When working with natural dyes there are four different types of dye. Adjective dyes, these need the help of a mordant to fix the dye to the fibre. Substantive dyes, these have high levels of tannic acid which act as a natural mordant, fixing the dye without the addition of a mordant. Fugitive dyes, as…
Natural Dyeing: Indigo
The moment I saw the Sophie floral print fabric which is part of The Fabric Store’s new line of Faille cottons, my jaw dropped. The stunningly rich colours of the blooms against the black background reminded me of still-life floral paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. I completely swooned over this new line and all…
Shortly after taking on this project, my partner and I made a decision to give up our rent, take our 3 dogs and move across the province, from Cape Town to the Garden Route for three months. I started sewing this dress halfway between packing for the move. All of our stuff had to go…
MEDITERRANEAN BLUE is a dazzling, electrifyingly bright colour that conveys the soaring brilliance of summer. Artists through the generations have explored how this entrancing shade of turquoise blue can capture the light of the European coastline, encapsulating the azure blue of the ocean and the wide-open, cloudless skies overhead. We look at three pioneering French…
Great choice on making the Mariana Notched Collar Jacket! Here are steps with photos to make that notched collar shine. We also have a separate tutorial on how to make lining for this jacket if that was something you wanted to explore. This is the trickiest and most important part of this pattern. If this…
When I saw the new printed cottons on the FS website, I immediately wanted to try it. It was painfully hard to make a choice, by the way, since the array of fabric on offer are stunning but I eventually decided on the Faille Pablo Flowers in orange color. When I received this fabric, I…
If you know me or my sewing account at all, then you know I’m a solid supporter of a good button up. I actually found my holy grail of one in the Noa Shirt, one of Fabrics-Store’s many free patterns. I’m a long-time user of their pattern freebies; they were in fact all I used…
A master weaver of the 1950s to the early aughts, British textile designer and artist Peter Collingwood made highly skilled rugs, split-ply baskets, wall-hangings and installations with intricate and fascinatingly complex designs. With a muted, pared back colour scheme, he focussed his energy on producing exquisite geometric patterns resembling Celtic knots or Afghan rug patterns….
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me…” Famous words from Taylor Swift and entirely accurate for me. If you follow me on social media, then you know that I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. My most current mistake? Choosing the wrong pattern for my fabric choice. In garment sewing, pattern makers help us…
This is not Greece but I’ll take all the Santorini vibes I can get. Smooth white buildings with vibrant blues and ocean waters surrounding you, how stunning is that combination? My sister and her husband are heading to Greece to celebrate 25 years of marriage. What a lovely accomplishment and definitely worth celebrating. During that…
Of all the Fabric Store pattern collections, I’d been circling back time and time again on the Lily. The Lily collection is a generous set of Henley placket dress, tunic, shirt, and additional skirt. The looks are timeless. The techniques you can learn through Fabric Store patterns are top-notch. But more than anything, this set…
Contemporary American artist Diedrick Brackens has a knack for telling stories old and new, weaving them deftly into his intricate, hand-crafted textiles. Based in Los Angeles, Brackens draws on the traditions of textiles as a powerful and direct means of communication, using them to reflect on themes surrounding identity, race and sexuality that impact his…
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. My name is Leila, I live in London with my partner and my two Sphynx cats. I’m a freelance strategist and most often I’m focused on brand, creative and marketing challenges. But I love helping start-ups think about how their whole idea fits together. I started and stopped…
Pop artist Andy Warhol had an inimitable knack for capturing the essence of an object, animal or person, ramping up its impact with daring, electrifyingly bright shades of colour like RASPBERRY’s searing hot pink. His screen prints are arguably the most enduring aspect of his legacy, giving him room to experiment wildly with the same…
Admittedly, I do not know much about fabric content and the differences between- what is Chiffon vs Silk? Cotton Voile vs Cotton Faille? I tend to stay in the “natural fibers” lane, relying on blanket names like Linen and Cotton to fill my stash and ultimately my closet. Before we get too carried away with…
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