Warmth in one hour

This year the family decided no gifts for Christmas, but like everyone else, at the last moment, you know we all succumbed to the temptation of tradition. In a last minute flurry, I chose something for everyone. My last minute choice was to grab from the shelf at Fine Fabrics a square of warm, soft, cuddly fabric, each piece of which with large enough fibers to fringe easily. I cut each into a square by folding diagonally, meeting the selvage with the edge I wished to cut.

I jumped onto the sewing machine and sewed a sealing top stitch about 5/8" inside each cut edge. I created a fringed edge by pulling threads to the sealing stitch. Within about 1 hour, 1 hour, I had made 4 gifts.

I added a chenille rick rack as the sealing stitch on the red and black blanket on the far left.

Each member of our family received a warm blanket like those we used to call car blankets, but they work just as well when sitting on a couch with a good book before a warm fireplace.

From right to left, the boucle and wool fabric used for these blankets are:




These and more can be found at FineFabrics.com

Wedding Clients

One of our clients, Danyel Dean, was kind enough to allow us to share with you pictures from her recent wedding. The wedding took place at the elegant San Ysidro Ranch, in the foothills over Montecito, California.


The dress was made using a soft blue silk heavy georgette, and lined with sik charmeuse. Both were 19 mm. The bodice overlay was made using a French Lace. All fabrics are available at FineFabrics.com


The dress was inspired by a satin silk organza, bias, tier skirt wedding dress she saw in a couture store window in Paris. Danyel made her interpretation in our sewing studio, and we cheared her on and assisted with fitting and construction advice.

50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala Dress

On November 5, 2009, I was honored to attend the 50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala in Orlando, Florida.

Dating back to the 1950's, The NOGI is the oldest and most prestigious award in diving. An acronym for "New Orleans Grand Isle Fishing Tournament", which had an underwater division, and where the original statuette was bestowed upon its winners. Originally carved of balsa wood, then cast of polywood, in 2005, the statuette was updated by Wyland, and now is cast of lucite in molds of his making.

In 1993, The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) was incorporated by the recipients of the past 33 years, and with ongoing sanction and support from the Underwater Society of America, the AUAS administers the NOGI, which each year is awarded to 4 individuals who have made a global impact on the exploration, enjoyment, safety, and preservation of the underwater world, and have distinguished themselves therefor in Arts, Science, Sports and Education and Service. My husband, Master Fin Designer and Underwater Photograph, Bob Evans (NOGI, Sports and Education, 2005) is the current President of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences, and as such hosts its black tie Gala Awards ceremony. This gives me the opportunity to stretch my sewing ability and make a new gown annually.

What makes this endeavor extra fun is that Martha Watkins Gilkes, President of the Women Divers' Hall of Fame and proprietor of Fantasea Island Divers Scuba in Antigua, sharpens her needles and makes a gown as well. Our annual creation have become a friendly contest of sorts. I have to say, Martha took the night this year! I had anticipated this as much when she called me early in the year to inquire whether the mother of pearl shells completely covering the piece of Chanel couture fabric she found might have been harvested. If so, their impact on the ocean would be adverse, and it would not be appropriate to wear, particularly at this event. It took a bit of digging, but what she and we found is that the shells are harvested from California abalone farms - not far from Fine Fabrics store location!

High Priestess of Humanity

There is a thread running at Artisanssquare about the prospect of living over 100 years, not as an anomaly, but as a sociological norm. I, for one, believe an aging population bulge will increase the sociological force of elders within our society. I also believe that the population increase that will inevitably coincide with this extended life span will accelerate our Earth becoming more species homogeneous. A sad fact is that we are not reading about increased longevity for species other than humans.

That started me thinking about the responsibility we will weld as "Elders Who Live Longer Than Those Before" in a world that is human, which brings us to the question of what it is to be human?

I grappled with answers that have great ethical value -- that of choice, to learn from our choices, to love and care for those whom we love..... To be honest, these qualities are not unique to humanity. There was but one answer I could find that made us uniquely human and that was clothes. We must clothe ourselves to live on Earth.

The Priests and Priestesses of "The Society of Elders Who Live Longer Than Those Before" in the species homogeneous Earth are those who make clothes. Fellow sewers I anoint you today!

A love for sewing is a spiritual awakening! Sew away!

MidSummer Night's Dream

When is MidSummer? According to Wikipedia it is June 24, or the date on the Julian calendar associated with the Summer Solstice celebrations. I always took the designation literally and counted the days between the Summer Solstice, June 21, 2009, and the Autumnal Equinox, September 21, 2009. This literal MidSummer is August 5, 2009.

On this date, I would do my best to gather together my son and some of his neighborhood friends for a night of literary adventure. We would make cookies, dress up, pick a character, and sitting around an antique card table, read from William Shakespeare's play for as long as we could keep still.

This year, I decided that in Santa Barbara MidSummer is September. That is when it is the warmest. In fact, its downright hot! So, let's put on our finery, dance in the garden like nymphs in a MidSummer play.

New dress made using Vogue Pattern 8417. A lesson in how to make something as difficult as it can be. Twisting panels, sewn on the bias using 3-layers of silk chiffon and intricately beaded French Lace supported by a silk organza underlining.

Worn over a silk 4-ply under dress.


Over 150 fashion colors of Silk Chiffon, Silk Organza and Silk 4-ply are available at FineFabrics.com

What Makes a Classic?

Throughout the month of August, Fine Fabrics hosts a collection of lace and silk on loan from the Paris Showroom of Solstiss. 100's of Santa Barbara Fashionistas oh and ah and sigh as they examined each piece. Diverse in style and creative in every aspect, it surprised me when a client pulled out this piece and draped it over a simple navy sheath she brought in with the mission of finding a very special piece of fabric with which to make a coordinating jacket therefor.


It is an absolutely perfect piece! Subtle, lightweight with fluid drape, with colors and design that are without boundary.

A jacket with only shoulder seams and scallops wrapping around the hem, could be made with no more than 1/2 yard more than your bust measurement. Sleeves can be cut as long as you wish with their hem touting the eyelashes of the opposite selvage. The only seams to be sewn are the shoulder and armhole. Finish the neckline and front as you choose, maybe just rolled with a selvage of chiffon sewn within for support. Leave open or close with a cluster of matching beads buttons and loops made using navy silk thread.

A simple jacket made using this lace could be worn to a casual luncheon, as easily as it could be worn to a black tie party. That is what makes for a classic!

It is being hand beaded in France for her now, and expected to arrive in Santa Barbara in October. In the meantime, FineFabrics.com has in stock its sister ground lace in black.


More ideas to come.....

Rows Upon Rows of Ribbons

First shipment of custom fabric procured for clients attending Fine Fabrics 3rd Annual World's Finest Lace Show. This one is a soft cornflower silk, embellished with rows-upon-rows-upon rows of Silk Faille Ribbon sewn onto a soft piece of silk. Dominant color is deep royal. I think this one a must for holiday skirt.

Only limited quantities available.