4 Favorite Fabrics From Joann's & How I've Used Them

Here in the United States, fabric stores other than Joann's are getting harder and harder to come by, especially if you live out in suburbia in the mid west like me. So what's a seamstress to do? Sure you can buy fabric online, but it's just not the same when you can't touch and feel and see the textiles there in front of you. When you only have Joann's small selection of apparel fabrics to choose from, which are the best? One can't make everything out of quilting cotton after all...

If they offered 5% of the adorable quilting cotton prints they have at Joann's in an apparel weight as well (a nice voile perhaps? Sateen?) I would be more than happy to buy yards and yards of them, but seeing as modern fabric and craft stores cater to quilters and occasional textile crafters (and once a year Halloween costume shoppers) and not apparel seamstresses, we're just out of luck most of the time. Unless you love polyester, and who loves polyester?

So today I thought for those of you who are stuck in the same Joann's dominated wasteland predicament, or are perhaps just new to sewing and would like some fabric recommendations, I would go over my top 4 favorite fabrics available at Joann's and explain why I return to buy more of them again and again.

Sew Classic Bottomweight Stretch Sateen Fabric - $12.99 a yard

This is my top favorite pick from Joann's. Granted I love me some cotton sateen in general, but the weight of this particular sateen is perfect for so many projects being neither too heavy for dresses, nor too lightweight for more structured pieces. The amount of stretch (97% cotton, 3% spandex) is just enough to not be annoying and allows things move nicely when you've made something more fitted. As a rule I never buy stretch fabrics, I like structure, but this fabric is the exception to that rule for me.

At 49" wide, I feel I get a little more for my dollar with this sateen since many Joann's fabrics are only 45" wide. This slightly wider width means I can eke out fuller A-line skirts and longer sleeves without having to buy more yardage. I find this fabric washes well for me, and for a sateen it's not too shiny. When I'm buying sateen fabric I prefer they not be too shiny despite the name, if I wanted a true satin finish after all, I'd buy satin. This fabric currently comes in 7 solid colors, but they need to add at least one green, come on Joann...

I've made a lot of projects with this fabric over the past few years. Most notably I like it for crisp full circle skirts, I have one in black, bright red, and the dark purple. I also have used the dark red/burgundy shade to make a sheath dress and a pencil skirt, have a dress out of the black (seen below), and used the navy and red colorways to make a dress inspired by of one of Peggy Carter's dresses (seen above). Then I've got a basic black pencil skirt out of this sateen too, it's really all over my closet! I only wish they would add even more colors to the range, but I don't hold out hope.

Sew Classic Bottomweight Cotton Twill Solid Fabric - $12.99 a yard

Another classic bottom weight (what does this even mean? Like, it's thick enough for pants? ... okay.) is cotton twill weave of course. Similar to denim in many regards, since denim is woven with a twill weave as well, twill fabrics have a small diagonal ribbed texture up close. Supposedly this weave structure is both strong and helps hide dirt, which is why it's used for more rugged apparel sometimes. Twill is a great fabric for more structured summer projects, which is what I have mainly used it for in my sewing.

In 100% cotton, this particular twill from Joann's has no stretch, which as previously noted is fine by me. They actually have a smaller different selection of cotton twills at Joanns and they all have their uses. I've used another version from them that's a bit thicker to make a more utility looking army green a-line skirt before and liked the results. Perhaps a little too bulky/weighty for something like a circle skirt, I like using Joann's twills to make pencil skirted suits for the summer time like the two you see below here. I've also used them to make more skirts all on their own, but something I always do now with this sort of fabric is to add top-stitching for that extra rough and tumble looking (ahem, safari ready) effect, even if the actual garment style is tailored. 

Sew Classics Linen Look Fabric 54''-Solid - $12.99 a yard

If you are sensing a theme, its because all the best apparel fabrics at Joann's tend to be on the same aisle, the bottom weights are where it's at in Joann Fabrics. Of course you can find some nice rayon challis or a wild voile or cotton eyelet in their seasonal ranges, but the reliably in stock apparel fabrics in natural fibers tend to be of a heavier weight. Which is why it's nice that they have this rayon linen blend available in so many colors (14 shades) when you need something with just a bit more drape. It's got the crisp slightly slubbed natural texture of the linen, with the the added benefit of the silkier rayon helping out with linen's stubborn wrinkle factor.

At 54" wide this fabric also helps you economize on yardage for budget friendly projects. Iv'e used it to make two bolero and A-line skirt suit combinations in natural and black, for a fluted turquoise 30's skirt, and to make my dark red 1930's inspired wrap dress. I'm always trying to find time to make a 1930's dress in the rusty orange color of this fabric with nice vintage carved wooden buttons to wear in the summer. I know this is a fabric I will be returning to again and again as the texture is just perfect for making warm weather apparel with that natural linen look.

