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.

Off the Chain

I am a bit of a self-admitted minimalist when it comes to clothing.  I tend more towards solids, not a lot of embellishments... simple, if you will.  But I always seem to find myself marveling at the selection of chain-by-the-yard whenever I go to a trim store.  They just amaze me: tiny chains, chunky chains, multi-colored chains... I seem to just love the idea of them more than I actually love the idea of wearing them.  But I just know that one of these days I will go crazy and buy tons of yards of chain and make something amazing with it.  In the meantime, I will just continue to dream about it.

The most to-the-point advice I can give is to take the train to Bryant Park and walk along 6th Avenue between 40th Street and 36th Street.  There are probably six or seven bead stores in this four block area.  Now, bead stores in New York aren't anything like bead stores anywhere else.  They actually contain much more than just beads.  There are all sorts of awesome goodies that can be found at these stores, including yardage of chain.  I snapped the picture on the right at a store called Toho Shoji (6th Avenue between 37th and 36th).  This is maybe a sixth of the selection that the store actually has.  I took this one because I'm a fan of the gunmetal colored chains on the bottom.  They also have silver, gold, black, and all sorts of delightful bright colors.  If you are looking for something a little fancier than the normal chain link type chain, check out the website.  It has some really pretty things like chains that look like vines or hearts, ball chains, box chains, rope chains.  The chain racks are very easy to find, which I am a big fan of, as I don't like to search for things in a store.  Just walk on in, turn to the left, and there you are.  The price range is pretty big, about $1-$18 per foot depending on the width of the chain itself.

Another place you could go for a pretty good selection of chain is the ever popular Pacific Trimmings (38th street between 7th and 8th Avenues), a place I tend to mention quite a lot.  A perk of this store as opposed to Toho Shoji, is the fact that they have a selection of acrylic chain as well as metal chain.  However, the overall selection of chains in general is smaller.  The organization of the spools is also a little bit messy, and you sometimes have to search for what you want.  The chain spools are kept in the back of the store to the left of the cash wrap counter, and some are kept right in front of it.  A great perk of this store is that they have chain metal by the yard as well.  I couldn't find a picture of chain metal, but it's basically flat metal pieces attached together by metal rings.  It is very flexible, and it is used a lot in jewelry.  It can make a great embellishment to garments, and I have seen it used for shoulder patches or on patch pocket flaps.  The prices are cheaper as well, as they price by the yard instead of by the foot.  A yard of chain goes for anywhere from $4-$9 per yard.

Maybe I'm a secret junkie for shiny things and my simple nature tends to lead me away from the chains that I seem to gravitate towards.  Either way, whenever I pluck up the courage to make something sassy with chain, I'll know exactly where to go.

All about Spandex

And no... I'm not (necessarily) talking about the jazzercise, 90's aerobics outfits type of spandex.  But sometimes there is an occasion when you want to make a t-shirt, or a bathing suit, or a sweet pair of leggings and you need to find a place to go in order to get the best spandex or spandex blend.  Before I moved to New York, I shopped pretty much exclusively at Jo-ann Fabrics for any fabric I needed.  They had a modest selection of knits and stretch fabrics.  When I did move to New York, I discovered that there are actually stores that ONLY sell spandex blends, and 100% spandex fabrics.  At first, it was slightly comical to me to hear about people talking about stores called 'Spandex House' or 'Spandex World'.  All I could think about was a 'Saved by the Bell' era scene, with people walking around with teased hair, blue eyeshadow and those atrocious thong leotard things with the bike shorts underneath.  However, when I actually went to these stores, there were no people wearing spandex and no teased hair.  I was met with a seemingly endless variety of knit fabrics.  Being a huge fan of anything made out of knit, I was blown away.

image: www.shopthegarmentdistrict.com

First and foremost, I would recommend going to Spandex House (on 38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).  A two-story spandex heaven.  They have pleather, metallic, sequin, velvet, printed, chiffon, mesh... name it, they have it in a stretchy version.  It can be a little overwhelming if you don't really know where anything is, but it is easy to get your bearings, as everything is organized pretty well.  Downstairs is all novelty: bathing suit material, sequin and sparkles, knit denim, and wacky prints.  Upstairs is the more basic stuff like cotton, polyester, rayon, lace and velvet.  One of the best things about the store is that they give you nice sized swatches, which makes it easier to visualize the garment you want to make.  The price range in the store is huge.  Anything from $6 per yard for basic cotton or polyester stretch, to $40 and more per yard for something heavily embellished.  I'm not going to sugar coat it: if you need stretch fabric, GO HERE!

