Jumping into 2017 - Our Year for Sewing for Ourselves!

January 2017...Without a lot of fanfare, we usher in a new year. We like to think that 2016 will be a tough act to follow but really, we are as excited about the coming year as ever. We could do a lot of planning and deep thought, sharing all our aspirations, resolutions and strategies for 2017, but why not just jump in and get started!

I love how Laurel decides what to make for our first garment of 2017. Always the practical dreamer, she studies the work studio, checks out the equipment and notes the last color used on the serger - maroon. That settles that -  let's make something that will match this thread!

It may seem cool for this soft lightweight lawn, but how we love wearing it! (And isn't that why they invented layers?)

We chose Liesl & Co.'s "Gallery Tunic". These easy flowing shirts look so great with jeans. It's a great pattern to start off the new year for any body type. The pattern features a simple one piece collar and three-quarter length sleeves.

Interfacing always comes first when starting a new garment.  Laurel keeps a pretty good stash of interfacing on hand - it's always a good idea to purchase more than you need for a particular garment so that you can build up a collection to draw from whenever you need to add body to a collar or placket.  There is nothing more frustrating than getting all ready to sew and realize that you have to drive to the fabric store because you forgot to get interfacing. We keep a large selection of interfacing on hand here at the store and also available in our web store! I like to think that we have the best interfacing selection around. Look for an upcoming blog from our Stonemountain blog on interfacing soon!

We chose a woven fusible interfacing as our fabric is quite lightweight. It will be placed in the collar and the front placket facing.

The Gallery Tunic works up fairly easily - placket front, shoulder seams, collar, sleeves, side seams and hem.

Oh Snap!!!

Why not just jump in and make something new? Even if it's been a while since you've sewn, just throw the cover off the machine and GO! Don't over think it, don't worry about whether it "goes with anything" or if it might be challenging.  Half the battle of sewing is just starting.  Once you begin on a new project, feel the purr of the sewing machine and touch the folds of the fabric, it all comes back to you. And once again, all is right with the universe.

Do stay tuned to our 2017 adventures, here on Fabriclady as well as our Stonemountain Blog - we will continue to focus on our independent designers, capturing their vision in yummy fabrics and inspiring you to try new styles and learn new techniques.

If you aren't on Instagram, you may want to join all of us sewists there! It's easy and fun to follow and get inspired by what everyone in our worldwide community is doing. You can follow me at fabriclady3 and my store at stonemountainfabric.

Thank you for your continued support and  Happy sewing!! It's going to be a rockin' New year!!

Love and gratitude,

Suzan

Rainy Day? Make a new Spring Bag!!!

Give me a cloudy or rainy day, and I want to settle into a cozy chair with a book. There's something about the sound of the rain outside my window that lulls me into a happy place, free from the distractions of everyday life. As a fabric shop owner, I don't get to do this very often, and even when I do, thoughts of fabrics, patterns, accounts, staff and wholesalers creep into the plot of my novel.

For many of our readers and customers, rainy days are their favorite time to sew, perhaps start a project that they can finish in one sitting. Making a purse or bag is a great rainy day project and we have a simple bag that even a beginning sewist can try.

Read on...From my seamstress Laurel:

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My "no-pattern" Spring Bag

A few years ago, a friend gave me a fabric bag that she had made for me to celebrate the birth of her daughter. My friend's daughter got the big diaper bag version, and I got a cute little red and black toile purse with my initial in red.  I loved it so much that I used it to make a series of bags and purses, leaving behind the pricey leather purses that I purchased then ended up abandoning to my closet.

The beauty of the this bag is its simple design - no zippers or irritating compartments...just the right mix of size and space. Its best feature are the longer straps to throw over your shoulder and the inside pocket. And you don't even need a pattern to make it!

Choose a weightier fabric for the body and straps and a lighter cotton fabric for the lining and inside pocket -  a half yard of each should do the trick. For my Spring bag I chose a heavier cotton denim-like print and a lightweight quilting cotton from Australia (Stonemountain has a big group of amazing Aboriginal artwork on high quality cotton) for the lining at Stonemoutain.

The second thing I love about this bag is that you can make it any size you want.  

Here are the dimensions I used:

If you want to add more weight and body to your bag, you can inner-line it with a light weight cotton batting (used for quilts) or felt - it's a matter of preference and planned use for the bag. Whichever you choose, cut it a little smaller (one inch) in the width of your fabric. The inside pocket works best if you use a fusible interfacing to give it more stability, cut in the same dimensions as your pocket fabric.

The construction is simple. Sew three boxed shapes - one outer fabric, one inner lining and one lining.  They all fit together in layers.  To construct each box, first sew the two side seams by folding your fabric in half with right sides together, then construct the box shape by squaring off the corners.  To do this, fold the corner down flat so it looks like a triangle with the side seam down the middle. Draw a line perpendicular to the side seam and stitch along this line.  Trim off the excess seam allowance.  This make your bag more three-dimensional than flat.

Turn the bag right side out and stitch along the edge of the purse bottom to help it hold its shape.

 Repeat the construction process with the optional inner-lining. 

I sewed the seams flat on the felt just to keep the layers from getting too bulky.

Here's the outer fabric and felt inner-lining.:

Before you construct the box shape in the lining fabric, the inside pocket is constructed and sewn onto the lining.  Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the pocket fabric and proceed sewing the pocket by sewing all sides, leaving a small opening to turn the fabric. Press the pocket, then top stitch along the folded edge, which will become the top opening of your pocket.

Attach the the pocket to the lining fabric at the top edge, about 3" down and evenly spaced between the sides, sewing only the sides and bottom of the pocket.  Don't forget to back stitch at the tops of your pocket for added strength.

