Fabric Mart Fabricistas

It's already the end of April and we can't believe it!  This year is flying by!  And because we understand how time can get away from you and you might miss reading some of our posts, we are wrapping up the month with a selection of our favorite posts so you can revisit or catch up with us!  Did you make the switch to following us on bloglovin'?  Make sure you do so you don't miss a thing! 
 Check out this cute button pillow Julie made!  You can make your own following her tutorial: here. Get to know Kathy and learn her tips and tricks for sewing activewear knit.  Isn't this running outfit fun?! Does it feel like spring yet?! Get ready to revamp your closet with this spring's fashion trends. 

What were your favorite posts from April?

One question that is often asked by our customers is "Do you carry home decor fabric?" And often to our customer's great disappointment, our blanket response is "No, we only carry apparel fabric". And if you look at everything in black and white, it is true we only carry "apparel fabric" because we find that is what we do best! However, that has not stopped me from designing and making all of my curtains from Fabric Mart's fashion fabrics. Additionally we carry some fabrics that I would make pillows, duvet covers, tables cloths and even upholster with, you just need to get creative, which is what fabricistas love to do.
            When choosing a fabric for home decor you  want to look for a material that is durable, timeless, and hopefully washes easily. Some great choices for window treatments are;
Dupioni, the stiffness lends itself well to folding and draping, adding volume to your treatment. Using a silk gives a rich and lustrous look. …

Perhaps you have already heard the news that Google Reader will no longer exist. I know, what a drag! We all just learned how to use Google Reader to follow the Fabric Mart blog and now it's up and leaving! Can you believe the nerve!? We don't want you to miss a thing so if you follow the Fabric Mart blog on Google Reader you will need to now follow us on Bloglovin' or your chosen blog reader. Google Reader will be ending soon, so don't delay! If you have yet to follow our blog on a reader, now is the time! For your convenience of switching over and becoming a follower, you can click the 'Follow this blog on Bloglovin' button on our right hand column. Bloglovin is pretty nice! If you are one of those people that like to journey blog to blog, this is perfect for you! You can navigate with the arrows that appear on the top of your page to go site to site. No need to save your favorite blogs in your bookmarks. Bloglovin allows you to easily view your favorit…

Hello! Today we have something special to share with you! We recently went on a search for 3 seamstresses who work with knits to give you some tips and tricks on how to sew this sometimes stressful fabric. We have selected Kathy, Amber, and Meghan. First up is Kathy who will be sharing with us she uses Activewear knits. An supplex/activewear knit can be a mixture of polyester, nylon, and/or spandex. These knits are created to wick sweat away from your body to keep you cool. Perfect for making sports bras, work out tops, running shorts/skirts, etc. Here's Kathy!
Kathy is a seamstress and blogger living in Baltimore, Maryland. She has a background in arts marketing and a degree in Art Education but sewing has been a self taught adventure for the past 15+ years between work, school and life. As a stay-at-home mom these days, most of her sewing is done while her sweet little two year old naps. She goes between working with knits and woven fabrics but always concentrating on m…

Have you ever wondered how knits are made? Well we've done all the research for you! Learn a little bit about how knits are made and the different types.

There are two methods used in producing fabric: Non-woven and Yarn Manipulation. Non-woven includes felting, bonding and interlocking fibers. Yarn manipulation includes: weaving, intertwining & twisting, and knitting. Weaving and knitting are the most popular methods being used in fashion, decor, medical, aviation, transportation and more. 

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Knitting Processes
Stitch or Loop in black
Knitting is a fabric production method done by drawing a yarn with a needle or hook needle into a loop from a previously done loop. (Just like if you were knitting yourself!) The smallest unit of a knit is a loop or stitch. A row of loops running selvedge to selvedge are called Course and a column of loops running with the selvedge are called Wale.

Knitted fabrics are divided into t…

Now that spring is here, I'm in the mood for home improvements. I haven't been doing a lot of sewing, but had an itch to do a quick project. I wanted to make a project that I could get done in two hours and feel a sense of accomplishment. I also did not want to buy any materials, so I used things I had. The fabric I used was scrap, the fiber fill I had sitting around, and the button I had stashed in a jar of buttons. 
My original intent was to make a circular pillow from the book, One-Yard Wonders by Patricia Hoskins and Rebecca Yaker. But when I realized that it wanted you to do smocking, I knew it would take MUCH longer than I wanted to spend. Don't get me wrong, I really want to try smocking, but not at this moment. I still wanted to make a circular pillow, so I decided I would figure it out myself. I'm the kind of sewer that likes to figure things out as they go, so I will be sharing my experiences along the way. 

This pillow will be approximately 15" in diame…