image: itshisandhers.blogspot.com

Another decent alternative is Spandex World (also on 38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).  The store kind of looks like a circus, from both the inside and the outside.  It is a good deal smaller than Spandex House, but occasionally you will be able to find some awesome fabric at Spandex World.  The price range is pretty comparable to that of Spandex House, so on that basis, they are equal.  However, I do have a couple of grievances regarding Spandex World: the main one being that they do not give swatches of all fabrics.  They have some fabrics hanging in bunches around the store and those are the only fabrics you may have swatches of.  I mostly understand them not wanting to give out tons of swatches to everyone, but this still annoys me when I have to settle for a swatch of cotton in yellow when I really want to make something in blue.  I also have problems with the layout of the first floor.  Being kind of a personal space freak, I try to avoid stores that are overly crowded, and this is one of them.  There is so much merchandise, that sometimes it feels like you need a GPS to get around the store.  The real reason I go continue to subject myself to these minor annoyances, is the fact that they have great novelty knits.  If you like sparkles and shine, this is THE place to go.

But, if you are looking for an everyday knit, I would always suggest checking out any old fabric store.  They will, very rarely, have something amazing that a spandex store won't have and they are worth popping into every so often.  I will say though, that they are almost always more expensive than either one of the spandex stores.  A basic rayon spandex blend can even run you up to $18 per yard, whereas at the other stores, you will be paying more like $6 - $8 per yard.  I think if I had to name one basic fabric store to look for knits, I would say Fabrics Garden (on 39th street between 7th and 8th Avenues).  It's in the middle of the street up a few stairs.  The knit fabrics are toward the back of the store.  They have a good selection, considering they aren't a specialty knit fabric store.  When I had to source knit polka dot fabric, this was one of the only stores that I could find it in.  The absolute best thing about this store, is that if you get the right salesperson to help you, they will sometimes give you a better price than the one listed.  The prices are maybe a couple of dollars more the expensive than the spandex stores, but it's worth a look if you're in the area anyway.

Perhaps it's just my love of pretty much any garment made of knit fabrics, but I am a huge lover of spandex stores!  Definitely check them out if you're in the market.

Buttons, buttons everywhere

I have to say before I start this post, that I am not much of a user of buttons.  I do always find myself perusing the buttons section at any trim store I may go into, but I always end up going with a zipper if I need a closure.  But, in my many days working as in intern for various companies, I have been asked to source countless amounts of buttons in different colors, sizes, and materials.  In my experience, a good button can be a difficult thing to find.  Most of the time, there is a specific idea of what kind of button needs to be used for the garment that is being made and having to go out and find the button that exists in your head is a much bigger deal than anticipated.

image source: www.diaryofaquilter.com

To start, I will have to say that M&J Trimming (on 6th Avenue, between 38th and 37th streets) has, hands down, the best button selection I have seen at any trim store I have been to.  Not only do they have just about every color button known to man, but they also have just about any material that exists: leather, pleather, wood, shell, horn, plastic, metal, fabric.  The picture at right is merely a tiny portion of the amount of buttons that is available.  M&J is especially great if you need any sort of novelty button.  They have all sorts of super fun buttons (like those sparkly gold and silver star buttons in the picture).  The one and only downside to shopping at M&J is the price situation.  The fact is that they are more expensive than most other stores.  If you want a plain plastic button it will only run you a few dollars for six or seven buttons, which is comparable to most other trim stores.  But if you want a novelty button (especially anything metal, wood, or leather) it could cost up to five dollars PER BUTTON.  Now just imagine: you're making a coat and need six nice leather buttons.  That is already thirty dollars spent just for the buttons.

