All About Decorating

Love Fabric You'll Love Greehouse Design and Fabrics

  "Fabric is Their Focus...Service is Their Passion" 

To day we  talked to Ryan McCullough VP of Greehouse Design and Fabrics. Greenhouse is the fastest growing supplier of mid-priced, multi-purpose fabrics and decorative trim to the interior design trade.

Though they are a wholesale to the trade only, retail customers can search the website for the fabrics that they might like for their home, and then let their designer know what they love.

Thanks Greenhouse for offering such an easy way to find fabric for the home.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/home-fashions-u/2010/02/05/learn-about-greenhouse-design-and-fabrics

Can Fabric Make you Sick?

We talked to Live Textiles today, about natural and organic fabrics.  Wow we can still love fabric, just get the right type.

Listen in to Karen Dingmon of Live Textiles on Home Fashions U Blog Talk Radio today.  Here is the link 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Home-Fashions-U/2009/10/16/Live-Textiles--Eco-Fabric-for-OUR-Life

Hemp Fabric Goes Mainstream

Naturally Advanced Technologies’ Crailar® hemp fiber, processed using innovative green technologies, is being commercialized for use in apparel and other textile products.

Janet Bealer Rodie, Managing Editor

H emp has a long history of textile uses. Because of its inherent rot and abrasion resistance and high tensile strength, the bast fiber long was used in products such as sails and ropes. Its cultivation requires no pesticides, nor irrigation except in drought conditions, and it will grow in a range of geographical areas and climates. In recent years, as interest heightened in organically grown fibers and eco-friendly production processes, hemp found a niche market in organic apparel.  click here to read more

Out West at the Flying E Ranch

Last week I visited the Flying E Ranch, a great Dude Ranch in Wickenburg,AZ just west of Phoenix about 40 miles give or take a cactus of so.

Breakfast is over, the horses are saddled, and your day at the Flying E Ranch begins with a ride out over rolling desert hills to check for newborn calves. At the Flying E, a dude and working cattle ranch, the casual and relaxed atmosphere is as natural as our gorgeous sunsets.

Well, it is time for the Flying E to have a new look!  Today we are getting ready to select the fabrics for the guest rooms at the Flying E.  I have a found a beautiful soft microfiber with a tooled leather look for the duvets.  The fabric is so soft and cuddly that it would keep any cowboy warm on the range. 

     

Now for the lightly shirred bedskirts, this is where we need to add a cowgirl touch! Maybe a stripe or print.  That is today's project.  

 

If you planning a trip out west stop by the Flying E Ranch and meet Ande and Steve, great people and the love showing you a good time.

Your hosts, Andrea & Steve Taylor welcome you to enjoy all the west has to offer.

With the bluest of blue skies, craggy mountains surrounding you, excellent food and the legendary hospitality of the Old West, the Flying E Ranch is the ideal place to take a step back in time.  Clean air, warm sun, good horses, breathtaking scenery and genuine cowboys as your guides will fill your hearts with memories to treasure for the rest of your life. 

 Visit the Flying E Ranch

Summer Fabric Sale - Designer Home Decor Fabrics

Time to Start your Summer Sewing?  Stay Cool and sew for you home.  Home Fashions is offering a special discount on our custom fabric orders untill June 30,2009 

Select the fabrics and for a limited time receive a 35% discount on interior fabrics.  

Just email Claudia with the pattern # and color for the special discount.

Check out the new Country Living Sunbrella at www.shophome4u.com

Just remember our fabric vendors do not sell to the public, you will need to contact me for your selection at shophome4u@gmail.com

Save Today and Sew Tomorrow

 

Silver State Fabrics	Kasmir Fabrics	Robert Allen Design
Robert Allen Green	Greenhouse Fabrics -	Fabricut Fabrics
Beacon Hill Fabrics	Vervain Fabrics	D Kei Trims
Brimar Trims

Country Living Sunbrella Hot Pre Summer Sale! May 10-28,2009

Summer has arrived in Arizona!  106 Degrees Yesterday and it’s time to start enjoying the pool and the beautiful new Sunbrella Country Living Collection. 

