In late 2000, I lived in New York City and learned how to knit. I just wanted to learn a hobby with which I could connect to others, I didn’t want to create a movement. But that didn’t mean I didn’t need to change my life. It wouldn’t be until later that I fully realized…
Category Archives: TEXTILES
A painting depicting women inspecting silk, early 12th century, ink and color on silk, by Emperor Huizong of Song For hundreds of years, China tightly controlled the production and manufacture of silk, making it the most prized of all fabrics.’ The desire for silk created thousands of miles of trade routes as well as advances in…
The Fair Isle Jumper by Stanley Cursiter, 1923 Nothing says warmth like a cozy wool sweater but it took’ thousands of years of selective breeding to get it.’ Ancient’ sheep bear little resemblance to today’s wool sheep, selectively bred for their fine coats. Like other domestic animals, humans bred sheep for different traits to develop the breeds we…
Robe à la française, France, block-printed cotton, c. 1770. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Next in our history series is cotton. The history of cotton is the history of trade and industry with a lot of politics and economics thrown in. Now the most prevalent fabric in the world, it’s humble beginnings…
This will be the first in a series of blog posts where we will take a closer look at natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, and wool, and their journey through the ages. Today, natural fabrics can be found in all shapes, styles, and forms from basic undergarments to high end fashion. In decades past,…
The clutch is big enough to fit your makeup, purse and phone – small enough to look gorgeous. In a huge variety of designs, you’ll find one you love. These are our picks for festive party glamour. WORDS: Alice It’s that time of year when we’re socializing and celebrating – we want to look good!…
I have been waiting, rather impatiently, for the new colors of linen to arrive. And now….the time has finally arrived! I am really excited to add these new colors to my linen collection. ‘ I held a few samples in my hands the other day and they were stunning!’ The colors are vibrant and fun. ‘ I…
We would like to wish all our Fabrics-store.com friends a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for sewing, crafting, and loving linen with us all year. *You can find these ornaments and more items from Smile Mercantile. Valerie Lloyd is behind this Etsy shop and did a great Winter White Hearts tutorial for us.
Great job, Katherine!! Your costume won first place in our Halloween Costume Contest. In fact, both of the costumes your entered were in the top rankings of the competition! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where your passion for sewing developed? My dad started teaching me to sew when I was…
The Fearsome Winners of Fabrics-Store.com’s Hallween Costume Contest are….. The Top Talent winner is Katherine with 617 votes! "This outfit is made from 100% linen. The chemise is the handkerchief linen. The corset is made from IL019 in Emerald and is reversible and made with 22 spiral steel bones and 4 flat steel bones. The…
In 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Perhaps no other historical fact has been so ingrained into my mind as this. Year after year, I would learn about the infamous cotton gin and it’s epic impact on America as we know it. The all-mighty cotton gin makes it seems that life, or proper living,…
Fencing Doublet. 1580. The Doublet jumped into the fashion scene around the middle of the 14th century. We are turning our attention to this article of clothing today to examine its essential role in fashion history. Doublets were worn for over 300 years and considered a staple in menswear. Although the shapes and cuts changed…
The Seven Sacraments. Rogier van der Weyden. 1445-50. We are turning our attention to the Gothic fitted dress today and its appearance throughout the mid-1300s until the mid-1400s. Our goal is to give an overview of this style while providing images as visual aids. Making your own is quite an ambitious undertaking, but it…
Portrait of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, oil on panel. Attributed to Steven van Herwijck. 1560s. Western European fashion experienced quite a change from 1550-1600. The Renaissance brought in a wave of art and culture that swept over Europe and is visible in the fashion of both men and women. Our clearest and most…
Today, we are focusing on a single artist in order to more carefully examine the Renaissance period. Titian created great works of art that featured highly expressive figures that exemplified the “rebirth” spreading throughout Italy and Europe. Titian’s figures graced his altarpieces, portraits, mythologies, and pastoral landscapes. Tiziano Vecillio (ca. 1488-1576), known as Titian, is…
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