This particular Peace silk is 100% hand-loomed, made by a women’s cooperative in Central India. Close to 500 women are supported by the weaving and yarn production. This product is Fair Trade and GOTS certified. Peace silk is a process whereby the silk worm is not killed for its silk and instead is allowed to complete its life cycle from cocoon to moth. Smaller, fragmented pieces of silk yarn are woven together to produce a thicker, nubby yarn which gives peace silk its beautiful striated look and thick, luminescent feel. Using Peace silk for your project is a glorious exercise in sustainability – the moths live, the women’s co-op thrives, and you look & feel beautiful. We have just a few yards of this exclusive fabric at 48” wide and $34.99/yard.

Some of us at Britex are très sportif, and some of us are not, but all of us are shivering and damp with the latest spate of winter rain. We can recite “Rain rain go away, Come again another day” all we like, but we might as well resign ourselves to paddling away like little soaking wet, fashionable ducks! Britex Fabrics can help though; we carry a range of outdoor wear fabrics. Here is a pair of elastic waist coated cotton, water repellent pants that Secretary made to keep her toasty and dry (notice the charming waistband lining detailing.) And here is a list of sportif fabrics, along with their properties, that can be found on Britex Fabric’s 4th floor.

• Polartec fleece (for very cold weather)
• Windpro fleece (for very windy cold weather)
• Microfleece (for underlayers or moderate weather)
• Coated Rip-stop (water proof)
• Waterproof Polartec Windblock (3 in one)
• Stretch Windblock soft shell (great for activities with a lot of movement like rock climbing)
• 1000 denier Cordura – DWR coated (DWR – Durable Water Repellent)
• Neoprene in 2.0 and 3.0 mm (for wetsuits)
• Wikaway pique and other light weight knits

Rhythm and Hues: Cloth and Culture of Mali – February 5, 2010—May 2, 2010, The Museum of Craft and Folk Art, 51 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103. Rhythm and Hues: Cloth and Culture of Mali gives long overdue recognition to contemporary Malian fabric artisans and highlights the enduring significance of textiles as a major form of aesthetic in Mali. Featuring works beyond the mudcloth tradition, this exhibition seeks to showcase contemporary styles and techniques which have yet to be shown in the US. With superb examples of dress, and accompanying photographs, Rhythm and Hues: Cloth and Culture of Mali will document hand-dyed as well as factory-printed cloth. Social issues such as empowerment of women, the status of dress, women’s identity, and current trends in fabric design will be explored.
Due to the expository role of cloth in daily life, both hand-dyed and factory printed kinds of popular fabrics reveal current and constantly evolving cultural trends. The pictorial nature of the prints allows the wearer to express unique and equally critical messages, such as political attitudes, educational institutions and affiliations, or social views, and public health concerns. Although the shapes of the garments remain fairly constant, the colors, patterns, designs and messages of the cloth are constantly transforming. In addition to the cloth and clothing, Rhythm and Hues: Cloth and Culture of Mali showcases other forms of traditional art and craft from Mali, such as wooden puppets, and the life-sized masked and costumed figures called “marionettes” which act out village legends. Unusual calabashes and baskets are also included to show the wide variety of Malian craft and folk art.

Secretary from Britex’s 4th floor made these easy-peasy two piece pants for her nephew, “Little Hog”. He likes to wear these while gumming and sucking down Brazilian barbeque. Yum!

(We think children’s pants would also be super cute in this retro-looking dotted mushroom or this swingin’ birdcage fabric)

Colette from the 1st floor of Britex Fabrics longs to make this chocolate brown wool up into a sweeping full-length hooded cloak. It would be romantically enchanting lined in rust moiré silk taffeta, with outsized black horn buttons. This fabric is 35% wool/65% poly, with abstract loops of yarn that are lightly felted onto its surface. The swirling felted design is reminiscent of work by painters from the abstract expressionist movement. (58” wide & $59.95/yard)

The world-traveling Mr. Gnome is relaxing in Paris this week. Next week he is jaunting to Italy. Wouldn’t this cotton fabric be jolly as a yoga mat bag! Ah, I hear Édith Piaf singing “La Vie en rose” in the distance…..
“Des yeux qui font baisser les miens,
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche—
Voilà le portrait sans retouche
De l’homme auquel j’appartiens.”

M. Du Jour wants a pair of traditionally styled pajamas made of this new pattern called Birdsong by Liberty of London. Leaf green piping about the collar and sleeve hem would be a delightful accent. These would be just the thing for long nights snuggled under a quilt with a book and a cat.

Britex Fabrics sells Gift Certificates! Celebrate creativity, and give your favorite craftster sewing supplies, fabric, lace, buttons, or ribbon. We sell them in any amount that you desire, and they can be applied to either Britex Fabrics in-store or mail order purchases. Call us at 415-392-2910 to buy a Britex Fabrics Gift Certificate.

Rickshaw is a San Francisco-based bag company. Inspired by the creative energy of our city, urban cycling and an intense desire to make great products, we started Rickshaw to satisfy our personal passion for bags…..In addition to our passion for bags, we share a strong set of humanistic, environmental and social values that guide the way we conduct every aspect of our business.” As for custom bags, they basically need about two yards of fabric for any size Zero bag, or a 15×19 piece of fabric for a commuter bag. Below is a custom bag made of Britex Fabrics fabric, and some standard bags…also made of Britex Fabrics fabric. We love it when a local company makes such beautiful things!
“The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.” –Iris Murdoch

Chartreuse winged sparrows perch gaily on fuchsia chainette in this Japanese cotton/linen print. This fabric would be smashing made up with Decades of Style pattern #4008, a 1940’s retro-style rodeo cowgirl shirt with optional piping. Can birds chirp “yippie ki-yay”?
“We’re old cowhands from the Rio Grande
And we come to town just to hear the band
We know all the songs that the cowboys know
‘Bbout the big corral where the doggies go
We learned them all on the radio
Yippie yi yo kayah”
(By Johnny Mercer)