Christmas Traditions from Fabric Envy

Can you believe there's only 3 days left until Christmas? My kiddos are so excited, and me too! I love this time of year. Everything seems to slow down and the things that are important to me take on a greater clarity. Yes I know there's always the hustle and bustle that abounds with the shopping, wrapping, and holiday parties, but don't you feel like you take it all in more? The smells, the music, the atmosphere, friends and family, it's all just so inviting. I try to get most of my Christmas shopping done throughout the year and stash gifts in the nooks and crannies of my closet. That way during those last few weeks I can try and soak it all up. It doesn't always work out the way, but I try....

I thought it would be fun to post a couple little things my kids enjoy during the Christmas season. I say little because they're simple touches to add to the magic of Christmas.

This is our Santa plate. I have it on display in my kitchen during December and on Christmas Eve the kids layout their cookies and carrots for the reindeer on it. I did this with some friends at church about 6 years ago or so. We just bought white craft pens and picked up some cheap red plates. The kids get really excited about this special plate just for Santa.



This little poem was given to me by a friend a few Christmas's ago and we've loved it since. We like to bring this to our friends with a plate of Christmas cookies. On Christmas Eve just before we head off to bed the kids run outside and sprinkle the Reindeer Food all over the front yard. They all get so ecstatic about the glitter!



I decided this year to spruce things up a bit and designed this cute tag instead of just typing it up and printing it. You can download the free PDF here. It will print two tags on one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Tie or staple this tag to a bag of some oatmeal mixed with glitter and you're ready for a splendid yet simple Christmas tradition to be born.
Click on the image above to download the free printable tags :)

This year we're going to have a little Nativity Puppet show thanks to Sarah Jane and her free download on her blog.



Isn't it just adorable? Her artwork is simply delightful. I have a few pieces of her Children at Play Collection on my website. I wish I had more! I can't wait to see what her next line looks like. I've heard rumor of spunky girl pirates.....


I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! Feel free to share any traditions you have in the comments section. Have fun spreading out your "Reindeer Food". Enjoy the blessings and charm of the season.

Great Fabric Combo and Holiday Sale Extended at Fabric Envy

First things first I wanted to give you all a little Holiday gift, so I've extended the Holiday Sale until Wednesday! Act fast before your favorites are gone! All Layer Cakes are on sale plus Yardage from 6.13 per yard on some of your favorite collections.

Second I wanted to show all of you this lovely little Apron that my dear friend Amy from Periwinkle Apparel made. Amy is a fantastic seamstress and might soon be contributing some great tutorials right here on the Fabric Envy blog! She has such a good eye for mixing and matching fabrics and I was so excited when she put Anna Maria's Clippings print from LouLouthi with Michael Miller's Ta Dot in Fuchsia together. Don't they make an adorable couple? You can get these great prints in the shop.

Two Free Tutorials for Girls Dress's from Shwin Designs and Fabric Envy

I am so excited to welcome this great pattern designer to my shop! Shwin Designs creates the most adorable clothing for little girls (and sometimes boys and grown-up girly's too). Seriously I would wear most of it and I'm talking about the little girl patterns. She is super talented and can whip anything up in a jiffy. I wish my brain worked like hers when I looked at fabric. Yes, I get inspired to sew when I see a certain print I just have to have, but then I turn to a pattern for direction. Shwin designs dreams the whole thing up all on her own! So after I came across Shwin Designs blog I knew I wanted her to design something using my fabric. I offered her two yards of her choice from the store. She chose Balloons in Aqua from the Children at Play Collection by Sarah Jane and the Neutral Stripe from the Taza Collection by Dena Designs. Now just look at what she came up with!



You can snag the tutorial for Hello Neutral Dress here



Get the tutorial for the Penny Lane Dress here

Can't get enough of Shwin Designs Patterns? Well you're in luck! Fabric Envy is now carrying her patterns available for instant PDF download from the shop!



Enjoy, and don't forget Fabric Envy's got some yardage on sale for the holidays for crazy cheap. Hurray sale ends Monday December 19th!

Big Holiday SALE at Fabric Envy

You do not want to miss this, I repeat you do not want to miss this! Fabric Envy is hosting a Big Holiday Sale. We've got all of our Layer Cakes on sale plus lots of yardage for just $7.12 per yard or less! What? No I'm not kidding. Collections like:

Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson
Prince Charming by Tula Pink
Heirloom by Joel Dewberry
Organic Good Life by Wooster and Prince
Organic Pick A Bunch by Nancy Mims
Peacock Lane by Violet Craft
Little Apples by Aneela Hoey and the list goes on......

So head on over to Fabric Envy for these great deals. Sale end Monday December 19th!

Fabric Envy Making Shopping for Fabric Easy!

