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.