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.

Time for some Cuteness...

One of my very new obsessions is the cutest of the cute embellishments: flowers, bows, hearts... you name it, if it's cute, I want it.  I especially love these kinds of embellishments for use in jewelry and hair accessories, but they actually go nicely with pretty much anything you want to use them on.

Now, unlike some of the things I've written about, these kinds of embellishments are very subjective.  There is a HUGE range of embellishments, and you are unlikely to find any of the same ones at different stores.  My personal favorite place to go is, as usual, M&J (6th Avenue, between 38th and 37th Streets).  The reason I like M&J the most, is because they have the embellishments that I am really into right now, which are embellishments made out of ribbon.  They have a great selection of tiny bows made out of ribbon, which I actually used to make some really adorable earrings that I will no doubt be wearing all over town.  But they don't just have bows, they have flowers of all kinds, butterflies, and other cool shapes.  And not just made out of ribbon, they also have crochet pieces that would look really cute on a headband or barrette, especially now that fall is about to be in full swing.  The price per pack really depends on the size of the embellishment and what it's made out of, but a ballpark would be about $3 - $6 per pack.

Another one of my favorite places to go for metal embellishments is Toho Shoji (6th Avenue between 37th and 36th Streets).  They pretty much exclusively sell jewelry related findings like chain, charms, beads and clasps.  I found my earring pieces here, and they were pretty cheap.  I like coming here to see what kinds of charms and beads they have.  Last time I was in, they had these awesome mesh metal flowers in a few different sizes.  I am planning on using them as soon as I figure out what to make.  They would probably make an absolutely adorable headband or hair clip.  In addition to mesh flowers, they also have leaves, cowboy hats, discs, butterflies, and a bunch of other really cool shapes.  I also really like their bead selection (glass, metal, plastic, ceramic).  The mesh pieces are decently priced, at anywhere from $1 per piece - $4 per piece, depending on the size and the kind of piece it is (the flat pieces generally cost less than the more intricate pieces).

Pacific Trimmings (38th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues) is an alright place to go for embellishments.  They really don't have much in the way of cute soft embellishments, like M&J does, but they are actually okay for decorative buttons.  The kind that would be perfect on a patch pocket, or just as a purely decorative touch on a dress or top.  I especially like their little red heart shaped buttons.  On the flip-side, I tend to think that some of the buttons they offer are a little on the too cute side.  Like those flowers with the smiley face ones... a little much for a grown up outfit in my opinion, but probably great on a little girls' sundress.  The buttons are $3 - $4 per pack.

One store I tend to look in is Daytona Braids and Trims (39th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues).  And, while they have a great selection of trims by the yard, they don't have a good selection of small embellishments.  They do have a few little ribbon bows and flowers, but probably nothing that you couldn't make at home with a little elbow grease and a tutorial from google.  I also don't care much for how they are displayed: in those plastic drawer things that you can buy from Target for $10.  I think that they could be put out in a much nicer and more presentable way that really makes you want to go over and look.  That said, I'll definitely still go to Daytona for ribbon and lace trims, but don't plan on buying much else.

I would definitely try out a few more of the trim stores around 38th and 39th Streets, and even hit up some more bead stores to find some embellishments.  Every store has a different selection, so it's all about finding the store with the ones that you like most.

Hey there Stud...

It's not what you think, I promise.  As much as some of you would like me to write all about gorgeous men, I will actually be writing about studs... as in iron-on studs, which can actually be just as interesting, and a whole lot more fun.  I got slightly ambitious regarding this topic, so bear with me.

I do admit that I did go through a phase when I was very into studded jeans.  However, it wasn't until fairly recently that I started considering putting studs on my clothes just to refurbish them.  So that's exactly what I did this week.  I bought myself some iron-on studs and went to town on some of my clothes from last year.  And I must say, I am very pleased with the results.

To start, I have to give credit to a store called TrimArt (38th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues).  While I didn't buy any studs there this week, they have undoubtedly the best selection of iron-on studs that you will find in midtown Manhattan.  They have flat studs, pyramid studs, cute shaped studs, embellished studs, jewel studs... you name it, they will most likely have it.  The picture on the right shows about... one-twelfth of the amount of studs they actually have.  Those colorful ones on the right side of the picture are actually iron-on studs that look like sequins... very cool and something I am definitely planning on using very soon.  The price range is also very affordable; anything from $2 per pack to $8 per pack, depending on the actual studs, and how many are coming in the pack.  The jewel studs and the fancier studs will obviously sell for more than your normal metal stud.

M&J (6th Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets) is another good option for studs.  They aren't as cheap as TrimArt, nor do they have the selection, but they do have some really cool stuff that TrimArt doesn't.  They have a better selection of studs in cute shapes (like hearts and moons and such) and that is what I took advantage of.  I was debating about some cool flat black studs and some cute gold finish heart shaped ones.  In the end, I bought two packs of heart shaped studs, one larger and one smaller, and applied them to a couple of plain black skirts I bought at H&M last year.  Each pack was $4, which is actually at the very low end of the price range.  The most expensive studs I saw were $8 per pack.  The end product is the picture on the left.  I got a little stud happy and put the same design on the back as well.

