Textile Stew: 7/30/10
First up, the winner of the book City Quilts by Cherri House + a Kona solids fat quarter pack is …. Tricia L. (#279)! Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments and for following the tour.
Speaking of Robert Kaufman — a lot of interesting stuff going on lately on their blog, the Swatch & Stitch! Here’s a visit with Diane Zimmerman and info on touring the RK offices, just to point out a couple recent posts.
Two intriguing previews: Bari J.’s book cover and Melissa Averinos‘ new fabric collection!
Oh boy, the Knittn’ Kitten of Portland is now on Etsy! (via Susan)
Melanie of Modern Organic Fabrics answers the question, What Is Organic Cotton Fabric?.
A good read: Zoe of Collette Patterns on The Language of Fashion.
Video of the production of an ikat damask fabric, via Modern Fabrics.
Maiwa has a series of podcasts on textile topics ranging from spinning silk to slow cloth to Yoruban textiles to natural dyes. (via Fibercopia)
Sale Alert Friday: North American Edition
Above All Fabric: Check out our newly re-designed website! All Knits are on sale this week! (through 8/1/10) $5 shipping in the US always.
Aunt Bea’s Fabric: Selected FreeSpirit prints on sale by Valori Wells, Jennifer Paganelli, Martha Negley, Heather Bailey, and Donna Dewberry. All $5-6.60/yard. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Bunte Fabrics: 10% off your order of $75+ and above with coupon code JULY10 or 5% off your order of $10+. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Denver Fabrics: 50% off hundreds of fabrics. Shop by price, $1.99/yd through $7/yard sections. (through 8/2/10)
Dotty Logic: Christmas in July sale on the Beachcomber cotton sateen collection. 10% off any 4 items, 15% off any 8 items, 20% off any 16 items. Fat eighths, quarters. and half yards are available – mix and match! (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
eQuilter: Hot rods, motorcycles, and vintage cars – 10% off, one yard minimum. Clearance novelty & multicolor 45% off. (through 8/1/10)
Fabric Fairy: Inventory reduction sale — 30% off of hundreds of never-before-on-sale fabrics (discount applied at checkout). (through 8/6/10) $5 flat rate shipping always.
Fabric.com: Back to school sale – 20-60% off (through 8/2/10 midnight EDT). Cool summer sale – misc cottons & apparel fabrics discounted (through 8/3/10). 1600 new items added to the clearance section. Free shipping on all orders $35+.
Fabric Shack: Half-price non-express shipping on all orders. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10) Color Basic from Lecien $6.98/yard, and Chick-a-Dee Chick-a-Doo and Cool Cords from Robert Kaufman both reduced to $5.98/yard. (while supplies last)
Fabricworm: 10% off all custom 1/2 yard quilt bundles. (through 8/3/10)
Fabritopia: 35% off all fabric and 50% off every pattern with coupon code supersummer10. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Fashionable Fabrics: Christmas in July sale — all Christmas fabrics $7.50/yard. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Fat Quarter Shop: 40% off Nautical & Nice by Sandy Gervais for Moda Fabrics, and tons more in the sale section. (while supplies last)
Gorgeous Fabrics: All knits on sale, 10-20% off. (through 8/2/10)
Harts Fabric: 10% off silk. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10) Orders $75+ ship free always.
Hawthorne Threads: Taxi by Alice Kennedy $6.99/yard, and dozens more collections discounted in the sale section. (while supplies last)
KOVI Fabrics: $25 off $100 orders and above of designer upholstery fabric witch coupon code JULY25. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Modern Organic Fabrics: Save 20% on your entire order by using the code Another20 at checkout. Shipping dept. closed 8/2-8/8. (through 8/8/10)
Oilcloth Addict: 20% off your order with code Special20 in the “note to seller” box at checkout. (through 8/2/10)
Patternpalooza: Selected patterns from Izzy & Ivy on sale this week. (end date unknown)
Pink Chalk Fabrics: Big summer clearance sale, with designer quilting cottons $2.99-$5.99/yard, home dec fabric $2.99/yard, and sewing patterns as low as $2.98/yard. (while supplies last)
Pink Panda Fabrics: All ModKid Boutique Sewing Patterns $9.99; All FreeSpirit / Westminster yardage 10-30% off. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10) Always free shipping in Canada, no minimum required; free shipping to USA on orders $99+.
