Don't Forget...

Normally, I'm not really one to go for embellishments.  But the one embellishment I always have to stop and look at when I'm in a trim store, is ribbon.  It is absolutely the most versatile embellishment.  You can use it to make headbands and barrettes, earrings and necklaces, and pretty accessories for your clothes.  Pretty much every trim store has a selection of ribbon, but some are better than others.

Mokuba (38th Street b/w Broadway and 7th Ave) is, without a doubt, the best source for ribbon.  In fact, it is the only thing they sell!  The first thing you'll notice when you walk in, is how well organized everything is.  It is very clean with lots of room to move around the racks.  They have tons of different widths, patterns, colors and finishes to pick from so it would be practically impossible for someone not to find what they are looking for.  The only downsides to the store: the people who work there can come off a bit unpleasant.  They will help you if you ask for it, but the last couple of times I went here, I didn't get much of a greeting or any offer of help.  It can also be a little more expensive to shop here, considering the fact that all the ribbon is manufactured specially for the store in Japan.  But if you can get past those two things, I would absolutely recommend coming here.

Daytona Trimmings (39th Street b/w 7th and 8th Ave) is also a place I would recommend  As soon as you walk through the door, you see the entire right side wall covered in rolls of ribbon.  Something this store does particularly well is embellished and patterned ribbon.  There are some really great jacquard printed ribbons that always stop me on my way in or out the door.  They have many widths and colors to choose from, and the prices are appropriate.  The one problem I have while shopping here, is the organization of the ribbons.  Everything is placed according to type, but a lot of times, the ribbons are coming off the roll, or the colors are all mixed together and it can be hard to focus and pick something out in the mess.  Regardless of the messiness, the store has a great selection of ribbon and it is worth the extra time it may take to find what you are looking for.

In any trim situation, I would always check out M&J (6th Ave b/w 38th and 37th Streets).  This place is like a trim mecca, especially for ribbon.  They have two floor-to-ceiling walls of ribbons of all patterns, colors, widths and finishes.  Whether you are looking for satin, grosgrain, metallic, or sheer, you will find it here.  It can be a little bit overwhelming trying to narrow down your options, but that's not such a terrible problem to have.  The biggest problem when picking something out, is that if you choose something way high up on the wall, you have to find someone to come over and help you get it down, which, if it's busy in the store, can take a good 10 minutes.  Another problem while shopping at M&J is the price of their products.  They do tend to run a bit on the higher end; generally anywhere from $3 - $7 per yard, which can definitely add up.  The biggest benefit of shopping at M&J is that it is pretty much a one-stop-shop.  You can find any ribbon you want, as well as any other embellishments you might need.

And, as always, I would try Pacific Trimming (38th Street b/w 7th and 8th Ave), Joyce (38th Street b/w Broadway and 6th Ave), and TrimArt (38th Street b/w 7th and 8th Ave).  None of these three stores has much of a ribbon selection, but they are all worth a look. 

See right through me

I love a good sheer: chiffon and organza are my friends.  Especially now that the sheer high-low maxi dresses and skirts are in style.  One of the best things about shopping for a chiffon or organza, is that you can always find a lower cost alternative to pure silk.

I would absolutely recommend heading over to Spandex House (38th St b/w 7th and 8th Ave) and Spandex World (38th St b/w 7th and 8th Ave).  Both stores specialize in spandex, but they have some really beautiful sheers.  My personal favorite is the stretch ombre sheer; they both have this fabric in several different colors and it has caught my eye every time I've gone into either store.  The selection of sheers is not extensive and since most of the ones they have are novelty, they could run you up to $20 per yard.  However, I think it's worth it for an adorable ombre maxi skirt.

If you are looking for a more basic sheer, or one without stretch, get yourself over to Elegant (40th St b/w 7th and 8th Ave).  They have a large selection of both silk and polyester sheers in prints and solids, as well as a few novelty sheers like crinkle chiffon and sparkly organza.  They also have a good variety of different weights.  The silk sheers start at about $14 per yard and the polyester sheers start at about $6 per yard.  A word to the wise though: if you are going to go with polyester, make sure you spend some time with the fabric before you buy it.  Unroll some from the bolt to see how it drapes, crinkle it up, feel the texture.  They do have poly chiffon and organza that is absolutely comparable to silk, but they have others that are obviously on the lower end.

Another place that's worth a look is B&J (corner or 38th St and 7th Ave, 2nd Fl).  Their sheer section is pretty impressive, albeit a little bit pricier than I prefer.  They have an impressive range of solid colored sheers as well as some novelty sheers (beaded, embroidered, etc), as well as prints.  Since B&J prides itself on carrying designer fabrics, they also offer some higher priced designer sheers that are very cool.  They have both polyester and silk, which will run you anywhere from $7 - $25 for solids and basic prints.  If you're in the market for something beaded, embroidered, or designer (you may want to sit down before continuing), you could end up running your tab up to $100 per yard.

I also always suggest running around between 35th Street and 40th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.  There a million independently owned fabric stores on these streets and they are all worth a glance.  Over time you'll learn which of these stores has the best selection of sheers for the best deal.  One place I can recommend is called Fabric House (39th St b/w 7th and 8th Ave).  A couple of years ago, I was given the assignment of finding polka dot chiffon.  I went to about twenty stores, and this was the only store that had it.  It was $12 per yard and absolutely super cute.  Another favorite of mine is Paron (39th St b/w 7th and 8th Ave).  The best thing about Paron is that they have a small "annex" attached to the main store where you can get fabrics for up to 75% off the retail price.  The selection is small, but they do have at 5-15 bolts of most types of fabrics. 

