Let’s get some fresh! Subtle, worn, and neutral fabrics and vintage images can be so fresh! stay tuned for more fresh {did someone say “fresh?”}

1. handmade denim cuff bracelet by bbbellezza $10

2. organic canvas fabric- LULU by daisyjanie  $64

3. vintage doily and button pillow by brandeye  $32

4. recycled OZARKelopes from vintage historical book by Sanguinaria  $12.50

Kate, along with her husband, bring together farm, food and design at The Steel Fork. They also design and create sculptural metalworks using recycled farm machinery – Gatski Metal. Kate is also the mother of two busy little children.

some things looming, a new contemporary and traditional fiber art gallery, 526 Washington Street, Reading, is holding a public grand opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14.

The “all-things-textile” facility contains a gallery, boutique, studio units, community studios, classrooms, networking resources and a library. The co-owners are Rebekah Ritter and her daughter, Melanie Ritter Mitchell, also artistic director.

“This is the realization of a dream for both of us,” said Ritter, “and we are glad to be able to expand the vibrant and growing arts community in Reading and Berks County. Fiber and textile arts are much more in demand and we are dedicated to sharing them at our grand opening and beyond.”

Saturday features an exhibition of  the work of Kathryn Pannepacker, a textile and visual artist and curator; Barbara Schulman, professor and head of the Kutztown University Fiber Arts program; and Melanie Ritter Mitchell, who studied under Schulman and received a BFA with a concentration in fiber arts.

The boutique, a functional gallery, features the work of more than a dozen professional fiber artists and will feature “beautiful one of a kind hand-crafted items,” said Ritter.

Sunday’s Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. repeats Saturday’s activities and features the exhibit opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. for the opening of the first gallery exhibition that runs through April 12, 2010. Sunday’s reception also will have cello music by Jeremy Mitchell and refreshments.

The some things looming grand opening is being held in conjunction with the juried “More Than Fiber: A Creative Approach to Material” exhibition at the nearby GoggleWorks Arts Center, 201 Washington St., Reading, which runs through April 18, 2010.

Visit the website (www.somethingslooming.com), for more details or call 610-373-7337.

Okay, okay. Enough is enough. Here’s a collection of handmade goodness that represents all things that are not snow, white or cold.  So draw your blinds and block out the memories of shoveling endless mounds of white and enjoy a taste of spring.

My mom’s brand name “Rosie’s Whimsy” is so appropriate – she is prone to flights of fancy and changes of whim. But only in the most positive way! She’s read to take a risk, explore a new path, or take on a new skill.

In case you hadn’t heard, her children’s clothing line morphed into a line of pretty but oh-so-comfy ladies’ skirts that are taking Central PA boutiques by storm! She even re-branded her Etsy shop to reflect her daily inspiration in sewing, her mom. You can find her new line at L. Blanche Designs.

I’m also pleased as punch to announce that my mom is the new face behind The Fabric Shopper – a blog dedicated to fabric and the people who love it (that means you, by the way!). She takes over posting tomorrow and you can look for a major site design to go live that day, as well. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t subscribe today!

Nicole, from Couch Design (Philadelphia), creates gorgeous graphic pillows and fabric art pieces. Her pillows are all a simple square shape – putting all the focus on her fabric finds and the hand embroidery or appliques she uses to make them special.

Nicole was recently featured on CBS3 news, during the stations Green Scene feature.

One of these pillows would take a simple IKEA chair and make it magazine-worthy!

A few years ago I came across a lot of vintage hankies and bought them. They were so pretty and the fabric was so soft. Some had vibrant, colorful prints, others delicate embroidery, and some had tiny hand crocheted edging. I kept them in my fabric stash for a while, not knowing exactly what to do with them. Yes, I could just use them as they were intended, but that seemed a waste somehow. I began searching for ideas on the internet and finally came up with some things I could do with them.