image source: www.lindsaytsews.com

Unfortunately, there is no other store that has nearly the selection that M&J has.  The store takes up a good percentage of a city block, which means they have a lot of merchandise.  But if you are willing to go to a few different stores for the sake of finding the perfect button, there are a few more affordable options.  Joyce Buttons and Trims (on 38th street, between 6th Avenue and Broadway) does have a pretty decent selection of novelty buttons.  The specialize in the more glamorous buttons, such as ones with crystals and jewels.  While not super cheap (a jewel button will run about two-five dollars a piece), they are still more affordable than M&J, not to mention that they have cheaper alternatives in the store.

image source: www.lindsaytsews.com

If you are looking for a more basic button (think solid color, plastic, two or four hole) I would absolutely recommend Pacific Trimming (also known as "YKK", on 38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).  The store is a little cramped, so I generally try to avoid going there, but they are still the best for a basic button.  The picture at right, shows one of the button aisles in the back of the store.  There are hundreds of button drawers to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming.  But it is almost impossible to go into this store with the intention of buying buttons, and leaving without buying any.  I have found that they are the absolute best for basic black and white, as well plain old flat metal shank buttons (great if you are going for the military look).  The best thing about the buttons in the store is that on average, they are less than two dollars per button.  Some even go for as little as fifty cents per button.  They do have some very fancy buttons as well, but I would suggest avoiding these, as they are quite pricey.

Now, if after going to all three stores, you are still unable to find the button you want, I would suggest trying Lulu Buttons (on 38th street, between 6th and 5th Avenues).  This is store is a tiny, narrow, one-room store.  They don't have much of a selection but you can occasionally find a cool novelty button or two.  The one advantage this store has is that they will dye buttons to match the garment.  The button is dyed using the closest pantone match to the color of the garment.  It can get pretty expensive, but if you really want a button to match, this is probably the best way to do it.

In the end, finding a button can be an overwhelming task.  It is all about knowing what you want and where to go to find it.

Unzipped

For some reason, whenever I start sewing again, I inevitably end up with somewhere between 6 and 10 garments that would be finished but for one thing: a zipper.  This is something I have been struggling with since I learned how to sew when I was thirteen years old.  I have zipper commitment issues.  Maybe the reason this started was because I only had access to Jo-Ann Fabrics, whose selection, while good enough, is hardly what I would call a mecca for sewing supplies and fabrics.  There was no choice except for what was available there; the color selection was limited, as was the selection of types and lengths.  So I took whatever was closest to what I needed and made it work.  But in New York, you could walk into pretty much any supply or fabric store and find zippers.  Generally speaking, most stores will have some kind of zipper that matches what you are making.

Let's start with the basics:  Mood (37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 3rd Fl), with its seemingly never-ending fabric options, is not the place I would necessarily recommend for buying a zipper.  While they do have zippers available, the truth is that they have a relatively limited selection.  Invisible zippers must be the biggest seller, because this is the kind of zipper they have the most of.  Usually, I try to avoid invisible zippers at all costs since they are such a hassle to sew into a garment.  If you are at Mood anyway, and realize you need an invisible zipper, this would be the place to get it; but I wouldn't suggest making an extra trip there if all you need is a zipper.

Pacific Trimming (38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues) is a smart option if you need a zipper.  They have a pretty large variety of zippers and they will shorten any zipper at the store to the exact length you need.  It usually only takes about five to ten minutes to do so and they don't charge you to do it.  I can say that a large percentage of the zippers that are offered are metal zippers.  Now, being a big fan of the exposed metal zipper, this works in my favor.  The one thing that I will say, though, is that shopping at Pacific Trimming can be a bit stressful.  The store is very tightly packed, which makes it difficult to maneuver around the store.  And, as if this weren't annoying enough, the store is almost always slightly crowded, which makes moving around even more difficult.  However, if you don't mind the way the store is laid out, you may want to try Pacific Trimming for a zipper.

Sil Thread (38th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues), is the first place I would recommend for anyone looking to buy a zipper.  From the street, it looks kind of like a hole-in-the-wall, but it is pretty much zipper heaven when you walk inside.  The store is officially a sewing supply store, but the inventory is mostly zippers.  They have metal, plastic, separating and invisible zippers in several different lengths.  They also carry some novelty zippers, like ones with pleather or sparkly tape.  If you don't find the length you need, they will shorten it for you at no extra cost.

