Another victim of huge rent increases? Chic Fabrics is closing at the end of this month.

Things aren't looking good for Chic Fabric, but they are definitely still trying.  While this means steep discounts and sales for everyone inclined to shop there right now, it is another sad event for one of our beloved retailers.

A great stop for novelty and basic fabrics, an exploration of colors and prints, and a friendly helpful staff, this place will be missed.  There has been no progress on renegotiating the lease thus far, but as always, we are hopeful, as are they, that they will secure a new location.  As always, I will let you know when I have shareable news!

See previous posts on Chic Fabric here, here and here.

Yesterday's Speakeasy - the Unspoken Truth of the Garment District

What can I tell you about yesterday's Speakeasy tour?  Well, it was a lovely and intimate gathering of fabric enthusiasts, with my wonderful friend, Cindy, along to add her professional experience and expert guidance during the afternoon portion of the day. The participants were an absolute joy to lead, and our fabric finds were awesome!  While the regular secrecy was important before our excursion, as usual, I curated the best spots before this trip to see who has great stuff right now, and we actually bought the LAST yardage of some of the things we found, so no harm in you knowing some specifics!

From Paron Fabrics

One of the participants spotted this lovely stretch knit fabric at Paron, and, while trying to stifle my pangs of longing, I photographed it, stroked and tugged it... and alas, after she bought her yardage, some the rest of it came home with me!  Paron, by the way, is currently having a huge summer sale with deep discounts.

From Metro Textiles - delightful, tough, stretch fabric perfect for a slim skirt or shorts/pants.

At Metro Textiles, I found this funky fabric (above), and, no, there is no more.  There was no leaving it behind.  Let that be a lesson to ya, since frankly, you would have had to physically fight me for it anyway... 

and I woulda won...

But now, with this fabric at home, it appears I will have to fight my daughter for it.  We'll see who wins that battle.  It's tough, but she doesn't usually beg too much... so maybe... 

I said MAYBE.

Also note, Metro Textiles has prices you have probably only dreamt about for some of the fabrics of your dreams.  No lie.

While out and about, we saw some great cotton prints, priced well below $10/yd., Cindy showed the group some fantastic ponte knits, Metro Textiles had some things to die for you gotta see to believe, and some scuba that blew my mind, and there are some pretty amazing offerings in the trim stores, too. We also saw some pretty wild fur fabrics at Fabrics & Fabrics... and get this... in a store that HUGE, one of the tour participants, with no suggestion from me, bought yardage of a wonderful fabric I also fell in love with and already have at home, in my embarrassingly large stash! 

Hers was a deep pink grid, but same fabric!

Of course we visited other places, and found great things in those places, too, but if you wanna know everything, come along on the next one, or buy a map!

Happy New Year! - The January 2 Speakeasy Tour

Since there are no Speakeasies planned for the near future (as I work on the uber-project, the Grandest Speakeasy EVER, scheduled for this spring), I want to share some details from yesterday's event.  After yesterday's trip,  I remain really creatively inspired, and excited to share some of the things we discovered along our journey yesterday!

And a big special THANK YOU to Cindy, who helped lead the group, and offered her always brilliant, friendly, expert advice and encouragement to the group! I truly adore her, and have known her forever...

It amazes me every time, but I am often as inspired by my tour participants as they are inspired by the fabulous things we see in the stores, and yesterday was truly no exception...

Exhibit A:

One of the tour participants was really jazzed by a photo of a very expensive "glove clutch" she had seen.  Inspired by the idea, but intimidated by what could be a complicated labor-intensive project, I thought about ... (I have tried desperately to make great gloves in the past) I stumbled upon these in an internet search (link to original below)...  I adore this bag!

Perrin Paris glove clutches

Note: If I were to use this idea as a springboard for my own, I would go to Leather, Suede, Skins for the leather, Botani or Pacific for the hardware and such, and Joann fabrics (online or in person) for what I have found to be the best stabilizing materials for the bags I make (The fusible interfacing used for lampshades, and plastic mesh - I fuse the interfacing to a stiff muslin to make the structural inner layer of my bags.)


Exhibit B:

Let's say you make quilts, as two of yesterday's participants do.  Where to go in the garment district certainly isn't obvious, but there are many places that have lovely, creative offerings for quilters.  Now, there are some obvious spots to visit; Mood and City Quilter among them, but I must say that Rosen and Chadick, Chic Fabrics and NY Elegant had some awesome cottons suitable for quilting, too!

