When we launch new sewing patterns we often hear from many of you asking about the fabrics I selected for the styles. And on many occasions those fabrics came from Mood Fabrics here in New York. Mood has a very shop-able website with wide selection of fabrics and a really fun Mood Board feature, which is a great design tool.
As you’re browsing, you can pin your fabric selections to a board so you can audition those fabrics together or just collect your favorites to help you make final selections. You can also use the feature to create a virtual mood board similar to what I do when I’m designing a new collection: upload images of your inspiration, add a color palette, and then pin your fabric choices to the board.
But the best part of the mood boards is that you can shop from them once you’ve made final selections. And you can order swatches from the boards before placing your order. It’s a pretty nifty set-up, and since I’ve been suggesting fabrics for your Liesl + Co. pattern sewing, I’ve created a mood board for each pattern.
Ready? To see more information click on the image to go to the Mood site, then click on the “Show Product Info” box at the upper left-hand corner of each board. The swatches themselves will link to each of the fabrics so you can see details like content and pricing.
Woodland Stroll Cape: beautiful wools and cashmere coatings!
Weekend Getaway Blouse and Dress: drapey silk, rayon, and linen
Late Lunch Tunic: mens’ shirting and linen
Everyday Skirt: wool suiting and cotton sateen
In conjunction with these boards, Mood has generously offered all our readers a discount on orders placed in the next three weeks! Enter code OLIVERS between now and November 22 to get a 10% discount on your order. (Here’s the fine print: offer expires 11/22/13 at 11:59 PM ET and excludes shipping, dress forms, and items starting with PV.)
Such fun! I love the Mood boards! Do you think the black fabric on the Get Away Dress board would work well for the Every Day Skirt too?
Can the discount code be used in store too?
Nina, not to my knowledge. I think it’s only applicable on the website, but I’ll check and let you know if that’s not the case.
Diane, I think the black would be gorgeous for the skirt. I like the back of the fabric (which is more matte/less shiny) even better than the front, so don’t be afraid to reverse it, either!
Thanks for that tip Liesl! Sorry, but I have one more question–when sewing with this fabric, can I use my machine’s regular old straight stitch, or does this need to be treated differently (like knit fabric)?
Thanks again,
Diane
Hey Diane, For that particular fabric I’d probably start by using a smallish needle, and you could try holding the fabric taut as you stitch to prevent any potential seam puckering as you sew. But it’s a really nice quality with a great hand and nice drape, and I don’t anticipate tricky sewing issue for it.
If you’ve never sewn with a crepe, you’re going to love it! It’s one of my favorite fabrics because it’s quite easy to sew and has a lovely drape. My navy Itinerary blouse is made from a fabric with a very similar hand: http://www.sewlisette.com/blog/2012/01/wear-your-style-friday-silk-itinerary-blouse/
Have fun!
Hi, Liesl!
Thanks. I’m so glad to learn that the fabric is easy to work with! You’ve convinced me–I’m making the skirt with that fabric and it’s going to be my go-to “holiday skirt” for the upcoming season! Thanks for getting us the 10% off deal too. You’re the best!
I love seeing wool for the everyday skirt. I was wondering how the slight front gathers would handle wool, but as that is a suggestion on the MOOD board, I am guessing it works.
🙂
Liesl, I am seriously in love with the fabrics you used for these patterns – specifically the multicoloured painterly fabric for the Everyday Blouse and the large-scale white and blue polka dot for the Everyday Skirt. Any chance you could point us to an online source for these?
I have an Everyday Skirt in a yellow plaid on my sewing table right now – I can’t wait to wear it!
Emma, I’m glad you like them! I’m also sorry to report that those fabrics are going to be really difficult to find. The polka dots are an old Nani Iro double gauze, but you might be able to find something similar from her that’s more current if you look around. She does a lot of really pretty designs. But the paint splash satin was something I picked up in a dusty fabric store in the garment center a while ago. I haven’t seen it since I bought it, but I’ll look for it again when I’m back and let you know if I find it!
Thanks Liesl!