The biggest complaint I have about zipper shopping is the fact that I have a hard time finding zippers to match exactly the fabric I have already purchased for my garment.  However until I can afford to pay to have my zippers dyed, or figure out how to dye them myself, I suppose this is just another thing I will have to deal with in the saga of making clothing.

I'm back!

Well, it's been over a year since my last post.  Things in my life have changed; and that is an understatement.  As of my last post, I was working as a Design Assistant for a wholesale company; not really doing much sourcing as that was mostly what the interns would do.  However, I did source enough to keep posting for a little while.  As of June, I lost my job.  So now, I only source for my personal projects; which is actually more than I was doing when I was working.  I wasn't making any clothes when I was working, but now that I'm not working, I have started sewing again.  And, as anyone who sews knows, muslin is the thing that is most important to me.  I use it to experiment on the dress form and to sew a 'first draft' of any garment I plan on making.

When I started sewing again, I figured that muslin would be pretty much a no-brainer to find, as it is the most basic fabric you can possibly buy.  And, for the most part, I was right.  Almost every fabric store has muslin available.  The tricky part, is finding muslin for a reasonable price.  Previous to moving to New York, I would just head on over to Jo-Ann fabrics and pick up some 36" wide muslin for a buck a yard.  I'm not delusional enough to think that I would be able to find the same price in New York, however.

The first place I looked was Mood (on 37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 3rd Floor), because they have a huge selection of pretty much everything.  Turns out, the muslin is only $2.75 per yard, which is quite reasonable as far as I'm concerned.  They also offered to get another roll from the back if I wanted more than was on the bolt.  I decided though, that before buying, I would check around in my usual fabric haunts to see if I could spot a better price.  I ventured over to B&J (on the corner of 7th Avenue and 38th Street, 2nd Floor).  While there, I learned that the store is best used for cotton prints, heavily embellished fabrics and laces, and denim.  I was directed to the area of the store where muslin was supposed to be, but there were no bolts of muslin.  Disappointed after triple-checking the area, I left and went to my no-fail spot: Elegant Fabrics (on 40th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).  Nine times out of ten, I can find some fabric that I would like to use.  They have a good selection of most fabrics and I figured that they would have cheaper fabric than Mood (considering that Mood is generally a little pricey).  I was absolutely shocked to find out that the muslin was $3.75 per yard; a full dollar more than the muslin at Mood.  Now, normally a dollar per yard difference wouldn't bother me so much, but when you're buying 10-15 yards at a time, that makes a difference.

I would also suggest trying out some of the smaller fabric stores along 38th and 39th streets in midtown.  You can occasionally find a good deal on fabric, but they also have the tendency of trying to rip you off. However, Metro Fabrics (on 37th street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, 9th Floor), is another good alternative for a place to get muslin.  The store has very good prices, but not a big selection of fabrics.

Moral of the story:  Mood is a great place to get muslin.  The price is right and they always have the yardage that you need.  An added bonus is that they have plenty of other fabrics to choose from for other projects.

I'm Back!

Hey all, after that somewhat brief hiatus, I've decided to come back and continue the blog.  I probably won't be posting every day, but I'm aiming for two or three times a week at least.

What: crochet trim
Price: $8-$15
Place: Top Trimmings (39th street b/w 7th and 8th) B&Q (38th street b/w 7th and 8th)

I thought that considering how 'in' crochet embellishments are these days, I would go ahead and post about them.  Most recently (maybe within the last month or so), all of our interns have been asked to go sourcing for crochet trimming, more specifically: crochet neck and back pieces.  I will say this: they aren't really so hard to find.  The one hard thing about having to buy them for a company is the fact that any given store only carries a small quantity of each piece.  But for everyday, personal use, finding one is no trouble at all.  In my experience, the best place to go for crochet anything is Top Trimmings (www.shinetrim.com) which is on 39th street between 7th and 8th avenues.  It is a two-story shop so they have a lot of products.  The crochet things are on the second floor.  Not only do they have a pretty decent selection of the neck and back pieces, but they also have crochet trim by the yard, as well as actual yards of crochet on bolts (like fabric).  The majority of their selection of their neck and back pieces are pretty large, but they have a fair selection of smaller ones as well.  They also have a very good selection of all sorts of crochet by the yard in white and off-white (mostly). 