Fashion Brocade Fabric 45" - $9.99-$14.99 a yard

Okay, to be fair, this last one could be rather polarizing. Some people just find polyester Chinese brocades like these cheesy, and that's totally fine, it's just I disagree. I think the fabrics and resulting garments can be really fun if used in the right way, which I have tried to do with my more recent projects.

Of course vintage styles out of similar fabrics have several advantages going for them. The brocades of the past were more likely to be real silk or at least rayon, instead of the polyester Nylon blends we get today. Real silk fabric just looks a hell of a lot nicer, and feels nicer, but polyester is much less expensive of course. I do think the Chinese brocades at Joanns really vary in quality these days compared to the standard quality that were available 10 years ago when I first started sewing with them. Sometimes you can still find one with a higher thread count and nicer structure, but it's rarer these days. I'll be looking into other sources for similar fabrics soon, but I still have my eye on some new dark plum purple brocades Joann's have in stock online.

I have used Joann's poly brocades to make several dresses and a few pencil skirts over the years, and I want to make a circle skirt out of the aforementioned dark purple fabric soon. Of course more typical (or stereotypical really) apparel items made in this fabric would be vintage style cheongsam dresses or jackets with frogged closures, but be careful with projects inspired by garments that may have possibly been culturally appropriative in their time and can remain so now. It's important to just be aware these fabrics and projects can easily come off costumey which is something to avoid when making real clothes of course.

So those are my top picks from Joann's! What are your favorite fabrics from America's most pervasive fabric store? The only US state without a Joann's store location is Hawaii by the way, but they do still ship there. Are you lucky enough to live near real fabric shops with nice apparel fabrics? Feel free to brag about that and make me want to move ;) I am lucky that here in Colorado we do have two main other fabric shops near enough to Denver that I don't go too mad stuck with Joann's small selection. I do love shopping from Mood Fabrics online as well, and though sometimes I still get surprised with just how the fabrics look and feel when they arrive in the mail, I have yet to be actually disappointed with anything I have ordered from Mood.

Also-- I know I usually post a new ensemble on Mondays, but it's been snowy and too cold to stand outside for photos so I hope you can forgive me for not documenting my pajamas since I'm staying inside! Stay cozy my friends!

Custom Labels from Dutch Label Shop!

I really want to show these labels off, though I doubt anyone will be as excited to see them as I was! There is just something so official feeling about having nice custom woven labels made to sew into your projects, and it was always something I was interested in, so when Dutch Label Shop got in touch with me about testing out their services, I couldn't wait to see the results!

I chose to upload my own design so that I could use my favorite Pirata One font that I always use for The Closet Historian. I went with classic ivory for the label and black text, and chose the double white option to ensure really crisp text. Even though I chose to have the double white, the text is even crisper than I imagined it could be and I really love the final look of the labels! I can't wait to start sewing them into my projects, even if I am the only one who will ever see them. These labels are so cool I almost want to start sewing things to sell just so I can use put these labels out there into the world ;)

Of course you can get your own labels too, and when you enter in the code: thecloesthistorian15 (all lower case) you will get 15% off your purchase! The discount code will work for the next 30 days, so if you have been thinking about trying out some labels, now may be the perfect time. The label design process is really simple and fun, and they will even send you a photo proof of your design to make sure everything is just right if you wish for a small extra fee, in case you are worried about ordering hundreds of them without seeing what they will look like. Since I didn't opt for a photo proof, and I designed my labels in photoshop and simply uploaded the file, it wasn't until I opened the package that I got to see what the finished product looked like and I was so pleased with the results <3

Check out Dutch Label Shop by clicking here

Deco Darlings

You know what the worst part of being an inelegant super clumsy human is? Scuffing your brand new shoes right on the front the first time you wear them after looking forward to said new shoes for months and months. Yep, that's right, I have already marred these beautiful shoes with a nice shallow tear in the leather on the front toe of the right shoe. Did I want to cut off my own feet as punishment in that moment (uh and also still in this moment, hours later), you better believe it! (If anyone has suggestions on how to fix said scuff/tear...please let me know). See, this is why we can't have nice things.

