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Showing posts from July, 2012

At Fabric Mart: Everybody is a busy buddy.

The upstairs is a buzzing this week as the wholesale department  prepares for the upcoming DG Expo  in New York City. There are a lot of tasks that need to be completed before we leave for New York and the show is getting closer!  So we're keeping ourselves busy by making the headers that will be transported and shopped at the show as well as  mailers (sample swatches) we will send to all of our wholesale customers  to allow them to see our new fabric.  So do not worry! Going to a show is not the only way you can check out our wholesale fabric. Request swatches from us by visiting our wholesale website: www.fabricmartwholesale.com Or visit our wholesale facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/fabricmartwholesale Make sure you check out our wholesale website for more information! Who can order wholesale? > Fabric Stores > Clothing Manufacturers > Costume Manufacturers >Designers Why buy wholesale from Fabric Mart? > Low minimums > Below

At Fabric Mart: A Brief History

This is a SPECIAL post, written by Robert Richin,  the owner of Fabric Mart! The store front from when our current location in Sinking Spring, PA was just opened and the store front today. It is so easy to shop on the Fabric Mart website -- a few clicks of the mouse and in a few days a box of beautiful fabrics arrive at your door. But how did this business start? Fabric Mart was started in July 1977 by Robert Richin. Robert learned about fabrics from his father, Sidney Richin, who was a women's clothing manufacturer and retailer. Robert would scour the factory floors of top designers to find the fabrics he needed to fill his stores.  Robert's first store was a 2000 square-foot building, located in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The fabrics came in on rolls and were folded into remnants. Theses fabrics were displayed on tables and hung on hangers. After 10 years of opening his first store, he opened seven more stores located in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Th

Inspiration: Sequins, Sequins and More Sequins

If you've been looking through fashion magazines or perusing the racks at the mall, you will find that sequins are in! Whether it is a simple tank turned glitz or a complete head to knee dress, sequins are there. Fabric Mart is pleased to offer a few sequined fabrics for your choosing.  Check them out here: UYC4166 - Sequin Netting Bright Green    SOLD OUT UYC4 165 - Sequin Netting Purple     SOLD OUT UZC4164 - Sequin Netting Metallic Silver    SOLD OUT If you're not sure you can bear wear sequins on your body, try an accessory. Accessories are always a great way to try a trend that you're not totally comfortable with. Check out these fun accessories that you can make with the sequin fabric on our website.  We also carry sequined trims sold by the pack. The packs come in 4 ft. pieces and 2 yard pieces, depending which you select. The white tote bag in the center of the picture is made from  Trim Square Sequin Netti

DIY Tutorial: Organize Your Stash

I recently came up with a new way to organize my fabric stash. I'm sure its not a "new" idea, but I really like it and have tried it out and it really works! I posted this in my Julie's Pick January 2012 newsletter and will now share it with the world. A new year always brings about new ideas on how to organize your life. This year I would like to organize my fabric and sewing supplies. I just got married in August and moved, so it was about time that I do this. I have a closet full of fashion fabrics, a big tub of woolens, 2 plastic drawers full of more fabric (fashion and quilting) and a section of another closet filled with quilting cottons. Plus I have a few bins of fabric that my parents just brought over to my house! So I had to figure out a way to organize all of this. I first started with my fashion fabrics. I took everything out of the closet it is stored in and measured each piece. While doing that, I cut a small swatch and stapled it to an index card

DIY Tutorial: Dying Lace Trim

Sometimes at Fabric Mart we have a little time to experiment with our fabrics and trims. I spared a few minutes in between tasks to experiment with dying our Venice lace. After yesterday's post my mind was still on lace all morning and I couldn't wait to put our cotton lace to the test. We currently only have a few cotton laces online. But any cotton or rayon lace will do!  I chose to make my lace trim pink. Because pink and lace is the best thing I could think of! I first laid a piece of aluminum foil on the table to keep the dye from roaming the table top. I used a paper bowl to mix my color in. I little dye goes a long way! But the cotton will absorb it very quickly.  I used a dye kit from Charlotte Anne. (The website for Charlotte Anne is apparently no longer available but another fabric dye kit would work just as well. Try your local fabric and craft store.)  To make the lace pink I pour a small amount of water into my bowl and then added about 5 drops

Inspiration: In love with lace.

