Warning: This post is pretty stream-of-consciousness. Brace yourselves.
I just had the most amazing weekend! I feel like I always say that every time I come back from somewheres, but man, Quilt Market was intense. Now to process all of it. I need to make a list of all the people I met so I can remember everyone and everything. SO COOL.
I have about a bajillion pictures to upload and I’ll put those up on Flickr today, but for now I need to regroup and pull myself back together. For now I want to show you the fantastic stack of fabric that arrived while I was in Kansas City, from Fabricworm and show you what’s in my head for sewing projects in the next few months.
[Fabricworm is one of my sponsors. You can find all of these fabrics at Fabricworm and most if not all of the other fantastic fabric shops that sponsor this blog (move your eyes over to the sidebar). And see note (*) below]
First up, these sweet and cute little elephants from Kokka. Maybe a new Toddler Backpack in the larger school-aged size for Elliot next fall? Did I tell you guys he’s going to Kindergarten this fall? Waaaaaah! Or maybe some O+S Sailboat Pants. Who knows.
This may not look like much but these are solid cotton lawns from Robert Kaufman; I have summer tops or dresses in mind. Can you imagine a cream colored top with red blanket stitching all around the edges? Or black with some bright flowers embroidered around the neck? That’s what I’m talkin about.
Next up. Gypsy Caravan by Amy Butler. This collection of fabric is single-handedly responsible for bringing me back to sewing 6 or 7 years ago, which is exactly what I told Amy Butler when I met her this past weekend. When I start thinking of the implications of that statement I get a little emotional. And by the way she is so sweet. So anyway, Gypsy Caravan has just been re-released so of course I had to get more (and yes, I still have some of the original collection).
Summersville by Lulu Summers. So hot right now.
The entire collection of Happy Drawing by Ed Emberley from Cloud 9. Dying of cute. Need I say more?
There are so many new fabrics I am crazy for right now. For now I’m trying to just start with the ones I have immediate plans or ideas about. Are you ga-ga for something in particular lately? I love to talk fabric. And fabric trends. It’s craziness.
*Some of you know this already but the biggest reason I have sponsors is to pay for the fabric and supplies I use to make my projects and patterns; as you might imagine, fabric has become a pretty big “business expense” for this blog. I pay the normal price for my fabric (ie. not wholesale) and shop online for most of it, going through the shops that are on the sidebar of this blog first. For ALL of my sponsors, even those who are not fabric/supply shops, I make absolutely certain that they are someone who I want to support and can stand behind in terms of quality and awesomeness. The same is NOT true, incidentally, of the three long google ads over thar.
26 Responses to Rae shows you all of the cute fabric she just bought. Ack!
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about Rae
Hi! I'm Rae, Head Boss Lady of Made By Rae Enterprises. I love to sew. This blog is a showcase for my crafty stuff.
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hahaha I thought for a moment the owls from Cloud 9 were actually little pac-man ghosts. I got super excited for a minute there!
The owls still rock though!
I hear ya on Elliot going to kindergarten! My granddaughter goes in the fall, too. I already start having withdrawals when I think about not having her here every Tuesday. *sigh*
Gorgeous fabrics… lucky you! Have fun sewing up a storm!
oh you lucky lucky grandma!! every Tuesday? So fun.
Hi there, it’s been a while
loooove the Cloud9 elephant fabric… Checked out their website and it looks like cloud 9 can be found in Germany, too, woohoo!
You know what else they have here that I just discovered? Lots of really cool scandinavian-type knits!!! I’m going to go back and re-read your Stretch Yourself series and hopefully not fail miserably!
HELLO THERE!!!
Yes it HAS been a long time!! How are YOU?
SO excited about your knit foray — keep me posted!!
super cute-
Oh my! Just drooling over all of those fabrics..!!
I am in love with those Ed Emberly prints too! As soon as I can splurge, I’m going to. I still have my original Ed Emberly drawing book from the 70′s. He made me feel like I could draw well. Anyway, my middle boy is going to Kindergarten this fall too, and I am going to spend the Summer making him some things from the Sewing For Boys book to wear to school. Ah, that brings back memories of my mother sending me to school on the first day with my new fall duds on, namely turtlenecks and corduroys, only to pick me up in the afternoon to find me roasting my little pigtails off. Mom’s weren’t always too bright back then ;o) I just uploaded my Charlie Dresses to the Flickr group (raminthethicket) and I just have to say I *love* working with this pattern! I love the finished look, and I love the way the facings and hems are done, so professional and OCD friendly because I get so perfectionistic about those things. I will be making many more once I complete some other necessary projects (recovering a carseat for one, not as much fun).
