Britex Fabrics is pleased as punch to be carrying locally hand-crafted silk flowers on the 3rd floor of our San Francisco store. Werner Originals was established in Los Angeles, California in 1972 as a maker of handmade European style silk flowers for home and commercial decorating. They currently specialize in flowers for the millinery and fashion industry made in a wide variety of fabrics including silk, organza, satin, velvet, cotton and leather. Kristin from Werner says, “Having learned the decades long family business of silk flower making in Hungary we were lucky enough to bring it to Los Angeles in 1972 and have been at ever since. The silk flower industry has changed dramatically over last 40 years, seeing most American makers go out of business, we are determined to keep this craft alive. We are proud to celebrate 40 years of lovingly hand crafting the highest quality silk flowers.” All of their luscious floral creations start their life as a roll of white fabric and then go through the painstaking process of cutting, dying, shaping and assembling by hand until the perfect flower is created. We’re fascinated by these artisan methods. Here is a silk flower colorist, flower forming metal molds, and two beauteous finished blossoms.

These limited edition canvas totes were created and hand-screen printed for Britex fabrics by a local designer in foggy San Francisco. Our basic black tote has an image of lace hand-screened onto textured canvas. Our natural tote has an image of a lacy San Francisco silhouette, including the iconic Britex Fabric neon sign. Want a great gift giving idea? Instead of a stocking, give something people can use, and stuff a beautiful Britex Fabrics canvas tote with meaningful goodies such as handmade, home-baked and locally crafted gifts. Size: a hunky 14” by 16”

Britex Fabrics’ online store now carries three weights of Japanese monofilament silk thread – carded silk buttonhole twist, 30 weight silk top-stitching thread, and 50 weight silk all-purpose sewing thread. Some of these Japanese silk threads are a Britex Fabrics exclusive! In a plethora of luscious colors and three weights, these monofilament silk threads are perfect for making hand-made buttonholes, top-stitching, hand-quilting, and other fine tailoring techniques. In addition to tailoring, these luxurious silk threads can be used for many other hand-crafted needle arts. Once you have tried silk thread for machine sewing or quilting, you won’t want to ever return to mundane polyester or cotton thread!

Sigh! We knew that chapeaux are all the rage, but this causes our heart to beat even faster with delight! Here is the marvelously talented artist Yoko Ono at the Costume Institute Gala 2011, to celebrate the opening of the exhibition ‘Savage Beauty’ in honor of recently deceased innovator and designer Alexander McQueen. She is wearing a fantastique tipsy Stephen Jones hat with a whoosh of swooping white millinery netting over one bright and bespectacled eye.

We’re ecstatic to announce that Britex Fabrics now offers both flocked and classic Russian netting in our online store. This is perfect for making romantic bridal birdcage veils, accessorizing fascinators, or adding a charming vintage touch to historical costumes. Of course, a chapeau adorned with black flocked veiling makes everyone appear like we should be riding the Orient Express to Turkey, or rendezvousing beneath the Eiffel Tower!

Kate at MadeMan wrote this dandy tutorial on how to turn buttons into cuff-links. One carefully cuts off the button shank, and then uses metal glue to attach the button to the cuff-link finding. Cuff-links add dash and vigor to any attire. I am taken with the idea of making a pair from a pair from a pair of domed midnight blue sparkly buttons to wear with a coordinating Liberty of London clip-on bow-tie. These would be unique and fabulous accessories for your wedding best man and groomsmen! Britex Fabrics carries Liberty of London cotton on our 2nd floor, cuff-link blanks, bow-tie clips, and a vast myriad of buttons on our 3rd floor!

The gals on Britex’s’ 3rd floor created this jeweled belly dancing (or “danse du ventre”) costume with a few trims and items from their floor, and a couple of snippets of wafting chiffon from the remnant floor. The fitted top is constructed using a beaded lace overlay top, with metallic coin fringe providing jingling interest. The collar is made of a pair of gemstone encrusted appliqués in shades of amber and coffee, the belt is of a length of swishing beaded trim, and the skirt is made of several panels of chiffon. Please come into our store, or call Darlene at 415-392-2910 if you are interested in buying any of these glittery and delightful trims or jewels! (Fitted top $19.85, gemstone appliqués $27.95/pair, bugle bead trim $13.95/yard, coin trim $21.95/yard)

We are overjoyed with our new shipment of corset construction materials, and wanted to get you an idea of our selection. All corset making notions are available in Britex Fabric’s 3rd floor across from the Bridal Lace, and Coutil is available on our 2nd floor. Please contact us at 415-392-2910 if you want to buy corset-making supplies, and you will be guided to the correct department.
BONING:
1/4” white steel. 4” to 17” in 1” increments
1/2” white steel. 4” to 17” in 1” increments
1/4” spiral steel. 4” to 17” in 1” increments
1/2” spiral steel. 4” to 17” in 1” increments
BONING CASING:
1/4” white
1/2” white
1/4” black
1/2” black
LACING:
1/4” white
1/4” black
BUSKS:
Silver knobs or closures. 8”, 9”, 10”, 11”, 12”, 13”, and 14”
Gold knobs or closures. 12”
Antique Brass knobs or closures. 12”
Black knobs or closures. 12”
COUTIL FABRIC:
Black (2nd floor)

Stefan, costumière extraordinaire has documented making his progress making a corset for a friend. His instructions span several months of process of corset creation, and include extremely clear written instructions and photographs. The busk insertion section is amazingly clarifying. He uses professional corset-making supplies including busks, coutil, and spiral boning….all items that Britex now carries on the 3rd and 2nd floors! Please email M. Du Jour at Britex Fabrics if you want to buy corset-making supplies, and you will be guided to the correct department.

Britex Fabrics has just expanded their selection of boning and other corset-making notions. We now carry both flat and spiral steel boning in widths from ¼” to ½” and 4” to 17” long, busks with brass or chrome knobs, and all black busks on the 4th floor. We will feature details later! To assist you with your garment construction, here is Tight Linings and Boning by Mary Brooks Picken, and published by the Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences in 1922. This 44 page book covers making the making the tight lining, boning, and girdles or waist-line foundations.