Quilthome: Save 40% on August Fields home dec by Amy Butler with coupon code ABAFF40. (end date unknown) 20-70% off selected fabrics in the specials section. Always free shipping for U.S. orders $50+.
Sew Baby: Huge fabric and pattern clearance sale with over 270 items 30-50% off. (through 8/1/10)
Sew Fresh Fabrics: Free domestic shipping and half price international shipping on orders of $40. Refunds will be made via PayPal. (through 8/8/10)
So Fun Fabrics: Patty Young’s Playdate yardage on sale for $6.99/yd. (through 8/6/10)
Some Art Fabric: 20% off orders $20+ with coupon code thanksknox. (through 8/8/10)
Spice Berry Cottage: New fabric lines just reduced – The Big E from Michael Miller Fabrics, Art Journal by Bari J, Sew Chick and Cafe Bistro from Benartex Fabrics. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Virginia Quilter: All Timeless Treasures fabrics on sale. (through 7/31/10 midnight EDT)
Yummy Fabrics: Halloween fabric 20% off. (through 8/4/10)
Want to subscribe to True Up’s sale alerts but don’t want to get the other content? Simply visit this link to have the sales delivered to your email, or use this link for your RSS feed reader. (If you’re already subscribed to the True Up feed or get all the posts by email, you don’t need to change anything; the sale alerts will still be included in there.)
Sale Alert Friday: International Edition
Celtic Fusion Fabrics (U.K.): See July’s fabric selections for their loyalty program. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
EarthgirlFabrics (Australia): Lots of bargains in the sale section. Free shipping within Australia on all orders and international customers welcome. (while supplies last)
Matatabi: Spend $30 or more (before shipping) to receive a half yard of Yuwa canvas! (while stocks last) Please visit this Flickr page to choose which one you would like and let her know in the message at checkout. (end date unknown)
Nuno Plus (Japan) is shutting down at the end of the month, and is clearing out inventory at 30% off. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10)
Pink Panda Fabrics (Canada): All ModKid Boutique Sewing Patterns $9.99; All FreeSpirit / Westminster yardage 10-30% off. (through tomorrow only, 7/31/10) Always free shipping in Canada, no minimum required; free shipping to USA on orders $99+.
Digital Fabric of the Week: Trois Miettes, and Another European Printer
I’m loving the animal stylings and muted color palette of Trois Miettes, who is Isabelle from Bern, Switzerland. Some but not all of the designs above are for sale through the Spoonflower marketplace. See her full portfolio and find her blog through her website. She also has an Etsy shop through which she sells her fabric and limited-edition prints. There are some new patterns and gorgeous product shots in her Flickr stream.
And more news from the European digital fabric scene … there is ANOTHER German-based printer — in addition to Stoff’n, who I featured last week, there is also Stoff Shmie (Fabric Forge), which is really fun to say. They have a nice variety of basecloths, including cottons, rayons, and silks. So exciting to see more people getting in on the trend!
Daily Swatch: Feathers
Vintage feedsack, from Dewitt & Co., $36.
Sponsor Giveaway: PatBravo.com / Art Gallery Fabrics
If you have ever met Patricia Bravo of Art Gallery Fabrics (even if it was just through our interview last year), you know that she is an absolute dynamo. She not only designs several fabric collections a year, but masterminds the many patterns and kits her company produces. There needed to be a central place where all these facets of Bravo’s creative work could come together, so she recently launched PatBravo.com. There you can get inspiration for using Bravo’s fabric collections in home decor, quilts, clothing, handbags, and more. The Color Your World section juxtaposes beautiful photography with fabric designs, providing a glimpse into Bravo’s creative inspiration. Ready to sew? There are four free patterns for pillows and 17 for quilts, and a listing of where you can buy her fabrics and retail kits and patterns.
