SIGN!!!!

It's finally happened. We have a SIGN!

It's been sitting in the back room for quite some time begging to be put on the building and today it happened. Now when people call and ask where we are I can tell them to look for our SIGN!

Oh happy day!

Holy post-impressionist fabric!

Sitting in the shop minding my own business when the UPS man walks in the door carrying the biggest box I've seen walk through our doors in quite some time. I knew what it was immediately; it was the Van Gogh collection. 

We ordered some really amazing rayon prints in October and were completely convinced that they were never printed, and I never thought I would be so happy to be wrong. You really have to see them to understand, but they look like paintings and have the most amazing hand. Anyhow, here's a sample of all of them all in a gorgeous row. Enjoy, try not to drool, and check out the prints individually on the fabric store website.

Hooray for new Echino fabric!

Etsuko Furuya's most recent collection is from her Nico line, which focuses more on technology and pop art than on her other collections which have nature and animals highlighted. We ordered a whole bunch and now comes the hard part - waiting for it to arrive! It will be here in about 7 weeks and we'll be sure to let everyone know. We also ordered a bunch of new Nani Iro fabric from designer Naomi Ito, and will be posting pictures of that soon...

Manties

This is one for all the lovebirds out there who put any stock whatsoever in Valentine’s Day. First of all, you’re all fools. Fools I say. Perhaps this is harsh of me, or perhaps it is not completely unfair of me to loathe any holiday completely over-taken by greeting card companies. Don’t get me wrong, the idea behind the holiday is still a very nice one, but sappy greeting cards, tacky flower arrangements, and chocolates in heart shaped boxes don’t really say that you care. Unfortunately, the commercialization of this holiday is almost exclusively American. There are still plenty of places around the world with the right idea. Take Finland for example; instead of a holiday for lovers, they celebrate a day of friends. Or the Slovenians, who believe it to be a day that birds are married, which is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Or the Brazilians perhaps, who skip the holiday altogether and celebrate Carnival, a whole week of celebration in honor of sex and debauchery. Yes please! Don’t think me to be a poor, single, bleeding heart. Quite the contrary in fact, but I still believe in the power of a hand-made gift, and I sincerely believe that any gift worth giving is worth putting a little effort into. That being said, nothing says Valentines Day, other than a Christian martyr, like matching handmade underwear.

At first glance, the pattern piece for a pair of briefs is an extremely odd one, but once they are put together it makes perfect sense. Let me start by saying that making men’s briefs are not in the least bit difficult or even very time consuming. I would urge those who wish to make their own, however, to start with a pair you like the fit of and make a pattern from there. I ended up using Kwik Sew pattern number 2334 and they were more or less the male equivalent to granny panties. Once I made the first pair, I made a couple of changes to the pattern and it made all the difference, but were I to make them again I would certainly be making even further changes. The other major thing that I gleaned from this project is that the ideal fabric is very specific. I chose to make mine of a basic cotton knit because I really liked the colors, but it ended up being far too thick and completely lacking in the necessary spring-back quality. This resulted in lettuce-edged leg bindings and saggy, non-supportive crotches. I assure you, these qualities aren’t in the least bit sexy. The pattern used ¼” seam allowances and was completely stitched together using a narrow zigzag.

The first step is to attach the bindings for the fly openings. Simply pin and stitch with right sides facing.