With an air of relaxation, warmth and comfort, the new Country Living outdoor Sunbrella collection reminds us all of life’s simple pleasures, which often bring to mind images of the outdoors. Inspired by pages from the popular consumer magazine of the same name, the Country Living collection focuses on the traditional American home.

“The designs are clean; the colors are refreshing, and being presented in Sunbrella makes it uniquely versatile unlike any other fiber,” said Manoli Sargetakis, principal, Silver State. “With the Sunbrella performance you can use this indoors or out and know it will stand up to everyday life with children and/or pets.”

Natural elements like fresh-cut grass and blue skies inspire the colors of the Country Living palette. Names for some of the patterns include Punched Paisley, Daydream and Morning Floral.

 

This new Sunbrella Collection is So Exciting!  I just wanted to share it with everyone.  It is on sale for 20% off until May 28th.  It will be great to outdoor slipcovers, pillows, table linens and furniture.  There are more than 60 new patterns. Start planning your summer barbecue's and pool parties today with Country Living Sunbrella.

 

    

Sensuede and Fannelsuede

Sensuede® and Flannelsuede®

High performance fabrics were developed to be the best and most luxurious faux suedes for home furnishings. They are manufactured with the latest technology using microfibers that are derived from recycled plastic bottles. Sensuede is the ecological choice in engineered suedes.

Flannelsuede has all the features of Sensuede, but with the heathery look of a wool flannel fabric.

Sensuede has many applications, including furniture for dining rooms, kitchens, family rooms, offices, yachts and sailboats, RVs, and many types of accessories. It upholsters beautifully and is one of our favorite choices for dining room chairs.

What makes Sensuede so special?

A soft, elegant touch.
You can immediately feel the difference -- a soft, smooth, drapable texture. Sensuede's luxurious hand is due to the use of recycled microfibers that are finer than a human hair. However, these fibers are extra-strong, resulting in a very resilient fabric. Sensuede is breathable and wrinkle resistant, so it's comfortable to sit on.

Easy to clean and washable.
Sensuede is water, stain and soil resistant. Most spills simply bead up on the surface and can be blotted off, or spot cleaned with a damp cloth or soap and water -- even ground-in chocolate cake comes right out! Sensuede can also be machine washed or dry-cleaned. Sensuede is resistant to mildew and is not attractive to moths.

Engineered to last.
Sensuede and Flannelsuede surpass the heavy-duty upholstery abrasion test -- that's more than 75,000 double rubs! So it's perfect for everyday use. Unlike less expensive imitations, the strength of Sensuede is inherent in the product, so it does not require a backing. Some faux suedes may lose resiliency over time, but Sensuede will remain beautiful through years of use. Sensuede will not shrink, pill or crock and resists fading in normal residential settings.

Versatile.
80 colors, Sensuede and Flannelsuede can be used for home theatre seating, bedding, pillows, bar stools, formal dining room chairs, family room upholstery and much more.

Buying Discount Fabrics Online

Buying Discount Fabric Online

My client ended up with at least 4 yards of fabric that was misprinted. She's a great gal (and in fact has been my accountant for the last 15 years) but she had me come out with fabric books and order memo samples for her, then shopped on her own and found a Ralph Lauren fabric she liked, then before I could get back to her with a price (with help from Amanda ), she emailed me to say she'd found it on sale online and bought 25 yards for $16.95 (Amanda's source had it for $34 my cost).  (Fellow Workroom)

Roman shade workroom worked around the misprints (I hope!  they alerted me to problems and shades haven't been hung yet).  Piece they returned should have been about 9yds, but at least 4 of that is missing several screens of ink.  Of course my smugness is short lived because it's likely we can't do all the pillows and cushions she originally wanted, which means money out of my pocket.  I suppose it's  possible the outlet from whom she bought the fabric knew there was a big section that was missing ink and compensated for that, but I'd bet against it judging from what we have left, and I don't know what flawed scraps may have been trashed by the workroom as well.  At least now I have a "story" to tell other clients if it looks like they might go down the online path!
Workroom Owner

