Fabric Place Basement

There are not a lot of fabric stores around because sadly they are not that popular anymore.  Growing up the two fabric stores that I went to were Fabric Place and Joann’s fabrics.  I still frequent Joann’s often but I have seen them transition to more of a craft store in the past few years and cut back on the fabric.  Fabric Place used to be great, but sadly all stores closed in 2008 after 60 years. I had seen a small ad for Fabric Place Basement and had to investigate.

Fabric Place Basement is located in Natick (across the street from the Natick Mall) and is owned by the grandson of the original owners of Fabric Place.  So today my Mom and I decided to take a trip and see what they had.  I had some hesitations from the outside as the place looked small.  Inside the entrance is a set of stairs that bring you into the basement and it is quite large.

I have to say that I loved everything about Fabric Place Basement.  It was a bit overwhelming at first as there was so much fabric.  The fabric is divided by apparel, home decor and quilting fabric.  I was looking for apparel fabric and they have some really nice, high-end fabrics.  (supersoft lambswool and real leather for $130 a hide)  The selection of trims was amazing, there were so many to choose from.  They also had some great remnant sections ($6.99 a yard for wool and $9.99 a yard for outerwear wool)

I had a partial idea of what I wanted; a light pink fabric with a little stretch for the bodice of a dress that I am planning on making with the fabric that I cut off from Paige’s prom dress.  It took my a long time to find the fabric that I wanted, as I was not sure what type I wanted.  I was looking for something with texture and was also struggling with the shade of pink.  Mom kept picking out whites and really wanted my to get a light blue/black print but I was not thrilled.  The end result was a light pink (the perfect shade) for stretch couture rayon.  It is a subtle pink so the contrast with the black is not too harsh, has a little stretch and thick enough so it is not see through.  In other words exactly what I was looking for.  Since the trims were gorgeous, I decided to pick one for the waistband.  This was a challenge as there were three that I loved but finally decided on the mesh sequin trim as the texture was similar to the skirt fabric. 

I definitely plan on going back soon, along I am not sure when. There prices were decent you can find some really good deals while some other stuff can be a little on the higher side.  My only complaint is that there are no shopping carts, only baskets.  A bolt of fabric does not fit in the baskets, so my arms got tired quickly. (perhaps I should hit the gym to work on that) If you are buying several fabrics you will not be able to carry them all.   I recommend having a particular project in mind when you go and don’t forget to check out there trims.

Flashback Fridays: Houndstooth Obsession

Hello, hello, it is a cold, dark and rainy day here in the Boston area (just like my personality) and all I want to do is put on fuzzy socks, curl up with a blanket and get caught up on my Tivo, which is exactly what I am doing.  That is until my dear friends, Will and Danny arrive and we go out for margaritas.

I have been slacking on Flashback Fridays and I apologize.  (My mother has been emailing every Friday asking what happened to them and I have constantly been ignoring them, sorry Mom)  So to make up for it, I have two flashbacks for you, but they are related.

One of my favorite prints is houndstooth; big, small, medium, black, brown, blue; I love them all.  It is such a classy print and just seems so fall.  So two years ago when I found a dark brown brushed flannel, I had to buy it.  I made a 3/4 sleeve mock dress that is quite warm and necessary for cold New England days.

So last fall, when I was back at the fabric store and saw the same brushed houndstooth, only this time it was in camel.  Again I had to buy it, so I did.  Since I already had a houndstooth dress, I went with a jumper this time, complete with a cowl neck.

I have quite a bit of houndstooth in my wardrobe pants, scarfs, a sweater vest, a dress and jumper.  O yeah, there is also my new houndstooth dress and I am thinking of making a skirt since I have some extra fabric.  So my collection is expanding stay tuned, more may be on the way.

My Favorite New Dress

Sometimes when I design the end result is worse than expected, as expected and very rarely better than expected.  This is one of those times when it came out better than expected.  I bought a black and white houndstooth knit last winter and forgot about it. I recently found this fabric in a bag with my Christmas fabric and decided it was time to do something with it. It is a bit bold, but I love it.  (I have a slight obsession with houndstooth)

I knew that I wanted to make short dress/tunic that could be worn with leggings, but had not figured out all of the details.  I decided to just start making it and see where it went.  One of the challenges in working with a print is matching it up at the seams so the print is continuous.  This requires patience when cutting.  I carefully lined up the print and laid the front and back pieces so they would match up. 

Knits move a bit when sewing, so I carefully matching up the print using lots of pins to keep it in place.  I had the basic construction built but had to decide on the neckline and sleeves. 