To celebrate the launch, Patbravo.com is giving away a truly spectacular array of prizes to seven True Up readers! Here’s what up for grabs:
Prize #1: A tote bag made with Filigree fabric + one 12 fat quarter bundle
Prizes #2, 3, & 4: one 12 half-yard bundle (each)
Prizes #5, 6, & 7: One assorted scrap bag + 1 toy box pattern (each)
To enter, go have a look around Patbravo.com, then come back here and tell us in the comments about the favorite project or projects you spotted. Comments will close and the winners will be chosen next Wednesday, August 5, 2010, around 3pm CDT. Good luck and happy clicking!
Daily Swatch: Feathers
These might be leaves, not feathers, but I love it so here it is! This piece is from the fabric of my life (shop) on Flickr.
Fleamarketing 101
As a frequent contributor to True Up’s Vintage Fabric Flickr group, I’m regularly asked where I find my fabrics. The short answer is anywhere and everywhere, but the long answer is anywhere from Etsy and eBay to yard and estate sales to thrift stores and antique dealers (both online and off). Simply stated, there is no substitute for seeing textiles in person, and getting to feel and fondle them. And interacting with the vendors who sell them. There are amazing flea markets all over the country and world, but in California’s East Bay, where I live, we have the Alameda Point Antiques & Collectibles Faire. It’s held the first Sunday of every month, rain or shine, and I look forward to it like it’s Christmas morning. Because, without fail, I always score as much loot as a 5-year-old with all four grandparents and twice as many doting aunts and uncles in town.

{ Tip #1: Wear Comfortable Shoes! }
For many people, these kind of venues are truly overwhelming. And until you get the hang of it, they are! There literally are hundreds of vendors, lined up and down dozens of aisles, which in turn means thousands of people just like you and me, looking to score special deals on special somethings. But if you think of it as an outdoor antiques mall, where everything that doesn’t sell needs to get packed up and relocated at the day’s end, things will work to your advantage. Vendors want to lug home as little as possible. And if it’s, say, Easter Sunday or the 4th of July, then the crowds are lighter and thus the deals can be even better. I’ve learned to look forward especially to attending on holidays.
{ Tip #6: Ditch The Cart So You Can Speed Shop. }
Here are a few basic tips when heading to your antiques flea, in search of vintage textiles:
1. Wear comfortable shoes. The walk from the parking lot alone requires this!
2. Bring cash, even if the market has an ATM. Sometimes there’s a really long line, while other times it’s out of order. Ouch.
3. Bring a few tote bags with you for schlepping your haul.
4. Bring a small snack, like an energy bar.
5. Bring a small tape measure. A narrow selvage width is one of the easiest ways to date fabric.
6. Avoid bringing anyone or anything with you that might slow you down, i.e., kids or a reluctant spouse. Or one of those wire carts that takes up as much space as another person, but doesn’t have the ability to step aside when asked nicely (or rudely, as the case may often be). The market might offer them for rent, but they’re not worth it unless you plan on buying a small store’s worth of fabric.
7. Only pay the early bird arrival fee ($10-$15 versus $5, at the Alameda flea) if you’re absolutely desperate to avoid crowds or convinced that you’ll otherwise miss out on the deal of the century, because there are also far fewer vendors set up. But do plan to arrive promptly for the general admission opening.
{ The Lovely Miss Robin, Vendor Extraordinaire }
Now that you’ve arrived prepared, it’s time to get to work! In my experience, the key to a successful scavenging trip is to be flexible. If I set out looking for vintage buttons, I invariably stumble across a pile of feedsacks instead. But if I’m seeking feedsacks, that’s likely to be the day that I find loads of awesome vintage quilt blocks. Or some kickass Luther Travis tea towels. In other words, go there to do some stash building, and if you’re looking for something in particular, keep an eye out for it but don’t walk around with blinders on. My guiding principle is first, “Good things for great prices!” and second, “Will my husband kill me if I walk into the house with this?” (Which means no collection of vintage quilts for me.)
{ One of Many Gorgeous Vintage Quilts }
8. Be careful not to completely empty out your pockets at the tables closest to the entrance. Tables further back get less foot traffic, so some really good deals can be found there.