Now, if you're having some trouble finding what you're looking for at Top Trimmings, you should try B&Q, which is on 38th street between 7th and 8th avenues.  They are both owned by the same people so they kind of fill in the gaps of the other one.  They don't have the selection of Top Trimmings (by a long shot) but the things they do have are pretty good.

The one complaint I do have about the selection of crochet trims, is the lack of black trim available.  It isn't so hard to find, but actually finding one you like is another thing.  The stores that do offer black trim have only a very small selection compared to the white and off-white times.  Some girls I work with even had to go as far as dying a white trim that they liked to black (which ended up being more like a very dark brown sort of color).  It's just too bad that there isn't more black trim available, considering the fact that black is such a basic color.

Some news...

So I got a new job at the company I am interning for, hence I won't be sourcing nearly as much for work.  I've still had to do tons of sourcing for things I haven't written about yet though, so I'll still be able to maintain the blog (yay!). 

One of those days

What: metal shank buttons
Where: Pacific Trimmings
How much: $0.25-$1.25

Again, another day without sourcing.  It's very weird for me to not have anyone ask me to source anything, as that is a big part of my days at work.  I did get to go out and buy stuff for people though; one them being something I'm asked to buy most frequently: domed metal shank buttons.  They give a good military look to things, especially in antique brass and antique silver, which is what I'm always asked to buy. 

Now, you'd think that you'd be able to find these buttons at any trim and button store there is.  And that's somewhat true.  These are easier to find than most things because they are so basic.  The problem is finding good ones.  A lot of metal buttons are way too heavy for most things, or they look really cheap.  A good majority of the buttons that look like this are actually plastic finished to look like silver or gold; they really just come off looking low-quality. 

The one place I always go when I need these buttons is Pacific Trimmings on 38th street.  They have a really good selection of both antique and shiny metal buttons and they have a big size range.  They also have these buttons in a dome shape and just a flat disc shape.  The big ones come in really handy for outerwear and I like small shiny ones for cute closures or details.  They run about $0.25-$1.25, the price increasing in relation to the button size.

Not much

So I didn't really have to do a whole lot of sourcing today.  I was asked to go to a new trim store to see if I could find some silver neck pieces.  I had passed Trims de Carnival, on 38th street between 5th and 6th, a couple of times on my way to 5th avenue, but I had never stopped there because the window display is so gaudy.  The store itself is pretty narrow and filled almost to the brim with products.  And, while I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, I would definitely go back.  They have a really good selection of fancier trims and loose sequins and beads.

I was also asked to find some matte sequin trim.  I knew that finding sequin trim would be pretty easy to find since it's a pretty basic thing in the trim world.  I walked around to a few trim places but was met with only shiny sequin trim.  I knew that TrimArt would have what I was looking for so I headed over there and was right.  They have several different widths of matte sequin trim in silver and in gold; with square sequins.  I didn't see any with regular round sequins, but luckily the square ones are what I needed.  It was only $2.50 a yard which is a pretty decent price for anything with sequins or beads on it.  I bought 15 yards and headed back.

Nothing in particular...

So I have to admit that today was a bit different for me, just because of the fact that not one person asked me to go sourcing for them.  But, around mid-afternoon, one of my coworkers asked me if I'd like to come with her to Metro Textiles on 37th between 7th and 8th.  I said yes because she had told me about how good the place was and I wanted to see for myself.

To be exact, Metro Textiles is located at 265 W 37th street on the 9th floor.  When I got there I was a little bit surprised with how small the space is.  There are bolts of fabric everywhere.  The shelves go up to the ceiling and they are absolutely filled with bolts.  There are also tons of bolts just stacked everywhere.  Despite having only a little bit of space to move around, their selection is pretty extensive.  They have just about everything you might need.  The downside to the selection is that they only have a few bolts of different fabrics.  So you go in needing polyester chiffon, for example, but they only have a small selection.  That's basically the story with all the fabrics they have.  But most of the stuff they do have is really good; I found an awesome metallic stretch lace that I absolutely must go back and buy later.  The best thing about the store is that they have amazing prices.  A yard of georgette is only $3 and a yard of muslin is only $2.25.  You really can't beat either of those prices.  Most of the plain shirting and light cottons will run about $6 per yard which is also unbeatable.  They'll cut you pretty much as many swatches as you want (within reason of course).