And they are such beautiful shoes too, I might have to buy another pair to make up for my damning misplaced footing. I can't believe I did that!!!! The new Deco Darlings collection from Royal Vintage Shoes are here! I preordered two pairs and they arrived (after a nice USPS mini delay where they sent them to Flordia first just for fun) this week. This white and soft green pair are so perfectly 20's that I knew they had to be mine the moment I first saw the design. The shoes do not disappoint now that I have them in hand, and they are very comfortable to wear too! Like I said, I may have to replace mine now after being such a horrible idiot and nearly ruining them, but that is all on me you guys, the shoes are not to blame. As always from Royal Vintage I can highly recommend these shoes, the design is called Lillian and they come in white and navy as well. All of my Royal Vintage Shoes are of exceptionally quality and are very comfortable so I recommend the brand as a whole for anyone in the market for retro (or even just damn cute) shoes. I'll note this post is not sponsored, nor am I an official brand ambassador, I just really love Royal Vintage and American Duchess shoes!

Also, I made this dress in anticipation to wear with these shoes...because I am a nerd like that ;) The dress is more like a wearable mock-up though, as I was testing out the center front gathers at the neck bodice style (with my improved bodice pattern, I have used this detail before), and new bell sleeve style. The fabric is polyester and not very comfortable. As I like how the style itself came together, I am sure I will make the same dress out of a more comfortable natural fiber fabric soon. The vintage handbag and yellow parasol are also newer additions to my wardrobe, though I purchased them months ago, I just hadn't worn them out yet. Summer sun means parasol season! The gloves haven't appeared on the blog yet either, but I have been wearing them a lot this season already. They are the most lovely vintage fine crochet gloves and I am so happy to have found a pair that fit my modern sized hands as most gloves are so tiny!

I hope all of you who have ordered some Deco Darlings shoes are receiving them and love yours as much as I love mine, and have steadier footing so you avoid my shame and sadness! I'll stick to the sewing room tomorrow and try to avoid any sharp corners...now you realize why I don't dance since merely walking without bumping into things like a drunk walrus is enough of a challenge for me ;)

Dress & Earrings: Made by me
Shoes: Lillian's from Royal Vintage Shoes
Gloves, Brooch, & Handbag: Vintage (Etsy)

Costume Review: Allied

WWII period clothing and Marion Cotillard is a combination I can get behind any day, so I was happy to see Allied was available to watch on my flight to France as I had somehow missed seeing it in theaters. The film is one of those "are they really who they say they are?" plots so I won't say much on that score, only that Cotillard is excellent as always and Brad Pitt does okay but is sometimes a bit too stoic even for a war wearied spy. The clothes though, are fantastic!

I especially loved the costumes from the first part of the film set in Casablanca, naturally. Cotillard wears some great dresses during the day, the ivory and blue with the straw hat being my favorite look, but the dotted and striped black and white dress is also very nice. The glossy pale teal gown from all the promos is indeed gorgeous, and the sleeve shape and seaming are divine. There is an orange dress with embellished shoulders in the second half of the film that I really liked as well but there seem to be no photos of it anywhere yet. 

I'd say if you love 1940's clothes, you will enjoy this film! How did you all like it? Anymore films set in 1940's Casablanca (other than Casablanca itself of course) or any other "exotic" locals I should know about? I just watched They Met in Bombay this week from 1941 and though the film was a bit split and not very cohesive, Rosalind Russel's costumes (Adrian of course darling) were wonderful!

Burgundy France: My Must Visit Favorite Towns and Attractions

Now I will admit, I haven't seen all of Burgundy yet, and I have been twice already (once for over 3 weeks!). I have never visited Dijon, but I'm sure I'll make it there someday! Since my family are very fortunate to have wonderful friends living in Moneteau, a smaller town just outside of Auxerre, most of my Burgundy travels have been in the surrounding area. There is much to see, even in just this section of the Burgundy (or Bourgogne in French) region, and I thought today I would highlight some of my favorite towns and sights to visit in case any of you need to plan a lovely escape to the French countryside.

Perhaps a map, just a snap from Google maps... The red flag on the left shows where Auxerre is in relation to Paris, and on the right we can see the general area where I have traveled and will be talking about today.

So first, some general information and tips about traveling in Burgundy:

While you can catch a train down to the area from Paris of course, I would recommend just renting a car because you are going to want one! I'm not sure if there are bus routes from town to town and village to castle, but driving to me seems the best way to appreciate the gorgeous countryside anyway. We are lucky in that since we have friends in Moneteau they drive us around to all of the best places, but without such amazing hosts, a car of your own is the way to go.

As for communicating, most people do speak a small amount of English, but this isn't touristy Paris and French is of course the language of the land. Have your French to English phrase book handy, and perhaps try and learn some useful words before your visit. I know I have several French food terms memorized so that reading menus is at least half way possible.

