Giving Thanks

We have the greatest people who come into our store looking for things to create. Fortunately for us some are willing to share their creations. It's always very inspiring.
Our friend Katie, who is one of Patti Barnatt's sewing students, is a relatively new sewer who has done amazing things. One of the nicest aspects of Katie's sewing story is that she inherited her sewing machines from her grandmother and is now carrying on with the sewing tradition.

She made this dress to wear to a wedding and it is just amazing! ( My photos don't do it justice.) The main patterned fabric is "Feeling Groovy" by Michael Miller. Perfect.

Her bag is a testament to the merging of the two generations. The retro floral on the bottom is from Katie's Grandmother's stash. She then added a modern flair with the Alexander Henry dots on the top band which is what makes this bag work. Funky, modern and hip.

The pattern for the bag is Amy Butler's "Frenchy Bag".


Next to share:

Our friend Lynn made gorgeous wool applique Christmas stockings for her children and grandchildren...





















Sweet Aprons...

Another customer, inspired by the patterns in the book "A is For Apron" made the cutest aprons as gifts for her sisters:

Sexy Aprons...


And if you're not the "girl next door" type, how about this bewitching number...

made by our friend Joan.













Last but not least:

One of Joan's sewing students, Devin, made this quilt which she has titled: "The Magical, Mythical World Around Us". Fantastic quilt Devin!

Thank you everyone for sharing your creations!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Mary

Hey! What Happened to Summer???

Oh well,
I love fall too.
and...
I'm really lovin' these
new Alexander Henry
sewing themed fabrics.
If you are lucky enough
to have a Sewing Room,
you could make cute little
curtains for it. Or how
cool would a shirt be
out of this stuff?






Also very, very cute:
This little car pattern from AH. So MOD London!





















And...
for the big kids:

This fabric can be stretched on a canvas to hang

in your favorite car lovin' person's office or play room.

Great gift.

Speaking of gifts,
we just got these super stylin'
knitting bags and needle cases from NAMASTE.
All of our knitters are coveting them!

Last but not least,
great new Amy Butler collection has arrived:

Daisy Chain

Need I say more?


Mary

Fireman's Friend

We were noticing our firemen were lookin'

a bit down-in-the-mouth,

so, we found them some friends.

Hooray, everyone's happy again!

We are making a "saucy" apron

with these vixens by Alexander Henry.

Maybe even His and Her aprons

would be in order. Hmmmmnn...



Sock-it-to-me

Yikes!



There's this crazy

thing going on

these days in the

knitting world.

Happy Choices Sock Blanks by Plymouth Yarns.

What the heck is this? you may ask.

Well, Plymouth has put together a flat length of colorfully dyed,

machine knitted fabric which you unknit into a pair

of very groovy socks. The choice being: "Do I finish the ends and

wear it as a scarf, or do I knit a pair of socks?"

Of course, you make the socks!

So, be the first to be sitting on the train going to work with

a scarf round your neck magically unraveling into a pair of socks.

And when everyone asks:

"how-kin-ah-git-me-some-o-that-groovy-action?"

send them to the Franklin Mill Store.

New Friend!

We have the coolest new friend here at FMS.

I first met Karen when I noticed the spiffy pants she

was wearing and proceeded to barrage her with questions about them.

She used the

Indygo Junction

Artisan Pant pattern.

I have to admit that

when I've looked at

these patterns in

the past they

haven't inspired me.






I obviously, inaccurately, judged a "book" by it's cover.

These pants are great! Very flattering, fully cut, "flowey" legs.

Not at all frumpy. Also, very easy to make. There are two styles

to choose from, one with a side slit in the bottom panel and the

other with an inverted pleat in the front and back. They both look great.

Karen has been in with 3 editions thus far, two in Kaffe Fasset fabrics

and an extremely elegant affair in one of our couture fabrics.

The photos above don't do these pants justice.

You'll just have to try them for yourself.

... with a little help from my friends

About six months ago our friend Lindell introduced us to

the cell phone bag kits by Quiltsmart. THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN!

and so easy to make. It's best to buy the kit first, which includes

instructions, pre-printed fusible interfacing for 3 bags, and cording

for the straps. Once you get the gist of it, you can buy the interfacing

by the sheet without the kit. Probably the most fun about making

these bags is embellishing them.

Add buttons, bedazzle them with crystals . . . oooo la la!

Quiltsmart also has a tote bag interfacing with which Lindell made us

an adorable bag using fabric from the new 4th o' July collection

by Marcus Brothers .

Thank you Lindell!

Check out these new fabrics from Michael Miller and Robert Kaufman!

Adorable kitties, cupcakes, camo, and colorful dots:

Perhaps it's a bit perverse to mention at this time of year, but...

we also just got these really cute retro Christmas

and Halloween fabrics by Alexander Henry.

