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Hi and welcome…a quick word about this blog…
I'm a mad fabric collector but I've gone a bit overboard, so I've started this blog to re-home some gorgeous, top-quality fabrics at really great prices. Mostly ex-designer fabrics from places like New York's garment district and Milan's fabric mills, and mostly single pieces. Please see the 'About' and 'FAQ' at the top of this page for more info. (Australia only)Archives
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Anna Sui cavalli charmeuse cotton cotton voile crepe de chine designer dress embroidery flowers french georgette Gucci italian Italy Japan japanese linen M@rc Jacobs Marc Jacobs marni Milly Miss0ni Moschino NYC NYC designer Oscar de la Renta print rayon/lycra remnant scuba silk silk/lycra silk charmeuse silk cotton silk crepe de chine silk georgette silk twill stretch stripes thakoon viscose viscose/lycra wool woollen
Monthly Archives: May 2021
Petite flower silk crepe de chine
So sweet. Really. A lovely, delicate print of little cream flowers cascading over a deep lavender background.
Linen shot with pink weave
This piece is a dusky grey linen shot with woven pink and navy stripes. It makes me think of Morse code. I am pretty sure that there is navy thread in either the warp of weave of this linen. While I describe the base colour as grey, it has a blueish hue to it and catches the light in different ways.
Flowerburst Silk Charmeuse Lycra
This piece really is a veritable bursting profusion of stylised flowers in outline and in eggplant, caramel and kiwi over black. This is a beautiful silk charmeuse with lycra, giving the fabric wonderful stretch and give.
I’ve got a new Instagram page up and running. I’m still waiting for Insta to let me link the website so it’s not that streamlined yet, but it is something. Will you give me a follow and share my posts too? Thank you. The Insta handle is designer_fabrics_australia
We’re finally back!
There will be a new Instagram account soon where notifications of fabric listings happen. And please do join our Facebook page where posts, notifications and chatter all happen.
Little French Jacket Anyone?
Here’s the first of a few fabric pairings I will have to make the most perfect French jackets. These are, of course, styled on the famous Ch@nel couture jackets, which feature a tweed (mostly) outer fabric and a quilted lining…all hand-tailored and moulded beautifully to the individual. That’s the version that many sewists have gone to couture classes to learn about. It’s a wonderful goal for enthusiasts. Of course, there’s a simpler version to be had with a great pattern, and machine instead of hand-stitches, because…time.
I have collected authentic fabrics for just this purpose and have made a couple of French jackets which I have adored. But my sewing days are over I think. So I am letting these fabrics go. This is a length of Ch@anel wool blend tweed boucle, paired with a stunning ellipses silk for the jacket lining, quilted or otherwise.
Roar silk
I was going to say you can’t be too shy, wearing this fabric, but then I don’t know that’s true. Obviously this is an animal print, leopard, but it’s got a fuzzy abstraction to it and also muted shades are used so while the print has real presence, you could still cut and wear it in a regular way. But if you wanted to make this a stand-out print, you could of course go to town.
This is a designer piece and is a silk double crepe/viscose blend.
Fine Italian cotton via NYC
This cotton came from one of the higher-end shops in the NYC garment district which used to buy a significant lot of fabrics from the Italian mills that serviced the European designer community. It is a superb quality cotton, just so soft to the hand, lightweight but opaque. They got everything right with this cotton.
Flutter of hearts M1lly silk
Such whimsy in this delightful little M1lly silk featuring crowded hearts over a dark pebble background.
Readers to this group from way back will know that I have had a love of M1lly fabrics and I still have some to rehome. You can see how out-of-practice I am with all this as I managed to photograph the fabric upside down. I even managed to do this over the course of a few pictures. Sigh. However, I am taking this as a sign that this delightful print works well as a graphic idea rather than a literal depiction.
GONE NOW THANK YOU – Missoni returns
I only have a couple of Missoni pieces left and this is one of them. Featuring the signature zig-zag pattern and perfect blend of colours, the Missoni lengths are perfect for wraps but I especially love them for coats.
This length of Missoni is a wool blend, in perfect purple, aqua, ochre, black and brown zig-zag combinations.
A burst of spheriforms cotton voile
This fabric was an Australian or New Zealand designer. It might have been Trel1se C0oper, but a bit of time has past since I rustled through my (enormous) collection of fabrics and I just can’t remember. If it wasn’t them, it was a designer in that milieu. I so love the colours here: persimmon, wheat, duck egg blue and manila against a warm brown background.
Breton stripes
This is a length of top-quality poly/viscose/lycra stretch fabric in classic black and white stripes. It really is superb quality. The handle, weight and drape are fantastic and will lend itself to tops obviously, but also to tunics, wrap dresses and so on.
GONE NOW THANKS Anemone silk georgette
Can you spot the anemone? I used to plant them for spring and they are the most beautiful flower. I’m sure that they must have been at least some of the inspiration for this beguiling print, those glorious shades of raspberry, musk, violet and magenta positively singing across the fabric.
The view above is of the fabric doubled. Being a silk georgette (with a gentle crinkle) the fabric is semi-sheer. When given a base under the fabric the colour has a chance to explode and really show off. That doesn’t have to be a lining or a second layer. You could wear a top underneath and drape a top in this beautiful silk over it and achieve the same effect. But if you did want to put a second layer to this fabric for a dress, top or skirt, you can see the effect it has.
(more…)GONE NOW THANK YOU Delicate grey quietly luxe knit
I’ve put up some pretty bold prints in the listings done today. Which seems like the perfect moment to introduce this beautifully understated luxe stretch knit. The base fabric is a delicate weave grey wool knit (probably a blend) over which the most beautiful silver filigree has been patterned and then highlighted with understated silver sequins. It is very beautiful indeed.
GONE THANK YOU Into the garden designer silk
Oh this piece is divine. It came from the New York City and I can’t exactly remember which high-end designer had this silk, either Pr0enza Sch0uler or JW Anders0n. I spotted this bolt in a whole tangle of fabrics and fell in love. Even when we had a lot of fabric stores in Australia we didn’t really see designer pieces like this.
GONE NOW THANKS – Armani red dimpled wool
Gosh this stunning red wool was hard to photograph. I am not selling the knitting yarn in this image but I found the only time I could get close to the true red colour of the wool was when another colour was laid against it to help the camera understand the colour values. While my photographing of this glorious Armani winter wool has failed this beautiful fabric, it means I am marking it at far less than I paid, so please read on.
Miu meets Sui
Thinking of tapping into the paisley-inspired prints dominating the catwalks and stores? This Anna Sui silk ticks all the boxes…