Speaking of menus, while again we were lucky to have wonderful friends delighting us with excellent home cooked meals, I find eating out in the restaurants of Burgundy to often be even better than in Paris! In Paris it is so easy to fall into a place much too touristy with their menus already in English and hamburgers at the top of the list, but in Burgundy most everything is authentic, fresh, and delicious. Plus the local wines are of course some of the very best in the whole world, so you really can't go wrong there!

Now lets plan your trip by looking into some of the best cities, towns, and destinations of the area!

Auxerre

Even if you only can escape to Burgundy for two days, I recommend you stay in Auxerre. With three gorgeous gothic churches visible in the "skyline" (technically one is a cathedral and another an abbey), there is enough history in this one city to keep you busy for days. Along the Yonne river, Auxerre is between Paris and the other major city of Burgundy, Dijon. The clock tower as seen above is gorgeous, and the entire old part of town seems like the perfect setting for a Disney princess film. Plenty of interesting shops to pop into for a look around, one could wander the streets for hours just admiring the half timbered buildings from centuries ago. This was my second visit to the area, and Auxerre was just as beautiful and mesmerizing as it was the first time I visited! Make sure to visit the crypt of the Abbey Saint-Germain d'Auxerre, some of the Abby still dates back to the 9th century. The stained glass windows of the nearby cathedral Saint-Étienne d'Auxerre are regarded to be some of the best in all of France. Try and sample some of the gougère from a boulangerie too, it's a local bread made with cheese and is super tasty!

Vézelay

Vézelay and it's famous abbey are must see stops for any art history lover on a tour of Burgundy. A UNESCO world heritage site, Vézelay Abbey is considered one of the masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture despite hard years of neglect in the 17th and 18th centuries. While the beauty of the building is unquestionable, it is the absurd age and history of the place I find even more staggering. Just a taste of the history of the place from Wikipedia for example: "Saint Bernard of Clairvaux preached there in favor of a second crusade at Easter 1146, in front of King Louis VII. Richard I of England and Philip II of France met there and spent three months at the Abbey in 1190 before leaving for the Third Crusade. Thomas Becket in exile, chose Vézelay for his Whitsunday sermon in 1166, announcing the excommunication of the main supporters of his English King, Henry II, and threatening the King with excommunication too. The nave, which had burnt once, with great loss of life, burned again in 1165, after which it was rebuilt in its present form." There is nothing quite like standing in a building of such age! The hilltop town of Vézelay itself is also exceedingly charming, and provides excellent views over the surrounding green countryside.

Book Review: Wild Company, The Untold Story of Banana Republic

I worked for Banana Republic for over a year and always loved the safari and travel clothing heritage even if it was barely to be seen in the modern incarnation of the store. When I saw a book by the founders of the company Mel and Patrica Ziegler, I knew I had to pick it up and discover the Banana Republic that had disappeared long before I was a part time sales associate for the company, or indeed before I was even born. 

Wild Company details the origins of the company and the ethos behind the founders choices that made Banana what it was in their own words. Written by both Mel and Patrica, the married founders who decided to leave journalism and illustration for business in order to try and fund their own adventures, the book is a delightful read. Who can say how much of this rather fairy-tale (if not a bit of a tragedy in the end, but I'll get to that) story is embellished or made rosy by either design or the haze of hindsight, but in any case it sounds like the Zieglers set out in business as complete armatures in order to eventually fund the travels they dreamed of and they ended up doing just that. 

With just 1500 hundred in capital and a great early sense of brand identity and integrity the Ziegler's bought their first batch of military surplus clothing in the late 1970's and set up shop in a tiny location in San Francisco. They ended up washing every one of those first products (Spanish paratrooper shirts with defective too-short sleeves) in their own home washing machine. The first products were entirely well made but discarded military surplus from various countries and campaigns. They noticed how much care had been put into these pieces of clothing that would have to withstand constant rough use, usually being made from fine natural fiber materials. They bought sleeping bags for the sheepskin linings, re-purposed belts into hat bands, and made entirely new items from the fine fabrics they could find amongst the piles of otherwise useless surplus. This was recycling at its best, but they new eventually there would be a big problem, the surplus would run out. So they began seeking out the old factories, the smaller places barely holding on thin the "modern" 1970's world of polyester. They worked to find the best of the old factories to essentially create more brand new surplus-like items.