One more suggestion: before you cut and purchase your fabric, either cut a swatch and bring it outside, or bring the bolt over to a window and look at the color in the sunlight.  I have bought fabric I thought was black but was actually navy blue.  A lot of fabric stores are notorious for bad lighting, and you can't take fabric back once it's been cut. 

Since it is almost summertime...

I love a cute sundress as much as the next girl and am super excited to be able to start wearing them again now that it is finally warming up outside!  As anyone who lives up north (like me) knows, the first warm days of the year are very exciting after a very cold six months.  It's time to break out the light cotton fabrics and whip up some summer clothes.

In some of my past posts, I haven't exactly praised B&J Fabrics (corner of 38th and 7th, 2nd floor).  But one positive thing I can say about them is that they have a really good selection of simple cotton prints  They have pretty much any type of print you could want, the most abundant of them being floral and ditsy floral prints, either of which are perfect for spring and summer.  The price is anywhere from $10 - $14 per yard... so not that cheap but the selection makes up for it.

Elegant (40th between 7th and 8th), as always, is a great stop.  The prints do tend to be a little bit young, and possibly better suited to use as pajama pants or shorts more than actual clothes.  But there are always some really cute polka dots and ditsy florals to choose from.  One thing that they do have is an unbelievable amount of stripes, plaids and checks.  You can always find a nice gingham at Elegant.  They also have some really great novelty and stretch stripes and plaids which can be a little harder to find.  Whether you want to make a nice skirt or dress, or a man's dress shirt, you will find something you would want to use.  The price range is huge since there is so much variety in types of fabric, but you could end up spending anywhere from $10 - $30 per yard.

It is also always a good idea to check out Mood (37th between 7th and 8th, 3rd floor).  Cotton prints and plaids are something they do have a lot of; four wall length shelving units worth.  They have every color, every texture, every combination of contents.  It's really rather overwhelming, but no matter what you're looking for, there is no way you won't find it here.  Usually the price range is about $8 - $15 but the novelty fabrics will run a bit more.

And, lastly, in the spirit of keeping things new and interesting, I took my first trip to a place called Trumart (7th between 25th and 26th).  They don't have a website because this store is absolutely tiny.  It is also pretty hard to move around in the store because there are so many bolts crammed into this itty bitty space.  However, this store prides itself on being cheap and they deliver.  They have some great cotton prints (admittedly they are mostly stretch, but I like stretch fabrics) at really reasonable prices.  The selection is nowhere near what you would find at a place like Mood or B&J but for $6 dollars a yard, I'll take the smaller selection and limited maneuverability.

A Little Late in the Season But...

So after a very long hiatus, I have decided to return with a vengeance.  Despite the fact that coat season is going to be coming to a close in just a couple of months, this post is going to be all about finding that perfect fabric to make a cute coat that is heavy enough to wear for the rest of the winter, or light enough so you can carry it over into the spring.

Living in New York, I've become partial to heavy winter coats, since winter lasts what seems like forever.  Mood (37th Street b/w 7th and 8th Avenues, 3rd Fl) has a great heavy wool and boucle selection.  I absolutely love a neutral coat so that I can pair it with some colorful accessories, and Mood has a great selection of wool neutrals.  Now, truth be told, buying several yards of wool is not going to be cheap, especially when you are going to be making a heavy coat.  Three yards of fabric could even run you up to $180 - $200 depending on the content of the fabric.  If you want something in pure wool, alpaca, or cashmere, you will be running on the more expensive side.  I generally try to go with something synthetic, which isn't necessarily as warm as pure wool, but doesn't make such a huge dent in my wallet.  Here's a tidbit of info if you're looking for the coating at Mood: go up the stairs and the coating is all the way on the left side of the floor.

Another great store for coating and boucle is Elegant (40th Street b/w 7th and 8th Avenues).  If you go upstairs, they have a lot of heavy wools, including double faced wool, which I absolutely love.  They also have an entire aisle of wool boucle in different textures, weights and colors on the first level.  Any of these fabrics would make an absolutely adorable peacoat or cape.  They especially have a great selection of different plaids; and I don't just mean your standard red tartan.  I'm talking pinks, purples, shades of grey and black... you name it.  But before you run off to Elegant, you'll need to make sure you have enough money to purchase enough yardage.  A yard of boucle will run you about $45 - $60, and that's also depending on the weight of the fabric you choose.  You really have to scour the shelves if you want to find something under $45.

Now, if you're looking for something super warm and super luxurious, I might suggest going for faux fur or real fur (if you would prefer).  I would definitely recommend going to Elegant first.  A good percentage of the second floor is made up of both real and faux fur.  I am much more amenable to using faux fur, which feels just as good as real fur and is a slight bit cheaper.  I would also suggest that if you're going to be spending the money on fur anyway, to go with faux fur with woven underside.  It's more expensive but holds up better when being used.  A yard of good quality faux fur can run you up to $110.  Elegant also carries real fur which is more expensive than the fake stuff.  B&J (7th Avenue on the corner of 38th Street, 2nd Fl) also has a decent selection of faux fur, as well as real fur and some skins if you want to buy suede or leather.  They keep it all the way on the right side of the store.  The pricing here is pretty much the same as at Elegant, and the selection isn't as big, but they do have some really nice things.  Unfortunately, B&J does not offer swatching of fur or leather at all, and Elegant requires that you put a $10 deposit on any fur swatches.  They keep the fur for swatching downstairs near the register.

My main advice before going shopping for your own coat fabric would be to have some idea of what you want before you go.  There is such a wide variety of fabric contents, weights, and colors that it can be overwhelming to shop without any direction.  I would also make sure that you go in knowing that you will have to spend a pretty big chunk of change; likely more than the amount you would spend to just run to Macy's and buy a coat.  The advantage is that, in the end, you will have your own custom designed coat and reflects your style perfectly.