and caring people. We love meeting these pattern makers, following them on social media and feeling connected to them when we use their patterns. It brings our sewing community closer together.

Indie Pattern Month and Year 2016 Celebrations
Join us in celebrating the Year of the Independent Pattern in 2016!
We are kicking off the year with a month long celebration in January. Join us each day on our Instagram and Facebook to learn about our independent pattern lines and see what others have created from them.  Stop by our pattern table to view all of the amazing indie pattern lines we stock. You can find them in our store or online - they are all up and available!

To inspire us, I have collected my favorite indie patterns we used this year. Take a look at our round-up and learn more about the patterns in our blogs about them.

I also want to thank my dear friend and collaborator, Laurel of Laurels Quill for all her designing, sewing, blogging and our famous lunches together. The journey would not be nearly as sweet and inspiring without you! What a couple years this has been and I so look forward to the magic of 2016 ahead!

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Uptown Top by A Verb For Keeping Warm

FABRIC: Textured polyester 'Mello' knit 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

Want a top that you can whip out in a few hours?  We found the Uptown Top, a pattern from our newly added indie pattern company, A Verb for Keeping Warm.  It's a simple top to make, especially if you use a soft knit that you don't need to serge or zig zag the seams. The pattern includes three sizes, but even the smallest size is very generous.
This top is so easy, the neck can be finished with its facing or you could use a simple bias strip. We made our Uptown Top with the band at the bottom, making it long enough to wear with leggings.  You can leave off the band and wear it with pants or jeans as the pattern makers suggest.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Uptown Girl: A Quick & Easy Top
  

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Endless Summer Tunic by A Verb For Keeping Warm

FABRIC: Indian block print batik cotton gauze 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

We are all over the ethnic look for this summer.  Some of our imported gauze fabrics from India are just perfect to get that free-flowing look so prevalent in the 60's and 70's.  And the best part is that they never seem to go out of style and are perfect for any age!

 And since we're gaga over gauze, we thought A Verb for Keeping Warm's "Endless summer Tunic" would be fun to make up in a cotton gauze.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Loving the ethnic fabric and free flowing ease! 

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 Cabin Top by Blueprints For Sewing

FABRIC: Rayon Challis 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT: 
Blueprints for Sewing patterns are simple, flattering, comfortable, and classic with an artistic edge. They emphasize functionality and simplicity and feature thoughtful embellishments and adaptable cuts. Each pattern takes its inspiration from an architectural style.

The Cabin Top takes its inspiration from the simplicity of a cabin - a humble structure, built to provide shelter from the elements.  Spending time in a cabin "allows the mind to wander," says pattern maker, Taylor.  Thus, the Cabin top is a simple and functional top that will allow you to make it uniquely your own through fabric choice.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE:
The Cabin Top 

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 Myrtle by Colette

FABRIC: Rayon Knit 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

I've said it before, I love wearing dresses to work!
Separates are still fun to expand your wardrobe, but it's so much easier to pick out a dress from your closet in the early morning hours. I don't have to think about what goes with what. My biggest decisions are what shoes to wear, tights or not, and do I need a sweater?
Dresses are a great uniform! Find a style that you love and make it up in a variety of fabrics. We love that about sewing - you can really make the clothing you wear your own. 
Our independent pattern designers always have something new to chose from when I'm looking for a fresh frock. I love the variety of styles available these days from indie designers. Each designer and pattern has its own personality and flare to inspire you. The Myrtle dress from Colette looked like such an easy, comfortable and elegant style, and I had the perfect knit in mind for it. 

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE:
My Sweet Myrtle Dress 

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Dahlia by Colette

FABRIC: Woven Cotton 'Peppered Plaid'

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:
Colette has added to her easy yet visually interesting designs with the Dahlia dress. We love the detailing at the waist. We chose a soft, but large scale plaid for the Dahlia, perfect for my fall season mood.  Be sure to check out the other colors this "Peppered Plaid" comes in!
Our independent designers shine in the dress design arena, so I enjoy featuring their unique dress designs in my work wardrobe.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE:

A Dahlia For Fall 

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Laurel by Colette

FABRIC: Cotton Ikats 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:
We already made several dresses, a couple of pairs of pants, and even a woven t-shirt. This month we're adding to the "dress revolution" by using Colette Patterns' Laurel dress.   It's a beginner pattern, and several of our staff have already made up this "chic and simple" dress with a semi-fitted shape.
We wanted to make use of coordinating ikat patterns, just to add some cool color blocking to this simple dress.
The dress has a back zipper which allows you to adjust the fit if needed and gives you the opportunity to add a cool contrasting zipper for fun.  It didn't take Laurel long to whip out this dress for a fitting.  I had worn a pair of my favorite leggings that day - I love the combination of dresses and leggings, even in the summer.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Can't Get Enough Ikat?! Neither Can We! 