I am currently obsessed with lace and luckily Fabric Mart is filling my craving! It is paradise here with all the new lace trims online and the beautiful lace available for wholesale. (Didn't know we did wholesale? Visit our wholesale website to contact us about how we can help your business!) I've been swooning over my options and decided to take some time to peak around Pinterest for ideas. I found so many adorable ways to utilize the new trims on our website. Check them out here:  http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/xcart/Swiss-Lace-Venice/ Venice lace is absolutely gorgeous, but big projects can get a little pricey. Here are some projects I found that only use a little so you can enjoy the lace without spending all your fabric allowance! -Kaitlin 1. Lace Cuff - Make your own using a piece of lace and fabric stiffener! 2. Give an old scarf a fresh look with a touch of lace at the ends!  3. Add a little lace to fancy up your high heels! Just appl

DIY Tutorial: Little Wallet

A wallet was given to me for Christmas this past year and it has gotten some heavy use. Thus an idea began to blossom. Perhaps I could make another? It would make a wonderful gift for others as well, so I had to give it a go. So I waited for a rainy day and the patterning began! After about 20 minutes I had a new wallet. It was so simple I had to share it with you. Enjoy! Step 1: Find fabric and cut out pattern. Cut one of each pattern piece in the lining and outer fabric. The nice thing about this wallet is that it is easy to create a pattern specific to your needs. You can make this bigger or smaller as you please. Here are the dimensions I used. Pocket size Smallest: 2 and 3/4 inches x 5 and 1/2 inches Middle: 3 and 1/4 inches x 5 and 1/2 inches Biggest: 3 and 3/4 inches x 5 and 1/2 inches *all of these measurements include a 1/4 inch seam allowance for the top of the pocket* Back 6 3/4 inches tall  4 3/4 inches wide at the narrowest point

What to Wear: 4th of July.

I'm going to throw it out there and say my favorite part of any holiday is figuring out what I am going to wear for the occasion. I take great precaution in planning my outfit like it's my red carpet appearance. I think this quote "Every day is a fashion show and the world is your runway" puts it best. And as a fabricista, I enjoy taking the time to make that perfect outfit.  I sketched out two ideal outfits from my favorite red, white, and blue fabrics from Fabric Mart for this patriotic season. Outfit for the Ladies:  A shirt dress with pintuck bodice and pockets.  Easy to wear and comfortable.  Match with a strappy sandal and you have a perfect 4th of July outfit!  SNE1724 - Stripe Pima Cotton   SOLD OUT [ Pima Cotton is closely compared to Egyptian Cotton.  It is a high quality cotton that is very soft and fine which makes  it a great choice for dresses and dress shirts. ] Gentlemen:  Don't forget to make your love a coordinating

Inspiration: Movie-Inspired Fashion

Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and caught yourself paying more attention to the fabric and fashion of the characters? Well this is what happen to me! My husband and I had a movie date night on Saturday. We went to see the Disney-Pixar movie Brave. It was a really sweet movie with a great message, but I was intrigued by the Celtic costumes. So I've decided to gather together a few fabrics that remind me of fashions in the movie. Whether you're going to make an early Halloween costume, a cute "princess" dress for your little girl or a Celtic-inspired fashion, here are a few fabrics to inspire you! - Julie Gowns: 1.  SKA3954 - Polyester Charmeuse Jade Blue   SOLD OUT 2. SKB3955 - Polyester Charmeuse Bright Clover   SOLD OUT 3.  TR327 - Ivory/ Gold Braided Cord Trim    SOLD OUT Kilt-inspired fabrics: 4. BJA2299 - Shetland Wool Plaid     SOLD OUT 5. BJB71 - Shetland Wool Plaid    SOLD OUT Other Fun Inspirati