The dress did not look like much, but the silhouette was started.  Still undecided on the sleeves, I worked on the neckline.  I was deciding between a cowl neck or a high neck.  I went in the middle with a modified collar.  Since knits are stretchy, I fused interfacing to the collar piece to give it structure.  The collar is a rectangle, but the neckline is curved.  To make them fit together, you need to stitch in a straight line; then clip wedges out along the stitching line.  You want to clip as close to the stitching line as possible without cutting through the seam.  This will make the collar lay flat without puckering.

Now the dress was starting to come together.  I liked the dress sleeveless, but tend to get cold easily.  Long or 3/4 sleeves made the dress look matronly.  (I might be old, but I am not that old)  I settled in the middle, hitting right above the elbow and added a cuff.  Cuffs are quite easy to make; stitch the hem twice as wide as you want the cuff (i.e a 4 inch hem for a 2 inch cuff)  Fold cuff up and tack in place. 

All that was left was the hem, which is actually easier on knits than other fabrics. This dress might be my favorite dress that I have ever made which is a bold statement considering I can not even count the number of dresses that I have made.  It fits well, is comfortable, can be worn casual or dressed up; this dress is a mix between a modern and retro.  It is a departure from my usual preppy look, but for some reason I love it.

Twice as Nice

I have altered several dresses over the years, both for myself and for others. (and many for the PC Theatre department)  There are two dresses that I have altered twice, one a few years ago and one this weekend. On both dresses the first alternation and the second had drastic changes; but in a good way.

The first time I altered Megan’s dress was in the fall of 2008, as she was a bridesmaid in a friends weddings.  The alterations were simple the first time around, just a hem.

A few years later, Megan decided that she wanted to turn the skirt on this dress into a pencil skirt and shorten it. This was a bit more complicated, since the dress had a full skirt.  I cut triangle-shaped pieces out of the skirt, hacked cut off several inches and voilà,

Megan looked quite stunning in her new dress as we headed to the Boston Pops Christmas Show back in 2010. Who says you can’t wear a bridesmaid dress again?

This past spring, I hemmed a prom dress for my friend, Sue’s daughter. (Even on the dress form, the skirt hits the ground as it is my height and her daughter is quite a bit taller than me)

Sue contacted me again a few weeks ago as her daughter is attending a wedding and wanted the dress shortened.  The skirt on the dress is quite full, so I used the handy-dandy hemming tool on the dress form for the first time ever.

I was able to cut the bottom off in one giant piece and then a few snippets to clean it up a bit.  I hemmed the lining and this elegant gown was now a sassy cocktail dress.

I gave Sue a discounted rate on the alterations and in exchange she let me keep the fabric that I chopped off.  Since the skirt was so full, I have about a yard and a half of fabric left.  Now I just need to decide want to make.  I am thinking either a pencil skirt or the skirt on dress?  Thoughts?  Suggestions are welcome.

September, September

It is hard to believe that September is here already, where did the summer go? (Well there was that week spent on LBI with the girls, here I am strolling the beach in my coverup)

Even though there are a few more weeks left of summer, I consider Labor Day the end of summer.  And the weather in the Boston area is certainly making the transition from summer to fall as it is cooling down and the humidity has lifted. I am welcoming fall with open arms (it is my second favorite season) While my summer was filled with lots of fun, it also included a semi-serious knee and eye problems.  Both are on the mend now, just a bit slower than I would have like.  So adios summer and hello fall.

This weekend was spent transitioning from summer to fall, with a little fun mixed in as well.  Saturday I went to the beach with Athena and Slesh; for what will most likely be my last beach trip of the season.  At night, a bunch of us went to Harvard Square to celebrate Athena’s birthday.  I decided to wear my white skirt since after Labor Day that is a no-no.  Not the best decision as I split salsa on it; twice.  But I did get many compliments on my shirt and a few asked if I made it.  (I did not make it, but take it as a compliment that my friends can not distinguish when I buy or design something)

Sunday I packed away most of the summer clothes, and decorated for fall.  I put my fall wreath on the door, lit my new candle (Yankee Candle cinnamon applesauce) and put a few fall things in the window.

I also started a new dress and it is coming out absolutely amazing, but more on that later.  I wrapped up the weekend with a cookout at Kerry and Andy’s; were it got a bit chilly and had to put on my jacket.  Looks like fall is (un)officially here; apple Cider cupcakes, pumpkin rolls, football cookies and more, I say bring it on fall.