I hope you got to take look at the clothes I made with quilting cottons in Part 1 of this post and learned which patterns are best to pair with them. Now let's get to my top 5 tips for sewing with quilting cottons, interspersed with pics of these two adorable sets I made for sisters! Tip #1: Prewash. Many sewists don’t prewash their fabric. I think this is partly because ...
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Quilting cottons are inexpensive as fabric goes, come in a huge variety of fun prints and colorful solids, and are very easy to sew. Don’t let the “quilting” part fool you - you can sew clothes with quilting cottons too! With some thoughtful pattern selection, you can have great results using quilting cottons for clothing. Obviously, don’t choose a pattern that needs stretch, because quilting cotton has none. Also, it has ...
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Hi! I’m Cass (@CraftyProfessor on Instagram) and this is my first blog post for Cali Fabrics, so I’ll start by telling you a bit about myself. I have always been crafty, and I have always sewn, but it was only about three years ago that I really started sewing and using patterns. Prior to that, I had made lots of pillow cases, curtains, duvet covers, and dresses out of thrifted ...
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What's better than a handmade, designer-fabric Hawaiian shirt? How about two handmade, designer-fabric Hawaiian shirts? This time around I will show you how to perfectly match the fabric on the pocket to make it nearly invisible. There's a pocket on there! My husband loved and wore the first Hawaiian shirt I made him with Tori Richard designer shirting so much I made him a second one from the same pattern but a ...
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When I received an invitation to a company "Day at the Races" I knew just where to go for the perfect fabrics to whip up a winning outfit! I am a huge fan of cotton lawn and had spotted this Robert Kaufman London Calling horses print a while back. Kelly green, navy, and white, what is more perfect for race track attire? Into the cart it went, along with a ...
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Earlier this year I tried my hand at sewing a new (new to me) kind of fabric called Plisse. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen it around as the texture is very similar to seersucker. Plisse is a woven type fabric and is characterized by its crinkled appearance that is a result of the application of a caustic solution that causes the fabric to shrink and pucker. It’s lightweight in texture ...
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I've mentioned before how much I love sewing the designer fabrics I find at Cali Fabrics, and how I like to see if I can sleuth out how the designer originally used it. The Tori Richard designer shirtings were easy – anyone who loves Aloha shirts the way my husband does is familiar with the brand, which has been making quality Hawaiian-style shirts in Honolulu since the 1950's. So, on my ...
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My daughter was home from college for Winter break and you know that means she had another cosplay challenge for me! This one was for the character "Pidge" from Voltron. As soon as I saw the fitted, military-style jacket, I thought, too bad it will be stiff and uncomfortable! Then I hit up Cali for some solid wovens and was thrilled to find STRETCH broadcloth! I never even dreamt I would ...
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The evolution of the sewing blogging community has been an interesting thing to witness. I myself have been blogging about sewing (off and on) since 2011(!). In those early days, the phrase TnT, which stands for tried-and-true, was used quite a bit. Many of us made it a habit to use the same patterns over and again in a variety of colors or fabrics. Why fix what isn’t broken, right? ...
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It seems that as the weather gets colder and summer really comes to end (I'm clinging to it folks!) I feel compelled to sew a final garment in a lightweight cotton lawn fabric. I really didn't need my annual tradition as an excuse this year because this cotton lawn isn't just any cotton lawn, it's a Tori Richard cotton lawn. Ok I have to admit I wasn't familiar with the name, ...
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How many of you pick a pattern, not paying close attention to the details, only to discover you’d be forced to learn a new sewing trick? What, just me? Haha When I picked this pattern, I did so based on the casual silhouette and the detail of the interesting back pleat. If you follow my blog as well, you may recall I used this pattern for my purple lyocell shirtdress. This ...
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When it comes to apparel fabric, there's nothing more fun than playing around with unique fabric prints and blends, but there's something to be said about those classic natural fabrics too, such as cotton twill and chambray. As I slowly replace my worn-out ready-to-wear clothing with handmade items, I've been trying to utilize similar fabrics, and I'm having no problem finding what I need in Cali Fabric's impressive apparel fabric ...
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A pattern with simple lines is such a versatile tool for wardrobe building. Change the fabric, and you change the look. When it's a pattern you know fits you well or that you have spent time adjusting to your perfect custom fit, it's great to be able to sew it over and over without looking like 'that lady who always wears that same skirt'. Here are two different looks from a ...
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Hi Readers! Have you ever dreamed about a dress and then found that it turned out exactly as you imagined it would once you've sewn it? That's me with dress. Since last summer I thought that this 1940 dress pattern (Vogue 8811) would look wonderful with a big gingham print. Once I saw this 1" Kaufman Carolina Gingham pop up on the Cali site, I knew it was going to be ...
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I know Chambray Week is over but I couldn't resist sharing this polka dot chambray Gemma tank that I made to beef up my basic work wardrobe. This chambray is a lightweight rayon, which was perfect for this Gemma Tank. While this pattern works nicely in a stiffer fabric like voile, lawn or even quilting cotton, I really like it in something drapier like rayon. Sadly this rayon chambray is sold out, ...
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Hooray for Chambray! It’s one of my favorite fabrics, and I’m so delighted with all the talented chambray creations this week! Now I’ve got so many ideas on what to make with all the chambray in my stash. And if I ever run out, CaliFabrics has a beautiful collection. Feeling patriotic, I jumped on the new star chambray fabric. My daughter has outgrown all her dresses from last summer. With that ...
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Chambray week has been amazing, am I right?! So much inspiration to get you back to your machines and ready for spring. Chambray is such a versatile fabric and this week has proven that! Make sure you head here to see all the gorgeous options in the shop. I'm crushing hard on the Robert Kaufman Greenwich Chambrays in the shop right now. So many vibrant, beautiful colors and the weight and ...
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Hello again, friends! I hope you've all been enjoying Chambray Week so far! When we first started planning this theme, I knew I'd be prepping for a trip to the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, so of course, a loose, casual dress was in order. I'd had a grey linen option on my queue, but when I saw this blue and white micro stripe (now sold out, sorry!), it jumped ...
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Hey, chambray fans! I am so excited to be participating in Chambray Week! There are some great bloggers lined up this week and I feel lucky to be included. I was instantly drawn to this gray and white striped chambray and this rust red midweight chambray. I made plans to make three garments: a dress and shorts out of the red, and for the gray and white striped piece a shawl ...
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I was so excited at the Chambray Week theme because it’s exactly what my summer wardrobe needed – two new chambray tops to wear with white jeans. Now only if Summer would show up sooner – the winter cold seems to not be going away! I am totally a top and jeans kind of girl – so when I was brainstorming for Chambray week – I kept getting drawn to Chambray ...
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