Just wanted to take a moment and show off one of my favorite features in my website--the Design Wall. Once you're viewing a product you can click "add to design wall" and a separate window will open up and add the fabric swatch to your design wall. Every time you click "add to design wall" a new fabric swatch will be added, making it easy for your to mix and match fabrics and see what prints and color combos work together.

It's a virtual design board--enjoy!

2 more Fabulous Giveways from Fabric Envy

Okay you'll want to make sure you're in a safe environment before you continue reading--that way when you start bouncing off the walls you don't break any furniture! Okay I'm a nerd sometimes, (umm maybe all the time!) but those are the things I think of when it's 11:30pm! Really I just wanted everyone to be aware of two more fantastic giveaways featuring yours truly :)

That make's four giveaways in one week, four great chances to win four different bundles of product from Fabric Envy

Stitched in Color is one of my favorite blogs for sewists because of the authors amazing eye for color, detail, and pretty much anything cute. She is hosting a giveaway bundle for these items from my shop:

• Sophie by Chez Moi for Moda Charm Pack
• Burst Blossom in Blush by Basic Grey
• One Yard of Riley Blake Crocheted Lace in Brown

Hurry the giveaway on Stitched in Color ends tomorrow, Friday December 9th!

You can enter another fantastic giveaway at Shwin & Shwin . I can't could go on and on about how great this blog is. The creativity, the tutorials, the fun ideas, etc. etc. but I'll save that for a "soon to come post" in the very near future! Be sure to head on over there for a chance to win these items:

• Dazzle Mei by Melissa Averinos Fat Quarter Bundle
• Friendly Blossom in Salmon by Basic Grey
• One Yard of Riley Black Ruffle Elastic in Hot Pink

Giveaway ends December 14th!

SALE on a great collection: England Swings by Rebekah Merkle at Fabric Envy

I just wanted to take a moment to highlight this super cute collection by designer Rebekah Merkle. England Swings is on sale right now in the shop and you don't want you to miss this price. At only $6.13 per yard you can't go wrong! Take a look at this adorable video. The song will keep you tappin' your toes.

England Swings from Dane Wilson on Vimeo.

Another Fabric Envy Giveaway on Me Sew Crazy

Here's another link to a fabulous blog, Me Sew Crazy where my products are up for grabs! You can enter to win:

• Christmas Candy Charm Pack by Riley Blake 22 piece 5"x5" cuts
• Alphabet Soup Boy Charm Pack by Riley Blake 10 piece 5"x5" cuts
• Friendly Blossom by Basic Grey in Blanc
  
• One yard of Riley Blake Ruffle Elastic in White

Go check it out!

Fabric Envy Giveaway at Little Birdie Secrets

I'm participating in oodles of giveaways this month. Today I was featured on Little Birdie Secrets. This is a super fun blog dedicated to all things crafty. I know the ladies who run this blog and they are so much fun and very talented too! Head on over to their site, check out the feature, and enter the giveaway! If you win you'll receive:

• 5 piece Paris Apartment Fat Quarter Bundle
• Delightful Blossom Fabric Flower in Onyx by Basic Grey
• One yard Riley Blake Crocheted Lace in Teal
  

Hurry giveaway closes on Thursday!

I Hate Making Bias Tape!

I hate making bias tape, do you? So when I met with my lovely fabric rep from Free Spirit fabrics and saw this amazingly gorgeous bias tape from Anna Maria Horner I nearly jumped out of my seat! (Which would have been crazy since I was 9 months prego!) The tape is 1 1/8", feels soft and is adorned with prints from Anna's fabulous LouLouthi collection.

So here it is, the solution to all your bias tape woe's--don't make it, buy it from Fabric Envy!
Just $1.00 per yard!




We've got it in three great prints, XOXO Candy, XOXO Apple, XOXO Twist. Now if all you peeps out there buy it from the shop I'll had lots more colors and prints to to my inventory:) If you're looking for high quality bias tape to finish all of your quilting and sewing projects you've hit the jackpot.

How to Make Fabric Button Earrings by Fabric Envy

Hi all I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday and let's not forget Black Friday weekend! I'm here with a quick and easy video tutorial on how to create your very own fabric button earrings. I started making these button earrings about four years ago and even had a successful etsy store selling them. I closed the shop after a year and a half because things got too crazy in my personal life (meaning I got too crazy about fabric and sewing!) So here I am now trying to get my fabric shop off to a great start and hoping to share a little bit of my crafting knowledge with my blog readers.



To make these darling fabric cover button earrings you will need:

• E-6000 Glue. This glue is super-duper strong and will create a forever bond, but be careful it's stinky stuff and you need to use it in a well ventilated area. You can pick it up at JoAnn's or Michaels and I've even seen it at Walmart.

• One set of cover buttons. I prefer a size 24 for my earrings but really the size is entirely up to you. You can purchase these at your local craft store. If you've never covered a button before you'll need to purchase the package that comes with the cover button tool. The buttons from the craft store will still have the shank on the back and this will need to be removed with a pair of pliers. If you decide to make more I'd go for flat back cover buttons. I like to purchase mine from the Three Dancing Magpies on etsy. They're customer service is great and they're always fast with their shipping.

