We now have the Japanese Kofu fabric charm squares back in stock from Olympus. They are available as 4" charms or 5" charms. Perfect for those small projects where a lot of variety is desirable. These fabrics are very nice quality, a little coarser weave with a very silk-like hand.

Also, for you lovers of Taupe, Olympus has sent us these charm packs of 100% fancy yarn-dye natural fabrics in 4" squares.

Yum, very few are in stock, and we don't get these too often.

-Steven

Like most hand or machine sewers, I am always looking for the best equipment that will make my sewing time that much more enjoyable.  There is really no point in using poor quality tools. They annoy you every time you pick one up. Those scissors that used to be really sharp, but now miss threads and don't cut all the way to the tip, or perhaps that seam ripper you use that you inherited from your mother or grandmother and never bothered to buy one for yourself.  How about the staight pins you use.  Do you notice them being dull - not penetrating fabrics the way they used to.

Life is too short, and good quality equipment is not that expensive.  Think how many times you use a seam ripper?? Can't you bring yourself to spend a few bucks for a nice one that fits in your hand. Don't you just hate feeling that seam running up the side of the handle of cheap molded plastic?? I do!

I have three suggestions for you today.  All are basic tools, really good quality, and reasonably priced. And if anyone deserves a few nice tools to enhance the time you spend sewing, you do.

The Clover bamboo handle seam ripper is a simple upgrade. If you already own a seam ripper from Clover, than you know the ripper end is well made with a finely finished edge and sharp blade, but ohhhh this handle is nice. Natural bamboo that has a smooth finish and feels good in your hand.  And the best part, like all wooden handles, it gets better with age. The oils from your hands slightly darken the wood and it becomes your indespendible friend. Let's face it, seam rippers are inexpensive.  I have two, one in my sewing box at home, one in my zipper pouch for traveling.

  Another thing you should give serious thoughts to are your pins! I know, I know, you never think about pins, but you should.  Pins are perhaps the tool we use the most of all. And do you ever think of replacing old pins.  Most people have pins that go back decades.  No tool lasts that long, especially ones with sharpened points. 

Let me tell you a little secret about pins. They have come a long way in the last 10 years. I no longer use big fat "Quilter's" pins.  I use ultra-fine, glass head, super sharp, quality pins. And I buy a new box every year or two and constantly discard (in my sharps container) the older pins that have lost their sharp point.  These Dritz pins are the finest I have found on the market so they glide in and out of your fabric (any fabric) with ease. Also, just a little fact for you  -  if you machine sew over pins (by accident of course!), you have substantially less risk of actually hitting a pin, or doing any damage to your machine needle with ultra-fine pins. I'm just s ayin'.

And last, but not least  -  These are my all time favorite small scissors . KAI has been making beautiful scissors and knives for many years and Omnigrid was smart enough to have them make these scissors for them. They come with a little protective shield over the tip, and for good reason. Theyare sharp. Not just poke yourself sharp, they are NINJA sharp! Never-let-you-on-a-plane-with-these sharp!  But oh, so lovely to cut with. The ultimate for applique trimming, thread snips, for hand or machine sewing. Gotta have a pair.  No kidding.

This is just me and my tools, I think you will enjoy these every bit as much as I do.

-Steven

We have just moved some of our SW Native American prints, African Batik, and African themed prints to our special Clearance Sale page. There is enough on some of these bolts to back even some large quilts. A great opportunity to save.  Don't wait, these usually go pretty quickly.

Here's a few examples

We are shop hopping this month with the Fab Shop Network  -  Welcome shop Hoppers!!!

-Steven

When I first saw this quilt, designed by Lydia Quigley of The Rabbit Factory, I knew that it would be lovely made up in a scappy mixture of earthy, taupe colors. Everyone who has seen the quilt has fallen in love with the design, the symmetry, and of course the fabrics!

Yes, this is not a "slap it together in a weekend" kinda quilt. It does take a little time and a little patience, but it is not at all difficult, and VERY rewarding as you see your blocks and then the borders develop.

What really amazes me is how something so Neutral can pick up and accentuate every color present in a room. It is truly a stunning quilt. And that's the beauty of using the full range of color in Japanese Taupe. It looks pretty darn nice with just about everything.

What do you think?  Is this a winner :)) ?

Think you don't have a collection of Taupe big enough yet to do justice to this quilt? No problem. We now have a kit available, so you can get started right away. 

You will also be happy to hear that we have started receiving our new groups of Taupe fabrics for the Summer 2012 collections. Yummy as always, these fabrics are really going to get you inspired. With any luck we will receive all the new fabrics as scheduled, and have the new Taupe fabric packs going out to our club members sometime in June. To learn more about our Taupe Stashbuilder's Club jump here to our info page.

Happy Sewing!

-Steven

It can be difficult to find yarn-dyed Japanese Taupe fabrics. Not many shops carry them. They have a higher price point, and most shop owners don't feel there is a strong enough demand in their local areas to risk investing in slower moving inventory. I know exactly how that is, having owned a quilt shop in the Portland, Oregon area for 5 years. With a fixed location, you have to make inventory choices based on what is selling well in your area, not necessarily what you would personally like to carry in your store.

Whereas brick & morter quilt shops are becoming more and more generalized. Online shops have become more and more specialized. This is a great thing from the consumer's perspective. When you go shopping for a particular style of fabric, you would ideally like to find one shop that has a really great selection within that style to choose from. That way you don't have to buy a little bit from 8 different stores and waste money on shipping charges, not to mention your time.

At One World Fabrics, we love Japanese Taupe and try our best to offer you the best selection of these fabrics and also to have new and fresh inventory arriving regularly to keep you inspired. We're pretty sure you will be impressed with the broad selection of yarn-dyed Taupe fabrics available at One World. We always have bolt ends of these fabrics to use up and sometimes we have enough to make some really nice collections of Fat Quarters.

Right now we have a limited number of these lovely bundles for sale. Each has 10 pieces (approx 18" x 21"), and we have them in nice groupings of Lights, Mediums, and Darks. They include 100% yarn-dyed woven Taupes from makers like Daiwabo, Lecien, and Westex. Some of these fabrics were part of our Fall 2011 Taupe fabric packs, and some have never been included in any of our collections.

These yummy bundles are available for $40 ea. while they last.

Dont miss out!

-Steven