It is a hemming marathon! Georgene, Mary, and Els are the Sewing Divas; they have made this fabulous tutorial on how to make a simple hand slip stitch. There is even mention of how to hem lined garments, where the lining is attached to the garment fabric. An invisible, finely stitched hem is the cat’s meow when it comes to couture detailing, therefore is a skill that we would all profit from learning.

Everyone needs to know how to hem a garment. This tutorial from SewNeau gives you easy to understand instructions on how to make machine stitched hems! This invaluable skill can be used on every type of garment from skirts, to slacks, to sleeves.

Britex Fabrics will be sharing a booth with BurdaStyle at Maker Faire this year, and is giving away two tickets to the upcoming Maker Faire in San Mateo County, California on May 22nd and 23rd!
To enter to win, simply log into Britex Fabric’s Facebook page or our blog, let loose with your fabulous creative self, and describe your amazing Britex Fabrics Ballpoint Pen Project! The stupendous Grand Prize Winner gets two tickets to Maker Faire, 150 ballpoint pens, and the chance to have their project featured on Britex Fabric’s blog and in our store window display. The fame! The fortune! The Maker Faire……….The contest deadline is midnight on Sunday, May 16th. Winners will be announced Monday, May 17th.

The lovely Floresita at FeelingStitchy.com is holding a Rainbow of Stitches Contest!
Prizes! Each category pick will get a sweet prize that could include: embroidery floss, pdf patterns, vintage patterns, fat quarters, blank tea towels or pillowcases…..AND….each of the 9 winners will be featured on Feeling Stitchy with a brief interview.
How To Enter: Want to enter? It’s easy! Join the Rainbow of Stitches Contest Group, and add your entries.
The Rules: Entries must be hand-embroidered by you. Can be any size and on anything – handkerchief, pillowcase, clothing, quilt, pillow, atc, etc. Works don’t have to be all one color, but they should have one dominant color or theme. Have fun with it!

• May 1 – 31: Feeling Stitchy accepts submissions
• June 5 – 13: 9 category winners featured on Feeling Stitchy
• June 13 – 15: You vote for Grand Prize Winner
• June 16, 2010: Winner announced!

The lovely Floresita, a self-proclaimed dawdler says, “Isn’t this tiny cat adorable?! Best of all, this pattern magically captures that tense moment all of us cat lovers experience when kitty, intent on licking its own chest actually seems to get stuck like that.” (Je ne crois que cela peut le célèbre chaton, Francy! – M. De Jour)

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Here is a picture of Bisla in a shalwar kamiz made with silk from our first floor. She drafted the pattern herself, and has been sewing for over 30 years. Bisla said: “I would like to thank the owner for the wonderful service her dedicated staff have provided to me throughout the years. I have been shopping at Britex for over 30 years and love the great selection. As an Indian woman, I love to make my own Indian suits and Britex is a wonderful place to find the perfect material. The store has meant a great deal to me.” We are always so gratified when dedicated customers take the time to send us their compliments!

This enchantingly rustic home decorating cotton is perfect if you have that seasonal itch to change things around, but prefer understated florals. Strewn with dragonflies, butterflies, Morning Glories, bumble bees, Honeysuckles, and Daisies, in shades of rust, cream and ocher, this is a minimalist floral fabric. It is available on Britex Fabrics’ 2nd floor.

Mother’s Day will arrive Sunday, May 9th, and Alex made these delicious aprons as gifts to special mothers from Decades of Style pattern #2802 1928 One-yard Bias Cut “Flapper” Apron. This wonderful apron is the answer to the question, “what can you make out of 1 yard of fabric?” It is cut on the bias and is designed to be made from a 36” square of fabric. The drape is great and it fits everyone. Alex made one apron with fabric covered in humongous chocolate covered strawberries and trimmed cheery polka dots, and the other apron with a more laid-back coffee theme print. Mothers have been internationally revered with a celebratory day beginning with ancient Greece’s late March festival to Cybele, to Anna Jarvis’s 1912 proclamation of declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in the U.S. Why don’t you commemorate the fabulous mothers in your life with a hand-made present?

Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105. Session I – Sat. May 8, 2010, Session II -Sat. May 15, 2010, Session III – Sat. May 22, 2010. All classes are from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm and in the Education Center. Nkisi literally translates as “sacred medicine in the Kongo language of Central Africa. The term Nkisi is the general name for a variety of objects used throughout the Congo Basin and are thought to contain spiritual powers used for healing and protection. In this 3 day workshop, participants will learn needle felting techniques to create the structure for a felted Nkisi doll, as well as various methods to add decorative elements including healing charms and various African symbols in order to finish the Nkisi. NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NECESSARY & ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED. Workshop Series: $45/members $55/non-members OR Individual Session: $20/member $30/non-member

Britex Fabrics annual remnant sale and BurdaStyle go together like bread and butter, moonlight and kisses, or salt and pepper. Britex’s 50% off remnant sale takes place Monday, May 3rd and Tuesday, May 4th. Our remnants include yardage from ¼ yard pieces, all the way up to substantial 3 yard pieces! BurdaStyle has scads of open source patterns. We are crazy for the ecologically friendly Charlie Reusable Grocery Bag, the casually chic Franzi women’s waistcoat, and the dandy-esque David bow tie! http://www.burdastyle.com/