Vintage Fabric ~ Friday Favorite

Today we can take off our detective caps.

Most vintage fabrics require a bit of detective work to figure out the era. Tightly woven vintage cotton often "says" 1940s. Metallic gold print keys you into the 1950s. And if you have a mind boggling pink and orange color combination with smiling mushrooms, you know that the fabric probably hails from the groovy 1960s.

Today my favorite find is a vintage 1970s fabric with the actual manufacturer's date printed on the selvage: "1972 Russell Mills, Inc." Mystery solved. In two seconds flat. It's from 1972. wuhuu!

to heck out this vintage retro fabric

Chinese New Year 2009 ~ cool fabric project

Happy Chinese New Year! The traditional Chinese New Year celebrates Spring, which to me means renewal and growth both mentally and spiritually.

I spied the coolest fabric fortune cookie project on the Olabelhe blog
The blue background that she chose on the fabric is perfect to symbolize the coming sky blue days of Spring.

Here are the original instructions to make the fabric fortune cookies from the Brassy Apple blog

Vintage Fabric Friday Favorite

One of my personal favorites for vintage fabrics are print designs and colors that just "pop". I recently found a retro fabric with eye-catching red against a cool looking background that is a printed faux blue denim. It's such nice supple cotton, and would would work well for a swingy dress or even a man's shirt. You gotta love unisex fabrics.

Check out the The Jelly Bean Bedazzler

Did Obama Wear Vintage Fabric at Inaugural Balls?

Yesterday I was glued to the television watching the inauguration of now President Obama.

I wish I would have read a news story on Obama before the inauguration instead of after. Dressmaker Deb Mascia from Hawaii made a cumber bund and tie from the fabric of a dress that was Obama's grandmother's.

The cumber bund and tie were sent to Washington, but I'm sad to report, I don't know if he wore the items made out of the vintage fabric. Hopefully I'll find out! Do you happen to know?

Read the full story on Obama and vintage fabric

Vintage Fabric Friday Favorite

Sweet and petite red cherries....yummers.

Normally I find vintage dimity fabric with dainty floral designs. Then I found this 1930s-1940s cherry dimity fabric and fell in love. I still adore little flowers, but dang, isn't it unusual?

Take a peek at Revival Fabrics

The Sewing Machine (song)

This song rocks! On YouTube I found a song clip, The Sewing Machine, from the 1940's movie "The Perils of Pauline" starring Betty Hutton. Are you having a love or a hate relationship with your sewing machine today? Either way, I spied some bolts of fabric in the background of the clip and would love to see those vintage fabrics today....

9 Great Things about Alfred Shaheen ~ In Memory

I was saddened to read the recent news of the passing of great Hawaiian textile and garment maverick Alfred Shaheen. You can't get a closer glimpse into the history of Shaheen's lasting greatness than on his daughter Camille Shaheen-Tunberg's website

9 Great Things about Alfred Shaheen ~ In Memory
1) In July of 2001 won the Hawaii’s Lifetime Achievement Award
2) Not only manufactured but also printed fabric
3) The 1961 Elvis Presley album cover Blue Hawaii featured Presley in a Shaheen aloha shirt
4) Shaheen's high grade fabric and artistic designs propelled Hawaiian shirts into high fashion
5) The 1950s cotton Shaheen sundresses are fantastically glam and figure flattering
6) You'll be inspired to sew a dress when you find a vintage Alfred Shaheen sewing pattern
7) Fabrics were hand screen printed and resulted in deep, rich beautiful colors
8) People told Shaheen he was crazy to get into the textile business. We're glad he didn't listen
9) Shaheen hired many local Hawaiian designers for authentic Hawaii artistic design