5 Fabric Scrooge Tips

Today I've got some tips for you on how to get the most garments from your cuts of fabric.  If there was a hall of fame for the least amount of fabric wasted, you just might find me there!  In fact I've even got a series over at Skirt Fixation about classy ways to use fabric scraps.  Intervention may be necessary soon... From 2 yards of Desert Camouflage fabric, I made a tween ...

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Tips for Ponte

Office Appropriate Sheaths + Tips for Caring for Ponte

My fellow office dwellers all know that the holy grail of office attire is a combination of comfort and professionalism.  I think a great ponte dress is the perfect fit! For this dress I chose Cali Fabric's Seafoam Green Ponte de Roma and paired it with Pauline Alice's Aldaia Dress. This fabric has a beautiful rich color, which I love for spring and summer.  The seafoam green is new for me, but is a color ...

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The Lace Tee (+ Tips & Tricks for sewing yours!)

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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How to fake the perfect neck binding.

Hello lovelies!! Truth be told, I've avoided sewing knits because I'm not a very big fan of knit binding. I'm such a perfectionist, and because I don't have a coverstitch machine (yet) it bothers me when my seams and stitches are not  symmetrical, that is, until I figured out how to fake it! It really was the most exciting thing I've stumbled upon. A few months ago, I sewed up a knit ...

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Sewing Sweater Knit: Tips for your Coziest Seasonal Projects!

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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Fun with Rayon and Suede

  I've always love the look of suede skirts for fall, but haven't ever found one that suited me. I like skirts that are full and long, not tight, short, and covered with buttons. I love circle skirts and ever since I started sewing last year, I've had this skirt in mind. I read a lot of tutorials and none of them made sense to me. In case circle skirts confuse you ...

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30+ Tips for Sewing with Faux Fur

Cali Fabrics has a HUGE selection of faux fur!  There are over 100 faux furs in the Cali Fabrics shop!  To name a few, there's Black Mongolian Faux Fur, Rabbit Luxury Faux Fur, White Snow Leopard Faux Fur, or maybe you'd prefer Green Gorilla Faux Fur.  I had the opportunity to sew up some animal vests for some of my kids.  I learned quite a few things sewing with faux fur.  If ...

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DIY Floral Print Pencil Skirt

Hello Sew Family! I can't tell you how long I've wanted a floral print pencil skirt.  The journey to this skirt has been a long one, but rewarding nonetheless. Now, I have to be honest, finding the right floral print fabric was tough!  Although I really admire those that can rock such a statement piece, such a vibrant fabric is not my first choice in fabric selection...  But then I came across ...

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A Very Twirly Knit Dress + Super Easy Way to Hem a Circle Skirt.

Hello Readers! Today I get to share with you my first post as a Cali Fabrics contributor! I primarily sew for my daughter who I affectionately refer to as #thespiritedone, (she has a love for life unlike any I've ever known, so it was just fitting).  When I came across this beautiful Floral Rayon Stretch Jersey Knit, I envisioned instantly a Riley and Brooklyn pattern mashup for her; both PDF patterns from Made for Mermaids. What I adore ...

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Sewing with Sequins

Hey Sewists!  I am so excited to share my first project post with you all.  I knew I wanted to talk about working with sequins because they can be quite intimidating to some sewists.  I promise they really are not that scary!  I hope that I can inspire you to try making a garment with sequin fabric. My first thought was to use Simplicity 8016 view C, which is a loose ...

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15 Tips for Sewing with Rayon Challis

Rayon Challis is seriously my dream fabric! There's something about it that feels so special and luxurious to me! So, when dreaming up my latest summer maxi, I knew it would be made from this wonderful fabric! Rayon Challis is 100% rayon. It's super lightweight with wonderful drape, and even though it's man-made, it's done so with natural fibers making it perfect for a summer dress! But, because of these wonderful ...

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