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Welcome To Harts Fabric Blog
Friday, May 18, 2012
Sewaholic patterns are becoming very popular very fast! They came out of nowhere and now I see more and more people blogging and making Sewaholic patterns. I am very excited about this! It is inspiring to see a young women start a business doing something she loves and then become successful at it. How cool is that?
Tasia who is the owner/creator of Sewaholic patterns did just that. She started a small independent pattern company based out of Canada and features a pattern line of wardrobe essentials for the pear-shaped woman. Her most recent pattern is the called the Cambie dress, which is named after a street in Vancouver. From work to weekend, this dress has you covered! The Cambie Dress is a
fitted, fully lined dress with a gorgeous sweetheart neckline and
flattering built-in cap sleeves. Great when you want the coverage of a
sleeve but the comfort of a sleeveless dress! It has two skirt options; a full skirt with inseam pockets and a classic a-line. Having two skirt options with one bodice is time-saving (if you plan to
make both dresses) because you’ll only need to fit the bodice once.
This pattern works with a variety of fabrics, from cotton voile to wool blends. A grey silk herringbone wool blend says professional, while a tomato colored cotton Swiss dot is ready for fun. The softer the fabric, the better it will work for the gathered skirt. Fabrics with more body look better sewn up into the A-line skirt version.
Labels: a-line skirt pattern, beginner pattern, cambia dress, diy fashion, dress pattern, full skirt pattern, independent pattern, sewaholic patterns, sewing, tasia sewaholic patterns
by: Harts Fabric
 
Thursday, May 17, 2012
We just received the mother load of fantastic and phenomenal costuming fabrics and right in the nick of time because so many fun summer costume events are right around the corner. So, in life there is the stipulation that you are only allowed to wear costumes once a year, well my fiends, this is simply just not true. In the teens of the 21st century we have come to realize that there are many events that costumes are required that have nothing to do with Halloween, plus costumes are fun!
Here in California there are several events that transpire in spring and summer that are costume worthy. The First being Bay To Breakers in San Francisco. This is a race that takes place in May every year and it starts near the Bay Bridge and ends at Ocean Beach (breakers). This year is the 101st Bay to Breakers race and San Francisco always adds great flare and color to this race with colorful and creative costumes. The race starts at 8:00 am on Sunday May 20th so hurry up and get your costumes... like... yesterday! So if you don't make bay to breakers this year there is also the Wharf to Wharf race that is right here in Santa Cruz, it's a little tamer then bay to breakers but you still see some great costumes!
Comic-con is July 12th to 15th in San Diego and if there is a place to bring out your inner super hero or comic icon it's there! This is a great place to show off your awesome costuming skills while appreciating the art of comics and just a fun place to people watch. Here is a taste of just some of the amazing costumes you'll see.
Burning Man is also right around the corner! Burning man is August 27th through September 3rd so you've only got three months to plan everything! Including making your costumes! Burning man is a place to let your inner freak flag fly so hoist it high and be proud of your inner goddess, or god.... or guy in a fur coat.... or chick with awesome wings!
If you can't make it to any of these events you can always dress super patriotic for the 4th of July or throw a costume party for you and your friends just because you can. Have fun with life and make a costume for every occasion!
by: Harts Fabric
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
 These days there are great new independent pattern companies everywhere! From Colette to Sewaholic you will find the cutest and most user-friendly patterns around but, over are the days when you can buy a pattern for a few bucks. That's is why its important to learn different techniques for preserving your patterns so you can use them over and over again. After all, wouldn't you love to pass on your retro Decades of Style Patterns to your little sewers when they grow up!
There are so many different ways to help you preserve your patterns so we have compiled a list of great techniques and blogs to look at! Choose the best one for you or try them all!
 Have a particular pattern that fits just right. You can use that pattern as a base for many other designs by tracing it on stiff Manila paper and cutting it out.
We saw an awesome tip on Colette's blog about how you can use freezer paper to cut out your patterns! It's a really great idea and would work wonderfully for light weight fabrics that move around a lot. Check out more about that here.
Make a marker! Marker paper is a great tool to use on fabrics that have lines or checks that you want to match up and perfect for bias cut patterns. Trace your pattern pieces onto the marker in the exact layout you will use to cut your fabric. Marker Paper coming soon to Hart's Fabric so keep your eye out for it.
Iron a lightweight interfacing to your tissue paper pattern pieces so they don't rip or wrinkle so much over time.
Trace your pattern pieces on clear vinyl. Make sure you transfer all markings including darts and grain lines. This technique works awesome when you want to match strips and checks because your can see the fabric under the pattern piece!
There are many ways of tracing pattern pieces. You can use tracing paper, butcher paper, pattern paper or you can trace directly onto the fabric using chalk! Here are some great tutorials illustrating these ideas.