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The E.S.P. Dress by Decades Everyday

FABRIC: Cotton Print 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

One of our favorite sewing pattern lines for retro and vintage fashion is Decades of Style. Though some of the mid-century dress lines have a lot of seaming detail, such as our Object d'Art Dress from last year, these clever folks have come out with an easy sewing line called Decades Everyday.  It's like they read our minds - "Give me a retro look pattern that I can sew in a day and wear every day!"

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Modern Take on a Retro Dress - E.S.P. by Decades of Style!

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Given A Chance Dress by Decades Everyday

FABRIC: Cotton + Steel Rayon  

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

I chose a soft rayon in a black and white geometric print.  So many of our sewists used two different fabrics - one print or solid for the yoke and a different fabric for the main body of the dress.  I wanted to try making it all in one fabric, but perhaps with a small pop of color. Piping, maybe?
Piping? Yes! We loved this bright chartreuse in 100% cotton. We cut bias strips along the polka dot portion of the fabric then folded and pressed it carefully.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE:  

Give This Dress A Chance!

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Datura Blouse by Deer & Doe

FABRIC: Silk Crepe 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

We love this Deer and Doe Datura sleeveless blouse pattern from France. It's not especially difficult to work up even though the pattern envelope's "Advanced" description must have applied to using fabric with a soft hand, such as silk. (A soft woven cotton or rayon would be a great fabric to try first, if you're apprehensive). We will admit that the pattern instructions are very French - brief and to the point - and they perhaps assume that we are indeed advanced sewists. Even Laurel had to interpret the not-so-detailed instructions, applying construction techniques that she has been using for years.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Developing a "Hand" for Silk - 5 Rules to Follow!

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Scout Tee by Grainline Studio

FABRIC: Cotton Cross Dye 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

This month, Grainline Studio's Scout Tee caught our eye. It's not very often that you find a tee pattern that is designed specifically for woven fabrics, so we thought we'd give it a try.
We chose a soft lightweight cotton lawn.  The pattern has a lower back hemline than the front, short cap sleeves and works up in a jiffy. It's the perfect little tee for the beginning sewist.  In fact, we're even teaching a class specifically on this pattern in August and October!

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Summer Tees

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Morris Blazer by Grainline Studio

FABRIC: Textured Scuba Knit 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:
We're still working on our blog about this pattern, but we've already finished two versions of it! It's already a staff favorite and we have a new class featuring this pattern. Check it out!

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Davie by Sewaholic

FABRIC: Red Ponte Knit

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

The dress features princess seams, a keyhole front and cap sleeves - and no zipper! It's not a difficult dress to make at all, but it takes time to do all the top stitching of the seams.  You could eliminate that step, but we think that's what makes the Davie dress special. This is a dress that you could make in one day (start in the morning and be party-ready by 5:00). It took Laurel about 4-5 hours to complete.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Too Early for a Red Holiday Dress? Never! 

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 Hudson Pant by The Sewing Workshop

FABRIC: Cotton Ikat 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:
The Sewing Workshop's Hudson Pant is very loose fitting, ankle length pant with an elastic waist which are all factors to make this pant super comfortable. Not having to wear tight-fitting pants for work is certainly appealing.
Best part of these pants other than the ninety minutes it takes to make them? The long darts that go from the calf down to the ankle.  This great detailing keeps the comfortable pants from looking too slouchy.
 

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

Can't Get Enough Ikat?! Neither Can We!

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Chloe by Victory Patterns

FABRIC: Cotton Ikat and Cross Dye 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:

I loved this new Victory Pattern, the Chloe No. 1005 Dress.  It is an intermediate level project suitable for woven fabrics like Ikat - other cottons or knits would work too.
We wanted to make our Chloe a little edgy by combining Ikat with a complimentary solid woven fabric. I love the combination of purple and green, especially if the hues are a little "off" color. You might think that this combination doesn't occur in nature, but it does. So why not combine these gorgeous olive Ikat prints with a solid purple woven?  Even though the purple does not occur in the Ikat, it doesn't matter.  The purple gives the olive Ikat that pop of color that will make my Chloe dress unique!

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE:  

Break The Color Wheel!