9. Move quickly! I don’t mean run as if you’re after the last Tickle Me Elmo the day before Christmas, but I do mean don’t dilly-dally. Sort through things quickly, and as neatly as possible, and then move on. With so many vendors and aisles, you have to be frugal with your time.
10. That said, do take the time to greet the vendors, and be friendly. It could make the difference in getting a discount. It also helps in establishing a relationship with a vendor on subsequent visits, which definitely makes the difference in getting that discount.
11. Speaking of discounts, don’t be afraid to ask politely, for instance, “Would you be able to do $8 on this?” or “Could you do better on this feedsack, since it has holes?”
12. Know your stuff, and don’t be afraid to discreetly let the vendor know that you know. For instance, I earned a vendor’s respect (and a discount) when I dated some fabric to the 1950s based on the selvage width and the quality of the thread count.
13. Share what you know! On my way out of the flea market, a big pile of vintage 70s calico yardage caught my eye. I was already overloaded, so decided against snapping it up for the $3 listed — but ended up advising the seller, who specialized in anything but textiles, that she would make considerably more selling it on Etsy. In exchange for this tidbit, she rewarded me with a free baggie stuffed with vintage 70s woven trim. Sweet!
14. Enjoy yourself!
Author Introduction: Kim Steckler
I’m very excited to announce today that I have a new writer here on True Up. I became acquainted with Kim Steckler through our shared love obsession with vintage fabric, which led to me interviewing her as part of last year’s Vintage Fabric Collector Series. Kim has agreed to contribute on a regular basis over here, and she’ll be covering vintage fabric of course (starting today with her debut post on Fleamarketing 101) but also the usual reviews, interviews, and lots more. A big huge welcome to Kim S.!
Many of you already know me as {kimmymade}, that crazy chick on Flickr with the frighteningly large collection of vintage fabrics and feedsacks. But never fear, lest you suspect that I’ll one day end up the old lady in the chair surrounded by stacks of vintage textiles, in lieu of 80 cats and their refuse — I’m particularly fond of Japanese fabric, too!
I am also a mom to two crazy, sweet, and beautiful children, as well as being a self-taught sewer who uses said vintage and Japanese fabric to make cute things (like doll quilts, tote bags, twirly skirts, and stuffies) for said kids. Additionally, I sell some of that fabric, and those cute things, on Etsy and, once in a while, at a local shop or craft fair. And now I’m really excited to be contributing here on True Up.
As a culinary school graduate in pastry arts, I’m also a published food writer. And in an earlier life, I was a Web producer for various advertising agencies and internet start-ups. But through it all, and if the truth be told even earlier than that, I’ve been a steadfastly incurable vintage junkie. I’m addicted to the thrill of the thriftscore, and in addition to mounds of fabric, also surround myself with vintage kitchenware, housewares, and furniture, and have been known to sport a vintage frock or two.
Daily Swatch: Feathers
Orange, pink, and gray vintage feathers fabric (sold) from Strange Hours Atelier on Etsy.
Daily Swatch: Feathers
The Daily Swatch features a piece of vintage fabric (almost) every day. Themes change periodically. Please add your own examples of the theme to the True Up and/or Vintage Fabric Flickr pools.
Blue and red feathers synthetic fabric, 20.5″ x 23.6″ piece, $4 from Zwizzle on Etsy — lots of great vintage fabric to behold there.
Giveaway Winners
Catching up with the giveaway winner announcements — in case you missed it, I have one giveaway in progress: the book City Quilts by Cherri House, plus a big fat quarter pack of Kona Solids from Robert Kaufman.
The winners of the Free to Grow charm packs are Lea (#29) who wrote “I’m so happy there are solids, too, and in such pretty colors. I want to make some crib sheets and these will be great for that,” and Rebecca who commented “The depths of those color combinations are fantastic. Thanks for offering these!”
And the winners of the Farbenmix fabrics and ribbons:
- Lovechirp goes to Jennifer (#12) who wrote “Oh, I love LoveChirp! It’s so cute!”
- Miss Liber-T goes to Alice (#251) who commented “Love them all. But I think my favorite is definitely Miss Liber-T. It reminds me of Germans singing Broadway songs.”
