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

It's why we sew...

A few weeks ago my seamstress and friend Laurel came down for one of our fitting/lunch/wardrobe planning days at Stonemountain. Over lunch she recounted a window shopping day she had recently, on the search for a dress to wear to her high school reunion this coming fall. In fact, her hubby' reunion in Texas is later this year, so she was on the hunt for some ideas - you know, one of those smashing little dresses that will make the old girlfriend ever so slightly jealous (LOL!).

Even if we make the majority of our wardrobe, sometimes we just want to see how ready to wear styles might look on our frame. That's why we window shop, trying on dresses to help us imagine what we might wear to a special occasion.  If we're lucky, we might even score a new dress off the rack. But because we sew and are able to recognize quality fabrics and good workmanship when we see them, even window shopping can be a disappointment. Laurel's recent expedition was not without challenges.

First, how do you even find anything? 

With the sheer number of choices, you would think you should be able to find one dress you like...

Second issue: who wants to show up for the party looking like everyone else?

You want something unique, but most of us who are of a certain age 

can't imagine some of today's "styles" working on our bodies...

For Laurel, many of the designs were not suitable for the "knock 'em dead" look she was after. We can image wearing this simple sheath design, but its way too corporate business looking for a party...

This fabric was unique and feminine, BUT unless you're twenty something,
it's way too short.

Conclusion: Making the perfect dress is why we sew! When we see a gorgeous piece of fabric,  we imagine all sorts of garments that we could create.  And best of all, we know it's unlikely that we will see someone with the same outfit across the dance floor.  Our creations are unique to us.  They fit us like a glove.  They speak to who we are as designers and sewists.

Two sewists can use the same pattern and just by changing the fabric make the garment unique to themselves.  For instance, we've had this unique La Fred Helena dress hanging in our shop for quite some time, but it just caught Laurel's eye this month.

Laurel chose a gorgeous rayon knit to make one for herself. 

You won't find this print in the department stores, so her dress will be uniquely her.
It won't be worn for her reunion, but it's a perfect example of why we make our own dresses instead of buying off the rack.

                 

I too love a dress that will speak to the Berkley girl that I am.  Sometimes the pattern is classic but a fresh take on fabric brings it to life all over again. For instance, take this Boho Chic look that's been around for ages: Vogue 9124.

Let's make it up in a gorgeous rayon border print. 

 I can't wait to see how Laurel works the fabric's border into the design!

The fall season is just around the corner, so it was inevitable that we would get distracted away from the "Reunion Dress Mission".  Fall speaks to each of us in different ways - the colors and textures of fall fabrics are infinite. We chose this silk knit first because of its unique color block pattern.  So why not pair it with a solid fabric and make a color blocked top with Vogue 9067 to wear with some nice black jeans?  So very fall...so very Laurel! 

After our day of wardrobe planning and dreaming, we still didn't find the right look for Laurel's two reunion events this fall, but we were off to a good start with this fabulous silk...it's definitely a show stopper.  Stonemountain often stocks these one-of a kind fabrics - I think a long flowing maxi skirt could be the ticket. It's a definite "maybe".

There's nothing complex about picking out just the right look and fabric for a special occasion:  You go with what strikes your fancy. Fabric speaks to those of us who listen. The option of facing jammed aisles of ready made dresses is often overwhelming - it's so "noisy". But a wall of beautiful fabrics...touching them...holding them up to our face; we can see the image of our garment start to take shape. We are creating something uniquely us...an outward expression of our inner soul and spirit - it's almost magic.

And it's WHY we sew.

Creatively yours,

SuZan

Cabin Top

Take a look at some of the fabulous garments we have been creating - you just can't buy these in the stores! What are you ready to make for Fall?

         

Given a Chance Dress!

                             

Give this Dress a Chance!

Just for fun, we started a promo in July to feature Decades Everyday Given A Chance Dress, a sweet sleeveless shift that "could be your favorite dress year-round."  We invited our customers and staff to join in the fun by making up this easy dress and wearing it into the shop. Customers who participate will take home a free Decades of Style pattern to add to their collection.

The response has been amazing! It's been a true joy to see how one dress can have so much personality and bring a community together.

We will wrap up the whole event on September 16th with a finale party at Noon.  Needless to say, we've seen so many versions of this dress already and we haven't really started - cotton, silk, rayon - all beautiful creations, each with the sewist's own brand of style and flair!

I have a dream to see all of us in a photo at noon on the 16th! Please make up a dress and pop on by!

After seeing some of the initial  versions of this dress on our Staff and on many customers, I knew I wanted to give it a chance too.

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.

The Given a Chance Dress is an easy pattern to work up - it consists of two sections: the lined top yoke and the body of the dress.  And it has my favorite feature - in-seam pockets!

Laurel lined the inside front yoke with the contrasting cotton just for fun.

The dress body has a unique design element - two bust darts on each side.
These double darts look great on everybody!

Adding piping as a design element takes a little more time, but it is not difficult.  I chose not to add cording to my piping.  I wanted it to lay flat, which made Laurel happy - it certainly makes the application a lot easier.  The trick to making your piping width even is to apply the piping to one side of the seam edge, in this case the top of the dress front, and then use that stitch line as a guide when you sew the yoke and dress together.

One...

Two...

And Three...perfect!!