Exhibit C:

You can find silk gazar, like the fabric used to create this Oscar de la Renta Gown  in rich colors at Fabrics & Fabrics

What if you love bold colors and textures?  One of our participants was such a delightful enthusiast of very bold oranges, purples and greens -- she found plush velvets and wonderful prints that were so exciting! There are some stores with gasp-worthy colors, panel prints, and textures right now.  Check the display window of NY Elegant, and you'll see what I mean!  Paron, Fabrics and Fabrics, and Rosen and Chadick all had delightful offerings in these categories as well!

Exhibit C:

And seriously, shop with a rolling suitcase.  Or you'll learn the hard way... That's how the pros do it... am I right???  And, when you get home, you say to anyone who has a problem with the amount of fabric you bought.... "You should have seen what the rest of them bought!!!!  FAR more than I did!!!!" (giggle...)

If you are longing to go fabric shopping or browsing, here are some must-sees for you right now:

• Check out the fabulous chunky cut & sew sweater knit at Paron Fabrics(immediately!)
• Look at the fabric panels on the long wall of Fabrics & Fabrics
• Check out the double-faced wool (green/charcoal) at Rosen & Chadick
• Check out the special panels hanging on the rack near the counter at NY Elegant
• Check put the great houndstooth wools at Chic Fabrics
• Check out the variety of unique zippers, pulls, buttons and other notions at Botani
• Check out the novelty button offerings and hot fix crystals at Joyce

Happy New Year, and enjoy your creative adventures, whatever they may be!

Can we tawwwwwk???

I love comedy.  I love humor.  That is why I have watched countless episodes of "Fashion Police" over the years.  Latest internet reports tell us that Joan Rivers' condition is improving remains in a medically induced coma, has passed away, and I sincerely wish her and her family a peaceful recovery conclusion, however this turns out.

"Fashion Police", if you've never seen it, is a show where a fashion-critiquing panel sits and reviews the clothing of celebrities as they watch their red carpet arrivals at events.  It is often mean, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes genuinely educational, since some of the guest panelists often have actual technical, artistic or historical wisdom to share.

What disturbs me about it, is that it feeds into exactly what is so very wrong with our celebrity obsessed culture at the moment.  We beat them up, criticize and insult them relentlessly, and praise them arbitrarily for making choices that agree with what some fashion royalty has deemed appropriate or current. How can you feel flattered when you know what has just been said about the person next to or behind you on that very same carpet?

But let's not forget that this is comedy.  That's what it was all about.  There is no need to take all of this so seriously.  I have no ill feelings toward Gwyneth Paltrow whatsoever, and despite the fact that I don't get what it was that rubbed her the wrong way, Joan's comments about her were always fall-down funny!

One of the truest statements ever was uttered by my son, about age 5 or so at the time.  We were at a hospital, in the waiting room, where my mother was going to have surgery.  To my horror, my son began digging between the cushions of the waiting room sofa, and I quickly reprimanded him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" I snapped.

Politely, he stopped, looked at me, and said, "Mom, if you were me, you'd like what I like, and you'd do what I do."

So true, my boy.  So true.

This Sunday, I watched a segment on CBS Sunday Morning, in which the brilliant Tavi Gevinson was interviewed.  What I love most here, is that she embraces what makes her unique, and follows the beat of her own drummer, and appreciates what is not "trending" for the masses, but touches her as an individual.





"Fashion" only works if a measurable group of people agree and spend money on it.  I, like Tavi, often exempt myself from that pursuit.  

Dismayed to find that shades of orange are on the upcoming horizon for fashion, I thought, "So what? I can create my own stuff!" 

The garment district fabric and supply stores support us all fully in this.  You can explore the garment district and find a rich palette including every color you can imagine, and you need not concern yourself with fashion AT ALL if  you don't want to.

Best stores for the anti-trenders (because of the breadth and variety of their offerings):

Butterfly Fabrics
Fabrics & Fabrics
Mood
Rosen & Chadick
Metro Textiles
B&J Fabrics
Chic fabrics

Oh, and there are so many more, it is just exhausting. Personally, I find it very hard to do more than 6 or 7 max stores in a single day, but the district is just throbbing with possibilities!  Enjoy what you make!