- Fliepis goes to Tracy (#146) who wrote “fliepis! i love the pink and red mushrooms!”
- Tattoo Kids goes to Kim Woolf (#86) who commented “I love Tatto Kids! I would love to make my 13 year old niece a cosmetic bag out of that fabric. Thanks for doing the giveaway.”
Congratulations to the winners! Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic comments.
Japanese Fabric of the Week: Cotton Crayon
Japanese shop Cotton Crayon has lots of retro/repro goodness I haven’t seen elsewhere. (Most of these fabrics can be found on the fourth link down in the left-hand navigation, then click the button at the very bottom of the page to navigate forward.) I’m not sure if they ship internationally, but I found this shop through Pink Penguin and I’m pretty sure Ayumi lives in the U.S., so there’s hope!
Blog Tour/Giveaway: City Quilts by Cherri House
Today I’m thrilled to host the grand finale of Cherri House‘s blog tour to celebrate her new book City Quilts. OK, confession — I was just late in asking to be included, so Cherri was kind enough to tack me on to the end of the tour! Jessica is the rightful grand-finale host, but I guess because of my neverending fascination with solid fabrics and my lifetime membership in the Cherri and Lizzy House fan club, Jessica’s throne was usurped. Sorry, lady friend.
In case this is the first you’ve heard of City Quilts or the tour, I encourage you to familiarize yourself by visiting Cherri’s previous stops. Some of them still have giveaways going (and I’m no exception — see the end of the post).
- July 12th – Cheryl Arkison
- July 13th – Amy Lobsiger
- July 14th – Stefanie Roman
- July 15th – Pat Sloan
- July 16th – Spool
- July 17th – Robert Kaufman’s Swatch & Switch
- July 18th – Fat Quarterly
- July 19th – Emily Cier
- July 20th – Sewer-Sewist
- July 21st – Jaybird Quilts
- July 22nd – Spun Sugar Quilts
- July 23rd – Jessica Levitt
- July 24th – You Are Here!
City Quilts is an essential addition to your sewing/quilting library if you’re interested in working with solid fabrics, are a beginning quilter or beyond interested in modern quilts, or just love unique takes on the creative process. All the quilt patterns included in the book were inspired by grids found in the urban landscape. At the same time, it’s a gentle introduction to achieving dazzling and impressive color effects by juxtaposing fabrics of different hues and values. Check out some of gorgeous patterns included in the book as Cherri answers my motley assortment of questions …
{ City Shops }
City Quilts is kind of a love song to the urban landscape, and the urban landscape of Houston in particular. I love Houston — it’s so huge there is something (more than something — a lot of something!) for everyone. Will you tell us about the must-visit shops and other sites for textile tourists?
My LQS is It’s A Stitch in Humble, near IAH airport — great for travelers with a little time before a flight. Another shop I really love is Painted Pony in LaPorte – other side of town, but a great selection. There seems to be a huge explosion of shops on the southwest part of Houston as of late. That part of town is a good hour plus away, so I haven’t visited any of them yet. It requires a road trip to hit all of the “local” stores. Though not Houston, Austin has a great selection of stores for quilters … lucky you!
{ City Lot }
What is your fabric stash like? How do you store it all? On a related note, I was mighty impressed by your fabric journal described and pictured in the book.
I have a wall unit from Ikea that I use for my fabric storage. Wire bins hold all my smaller fabrics cuts that are sorted by color, style, precuts, and speciality fabrics. What once was a linen closet now holds long yardage, and fabric for quilt backs. Kona solids are kept in tubs, and I have small bins where I keep projects that are queued, and awaiting sewing. My fabric collection is spread over 1/2 of my home … I need a studio! In regards to the journal, I would recommend that every quilter, or seamstress start one, and maintain it through the years. Aside from fabric swatches, I also keep design notes and sketches, plus thank you notes from the recipients of my quilts. I’ve been keeping a quilt journal for about 10 years, and it is great to look back, and see what I’ve done, and what has changed.
