Samples of Kwik Sew Patterns up in our Store!!!

One of the inspiring things we love to do at Stonemountain & Daughter is show off the many uses of fabric in clothing and quilts! The other day a customer told me that she always looks UP when she comes into our store to check out the latest up on our walls and hanging from the ceiling. I loved hearing that and it inspires me to search for new and exciting displays of garments, quilts and more.

Come check out our exciting sample show of Kwik Sew Patterns hanging on our walls. Here are some photos of what you can see.

4 Generations strong!

I love this photo of my Grandfather and great-uncles! My Dad grew in Steinberg & Sons Fabric business which began in Los Angeles in 1919.

This was a photo in 1967 when my dad opened up the first counter-culture "hippy" fabric store focusing on cotton and natural fibers - a big change from the polyester double-knits that everybody was wearing. We have been buying from companies like Alexander Henry and Hoffman fabrics for over 45 years!

One of the things that drew me into the fabric business with my father, was this long time family connection and contacts that felt so right. When I joined my father in 1981, there were very few women anywhere in the business. We bought from men; men were the sales reps and men owned fabric stores. I doubt the same doors would have been opened to me without my Dad at that time. It has been a privilege to help grow our business into the unique and valuable resource that it has become.

Dad and I are still going strong after 30 years on Shattuck Avenue. Please come see us soon and work with our experienced and helpful staff on your next project.

Wools, Silks, Cottons and way too much more...

Can you feel it in the air? It's time to sew! The store is full and getting fuller every day with the new shipments coming in.

What are you getting ready to sew for fall? We have the best wool, silk and knits ever!

Most of our designer fabrics are coming over from Italy and you won't find them anywhere else. Our long time connections in the apparel industry are really coming through for us. Since all our domestic mills have shut down here in the United States and there are no more protective duties to pay, it's Italy and France for us!

I am sending out a big thanks to all the Fashion Students in San Francisco and the East Bay for coming to Stonemountain & Daughter for their fashion lines!

OK, back to pricing some of the fabric you see in those cartons...hmmm I wonder what's in them? Come find out!

Stonemountain Voted #1 by Parent's Press

We thank all the reader's of Parent's Press Paper for voting our sewing classes #1 for Kids!

We taught over 175 young and enthusiastic seamsters to sew this summer in our Youth Summer Camps.

I am working on the next schedule now for 2012. Maybe you can think of some young person interested.

I have found that this is the most talented generation - so capable, focused, technical and creative - plus they love fashion and to wear clothes that express their individuality!

Check out our classes on our website.

There is a Stonemountain and Daughter

A beautiful day in Berkeley. My Dad coming up on his weekly trek to the store to take care of biz. We have been doing this together since 1981. So much has changed in the fabric business. One of the things is the quality of printed cottons is amazing. Today we got in so many cartons from different vendors: Hoffman batiks and prints, Benartex, Timeless Treasures, Quilting Treasures, RJR and more!

I will start blogging more about the day to day happenings at Stonemountain & Daughter

Celebrating 30 years in Berkeley!

I was recently interviewed and wanted to share the questions and my answers!

1. How is Stonemountain & Daughter different from other fabric stores?

Bob and Suzan Steinberg (Stonemountain translates from Steinberg) are the 3rd and 4th generation selling fabric in California. This family business has long time connections for unique and well priced fabrics for apparel and quilting since 1919. Customers come from all over to explore their vast collections of current cotton, silk, wool, linen, knits, rayons, polys, velvet, fur, yarn for crochet and knitting along with an extensive notion, accessary and pattern department. Our sales staff is knowledgable, experienced and ready to help you with your next project! Stonemountain & Daughter is one of the few independent fabric stores in the country with an expansive program to teach sewing, quilting and knitting. Customers have fun exploring our 3 rooms and two floors - over 6000 square feet in downtown Berkeley!

2. What positive changes have you seen over the years in the fabric business?

The quality of the fabric just gets better and better. The artwork on cotton is amazing and the quality of the cloth they are printed on is superior to what was around 15 years ago. We are getting more and more from Italy, as the Design Rooms shut down in New York and that has been exciting to watch the wools and silks come in from Europe. More and more is coming from China which has been a mixed bag for our industry. The prices were very competitive up until quite recently and now they are manipulating currency and the raw resources and raising prices 25 to 50%. It will be very interesting and potentially disruptive to our industry if this is a long term trend. There are wonderful patterns and notions coming from all kinds of individual creative sources and we are able to move away from big corporations and sell many products that are local!