Here are some helpful tools you might need!
Good Luck with your pattern endeavors!
P.S. All patterns are 10% off this week!
by: Harts Fabric
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Multi-talented Harts employee Dana has been making oodles of adorable baby accessories for her expecting friend, and the latest of the bunch are these uber-cute nappies, or diapers made using organic fabrics and a Favorite Things nappy pattern. These cloth diapers are machine washable and reusable, making them an Earth friendly alternative to disposable diapers. However, for those who prefer the convenience of disposable options, Dana says that just the outer portion of these nappies make a totally cute and comfortable cover for generic store-bought diapers.
Dana chose organic fabrics to match the eco-friendly theme of reusable diapers. Her choices included the Lorax stripe in Earth, Across the Pond English Plantain fabric, a bamboo and cotton striped knit, and a print from Circa 53. Each of these nappies features a removable, washable liner made of diaper flannel, elastic leg holes and adjustable Velco closures.
These little guys have been getting a lot of attention in the store, and there has been talk of making a class for these nappies and other baby items. Are you interested in a class for these cuties? Stop by the store, or leave us a comment. We'd love to hear your opinion!
by: Harts Fabric
Friday, May 11, 2012
 
  
We started carrying Jamie Christina patterns a couple months ago and they are already very popular at our store. Julia made the Honey pattern both ways, as a dress and a top. You can check out that blog post here. Also, Dana will be teaching a two-part summer dress class using the Honey pattern. For more info on the class click here.
Jamie Christina sewing patterns are written in such a
way so that both the experienced and beginning sewer can enjoy the
process and end product. Each pattern is written with concise
instructions, detailed illustrations, and practical engineering for the
home sewist.
Nothing is assumed by Jamie when designing her patterns,
which is why a glossary of terms defining techniques and words
accompanies every pattern. Jamie Christina patterns are a tool for the fashion enthusiast to express their creative
artistry through sewing.
When asked in an interview with Sewing World Mag
to describe her style and target audience she answered, "The style of my
patterns ranges from vintage/retro to bohemian. I make my sewing
patterns for the emerging sewer who doesn’t want to wear what everyone
else is wearing. She also doesn’t want to spend days working on the
pattern. She wants the pattern to be basic and straightforward with
amazing results. She wants to make clothes for herself but wants others
to think that she purchased it from a clothing boutique. When people
ask where she purchased her clothing, she enjoys telling them that she
made it herself."
Hope this inspires you to make your own version of a Jamie Christina pattern. Happy weekend everybody!!!
by: Harts Fabric
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The hot weather is here at last! It's time to break out the barbecue, lawn chairs, and outdoor furniture! If you're like most of us here at Harts, the old outdoor patio set is looking pretty old and drab so it's time to freshen it up.
It's amazing how much of a difference a new fabric can have on an old chair and the great thing about outdoor furniture is, it generally requires a lot less work to re-do than an old chair or couch. Want to see a great tutorial about how to sew cushions? You can find a truly amazing one here! I love the idea of doing box cushions in a solid color for your chairs and couch. But keep it exciting with some throw pillows. You can add all sorts of fun and funky prints using only about a half a yard each! I think these prints below would make great pillows!
Get your outdoor fabrics this week and get 10% off!
by: Harts Fabric
Monday, May 7, 2012
  Knitting can be therapeutic to your soul and also productive at the same time. There's something relaxing about making these stitches and hey, a therapy session that end with you having a cute sweater, scarf, hat or whatever it is your making then sign me up! We have a beautiful selection of yarns and a through supply of knitting supplies here at Hart's.
We carry some of the most fabulous yarns like the classic Cascade Yarns that come in different styles and are affordable and high quality. These yarns are great for beginning knitters and come in so many different colors that the possibilities your creative mind can come up with is endless.
We also carry yarn for knitters with champagne taste. We have the highly coveted Twinkle Chunky yarn that feels like happy, yes if you could physically feel something "happy" this would be it. This yarns feel so soft and luxurious and knit up so fast and beautiful. These yarns make wonderful scarfs and fashion knitting projects.
If your not convinced that knitting is something you should take up well then take a look at out Madeline Tosh yarn selection. These yarns are hand dyed, meaning each dye run is different and a limited edition dye run. You can be one of the most unique knitters in town.
So now since your convinced to start knitting or want to take your skills to the next level then make sure you look at our selection of books to beef up or learn this skill.
If your a local reader then you should defiantly try out one of our knitting classes. Our instructor Dana is an amazing knitter and she's also a wonderful teacher and loves sharing her knitting wisdom. Our class schedule is available here and we have lots of basic and more advanced classes for any knitting skill level.
by: Harts Fabric
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