[suse]

After a nearly two year hiatus, I’m starting to get back into sewing again. I have a rather substantial fabric stash as it is (ahem, it’s tiny, really it is), but daughter dearest has expressed rather definite preferences. To my (unexpressed) dismay, she likes all things pink, although I’ve managed to convince her that peach and coral are also pink, and thus managed to avoid the really sugary stuff. She also likes animals. I can usually convince her that purple and teal/turquoise are OK, provided that there’s some pink in the mix.

Most of the fabric in my stash that was bought for her is teal, turquoise, purple, red. Lots of Australian designers – Saffron Craig, Umbrella Designs, lots of Japanese designers (Nani Iro is a favourite). I generally go for the quirkier end of the spectrum.

It’s been so long since I bought fabric and I’ve forgotten most of the designers that I like – would anyone like to hit me with their favourite designers so I can go on a massive search!

Thanking you muchly!

[Masha Richart]

My girls are big on pink, too. I have found that shopping for apparel fabrics at places like Fabric Mart, which sell bolt ends from designers like Marc Jacobs and stores like J.Crew, has helped me diversify my fabric stash – and allows the girls to pick from a pool of fabrics that are already mama-approved. I can deal with pink and purple much better if it is in a plaid rather than something with butterflies or fairies all over it! 😉 For designers I really like Valori Wells.

[Tamara]

How old is this girl of yours? My daughter is eleven and is still big on pink but is more inclusive of other colours than when she was very little.

I don’t know much about the very quirky fabrics – I’m more a flowers in the garden with a punch of retro kind of girl. So my favourites are clearly Bonnie and Camille and for the tiny beings of this world I love anything with alphabets and quaint yesteryear type feel to them.

I have been diving deep with quilting fabrics as there just seems to be a huge shortage of variety of apparel fabrics for the young people in our lives. That said I am noticing more and more out there so maybe I had my eyes shut?

Sorry to not be of any particular help but it is lovely to hear you have resurfaced after two years of sewing hiatus – i thought three to four weeks was a trial. Congrats on making it back to the fold. Looking forward to seeing what you are sewing and some fabric inspiration also. You will show us won’t you?

[Nicole]

Have you seen the Kaffe Fasset shot cottons?

http://quilthome.com/Kaffe_Fassett/Kaffe_Fassett_Collection-Shot_Cottons

Yummy!

[suse]

Thank you everyone! Off to do some investigating. And Nicole – I saw the shot cottons on Etsy earlier and thought they looked lovely.

Asked the small girl (who is three going on thirty LOL – she’s as opinionated as her mother, which is saying something) to help me raid my stash as she adored the Badminton skirt I made for her today – so much so that she insisted on wearing it to bed. So I told her I’d make her something else.

Surprisingly, she rejected the pinkish combination that I suggested (Nani Iro pocho and fuccra double gauze in soft dusks, purples, pinks and shiny bits. I thought it would be a winner!), but loved the teal Anna Maria Horner little folks voile (can’t remember the name but it’s the one with the scalloped stripes) and Saffron Craig teal and turquoise trees. And the Nani Iro wonder world double gauze (the abstract rainbow one) https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nani+iro+wonder+world+double+gauze+fabric&espv=210&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=XJ0hU4PFO4ymkQWU8oGIDg&ved=0CF4QsAQ&biw=1525&bih=1346#facrc=_&imgrc=oizdYxh3rFjKYM%253A%3BPCrvAulxz6H0-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmedia-cache-ec0.pinimg.com%252F736x%252Fd8%252F34%252F0a%252Fd8340aaad12bbdb8554d0e42b700dddf.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.pinterest.com%252Fpin%252F285063851385846770%252F%3B570%3B651

So they’ll be next on the cutting board. Will do another Badminton skirt and not sure what top to do with it. I prefer something that covers the shoulders, as we get a lot of sun here, so maybe either the icecream or class picnic top.

And thought these would be a nice combo too:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181680564/japanese-fabric-cotton-dobby-birds?ref=favs_view_5

https://www.etsy.com/listing/161630916/dark-yellow-crosshatch-cotton-fabric?ref=favs_view_12

Or maybe this colour combination

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181687471/japanese-fabric-cotton-dobby-birds-mint?ref=favs_view_23

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175101771/smile-and-wave-in-water-by-cloud9-1-yard?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=cloud+9+koi+smile+and+wave+fabric&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

I think what I need to do is just spend the next week on Etsy LOL. I may be broke by the end of it though.

Oh, it’s fun getting back into it again! (I’ve been running a business from home for the last two years and recently decided to wind it down so that I could spent more time with the kids and doing fun stuff. It’s nice to sew again without feeling like I should be working!)

[Sarvi]

It sounds like you prefer not only quirkier in design but also more garmenty base fabrics (as opposed to quilty). I’ll second the shot cottons — beautiful shades of pink, even their very pinkest pinks don’t have that eye-burning Pepto Bismol quality and they feel softer to the touch.

Yoshiko Jizenji (sp?) does a line through Yuwa that you might like, with some prints on a lawn-like or shirting-like base cloth that I love, and some on a heavier, quiltier cloth that I love less. If you can find any City Weekend it’s kind of famous for its silkier feel. Of course, you could spring for some Liberty. Use code CLEAR314 and the ones on clearance work out to about $20/yard with free shipping over $35, and they’re wider than quilting fabrics. If you’re used to Japanese import prices this not so far off from that.

This one isn’t pink, but maybe some of the shopping could be for you 🙂

https://www.fabric.com/buy/up-669/liberty-of-london-tana-lawn-wiltshire-black-teal-rose

[meleliza]

omg, rtwgirl, I love you. And hate you. I can’t believe I didn’t know fabric mart carries jcrew fabrics. I’m shopping there right now, against all Lenten promises I made.

[MimmySews]

Fabric Worm is having a sale. They have some great Japanese cotton prints.

http://www.fabricworm.com/sale1.html

[cybele727]

You are all enablers! I love Sarah Jane’s stuff for the under 5 crowd. Check out her wee wander line.

[mcholley1]

meleliza – I ordered some of the jcrew silk/cotton voile a while back and it is lovely. I also got some gorgeous cotton suiting also jcrew. Happy shopping!

[Masha Richart]

LOL, sorry/glad to help, Melanie! Make sure you come back and post your finds. At least the prices are good 😉