Shopping in the Garment District on a Saturday...

Not sure why I haven't noticed, but the garment district is no longer the ghost town it once was on Saturdays.  For those of you who aren't available to shop during the week, there are still plenty of stores to choose from.  And the hours aren't even significantly reduced, like they once were!  Many are open between 10 and 5 with some variations on both opening and closing times, and a much less hustley-bustley experience, to boot!

We have the insanely predatory landlord situation to "thank" for this. As rents have increased, many of the shops now know that (to quote one of the fabric store owners) "If you're not open on Saturday, you are guaranteed not to do any business, no matter how little." As the stores are now far more retail friendly than they once were, we can also "thank" the ever-decreasing customer base. These stores are happy to have all the business they can handle!

Who is the Saturday shopper?  Anyone who doesn't have time on weekdays, anyone who prefers relative quiet, anyone who is happier to "discover" what she/he needs than to be on a very specific search, since looking for something very specific may be tougher on a Saturday, and, lastly, not an intense bargain hunter, since the least expensive stores tend to be closed on the weekend, too.

So, I went to the district this Saturday (yesterday), on what was mostly a quick research run, to find the right complement to a garment I need to finish for a client.  

By the way, this is my photo of what the weather looked/felt like in Central Park yesterday...

Could this just take your breath away, or what?

I went to Rosen & Chadick.  They open at 11AM on Saturdays now, by the way - a bit later than some of the others.

Here's what I found:

This is a wool you've gotta see/feel to believe. Visit it. Buy it. Love it.

A mind-blowing  Loro Piana perfectly white (rare) cashmere to blow you away, some printed silks and some cotton prints that were just magical. Just lovely.

Then I stopped into New York Elegant.  By the way, you may be interested to know that the owners of this store were once fabric converters in Korea.  They really know how to choose great fabric, and, if you don't already know, this store is just HUGE.  Here's the thing though.  They can carry a lot of inventory, and keep it for a long time. There are times when fabrics have been around for 15 years before they actually have their "moment", when they are sold.  That is the beautiful thing about having so much room.

Here are some cool things I found:

Corduroy... seriously!

Pretty acrylic somethin' or other - loved it!

Wool sateen in a glorious regal purple at NY Elegant

Now, NY Elegant is selling more supplies for non-professional workrooms, too.  Near the front counter, you can pick up large sheets of carbon paper, small rolls of pattern paper, thread, magazines, and some general notions, too.   


Where to next? Chic Fabrics, where I found a sparkly-grey stretch knit, that would make a perfect holiday season Saturday shirt in my life, and a grey faux leather that calls out to cover a holiday dessert cart, accented with silver and glass ornaments.

And finally, Daytona Trimming, where I saw this loopy trim (below), in warm colors, begging to accent a mantle.  Just gorgeous.

Where else should you go?  A Saturday itinerary could easily include Paron Fabrics, where I found this great coating fabric:

And you should just feel it.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

Yes, you want this.

Are there more stores?  Of course, there are!  As you probably already know, Mood is wide open on Saturday, as is Gray Lines Linen, B&J Fabrics, A.K. Corp, and many of the trim and notions stores you know and love.

So, there you have it.  Now the only day you will see tumbleweeds in the district is Sunday.

The Scoop on the April 12 Speakeasy tour...

It rained... but it didn't dampen our spirits!  We started off easy, going into a store I selected for its unique offerings (Butterfly Fabrics), and continued on to a place where I think everyone temporarily LOST THEIR MINDS...

That place was Elliott Berman, with lots of new fabrics, where we found things so beautiful, they almost left us breathless. Man oh man, was there a matelasse that made every one of us gasp...

At Chic, we found lots of fun things... at unbelievable prices.  And yes, I do mean unbelievable...

At Rosen & Chadick, the group was pretty tired after so much stimulation, but we saw much loveliness.

At Metro Textiles, our buddy Kashi had piles and piles of fabrics to behold, some of which I literally had to peel myself away from!

At Pacific Trimming, we found all sorts of lovely buttons, Riri zippers, accessiories, and tools.  I was personally inspired by the things I saw that I have NO IDEA what to do with!  It really opens you up to creative solutions!

After a lovely lunch, the group was gently led into the wonderland that is Fabrics & Fabrics.  Pretty sure that left everyone speechless.  By the way, you have seen their new website, haven't you?