Vintage hankies make great pockets. Added to an apron as shown on my lemon yellow apron, gives your modern piece a touch of vintage style and also makes a great story. Where had this hankie been? Was it brought along on a first date, or to a prom, tucked away inside a small evening bag? Was it lovingly tucked inside a small child’s pocket on a cold winter morning? How many tears did it wipe away from sorrow or happiness?

You can cut the hankie into any shape you like to make the pocket, and just hem up the sides and sew in place. Jackets, blouses, T shirts, and dresses can be given an extra bit of flair by a hankie pocket.

Another fun thing to make is fabric brooches. Simply pick up the hankie in the middle and tie a knot on the closed end. The open end will have all the corner points bunched together. Pin to a collar on a denim jacket or sweater and it makes a great splash of color.

I have also made several jewelry pouches to keep pearls from scratching or to use when I am traveling. I have simply cut the hankie in half, and sewn up three of the sides. I then take an exacto knife and make several small slashes at the top opening to lace ribbon through. This becomes my drawstring closure. You can adjust the size to your liking.

Hankies are also great for pockets in handbags, as part of a quilt, as cuffs on a blouse, as a collar on a child’s dress, or even to make doll clothes from. With a little imagination, you can make any number of new items from a once cherished piece of fabric. The next time you talk to an older relative, ask them if they have any that you could have and get creating!

Barb Stauff is first and foremost a SAHM to three girls, 14, 11, and 7 who keep her laughing and love to help her create. Owning my own business has been a challenge, and it is a lot of hard work, but I have given my daughters a wonderful gift.

She wants people to buy her handbags, and clothes because they make them smile, and feel good about themselves. She focuses on vintage style and fabrics not only because they are interesting, but because by reusing something from the past, you bring its history and story to the future. Visit B Stauff Designs on Etsy to find Barb’s work!

One great place I know of to buy vintage hankies is Shupp’s Grove. Don’t forget to get your applications in for Crafty by Nature at Shupp’s Grove! Our first show is May 3.

My last article touched on how you can reuse and recycle fabrics laying around your house in new ways. Many times we have old slip covers or curtains lying around that we end up throwing away. I am currently working on a project to turn some home decorator fabric my friend had into a vintage-style dress. The two fabrics used were once curtains and slip covers, but a change in taste left my friend with a bunch of leftovers heading for the dump. Thankfully, she thought of me and I gladly took them.

When I looked over the fabric, there were some pieces that were too worn to use. So, I cut away the parts I did not want and saved them in my scrap bag. Normally with all my scraps I do one of two things: they are used to stuff pillows I make, or I donate them to a local group that makes quilts for the SPCA dogs. When I had the fabric that I could use I realized that there was not enough of one print to make the dress, but the two did go nicely together. I decided to use the solid for the bodice, and the print for the skirt. [Read more →]

Dress up your desk with this week’s giveaway – a custom business card holder & key fob in your choice of fabric from Kreative Karryalls!

Heather from Kreative Karryalls specializes in functional, fabric accessories including key fobs, tissue cozies, ribbon handbags, and business card holders. She says, “About 3 years agao, a local person was looking for someone to sew handbags for her homeshows, so I gave it a shot and about a year later branched off to do my own thing and here I am.” [Read more →]

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from Jan from Scoutie Girl & Daisy Janie. She found HiP through Sara Smedley’s blog which she found from a post about Sara on Poppy Talk.

Turns out what caught Jan’s eye was the HiP button on Sara’s blog. If you’ve been with me for awhile, you might remember the autumn image of a tree-lined street in the header. Oddly enough, Jan had the same picture. Because she took it on about the same day, in exactly the same place. Because it turns out, she lives exactly 2 blocks away from me!

It’s amazing how the world wide web has actually reinforced just how small the world really is.

Jan is an amazing textile designer – not to mention a compelling blogger. Check out this sampling from her Daisy Janie Etsy shop.

Mom, I’m horribly sorry for feeding your addiction to fabric. But I felt I was obligated to share Daisy Janie as a public service to my readers. ;)