Create "compartments" in your pocket to hold items that you need to find in a hurry - 

your phone, lipstick, pen, whatever!

Once the pocket is finished, sew up the sides of the lining, (fold in half, sew side seams) and construct the box bottom as you did with the outer fabric and inner lining. Place all three layers one inside the other and run a basting stitch along the top edge to hold them in place.

Rather than try to make a "casing" that you have to turn right side out, construct the straps by pressing each side 1/4" then folding the strap together and stitching along the edges. Attach the finished straps to the bag.

Attach the facing to bag, sewing all layers together. Top stitch the facing down at the edge, sewing all layers turned toward the facing - this will help the facing lay flat. Turn the facing toward the inside of the bag, press and then stitch the facing in place, either by machine top stitching or by hand.

I added a "bottom" to the inside of my bag using a cardboard rectangle cut to size, then covering it with my facing fabric.  Creating this bottom keeps the bag in its shape, but it's optional, if you want a more slouchy look.

So here's my "What not to do" moment...I should have added some embellishment to the outside of the bag BEFORE I sewed it together...but I didn't, and the bag ended up being very plain.  So I added my embellishment on the finished bag - a little harder to sew, but it worked.

You can adjust the dimensions of the bag to fit your style and needs. A bigger bag makes a great book bag or a knitting bag...a smaller one makes a cute purse. The fabrics that you chose have more to do with how it turns out rather than the sewing itself.  I think this bag is cute, but I think I made it a little big for an everyday purse. Of course I'll use it anyway - I'm tired of my old one. And it's so simple, I can whip out another tomorrow! If it's raining, that is!

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Thanks Laurel for sharing.  We have so many cool fabrics in the store that would be perfect for making bags and purses. We love the simplicity of this design and she's right - it's the fabric that makes the bag! Come check out our inventory of cottons, corduroys, denims, and other bottom weight fabrics that would be perfect for your bag.

Creatively Yours, 

 SuZan, lucky owner of
Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics
2518 Shattuck Ave @ Dwight Way (stop by!)
or visit our webstore at
Stonemountainfabric.com

Celebrating 34 years of being open in Berkeley!

The Obi Belt - a great Fall accessory!

I love my two Victory "Satsuki" garments...I love the ease and comfort of the summer top we made out of a wonderful tropical rayon batik pattern.

"Totally ready for Maui"

In fact I loved it so much that I wanted to have it made in a dress for my Fall wardrobe.  I chose a silk knit print in reds, slate blue, black and white.  This pattern works so well in a dress length, and is perfect for a day in the store or out to dinner.

When Laurel finished this dress and we placed in the Daughter's Choice area in the the store, a lot of people wanted to know more about the belt and how it was made.

The belt is a contemporary "Obi" sash, a popular fashion accessory back in the 80's.  The traditional Obi is a sash to be worn with Japanese kimonos. The Obi itself often requires the use of stiffeners and ribbons for definition of shape and decoration. There are many types of Obi, most for women - the contemporary women's Obi is a very conspicuous accessory, sometimes even more so than the kimono robe itself. 

I asked Laurel to write a tutorial on how to make an Obi belt.  It is surprisingly easy enough for many of our home sewists. So here you go:

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From the Dressmaker - The Obi sash

Hi all! Laurel here!

Here is one method for making an Obi sash - it is the same method I used to make Suzan's belt for her Satsuki dress.  There are many ways to construct an Obi sash - this is just one:)

I am making my Obi sash using two fabrics - a mock suede front with a polyester knit lining and ties. You can use any combination of fabrics - I like the knit backing as it's easy to stretch around the stiff front of the belt I want to create.

To begin, make a simple pattern, sized to fit one-half the length of your waist. ( I just wish my waist was 28")

Cut out the front panel of the belt in a heavy fabric, such as felt, suede cloth, wool, etc. If your fabric needs some extra stiffness, use a fusible interfacing, cutting it the same size as your belt front. 

Also cut out the back lining of the belt front in a coordinating fabric, but cut it at least 1/2" bigger on all sides of the front panel, so it will become an edging for the belt.

After adhering the fusible interfacing to the front panel, you are ready to embellish the front panel.  You may want to test out some stitches on your fabric to embellish the belt. (You could also sew ribbon strips or other crafty treatments.)

Once you decide on some decorative stitch patterns, go ahead and stitch your front panel.

After your decorative stitches are completed, it's time to sew the front panel to the knitted lining fabric.  Remember that the lining was cut larger.  Sew the front to the lining, lengthwise, right sides together, one edge at a time, leaving the ends open.

Because the underside (lining) is larger than the front panel, a border edging is produced when you turn the front panel right side out.

Now for the ties...cut two strips of the knitted fabric so that when they are sewn in a tie, the width is the same as the ends of your front panel. The ties need to be long enough to go around your waist and tie in the front of the sash.  How long is up to you.

Finish sewing the ties using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  I used a zig-zag stitch as my knit is very stretchy and I didn't want the seams on the ties to break when I tied it around my waist.

Turn the ties right side out for atteaching to the finished front panel of the belt. I keep a water color brush or a bamboo kabob skewer close by to turn my skinny ties.

Pin the ties to the front panel, and machine stitch all the way around the front panel, stitching in the ditch.

Oh SNAP!!! My mini-me, Colette, loves her new Obi Belt!!

Send us pictures of your new Obi belts!!!

Laurel and Suzan
Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics
A Center for Garment Sewing & Quilting
Serving the greater Bay Area since 1976
An old world fabric store for the new age!

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