The next tour is May 24. This tour offers a special discounted "Bring a friend" rate!

Please note that there are some new rules for future tours:

Regarding cancellations:

If you have paid and wish to cancel 7 days or more before date - 100% refund

Fewer than 7 days - 50% refund

If you don't come on the scheduled date or cancel within 24 hours or less - you will forfeit your refund, but can switch reservation to a future tour date.

If I cancel a tour for reasons not related to weather, acts of God or other emergencies, you are entitled to your choice of a full refund, or a future tour.

Come along on a tour!  We have lots of fun!

Note: If you were on this tour, there is only one of you for whom I can't find contact details for the lunch credit I promised you.  (You are one of my NY'ers that day) If you are reading this, please get in touch!

Wool Coating Deals in the Garment District

$9.99 a yard is quite the price for wool coatings. Chic Fabrics, 225 W. 39th Street.

What's the key to surviving another brutal winter? Outerwear that makes you look and feel good, not to mention keep you warm. Sewing your own coat or jacket is a lot easier than you'd think, especially if you choose a loosely-structured style without a lot of tailoring and fitting demands. And when you make your own coat, you can customize it to meet your personal warmth needs.

To the best of my knowledge, Chic Fabrics on W. 39th Street has the most attractive deals on wool coating, at $9.99 a yard. Not a huge selection and the coatings tend to be on the lightweight side, but that's a great price. Do inspect your yardage before it's cut, as I found water spots on my wool coating after I got home. (Fortunately I could cut around them.)

You can find more wool coatings on W. 39th Street at the stores west of Chic but on the same side of the street. The selection gets better but the prices do go up, starting around $18 a yard. Also, Mood Fabrics has a large selection of wool coatings at a range of price points, as do B&J, Paron's, NY Elegant and Rosen & Chadick.

Don't forget linings. For warmth, I like the flannel-backed satin linings at B&J, or the quilted satins and nylons at AK Fabrics. For a luxurious touch, add a fur collar from Mood or Prime Fabrics (W. 35th).

Happy sewing and happy holidays!

Ready-made fur collars at Mood Fabrics. Add one to that coat you're going to make.

Here's my coat in progress: Wool coating from Chic, fur from Prime, quilted lining from AK.

Stores I'm Loving: Chic Fabrics

Chic Fabrics (225 W. 39th Street) has gone from being one of my least favorite stores in the Garment District to my current go-to store for my summer sewing needs. If you're looking for pretty silk prints or cotton knits at bargain prices, this is your store. In the last two weeks I bought a silk print ($10.99/yd) to make a pair of Isabel Marant style trousers for me, and I scored some navy cotton jersey ($3.99/yd) to knock off a BCBG top for a family member. You'll see names like Tahari and Nanette Lepore on the bolts there. If you haven't been to Chic recently, you owe it to yourself to stop by.

NYC Fabric Store Review: Chic Fabrics

Address: 225 W. 39th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-398-9451
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 am - 6:30 pm; Saturday 10 am - 6 pm; Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
Online store: none available
Best for: One of the few stores in the district open on Sunday

Of the many small fabric stores that populate W. 39th Street between 7th and 8th, Chic Fabric is one of the better ones. And it's open on Saturday and Sunday.

Ever been shopping in one of Mexico's border towns? There's lots of little shops that tantalize you with bright colors and shiny objects, and you think oooh, I'm gonna get some bargains here. But then you get a little closer and you see that while there may be some hidden gems, there's a lot of cheap and tacky stuff for sale.

That's what shopping on W. 39th Street in the Garment Center NYC is like to me. There are undoubtedly some fantastic bargains to be had on top-notch fabrics but you'll have to wade through tons of polyester and other man-made fibers to get to them. Because I usually don't have a lot of time to spend when I'm in the Garment District, I prefer to head straight for my favorite stores where I know and trust the quality.

That being said, some sewists may only have the chance to shop for fabrics and trims in the Garment District on a Sunday, when very few stores are open. If this were my situation, I'd try Chic Fabric. Here I think you'll have a better chance of finding decent fabric. I bought some cotton-with-lycra there for $4 a yard, and other sewists have reported being pleased with their cotton shirtings. Knowing your fabrics and your fiber contents helps when shopping on W. 39th because few stores label their fabrics.