It was only when Gap offered to buy the company and leave the founders in control in 1983 that the company could finally access the capital needed to fully flesh out an in house label of clothing. A five year period of growth and great clothing and collaborations with factories and artisans followed the acquisition, but in reality it was the beginning of the end for what had made Banana Republic special. The Gap people began to get antsy, untrusting of the Ziegler's unconventional methods of ignoring trends and focus groups, buying and stocking what they liked and believed in rather than what was trendy. Gap was opening new locations of Banana stores weekly, diluting the brand image and the carefully planned uniqueness of each original location. They had failed to recognize what had made Banana Republic successful, too afraid of the safari trend dying out and taking their profits with it. The Zieglers decided with all the interference not to sign another contract and left the brand they build to it's new business minded owners. How disgusted they must really be with what Gap have since done to their original concept. The story of the Ziegler's is inspiring, but the story of the brand is rather tragic.

Banana Republic, like Gap itself, now finds itself struggling to survive. After abandoning every bit of what made the store experience special, stocking basics in polyester that set few hearts aflame and fall apart within a year, every part of the original Banana Republic has vanished into memory alone. Authentic charm replaced by inconsistent sales and clothing often as bland as the clean store designs that were swapped in for the antique WWII jeeps and weathered wood long ago.

Not to mention the discontinued hand drawn and zine-like catalogs that had helped Banana Republic grow to be noticed by Gap in the first place. While a fiber glass zebra and astro turf flooring would look incredibly kitsch and tired today, the idea of themed stores certainly has continued and evolved with stores like Anthroplogie now at the top of the store experience game. Who's to say a modernized version of what the old Banana Republic had going on wouldn't do well? A chicer version of the safari style they had in the 1980's, perhaps some campaign furniture, canvas upholstery, bamboo, and authentic imported pieces (even the odd piece of elegant taxidermy) could go a long way in giving the store some long lost charm. Bring back some of the unique travel inspired styling, the devotion to natural fibers and clothing made well enough to actually earn it's price tag. Gap failed to realize what had made Banana Republic so successful, they had a strong authentic brand image and passionate founders who wouldn't compromise their vision until corporate got so annoying they had to leave. The key to successful business isn't appealing to the most people possible, it is finding your niche and your customer, and then staying loyal to that customer and that niche!

I promise I'm not just bitter because I really selfishly still wish there were still such a shop as a safari outfitter...except that I kind of am. It also is just sad any time a big corporation crushes creativity out until nothing unique remains and then wonders why their customer flock somewhere else. Isn't it obvious?

Wild Company may end on a bit of a sour note for safari style fans, but the Ziegler's don't seem to be that bothered. They went on to start a specialty tea company and have other ventures, but more importantly they accomplished their original goal of making enough money to travel. They could have never known just how successful their little surplus store would become before they had to leave it behind, but they seem to have come out on top in the end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the old Banana Republic, or just wants to learn about creating a consistent and well loved brand. My biggest take always were unintended business tips, curate your brand, stay loyal to your customer, don't grow too fast, and make and sell only what you yourself love. As a former fashion student who still harbors a dream of having their own brand of clothing or accessories someday, I found the story of Banana Republic both inspiring and cautionary.

Have any of you ever read Wild Company? Do you have any memories of the old Banana Republic? I know I will continue to keep an eye out always for some of their older pieces online or in thrift shops!

Sunday Spotlight: In the Mood for Love

I have discovered something recently, I don't just casually enjoy movies, I really love film. In discovering such I have fallen down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos about film making and how movement, music, blocking, writing, color, and more are used to make the audience feel. In doing so I have added several films to my must watch list, and as I haven't seen many of the classics or game-changing films often highlighted, I have a very long list indeed. One of the films mentioned as possibly having the best use of color in film was In the Mood for Love. Seeing as I already realized how much I was missing by having not seen any of the gorgeous films coming out of Hong Kong, I went and watched In the Mood for Love right away. 

Director Wong Kar-Wai creates a mood indeed, with languid shots, even occasionally slowed down so you can feel each moment, no matter how objectively mundane, linger on. Mr Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs Chan (Maggie Cheung) are neighbors stuck in quite the unfortunate predicament, both of their spouses are seeing someone else, and they are both hauntingly lonely. The use of color in this film is indeed strikingly beautiful, as are the compositions created on screen and the music used. The actors do a wonderful job and I am so happy to be introduced to them as I plan on watching a lot of films from Hong Kong soon. I really don't want to say much about the plot, though there is little I could "spoil" in the traditional sense. Just know you should totally watch this film!

And the costumes? It's 1962 and Maggie Cheung wears over 20 amazing cheongsam/qipao dresses. The fabrics and prints are beautiful ranging from playful colorful 60s florals to moody iridescent shot silk taffeta. Any fashion lover will be in visual overload, such stunning clothes! They never take away from the story of course, Mrs Chan's style is just inherent in her character.

Have you seen In the Mood for Love? Do you have any similar films to recommend to me? Let me know!