And last but not least, there's Joyce (38th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway).  Being the small store that it is, the selection of pretty much anything is not very large.  They do have quite a nice amount of studs though, considering the size of the store.  The picture on the right shows most of the basic studs they have (pyramid studs, circles, squares, flat metal studs), but they also have some really cute shapes and colors on the next shelf over from this one.  I immediately saw some awesome flat circle studs in neon pink, yellow and orange and I decided that I must have them.  I went with the largest pink studs, but in retrospect, wish I had bought all three colors to create something awesome.  I used the pink studs to create some adorable hearts on a plain black, knit dress that I also bought at H&M last year (picture below).  I will probably end up going back to the store, buying the other two colors and embellishing a couple more of these same dresses that I have. The price range is big, starting at about $3 per pack of studs, going to about $10 per pack for the really fancy stuff like jewels.

In addition to iron-on studs, all three stores that I listed do offer studs with prongs if you are more comfortable applying studs by hand instead of with an iron.  A benefit of using the pronged studs as opposed to the iron-on ones is that they will not come off.  The iron-on studs will likely eventually pop off, and you will have to replace them.  The downside of using studs with prongs is that they may scratch in the back and, depending on the fabric of the garment being used, the prongs could leave holes.  I personally prefer iron-on studs because I find that there is a much bigger selection.  Pronged studs tend to only come in metal finishes (antique, matte, or shiny) and there is not much of a variety in shapes.  They pretty much only come in pyramid, square, or dome.  However, if you are on a budget, they are a cheaper alternative to iron-on studs.

Less is more

Occasionally, there comes a time when you have to source something that you know you like to source, but that might seem rather boring to others.  For me, this would be plain old solid cotton fabric: pretty much my favorite thing to sew with.  Being slightly afraid of prints, it is really nice to be able to go out and have such a huge selection of lovely solids to choose from.  And not only just regular solid fabric: you have all sorts of weights, all sorts of textures and about a million colors right at your fingertips.

Personally, I prefer getting a solid that has a little bit of stretch to it because I think that having a little give makes a fabric easier to work with.  The solids with stretch also sometimes have a slight sheen to them which gives the fabric a little more depth than a matte solid fabric.  Mood (37th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues), of course, has a nice selection of solid cotton fabrics in many different colors.  They mostly have mid-weight, stretch cotton in amazing colors.  The biggest issue I have with Mood, is the fact that this particular section of bolts (located in the back far right of the store) is incredibly disorganized.  There are two areas for the fabric on opposite sides of the aisle: one side of the isle is nicely color coordinated, while the other side of the aisle has no rhyme or reason.  All the colors are mixed together which makes it really difficult to find what you want.  If you are willing to overlook that problem, the prices are right overall.  They range from about $8 to $14 per yard, depending on if it's plain or some sort of specialty cotton.  I did find this really awesome fabric that is black on one side, and sparkly on the other side for only $10 per yard which I thought was a steal considering that the back had some neat detailing.  I will admit though, that the nicer the feel of the fabric, generally the more expensive it will be.

Another place I like to go for my wonderful solids, is Elegant (on 40th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues).  The selection at this store is laid out much better, as it is all color coded.  A minor problem I have with this particular fabric venue is the fact that, even though the colors are lumped together, so are all of the different contents.  These are not just plain old cotton solids: there's polyester, there's rayon, there's stretch and non-stretch.  It can get a little overwhelming because you really have to make sure that you thoroughly feel every fabric to make sure it's exactly what you want.  You do have to do a little searching for the actual section because there are about a million nooks and crannies in this store, but the aisle you want is in the second to last aisle on the left, closer to the middle cutting tables.  The price range here is actually a good deal more expensive than Mood: anywhere from about $14 to $25 per yard on pretty much the same fabrics.

I would also always suggest popping into a couple of the much smaller, lesser known stores.  They don't have the selection, but their advantage is that they sometimes have fabrics that the bigger stores won't.  Also, if you hit the right one, you might be able to talk down the price a little bit.  The ones below are a couple of good ones.  The man who owns Fabrics Garden (39th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, up a few steps) is a really nice guy.  If you go in enough times, he starts to recognize you and he will negotiate with you.  Swan Fabrics (39th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues) I've only been to a couple of times.  It is a VERY small store and the people who own the store can be a little bit pushy but I have found some really nice things there for very reasonable prices.

And just for a little something different, here is a picture of a dress I made out of solid cotton stretch fabric which I purchased from Mood for $8 per yard.  It is a really nice medium weight, mustard yellow cotton/spandex.