I promised a while back to show you the Oliver + S

tunic and skirt Joan was making. I wish I had a better photo,

but it is on display in the store, so come in and have a look.

Last but not least, our friend Karen R. loaned us this

cute little sweater she made from one of the new

Sirdar kids patterns.

If you see it, you'll have to make it.

Thank you Karen!

and thank you all!

bye for now...

Mary

June surely did bust out!

Whew! What an inferno of a start to summer '08.

The current cooler temp is so beautiful, I just had to do

a little dance (in my head), which then made me feel like

sharing cooling thoughts with y'all.


Kaffe Fassett's newest collection of fabric is just sooooo beautiful.

Vibrant, saturated colors, splashed about in bold, playful patterns.



If you don't know about Kaffe, he is one cool cat.

Raised in Big Sur, CA by artists,

he was destined to become one

himself. He started as a knitter,

but soon his talent for design

and color were sought by the


quilting world. So, lucky us on two counts!

We have his latest quilting and knitting pattern books, as well

as his fabrics. Come see them and be inspired!


Yet another multi-talented designer...

Anna Griffin has a new

fabric collection which

just SHOUTS

summer-by-the-sea.

So, even if you don't

have a cottage

in the Hamptons,

you can pretend. Make a bag,

spruce up your guest room or

porch with a few summery pillows.

It will make everything cooler!


Snazz one and snazz two...

"If-I-were-a-supermodel"

(sung to the tune of:

If I had a million dollars)

OK, so we have these most

super snazz fabrics by

Dolce & Gabbana,

in the silkiest, softest

lightweight lycra and...

if I were blah, blah, etc...

...I would make myself a wrap dress.

Our supermodelish friend Krista is making herself a dress.

We will be jealous, but proud.


Mary

Hats, Chapeaux, 帽子!

It's a movement! Hats galore here at FMS. It all started with

our friend June buying up all sorts of groovy fabric and trims,

and I of course had to know "What're y'up too?"

Hats!

June sells her hats on Etsy. Check out her shop:

www.JunieShop.etsy.com



And then...

our friend Joan made a super cute kiddo hat with this

soldier print by the Japanese fabric company: Kokka.

Way to go Joan!



and then...

Joan's student Katie made this incredibly awesome hat

with an Echino fabric. Hard to believe it was made with

this Vogue pattern.




Just goes to show what a really groovy fabric

can do for your projects (that and Katie's talent).

While we're on this subject of hats, thought I'd throw in

a few more for contemplation. All images courtesy of:

Harlem's Heaven Boutique.


Power Hat!




Black Hat (my fave)



or Pink?




Church Hat

(amen to that!)


Mary

I was abducted by aliens ? ? ?

Long time, no blog. What can I say?

Anyway, raring to go. Lots-o-great-stuff to share.


First:

Our Oliver + S trunk show was a great success. Now everyone realizes

these are patterns for children's clothing and NOT paper dolls.

If you missed the show, not to worry, our super talented friend Joan is

making the Swingset Tunic and Skirt for the store in the

most groovy fabric.

The cute

pink print is

a Japanese

fabric by

Lecien

and the dot

from

Alexander Henry.

I'll share it with you as soon as it's ready. Go Joan, go!!!

Next:

Super fresh buttons.

Great for handbags, sweaters, all kinds of crafts. Irresistible!

More Greyson E

handcrafted bag handles in the yummiest of colors:

and, and, and...


Michael Miller organic fabrics are here!

These fabrics are especially nice for making clothing, bedcovers

and soft toys for children. Make an organic bathrobe or softie

toy for someone, it's a nice way to start a new life,

both earth and people friendly.

Yoko Saito

If you've bumped into me in the store within the last few months,

I may have enthused you into a tour of all of my favorite Japanese

things (fabrics and books) and probably mentioned one of my

favorite Japanese fabric designers: Yoko Saito.

Most of her pattern books are written in Japanese,

which is a bit overwhelming for some to consider doing a project

from. However, they are well worth

looking at just for the pleasure of seeing her creations.

We also have many pieces from her new fabric collection

which she has named: "My Favorite Collection".

That's a pretty good hint.


Below are a few examples of things made with her taupe fabrics.

These photos don't do justice to her work so you'll have to look her up

on the web, or better still, come in and check out her books in our store.



Yarn hat...

Ok, I'm not the best person to be writing about our yarn department,

but I am very happy to share what I think is some fun goin' on in yarns.

New Noro!

New colors and pattern books:

The absoluteliest cutest:

New yarns and patterns by Sirdar. The pattern above is in Snuggly DK.


Lots of new goodies from Debbie Bliss and Sublime too:

Clearly I was banking on a picture (or two) being worth

a thousand words. There is so much more I could share with you. . .

but I won't ( I know - thank goodness!).


Mary