@Kristin – I saw some Pacman fabric on Spoonflower website. It is SUPER cute. http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/119456 This is one of them. And one of just the ghosts… http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/582187
I always LOVE to see new fabrics. I think my current favorite designer is Holli Zollinger. Here is one of my favorites, but really, I LOVE so many of her fabrics. http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/189010
Hi Rae! Your fabrics are all wonderful! I really enjoyed meeting you at Quilt Market, and our brief talk. You were so sweet
Thank you!!
-Caitlin @ I Don’t Do Dishes…
I just ordered a small heap of the ed emberly! Your posts about fabric design corresponded with my daughters and I going through the ed emberley’s fingerprint book and I thought it would be neat to design fabric with all those fingerprint animals everywhere, and then I saw that I was totally beat to the punch with this line! Where would one start if wanting to design some fabric?! I am taken with some of the vintage modern small flower prints….
I LOVE Ed Emberley. I have super fond memories of checking out his books from my elementary school library.
I’m currently crazy for the Riley Blake Peak Hour collection. I have way more projects planned for it than I do fabric
. So cute!
Oh lady, I’m loving Washi.
Hi Rae, When you are looking at fabric and you may or may not have an idea in mind at the time for what you are going to use it for, how much of the fabric do you purchase? That is always the hardest decision for me b/c I don’t want to not have enough for when I decide what I’m going to use it for but then can you get too much? I was just wondering if you have a system that you use or a minimum yardage purchase, etc? Thanks. I’m loving the summersville prints.
The rules:
- If no idea but have to have it, 1/2 yd
- If it could be a kids garment, 1 yd (small kids only)
- If it could be a short sleeved top, 1.5 yd
- If it could be a long sleeved top, 2 yd
- If it could be a skirt (fitted), 1.5 yd
- If it could be a shirt for Mr Rae, 3 yd
- If it could be a dress for me, 3 yd
Those are my usual purposes…I usually regret not buying enough of something, but I still have way too much fabric. Go figure.
Thanks for responding Rae; I’ve just written that down in my little pocket book for the next time I do a fabric purchase.
WOW! I’m so jealous of all that beauty! I really have to check out that Happy Drawing! Seems right up my ally of current projects-baby things and stuff for my boy! Who I SWEAR just started kindergarten but is actually going into second grade next year!!! They grow so fast!!!
Yep, jealous. Plans are in the works for next year. REGISTERING AN LLC IF I HAVE TO.
ahhhhhh….new fabric arriving in the mail is such a rush, haha! I am trying to restrain myself for a while as my stash is overflowing it’s storage. I am a total sucker for Japanese fabric right now, especially double gauze. But Amy Butler is the reason I came back to sewing too, only it was a picture of her Midwest Modern prints that I saw in my mom’s local newspaper when I was home visiting about 4 years ago. It was an article about a new fabric shop that had opened- we visited, bought some fabric, and I haven’t stopped sewing since!
What are your plans for the Summersville?
Fabric is sweet. It is the gift that keeps on giving.
I have to address this since you brought it up… Oh wait, where are my manners? HI! I’m a relatively new follower of your blog, after being sucked into sewing via a Whipstitch e-course on sewing basics. I was simply determined to learn to use my sewing machine the RIGHT way, found Deb & Whipstitch, and *my* life has changed!
So back to the issue I need to address… I am going absolutely ga-ga over Seaside from October Afternoon, and I’m getting twitchy waiting for it to be available for purchase! Like breaking out in hives… ok, not that bad… but I really really REALLY want to make something lovely out of the whole collection… it reminds me so much of my husband’s family’s old Florida beach house. There are several beach-themed fabrics out now (salt air I like… and I think lucy’s crab shack is adorable, too) but Seaside really speaks to me. I just love it. So… sell it already, retailers! I’m freaking out!!!
Yay for Whipstitch eCourses, those things are gold I tell you, gold.
And I know how you feel about finding a collection that really speaks to you. That is what having beautiful fabrics is all about!
[...] I posted gratuitous post-fabric-purchase photos the other day, Nancy wrote to ask me how I decide how much fabric to [...]
Would love to see those red and blue elephants as a 4th of July pair of Sailboat Pants. I just sewed up a pair over here: http://turmericmamacreations.blogspot.com/2012/06/sewing-for-boys-in-summer-part-1.html But, I wish I had seen that elephant fabric first!