Gail K

Here is a little peek into one of my favorite stores in Atlanta: Gail K Fabrics!

I've been shopping around online for fabrics since I decided to take on the Fall Palette Challenge. I have developed a good idea of what I want, but I'm having a really difficult time getting around to ordering the fabrics I have picked out, because, well - it's a risk and I'm afraid to commit! What if I don't like how the texture of the fabric feels? What if I don't like the way it drapes? What if it is too thick or too thin, or feels cheap!? What if the color is different in person than it is on my computer monitor? These are big concerns, people!

So, I went to Gail K today. Where do I begin with Gail K? For starters, it is a very special place. It is (as far as I know) Atlanta's only independent source for apparel fabrics which, when you think about it, is really quite a shame. We have a few independent quilting/craft fabric shops, but Gail K is a completely different animal, and it fills a very important niche. Inside, you have just about every variety of fabric you might need to make any article of clothing, ever. As you can see from my photo - the goods are stacked to the ceiling. While it can be intimidating to take on Gail K as a shopper, (you really should allow yourself a couple of hours to search through the stacks and shelves and bins) there is a method to their madness. Things are kind of organized, even though they don't seem to be at first glance, and the people that work there are very helpful and can usually point you in the right direction if you are lost.

My only complaint: their hours. They're closed Mondays. All other business days they close at 4pm, except for Thursdays when they close at 7pm. So, I think it might take me a couple more lunch breaks before I find all of the exact fabrics that I want to sew with this fall. But, at least I'll have a lot of fun looking for them, right?!

I'm hoping to have a plan up soon of which patterns and fabrics I'll be using for The Challenge. (You know, even if I haven't actually found all of the fabrics yet!) I'm really excited to get to the point where I'm doing some sewing, but I don't want to jump in too soon with a plan that is only half developed. Better to take it slow and be deliberate rather than rush in like a maniac with a pair of sewing shears in her hand...

2011 Fall Palette Challenge

I follow an amazing blog that is published by Colette Patterns called The Coletterie. They have issued a "sewing challenge" for their readers to create a fall color palette and use that color inspiration to sew a collection of garments for the season. I haven't done much garment sewing since I was in high school, and I figured if I wanted to get back into it, this would be the perfect opportunity!

I drew most of my inspiration from Sessun's fall/winter collection for 2011. I just love the bold jewel tones they used together. The collection reminds me of the color block trend from this spring/summer, only in fall colors!

Now, the next step will be to select the fabrics and patterns I want to use to make my clothes!

Inspired by Walls...

My sister-in-law commissioned me to make some pillows for her to compliment a photo by Benjamin Walls that hangs above her sofa. She came down to Atlanta a few weeks ago, and we spent an afternoon digging through my fabric stash hoping to find some inspiration. We were able to come up with a pretty interesting scheme that went along well with her cerulean velvet couch and the photograph.

She wanted to do three pillows that would work separately, and together as a group. It was important to her that we kept an organic feel to the design. I drew a mock-up today to put my ideas down on paper, (or on screen in this case) and this is what I came up with:

The pillows will be made from four coordinating fabrics. I plan on sewing the two "major" fabrics on the top and bottom together, and then appliqueing the darker blue pieces over the seam.

Once the design is approved, I hope to get to work on making these pronto! I haven't done applique in a very long time, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to it!