• You'll also need some earring posts. The 10mm post are the most versatile in size because they'll fit cover buttons as small as a size 20 and still work for larger buttons as well. I like to purchase the surgical steel posts from Rings & Things. You can pick yours up at JoAnn's or Michaels but be aware that these do contain nickel so if you have a nickel allergy they won't be right for you. Not to mention the posts are just not as sturdy as the those from Rings & Things.

• You'll need a small amount of scrap fabric 2" wide but even less if you're making size 20 buttons. The fabric I used in the video was Bari J.'s Dusty Rose la Salle du Soleil from her Paris Apartment collection. I cut fabric as small a 1/4 yard in my shop so you can pick this up for a great price, use it for a project and then use the scraps for darling earrings.

So here it is my simple video tutorial for making cute cover button earrings. BTW I felt like a big cheez-head while making this video--it's okay if you laugh I did too :)

You can also make great large earrings, necklaces, rings, hair pins, and more.



Happy Crafting!

Fabric Envy Black Friday Specials

Check out Fabric Envy.com for these great Black Friday specials.

• 35% off Organic Pick a Bunch by Nancy Mims
  


• 30% off Hyperreal Garden by Pat Bravo
  
  Plus we've already got England Swings by Rebekah Merkle marked down 30% off and lots of other really great deals. Purchase yardage for yourself or pick up some patterns or fabric bundles for gifts this holiday season. Thanks for looking and Happy Crafting!

Fabric Envy's Grand Opening just in time for Black Friday

It's finally here the Grand Opening for my new online store, Fabric Envy! We been in the soft opening stages since the website went live about two weeks ago, but now it's the real deal.

We're celebrating the launch of our designer fabric website by offering some great specials just for you now through December 31st.

• 10% off your entire purchase, simply enter coupon code: 10fabriclaunch at checkout


• Earn a free fat quarter with purchases of $75.00 or more


• Rebekkah Merkle's England Swings collection will be temporarily marked down 30% off until December 31st

Plus you don't want to miss our Black Friday only specials on designer fabric valid now until Sunday November 27th at midnight.

• 35% off Organic Pick a Bunch by Nancy Mims from Mod Green Pod


• 30% off Hyperreal Garden by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

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Envy: Fall Quilt Market Houston 2011

That's right I've got Envy for all the peeps out there who got to go to Fall Quilt Market in Houston. I wasn't able to attend because of my beautiful baby girl, in fact I should say I chose not to attend. My cute little muffin needed mommy so market will have to wait until next spring for me. Instead I thought I'd go ahead and reminisce a little, and post some pictures from Spring Market in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake was my first Quilt Market experience--a complete whirlwind! I was so overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices presented, but more than anything inspired and motivated by it all.

If you're reading this blog it's probably because you're a good friend who's trying to support me in my new business venture:), or like me you're totally obsessed with fabric and can't get enough of all the juicy details. So, like me instead of following Hollywood celebrities your icons are peeps like Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Tula Pink, Pat Bravo, Sandi Henderson......and the list goes on. Admittedly I was star-struck when I got a chance to meet so many of the brilliant designers behind the fabric's we love.

Anna Maria Horner was so down to earth. She had her darling daughter with her and showcased her amazing Loulouthi collection.


Amy Butler was super encouraging regarding my opening up a new online shop. She also mentioned she loved the name Fabric Envy. I felt like jumping up and down at that moment, but luckily restrained from making a total fool of myself. For some reason I think an 8 months pregnant women jumping up and down in front of Amy Butler might have looked a little strange :) Do you think she'd design a special seal I could put on my website that says something like: Amy Butler Love's the name Fabric Envy? Ha, wishful thinking, but believe it--she liked it!



I also had a great time with Patricia Bravo. The picture above is a little craptastic but It's proof of our awesome impromptu meeting. She introduced herself while I was browsing her stunning booth and found out I was in the process of opening up a new fabric shop. She sat down right then and gave me oodles of advice. She was uber generous. Pat Bravo is such a successful women and I felt honored she would take time during crazy Quilt Market to chat with me:) If you ever read this thanks Pat for all your stellar tips!



I also had lots of fun meeting Joel Dewberry and his wife who use to live right here in my neck of the woods in Washington. Joels Heirloom collection is just breathtaking. Sandi Henderson and her husband were a fantastic pair too. Her booth was so gorgeous. Wish my living room looked like that!




It was a great experience. Can't believe it's already been six months since Salt Lake. Ever notice how life gets kinda blurry when there's a newborn in the house? Anyway can't wait for Market in the Spring next year. By then the store will be six months new and hopefully booming, right?

Sending out good vibes for a successful launch.....good night.