So all in all, if you want to find fabrics for a good price, go to Metro Textiles.  But if you want a big selection, I might suggest going elsewhere.

A good button is hard to find

What: gray, purple, teal buttons
Where: Pacific, M&J, Botani, Daytona
Price: $2 - $4 per button

So today was a huge challenge for me.  I was asked to find buttons to match three sweaters, all different colors: dark gray, purple, and teal.  Now, I knew before I went out that teal was going to be nearly impossible.  I had found a good teal button on a separate trip, but this time they wanted one that was about 52 ligne, which is pretty big. 

Normally, gray is about the hardest color there is to match, but I actually found a pretty decent gray button at Pacific Trimmings on 38th street.  Surprisingly, purple is not a horribly difficult color to locate.  I found a good one at M&J Trimmings.  I figured I would find a decent button in one of the colors at M&J because they have a pretty good selection of novelty buttons and buttons in bright colors.  But still, no teal.  I went all around to about 8 different stores, including LuLu Buttons on 38th between 6th and 5th, and Botani on 36th between 7th and 8th, both of which specialize in buttons.  I had no luck in either store, but I did have some luck in Daytona Trimmings... and I say 'some luck' generously.  I found a button that would have to do because I couldn't find a closer teal color.  They were actually more blue than I would have liked but they would have to do.

Moral of the story: the chances of finding a good teal button are about the same as the chances of winning of the lottery.  My advice is to go to LuLu and get the guy who owns the store to dye buttons to match whatever garment you are looking for.  The price is hefty, but if it's really important that the button match as closely as possible, the only way you are going to find a good teal is get the buttons dyed. 

Shoulder Patches

What: shoulder patches
Where: M&J, Pacific Trimmings, Joyce, B&Q, Trimart

Today I learned that finding shoulder patches in the kind of style in the picture at right (http://images.smh.com.au/) is not so easy.  For whatever reason, the patches either come without hanging chains at all, or they come with loose hanging chains as opposed to the ones that are looped and attached to the other side.  I had a feeling when I went out that it might be a hard thing to locate, but I had no idea that I would go back to the office completely unsuccessful.

I tried all over the place; I went to every trim store on 38th street between 7th and 8th, I went to M&J Trimming, Joyce Buttons and Trims, B&Q Trimming, and Pacific Trimmings just to name a few.  The only place I found something even close to slightly resembling the look the company was going for was at TrimArt, which is on 38th street and almost 8th.  They didn't have exactly what I was looking for by any means, but at least they had some form of patches with some form of chains hanging over the shoulder.  They were only $4 a piece so I bought three different ones and headed back to the office.

If you ask me, if you have your heart set on a shoulder patch like the one above, it would probably be easier to buy the chain and the patch separately and sew together a cute patch for your shirts or dresses.  Finding a cute one in the city is near impossible.

Hmmm... maybe neckline embellishments today

What: neckline embellishments
Where: M&J Trimmings, Pacific Trimmings
How Much: about $13

Today was no different than my average day at the office: do some computer work, run errands, do more computer work, run more errands, yet more computer work, and yet more errands.  The bulk of my errands actually had to do with finding more crinkle chiffon, but since I already wrote about that in a previous post, I figure it would be more helpful to talk about the other thing I was asked to source: neckline embellishments.  And not just any neckline embellishments: beaded ones.  More specifically, ones that attach at the shoulders and hang loose over the neckline.

I had a couple of trim stores in mind right as I was heading out of the office.  I went to M&J Trimmings first, as they usually have a really good selection of just about everything.  While I was met with many, many, many different beaded patches of all kinds, I didn't find what I was looking for.  I stopped into a few small trim stores on 38th street and, after having no luck anywhere, decided to head into Pacific Trimmings.  Now, while their selection wasn't anything to brag about, they did have two neckline trims that were exactly what I was looking for.  Each of them were about $13, which is pretty standard for any sort of neckline trim.  I happily handed over the dough to Jules (the owner of the store) and went merrily on my way.