If you've ever sewn for yourself, chances are this scenario has played out a time or two: You fabric shop willy-nilly. Any color, any print, any weight - anything goes! Never mind the season, your coloring, or the rest of your wardrobe. You impulse buy that pattern because - duh! - it's on sale. You put two and two together - OOOH THIS'LL BE GREAT! - until it's not. That color right against ...
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Hey Cali & Co Readers! Earlier this summer I shared 3 of my favorite woven fabrics to sew for summer - but the season is long (especially with two kids under 5 in tow) and my summer-woven-sewing continues! Here are three more fabrics to try. And for those of you thinking "Becca, it's almost Fall!" - rest assured! The lightweight nature of these fabrics make them perfect for layering, too. Enjoy! 1: Cotton ...
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I'm what you might call a "jeans and t-shirt" kind of girl. I don't wear skirts, and DEFINITELY don't wear dresses. I've told myself many lies as to why this is - mostly relating to my body and how it "looks weird" in skirts, I'm "too rectangle-shaped" or "too short" for skirts. All of which became very inconvenient when I started preaching custom tailoring and seeing the brave women of ...
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I have a habit. A swimwear sewing (or at the very least, a swim-fabric-hoarding) habit. And I have Cali Fabric to blame thank. I lived in San Francisco a few summers ago, and my maiden voyage to their bricks-and-mortar shop, The Fabric Outlet, was just in time for a super swim fabric sale. Table upon table of nylon lycra yardage lined the entryway. I'd not sewn a single stitch of the ...
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(And the fabric that makes it your go-to Summer wear!) A few months back I shared my first non-legging double brushed poly inspiration - a slinky, swishy, springtime skort. (Or, as grown-ups call them, "Culottes") https://www.pinterest.com/pin/139400550948845171/ The perfect drape and wrinkle-resistant nature of DBP made it my go-to for other slinky-swishy Summer projects, like this Fenix Romper made in Cali Fabric's Navy Blue Double Brushed Poly. Y'all, I can't even begin to explain how much I've ...
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Happy first weeks of Summer, Cali&Co Readers! Time to stock your wardrobe with garments to help you beat the heat in style. And this year, I'm all about the wovens! Here's a sampling of what I'm sewing with, and my takeaways. Enjoy! Tencel Chambray What is it? It's a stable, lightweight fabric that sews up as easily as standard chambray, but added Tencel fibers adds drape, wrinkle resistance, and a softer hand. ...
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About a month ago, I blogged a list of my favorite lace garments (complete with fabric and pattern suggestions to make them!). I even scratched my "must-sew-something-with-lace" itch with an off-shoulder lace top. But I just couldn't get the idea of a plum medallion lace tee shirt out of my head. This was *not* your grandma's curtain lace. It was bold, fresh, and modern in it's geometric design. Perfect for a transitional lace garment ...
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It seems like just yesterday a certain-legging-company burst onto the scene, tempting us to abandon real pants, and introducing us to the super soft world of double brushed poly. And while I'm a HUGE fan of cozy fabrics (like this one!!) - I do not subscribe to the "leggings are pants" philosophy. So my challenge for me became "How can I wear head-to-toe-knit without looking like I'm wearing pajamas?" Here's what I came ...
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Do you ever get "handsy" with fabrics? Or a particular TYPE of fabric? You see it - maybe on a bolt, maybe on a person, and you just NEED to pet it. (One of those situations being significantly more awkward than the other...) This is me with crochet lace. Perhaps its because knitting, crocheting, and tatting are skills that have always eluded me. Thankfully - sewing has not! And with a whole stock ...
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Here in Central Virginia, January is just the start of our winter weather. It's usually reliable for at least one big snowfall, and months of looks-like-Springtime-until-you're-repeatedly-smacked-with-freezing-temps-and-accumulationless-precipitation. In other words: It's sweater weather. And when I saw the Cali Fabric stock of sweater knits, I knew I needed to make my own to see me through this season of whiplash weather. So that's exactly what I did! Along the way, I found a ...
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I was probably 4 the first the I (remember) wearing velvet. It was a dress, black velvet with a white lace peter pan collar, and I loved it. I mean, not wearing it, I was still a kid fidgeting in a formal dress. But I loved looking at it and petting it's soft, stiff texture. This happened a few times in my childhood, and it was always a shame to ...
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When I first looked into adding camo prints into my wardrobe, I thought to myself "how hard could it be?? Here's a medium scale print full of neutral colors. What WON'T it pair well with?" I coo'd when it arrived. This beautiful, mid weight, stretch twill, perfect for a pair of Fall skinnies! https://www.instagram.com/p/BKjNr5rD0bA/?taken-by=beccaduvalphoto I immediately threw it on the floor with the rest of my "must-sew this season" apparel fabrics, eager to ...
Read MoreHey there, reader! I'm Becca - Lifestyle Photographer, Wanna-be Fashionista, & Sew-blogger Enthusiast behind Free Notion. I live in Richmond, Virginia, where I frequent Target with a 3 year old super hero escort, bike the city hunting Pokemon with my kindergartner, and end each day, wine-in-hand, watching sub-par movies with my personal foot-warmer husband. I chronicle my DIY addiction on instagram, share the "highlight reel" on my blog, but spend most of ...
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