Re: Flawed Fabric/"Seconds"

Posted by:Fellow Workroom

The one recurring problem I have discovered from these on-line purchases is the flaws in the prints. I would have to concur that these companies probably buy ends lots, flawed goods,and bulk quantities to get their low costs. I was blessed to be able to work with the bolts I had, but it does take more time as you have to assess the damage first, then think through how you're going to work around those parts. I have started charging a little more for these jobs to compensate for having to do this. Also, I now tell anyone who is going to browse on line that this may occur, and to *make sure* any purchase can be returned for full refund if flaws are obvious and can't be worked around.

Dupioni Silk

About Dupioni Silk

Classic dupioni cloth is made with a tight plain weave, fine warp yarns and heavier, slubbed filling yarns that form prominent, irregular crosswise ribs.  The fabric is medium in weight, with a crisp, scrunchy hand, a rough, uneven texture and, generally, a very shimmery luster.

Dupioni silk (meaning "double") is produced when two or more silkworms spin their cocoons too closely together.  These slightly tangled cocoons produce filament that is rough, uneven and not as strong as cultivated silk.  It is usually reeled and used to make fine or heavy yarns with pronounced irregular slubs at random intervals.  Dupioni silk usually comes from cultivated, rather than wild, silkworms because their living quarters are more crowded, increasing their chances of tangling the cocoons.  The irregular, crosswise ribs of dupioni are formed by filling yarns that have occasional soft, thick lumps.  The lumps, or slubs, add texture and visual interest to the fabric. 

Caring for Dupioni
Dupioni has a moderately crisp drape that falls into wide cones.  It can be lightly gathered into a lofty fullness, but too much fabric creates bulk.  Fabric is sturdy and substantial; choose semi-fitted or loose-fitting styles to make blouses, dresses, skirts and lightweight suits.  Dupioni is also great for home décor sewing, draperies, bedding, window treatments, pillows, etc.  Dupioni should also be interlined when using the fabric for home décor projects. 

We recommend Force Field UV Sun Block for fabric protection.  You MUST TEST on fabric first before using on entire project.  Dupioni should be dry cleaned to avoid shrinkage and abrasions.

What to expect with dupioni:

• easy to cut
• reversible
• both sides of the fabric look the same
• does not stretch
• pins and sewing needles leave holes
• won't hold a crease

Wear ability:

• fabric is subject to abrasion
• holds its shape
• resists wrinkles
• stains will occur from contact with water drops and perspiration

Suggested care:

• dry clean only
• press dry fabric
• dry iron
• iron on the wrong side

Sewing rating (easy to hard): average

• suggested clothing fit: semi-fitted or loose-fitting
• suggested styles: full and lofty gathers; tailored; shaped with seams to eliminate bulk; lined; puffed or bouffant

Dupioni's limitations:
silk is regarded as nature's most perfect fiber, but even perfection has its limitations:

Soap and agitation - silk's smooth surface does not attract dirt and is easily cleaned.  But silk can be damaged by most laundry detergents - always dry clean your dupioni.  Silk loses strength when wet, so do not wring or agitate.

Bleach - silk is easily damaged by strong bleaches that contain sodium hypochlorite.  Mild bleach of sodium per borate or hydrogen peroxide is allowable, but use caution.

Heat and light - silk is sensitive to heat and begins to decompose at 330 degrees Fahrenheit.  Use a warm (not hot iron. 

Mildew and moths - silk will not mildew except in extreme conditions.  Moths don't care for it, but carpet beetles do.

Perspiration - perspiration causes silk to deteriorate and affects the color, causing staining.  Any silk worn next to the skin should be cleaned frequently.