Fabric Friday: Plaid Home Decor

I realize this is a Saturday but I forgot to post what will now become Fabric Friday!

Found this beautiful plaid at my local fabric store last weekend. It is a heavyweight home decor print. Nice and sturdy for a tote. Just need to decide whether to accent with black or brown faux leather. What do you think?

Lovely new fabric

I've been on a bit of spending freeze when it comes to new fabric lately. I have so much quilt weight cotton in stock, I could line hundreds of bags with it. However, I am always on the look out for home decor weight canvas for the outside of my bags. I just don't use lighter cottons for the outside of purses anymore - it's not practical or durable. And there is such a great selection of heavier weight fabrics now!

I used to buy tons of fabric from Hawthorne Threads but they only have a small selection of home decor weight. When I saw that they stocked some of these beautiful coloured denims, I pounced on them right away.

Crossroads Denim by Amy Barickman

They are not as thick as the denim I normally use but the colours are wonderful. I just need to decide what I will use them for! They are also washed which means they are very soft to the touch.

I also found some great organic canvas from a shop on Etsy called Sew Fine Fabric. I normally would not splurge on Organic fabric like these but they are gorgeous and she had a 30% sale with flat shipping rates that couldn't be beat.

The Line Leaf prints on the left are from Cloud 9 and the 2 on the right after from The Grove collection by Jay-Cyn for Birch.

Again, my problem is deciding how to use them. I will not be able to afford to buy more so I must use them carefully. If you love fabric like I do, it is SO painful to cut into that fresh yardage for the first time.

Ribbons

When I saw all of the beautiful ribbons available on Etsy, I went a little crazy and ordered quite a few. I just couldn't help myself - I love the colours, the textures, the patterns. So many possibilities! Depending on what you make of course.

I just received this stack of ribbons in a 1 inch width from Les Bon Ribbons on Etsy and they are really fabulous (except for the bright lime green one which I thought was going to be pale yellow):

Now I need to figure out how to use these. I sometimes add them as an accent on a bag which I could do again. Or I could incorporate them into clutches and wristlets? Time to brainstorm!

Japanese Fabrics

These beauties arrived in the mail yesterday. I just love the colours, the texture and the patterns of Japanese fabrics.

I am just finishing up some smart phone wristlets and then I really want to tackle some projects with these. I can't decide - smaller clutches/wristlets or accent pieces on large bags?

If you are interested in snapping up some of these prints for yourself, you can find them at FabricMade on Etsy.

Leather and Vinyl Faux Leather

This week I'm going to be trying something very different and out of my comfort zone. I will attempt to sew leather bags as well as some beautiful vinyl "faux" leather bags. Anyone who has followed me since I first started my Etsy shop knows that I am always changing the styles of bag I sew as well as the materials I use. I was not looking to start using leather but let's just say that these hides sort of fell into my lap. I have been hesitant to use leather because I am an animal lover myself so I will have to try not to think of what I am sewing with.

I have 4 half hides (I believe they are cow hide but again, trying not to think about it too much!) in a very, very soft black, a red, a dark charcoal grey and a medium brown that has this fabulous texture. I believe I will have enough to make one bag in each and 2 in the dark grey but I can't make any commitments here since I have not examined them closely for flaws yet. Plus, I will likely make mistakes!

They all feel rather soft to the touch, especially the black hide. The brown one has almost a patent leather feel to it so I will need to chose a style of bag that will work with its stiffness.

I also found some great vinyl faux leathers for those who are not interested in leather. These are the same price as canvas for me so the cost of these bags will likely be very close to what I am charging for my canvas bags. I picked out 4 colours and textures that I found most interesting and appealing. These are great because they are durable like leather but the cost is much more reasonable and they are easier to work with.

Top to bottom I have a reddish brown with this great pebbled texture, the black has a basket weave pattern, the medium brown looks like standard leather grain and the blue/grey (steel blue??) also has the standard leather texture.

I have a custom doll to sew and then I am starting on some tests. I have already determined the perfect stitch length, thread tension and needle for my machine. Next I will be designing some patterns that are a bit more suitable for working with these materials. I am so excited!!

Pretty ribbons

I love it when I get gorgeous new supplies in the mail. I've already got plans for these beautiful new ribbons from Les Bon Ribbon on Etsy.

Floral Sakura in Waterfall

Look what arrived in the mail today! So very, very pretty. And the fabric addict in me LOVES that selvedge. :)

Great new fabrics, some new ideas but no time

Well, I am just finishing up my Christmas orders plus I have the largest bridal order EVER (10 clutches!!!) but I just had to show off the most adorable fabrics I have just received. First is this great fabric called "Aux Champs Elysees" in Black from "L'Amour de la vie" collection.

I also received all of these fantastic prints from Khristian A Howell's latest collection: The Woodlands.

And then last of all, I ordered a few prints from Creative Thursday's "Meet the Gang" collection:

As for my ideas - I don't want to give anything away yet. I need to do more research and sew some samples but I'm going to try and focus a bit more on perfecting a few select items instead of spreading myself so thin. Stay tuned!

Boo!

Is it too early for Halloween fabric? I don't think so. Especially when you are as talented at procrastinating as I am. So today I bought this fabulous little bundle from my favourite fabric store:

This collection is called "Boo to You" from Riley Blake Designs. I always, always love Riley Blake fabrics. They never disappoint. I will be making the kids some trick or treat bags with these this year. Get your own bundle at Venezie Designs.