The Wonderful World of Vogue Fabrics

Nurses, doctors and health care professionals who are required to wear scrubs have a good idea of what works and does not work for them in the regulation attire.  The " one-size-fits-all " approach to hospital issued scrubs just does not cut it sometimes, you know? Do you relate to any of these statements? You need a larger pocket for your stethoscope. You won’t wear scrubs with less than two shirt pockets. You like lots of pockets on the pants like cargo pants. You can’t stand pockets on the pants because they pull the pants down. You want a longer scrub top to cover your hips & "thangs" better. You work so hard your side seams are starting to burst. You need something shorter/longer because of your height. You need a fuller cut in the bust, but you don’t want to look like you are wearing a tent at the waist. OK, OK, OK….. You get the idea.  We all have our preferences.  So, what to do? Vogue Fabrics is now carrying...

Fans of Project Runway season 12 will remember Miranda Levy as the spunky, former military fashion designer from Milwaukee.  Register NOW - space is limited! Now you can take a sewing class with Miranda at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston , Illinois!   Two classes are planned for this summer: Ugly Doll on Sunday, July 27 Doll Clothes on Sunday, August 17 Miranda Levy from Project Runway is teaching 2 classes at Vogue Fabrics.

Reconstructing History Patterns - available on VougeFabricsStore.com It's that time again.  Pop-up Halloween stores appear in the vacant strip malls.  The drug stores cram plastic toss-away costumes in their seasonal aisles.  Television commercials are infiltrated with  zombies and witches dancing to Thriller . OK, can I be frank with you here?  You sew, and you pride yourself on your creativity, but every year you procrastinate with the Halloween costume. You put things off until you realize you have no other option than to run out and grab some cheaply constructed thing off the rack, or you dig through your son's closet, grab his football jersey, and put the black stuff under your eyes.  That's when you look to the sewing gods above and exclaim, "Next year I'll do better!" Start now and create something spectacular!  If you are a costumer, or you like to wear the same costume year after year, treat yourself to a new pattern from Folk...

On recent trips to New York City and to the French Riviera, we saw store windows filled with exciting items for men, women, kids and home décor created from suede, vinyl and leather .  Jackets included trench coats and slickers, bomber jackets, and cropped styles with metal accents.  Shirts featured classic button-down styling for men, while for women the shirts, skirts and dresses were filled with cut work allowing brilliant contrast colors to pop through from the back.  Attaché cases, upscale messenger bags and purses were accented with metal and rhinestone .   Shoes featured updated clean lines for classic loafers and pumps, while boots were ankle or knee length with metal zipper accents.  The hats and gloves had simple lines, and the belts were filled with metal grommets or spikes.  It was really incredible how many of these items there were in the boutiques and department stores.  When you use synthetic materials, you get many afford...

Two years ago, we posted an epic blog entry titled: Becoming a Fashion Designer. Tips on Starting a Fashion Design Business.   This was one of our most popular posts and generated a lot of feedback online, via email and from people calling and visiting our warehouse. Now you can have more detailed information in a comprehensive and very reader friendly book from fashion designer Angela Wolf: How to Start a Home-Based Fashion Design Business.   You have seen Angela on It’s Sew Easy and you may have purchased her sewing patterns from our site. Angela also teaches around the country in addition to having her own ready-to-wear line.   So, yes, you could say she is an expert in her field and more than qualified to bring you this fantastic information. So, what’s in the book?   Angela takes you through a checklist of sorts to make sure you have what it takes to be a fashion designer.   She covers the gamut of issues being self-employed, starting a comp...

Tokyofive.com  $58.95 shirt Have you seen those plaid shirts with the check accents on the collars and pockets?   Until now, it has been nearly impossible to find fabrics that will allow you to get this look.  We have an exciting collection that will blow your mind! Vogue Fabrics proudly offers Beachcomber Reversible Cotton Gauze Shiritings .   Super soft, lightweight cotton fabric is double woven with plaid on one side and a check pattern on the other.  You can use either side as the face.   You can easily re-create those cool camp shirts using the same fabric and reversing the sides.   For the super thrifty, whip up an elastic waist skirt that you can wear reversibly for two looks in one garment.   Also try stitching up a full skirt, slitting the side hem to the knee, and tacking back the corners to showcase both sides.   How about making some clam diggers – full legged   pants with elastic waist that go down...