3. Who are your customers these days?

Our customer is everyone! From the person who needs a button for their vintage shirt to the fashion student at The Academy of Art. Our customers are young, old, hip and straight. Our classes have taught a new generation to sew and have helped us to stay in business through these changing times. From the time we are born and put into fabric till our final days, cloth is a main part of our lives and Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics loves this creative connection with it's community.

4. How does it feel to be 30?

It's amazing! When we first opened our doors, everyone was saying "Oh just what Berkeley needs - another fabric store!" There were so many back in 1981 all over the Bay Area. Now we are among the last in our area and nationally. We are blessed that we have been able to keep listening to our community and what they were looking for. Each week we strive to be better and better and that really fills a need all around us. People come in from all over the world and tell us how special we are and how they wish they had a Stonemountain & Daughter in their community.

5. What do you see in the future for S&D and fabric shops in general?

These are indeed changing times and we are doing our best to ride this wave. It's not easy for an independent store to exist in this day and age. We have seen this trend not only in the Fabric Stores, but in video, books and music stores. We hope to hang on and continue to share our passion for finding great fabrics at fair prices. In general, it doesn't look so good as the industry as a whole is a bit of a dinosaur. It's too bad because this current young generation is finally into sewing and crafting - let's just hope it's not too late.

Welcome my new assistant Kate!

What a summer it's been! I had such high hopes for a weekly blog, but got involved in all the day-to-day intensity of running a fast pace Fabric Store. Please join me in welcoming Kate, my new assistant and creative collaborator! I would love to share her wonderful experience that she had last week. I promise to resume with more stories from our industry and the fun of running a fabric store...kindest regards, Suzan

Kate Ruddle recently wrote:

Last Saturday, I went to my first real fashion show and what a treat it was! Sandra Betzina was showcasing her pattern line – “Today’s Fit” for Vogue. To my delight the “program” was a collection of about thirty patterns that the audience got to see made up in beautiful fabrics and wonderfully finished garments worn by Canada student volunteers.

It was very inspiring to see the fabrics that Betzina chose to go with her patterns. A real stand out was a velveteen skirt with leather piping ! She started her talk by saying how lucky we are to have access to such wonderful fabric in the Bay Area and later in her show recommended StoneMountain and Daughter’s denim in 12-14 oz for her cropped jean pattern (Vogue 1034).

Coats were a real highlight, Sandra Betzina said “ When you look at fashion magazines…Its all about the coat, the bag, and the shoes”, and indeed, my friend and I were particularly taken with her coat patterns. As Sandra encouraged us to get most most mileage out of our sewing skills for this Fall, I perused the program to choose the most wonderful Betzina coat pattern.

I loved pattern 1147 with its long sweep and my friend loved the shorter and more versatile Vogue 1198. I also was inspired by Vogue 1097, her raincoat pattern. It was a short swingy number that transformed with fabric choices: Betzina had made it up as a fun and useful Bay Area raincoat and as second coat in the same pattern as an elegant silk coat.

After the fashion show, Betzina’s gave a half hour lecture demonstrating many wonderful techniques from her new upcoming books. She has so much new knowledge to share that she is releasing two new books – Power Sewing Toolbox 1 and Power Sewing Tool Box 2. She started out with techniques that complement her patterns: rolled hems, fusible thread techniques, and sequins which will be hot for Fall !

I imagine that her lecture will be preview of your evening in October at StoneMountain and Daughter and so I also wanted to share it. There was a continuous collar that seamed on the back instead of at the collar points – a very discrete detail. She also showed a technique to line a wool ribbing pant with tricot that was easy and elegant, and finally a fast and super easy cut away seam for a bulky jacket that gets laid on a ribbon and feather stitched !

Oct. 14 – 6:30-9:30pm $30. Come to an evening of fun -–space is limited so please sign up early– see her samples and learn her new techniques. You will get to see how Betzina intends her creations in the fabrics that she uses and it will inspire your creativity.

You will also want to order Power Sewing Toolbox 1 and Power Sewing Tool Box 2 soon to get the first publishing, which you will receive for the Winter Holidays. The second publishing will be available in January.

~ Kate Ruddle