{ City Lights, which was perched precariously over the railing of some very tall downtown building for the cover shot! }
After reading your lake story, I looked at the photography in City Quilts from a different perspective. So many of the shots are taken from high places! Were you involved in the shoots? Were you worried about them flying off the railings and blowing down the streets?
Fortunately all but a few photos were taken by C&T, and I think they are probably more careful with my quilts than I am. Photo shoots are so crazy, the wind is always blowing, quilts are always trying to fly away, rigging systems fail. Helpers are scrunched down behind quilts, trying to stay out of the shot and keep the quilt still. Falling in the lake has been the most dramatic of all my experiences, and fortunately I didn’t drown, and the quilt didn’t fly into the lake with me. No more photo shoots by myself, that is my new rule!
{ City Aviation halfway assembled on the design wall, pre-quilting }
Let’s talk about quilting a solids quilt. I know not everyone thinks this way, but to me the quilting design is just as important as the piecing. And the quilting on an all-solids quilt is even more important, because it shows up so much more. Are you extra exacting with your solids quilts when it comes to fixing mistakes, thread ends, etc.? And how do you feel about outsourcing your quilting? Any tips to give to readers on working with a professional long-armer?
I’m so glad you are asking about this … you’re the first. In the book I talk quite a bit about the importance of the actual quilting; how it is very much a part of the whole composition. As you are envisioning, and planning your quilt, the quilting needs to be part of the overall plan, and not an afterthought. Personally I have no qualms about sending a quilt out to be professionally quilted. I know my limitations as far as machine quilting goes. There were several quilts in the book (City Aviation, City Center, City Lot, and City Circle) that I needed the quilting to be very specific, and I knew that it was beyond my capabilities, with the time constraints that I was under. My longarm quilter is DeLoa Jones, and she was a lifesaver. Normally her work is very traditional, and I completely pushed her out of her comfort zone with the work I was asking of her; City Aviation just about killed her. She kept saying that there should be feathers, and wreaths on the those open spaces, and I kept saying “No, it has to be contemporary, it has to be modern!” She came through, and the quilting makes the quilt. In regards to working with a longarmer, ask to see samples of their work, ask if they are comfortable, or capable of doing the work you need done. Ask about their backlog, and what the wait time is. Sometimes, if I know I will need a quilt with a quick turnaround, I will call and ask for space to be reserved so I can send the top in last minute, and get it back in days. This happened with the book, and it is frequent around Market.
As I’ve mentioned before in regards to working with solids, you can’t hide mistakes the way you can with a busy print. Know that going in, and work with that in mind throughout the process, the extra time and care definitely pay off.
{ City Tracks }
You mentioned earlier in the blog tour that you love Kaffe Fassett — you two are definitely kindred spirits when it comes to simple, geometric-based quilt designs. And his fabrics, though often multicolored, function so much like solids. Then I started envisioning your quilts with his fabrics and some of his quilts with solids and my creative mind exploded. Have you ever tried either?
I’ve never thought of it in that light, but for me, his fabrics were really the bridge from “printed” fabrics to solids. For a couple of years, all of my quilts incorporated his fabrics. My quilts were changing, as well as my fabric selections. After my “Kaffe” period, I then began my work with solids. Though I own several of his books, I’ve never made one of this quilts. I’m in the process of creating some new patterns combining solids and some Kaffe fabrics; I’m excited to see how they will be received.
Thanks so much Cherri, and congratulations on this grand accomplishment!
As with all the other blog tour stops, you can enter here for a chance to win a copy of City Quilts courtesy C&T Publishing, and a Kona Cotton Solids Fat Quarter Pack (of your choice, but clearly I’d encourage these reds!) courtesy Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Just leave a comment with a valid email. The comments will close next Saturday, July 31, around 4pm CDT, and I’ll announce the winner shortly after that.
Quilt images by Cherri House, used with permission.
Daily Swatch: Dekoplus
1970s Dekoplus floral, from Something Fine on Flickr. Vicky has the largest collection of Dekoplus fabrics I’ve seen — check out this Flickr gallery for more.











