Jacket from Saint Tropaz with Sophia Knit contrast. If you ask anyone who sews clothes for themselves what they consider the hardest part about sewing  a new garment , most will answer "fitting the pattern to my body."  Vogue Fabrics would like to introduce you to Judy Kessigner's FitNice System .  First you fit a "master top" to your figure, and then create numerous new blouses, dresses and jackets by simply altering various aspects of the master pattern.  Yes, that's right, once you fit the master top pattern to your shape, you can change the sleeve styles & lengths, necklines, hem lengths & styles, and even add different types of front openings to make the top into jackets.   Judy Kessinger started her career owning and operating a small Retail fabric store in Louisville, Kentucky. She traveled nationwide holding seminars for Hancock Fabrics for over 25 years, designed costumes for national and international figure sk...

Registration is now open for "Beginning Sewing Express," "Step Beyond Beginner Express" and "Advanced Sewing" classes that begin in early November.  Register now.   Click the image below to jump to the registration page on our site:

Dana Marie 1032 What if we told you there was one fabric that could keep you warm outside, indoors, in your bed - and it would totally go with everything? What is it?  It's 3M™ Thinsulate™ . This is an "interlining" which gets sewn between two fabrics to form a protective barrier from the elements. The next time you sew a winter coat, sandwich Thinsulate between the fashion fabric and the lining to get that extra layer of protection from wind and biting cold.  Thinsulate™ Insulation Type C offers about one and a half times the warmth of down and nearly twice the warmth of high loft fiberfill insulations when equal thicknesses are compared.  It is designed for use where a thin compressible insulation is important. It is breathable, moisture-resistant and can be washed or dry cleaned depending on individual manufacturers' recommendations. Here's what 3M has to say about their Thinsulate: "3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation is used in your jack...

Finally, Mother Nature has turned down the heat in most of the USA and Canada, and the chill is starting to set in at night.  You know what that means? Yep, time to freshen up your fall and winter wardrobe, 'cuz the cold is coming!  So, what's going to be big this year?  Suedes for starters.  Yes, sueded fabrics are hot for men and women, from slacks and skirts, to tops, jackets and vests. " The only things I haven't seen made of leather this season are knickers," Wall Street Journal's Tina Gaudoin  writes, " and most of us know where to look for them if the need arises in any case."  Joe Lupo and Jesse Garza of the Huffington Post assess Fall 2012's suede savvy garments: "You don't necessarily have to wear leather pants and a leather jacket a la "The Matrix"; it's more about wearing leather or suede pieces that are ladylike and modern." Michael Kors offers fashionistas a suede with shearling jacket at Nordstro...

Corset Construction  Slipcover Techniques   Shoe Covering   Soap Making  Duct Tape Dressform Clones Kids Classes Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced Sewing Bridal Classes Yes, these are some of the special event classes coming this fall to Vogue Fabrics . Registration is open for all of our sewing classes, and many are filling up already.  Here are some highlights: Beginning Sewing teaches you in 8 weeks how to read, layout and cut a store bought sewing pattern, sew a skirt, insert a zipper and waistband, create pleats and properly hem the skirt. Veronica shows you various types of fabrics, interfacing and notions to illuminate for new students how to choose the products that will be best for their pattern. Step Beyond Beginner is the next step, where students can make skirts, slacks, and other projects, work more independently, and often will repeat the class time and again to learn new skills. New times have been added to this incredibly popula...

The gap is closing between those who emulate history and those modern folks wanting to live off the grid .  One trend today is sustainable living , where people grow their own foods, generate their own energy, harness natural resources. Another trend is towards organic products , where you can name the items in your cleaning supplies without a degree in chemistry.  Celebrities like Ed Begley Jr. and Daryl Hannah are among the more famous "off-gridders." Vogue Fabrics is offering classes this fall for making your own soap and your own candles through historical methods.  These classes are ideal for those who wish to create historically accurate products for their historical  reenactment endeavors , as well as those wanting to give themselves and their friends useful gifts that are made naturally.  Taught by historian Alicia Schult of Little Bits Clothing Company , you will learn historical perspectives on these methods while producing products ready to use ...

One of the most popular collections in our retail stores is Oilcloth .  Why?  What is it? Oilcloth is a fabric with a laminated finish on the top, for use in home decor and craft projects. Vogue Fabrics carries over 40 styles in our stores and on VogueFabricsStore.com , both by the yard and in small,  wholesale quantities  of  12 yard rolls  for your larger projects.  Best Features: - wipe clean with damp sponge - no need to hem - easy to cut and sew - lightweight yet durable - looks great with a bias binding - water repellent Best Uses: - Kitchen/Garden Apron - Book Covers - Tote bags - "Splat Mats" under high chairs - Tablecloths - Mats for under pet dishes Chalkcloth  (Chalk board Oil cloth) is an Oilcloth product that is wildly popular as well.  You can tack this to the wall in a child's room or make an activity mat to take to a restaurant.  Also available  wholesale...