Sometimes the best things about your hand sewn garments are the slightly hidden details and embellishments that you add...like the addition of the piping fabric to the inside of this in seam pocket.  You can only see it when you put your hands inside...but YOU know it's there.

So glad that we added the piping.  It's totally me!

 

Be sure to come in today and get your Given a Chance Dress pattern soon and be ready to show it off at the store.  I can't wait to see what you all create!

Link over to our Stonemountain Blog to read more about the Given a Chance Dress and our promotion/event happening until September 16th. We will do a special blog post after the September finale party to highlight all the versatile and beautiful dresses.

Hope to see you all at noon on September 16th for a photo with Janet, the local designer of this extraordinary pattern and line of designs!

Creatively Yours,

Suzan
email me at fabriclady3@gmail.com
I love to hear from you!

Be Creative with Border Prints!

Some sewists shy away from border printed fabrics because they can't figure out a way to incorporate the design into their garment. In addition to the design challenges, it usually takes more of the fabric to work the border design into the pattern, as borders are traditionally only on one edge of the fabric. But we love a challenge, and we find that working with border prints can add a new dimension to a otherwise plain pattern design. My father, Bob Steinberg, always said "a good border print turns you into a designer!"

Inspiration from the High Style exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum!

A case in point: a basic pants pattern can become a statement garment just by using a border print. The palazzo pants that we're so in love with would be even more stunning by incorporating a border print on the legs. I love getting creative with how the fabric can be laid out to create new design looks!

Border Print ideas!  Fabrics from left to right, top row - all available at my store, Stonemountain & Daughter in Berkeley:  Alison Glass batik, Cotton + Steel Hatbox lawn, Alexander Henry Stockholm cotton, Alexander Henry Frida cotton.  From left to right, bottom row:  Cotton + Steel Mustang cotton, Alexander Henry Djada Border cotton, Cotton + Steel Mochi cotton lawn, Alexander Henry Big City Print.

I also found a great way to use a border print on my new drapey top, New Look #6268.  What a perfect use for that soft, beautiful rayon! I love this top so much and want to make it again and again! It looks great belted or loose and flowing.

Laurel found our minty Cotton + Steel border print, designed by Rashida Coleman Hale.  This sporty fabric is like a cross between denim and linen.  It's still soft after a washing and yet it remains "weighty." Being the Leo that she is, she loved the touches of metallic gold.

Scattered Mint

Since the fabric is 44" wide, turning a pants pattern piece to fit on the width of the fabric works well - unless of course you have a 36" inseam.

We should mention that Laurel makes a lot of her own patterns, and her own go-to pants pattern is used over and over again, usually just modifying the leg length or width. She wanted a jeans look to her Cotton + Steel pants, but didn't want the traditional jeans styling. Her idea was to use something like New Look's 6163 pattern style, as she wanted a zipper and darts at the waist, rather than her favorite elastic waist.

If you have a favorite pants pattern, you can reinforce it by applying fusible interfacing to the back with a dry iron - we got that hint from Sandra Betzina in her last class here at Stonemountain. Laurel's pattern is in inexpensive cotton muslin, so it lays easily on the Cotton + Steel fabric. For these pants, she narrows the width of the pants legs and places them on the fabric with the border at the bottom of the legs.

Remember how we talked about incorporating the selvage edges of fabrics into your design? (See our post on Show us your Selvage Edges!)  Like many designer fabrics, the edges often have the name of the manufacturer and/or designer stamped along the selvage. And this Cotton + Steel fabric has a great selvage edge that would add to the casual jeans look Laurel was after.  Besides the printing, the very edge has a soft frayed look - perfect for jeans! So why not use it?

Laurel incorporated the selvage edge into the design of two front "patch" pockets.  A patch pocket is made by sewing a piece of shaped material to the outside of a garment.  You can make patch pockets any shape and apply them wherever you like on your garment - even if the pattern does not call for them.

Lining the pocket with a lightweight cotton.

The zipper was applied to the back seam, just because she hates side zippers - sound like a personal issue to me! ;) To finish the un-banded waistline, think about using double fold bias tape as a facing.  It has some give to it, since its cut on the bias, but it's sturdy enough and works great on the curved nature of a the waistline.

With the addition of another patch pocket on the leg (cargo pants style), these "jeans" are rockin'!

And here's the fabric designer's name!

Her only regret is that she got the idea to incorporate a patch pocket using the selvage edges after she had already cut out the pants - so the legs would have been too long by leaving the raw edge at the hemline. Would have been cute, though!  But that's the best part of sewing - using your creativity to change up your design as you go along.  You learn by trial and error.  So now that you know how you might incorporate the selvage edge into your pants design, you're already ahead of the game.  Let your imagination by your guide!

One of our students, Kathleen, used the fuchsia version of Cotton + Steel's linen/cotton blend in a Sandra Betzina Vogue vest pattern, #1453. She made clever use of the gold borders as well!

So cute!  Even if you've never used a border print before, we hope this shows you how great they can be!  Using a border print can really get your imagination going, since you may have to slightly alter a pattern or adjust your cutting layout.  But once you've figured it out, the results are beautiful, and the right border print can bring any garment to the next level.

Have you used a border print before?  Show us your pictures or better yet, stop by the store to show us all!

Creatively yours,

Suzan

a.k.a. Fabriclady!