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 Satsuki by Victory Patterns

FABRIC: Silk Knit 

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT IT:
Here's another of my favorite patterns - Victory's Satsuki dress. We've made it as both a dress and a top.  I love the comfort and style of this design. (Are you starting to see a pattern here - "comfort" and "ease?") But I also love the femininity of this design.  Whatever your body type, it will be flattering.
So why mess with success? I found this wonderful silk knit during one of my buying trips and I loved the way the print almost had an ombre look.  I immediately thought of the Satsuki dress.

READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE: 

You Can't Overdo a Good Thing!

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Check out our classes featuring some of these awesome patterns!

Thanks for being a fabric lover and following my blog. 

I would love to hear from you about patterns and your projects!

love and creativity,

Suzan

fabriclady3@gmail.com

Can't Get Enough Ikat?! Neither Can We!

We have been raving about ikat fabric for months now and we still can't seem to get enough of it!  It's such a versatile fabric - easy to sew, unlimited patterns and colors, a wide variety of weights to suit your style and season, and so different from everything in other stores!  Check out the selection we have in our online or—even better—stop by and visit the Wall o' IKATS at Stonemountain & Daughter!

We already made several dresses, a couple of pairs of pants, and even a woven t-shirt. This month we're adding to the "dress revolution" by using Colette Patterns' Laurel dress.   It's a beginner pattern, and several of our staff have already made up this "chic and simple" dress with a semi-fitted shape.

We wanted to make use of coordinating ikat patterns, just to add some cool color blocking to this simple dress.

The dress has a back zipper which allows you to adjust the fit if needed and gives you the opportunity to add a cool contrasting zipper for fun.  It didn't take Laurel long to whip out this dress for a fitting.  I had worn a pair of my favorite leggings that day - I love the combination of dresses and leggings, even in the summer.

The fit was great, but we both agreed that it need to be shorter, so we sent it back to Sacramento with Laurel. Once she shortened the hem, I still felt it lacked the final detail to make it a really special dress, so Laurel suggested pockets!

Colette's version has a curved pocket, but we decided a square patch pocket would better suit this "square block" pattern.  Laurel added a little strip of the white ikat to better integrate the contrasting pocket and matched the ikat pattern, too!

Just what this dress needed!  Can't wait to strike out in this sassy piece. The sleeve reminds me of the cute clothes I used to wear when I was a kid playing in my dad's fabric store.

The Laurel! 

                 

 

Belted or unbelted? Both ways are great!!!

What other garments can you make with our beautiful ikats? Pants!

The Sewing Workshop's Hudson Pant is very loose fitting, ankle length pant with an elastic waist which are all factors to make this pant super comfortable. Not having to wear tight-fitting pants for work is certainly appealing.

TIP:  Because ikat is a woven design where the pattern is on both side of the fabric, instead of a printed design, it is best not to assume that it is the exact same design on both sides of the fabric.  For this ikat, we noticed there was the subtlest difference in both sides of the fabric - once side had a touch more of the black threads showing. Make sure you pay attention to this ikat fabric detail when you're putting together your garment.

Best part of these pants other than the ninety minutes it takes to make them? The long darts that go from the calf down to the ankle.  This great detailing keeps the comfortable pants from looking too slouchy.

Love these Pants - made up 3 times now!

Love the detail on the leg for these Hudson Pants - so easy to wear and sew!

To complete the casual look for these pants, we found this great dark red cotton with a fabulous and yet subtle texture to make the woven Scout Tee, one of our new "go-to" patterns from Grainline Studio.

Great Fabric + Inspiring Pattern = Successful Sewing! 

Love Love Love the Scout Tee!

How can it get any better than this?

Now I know which is my back and front!!!

Great when friends stop by to visit!

Laurel and Suzan on a good day!

It's been so wonderful to see so many great designs available in current patterns!  We love how easy and wearable they are. Yes, we can sew and create the wardrobe of our dreams! The quality of fabric is the best it's ever been at Stonemountain & Daughter and now that the patterns are catching up, it is opening up a world of inspiration and sewing! Join us in the Garment Sewing Revolution - Sew Local and Sew Berkeley!

Here is a sneak peak of my next Laurel Dress! Sewing is the greatest!

We just love to have fun with using the selvages!

P.S.  Have you heard that Stonemountain & Daughter has a swatch packet you can get through the mail or in our store? Check our our new Fall 2015 Capsule Collection Swatch Packet!

Creatively yours,

Suzan

a.k.a. FabricLady