Happy Holidays from Exquisite Fabrics!

We hope you've got your holiday plans under control. With one weekend left before Christmas and two before the New Year, we thought we'd mention all the great resources here in old town Culpeper.

After you stock up at Exquisite Fabrics on your fabrics and notions for your latest project, take a stroll down Davis Street!

For wine, there are a few stores that have tastings and that specialize in the great local selections. Check out Vinosity for Friday evening tastings! Culpeper Cheese Company has tastings sometimes too, and you can check out their fine selection of cheeses and other tasties including fresh baguettes. You won't leave empty handed!

For other tastings, check out the infused oils and vinegars at Taste. They carry a line of spices too! Your nose will thank you.

Then head back up to Davis Street and check out the largest free-standing Neuhaus chocolatier in the country, at the Frenchman's Corner.

If you'd rather sit and sip, consider a real "teatime" at Miss Minerva's, or a light lunch at Hazel River Inn or their new Rathskeller.

There's so much to do that even we haven't done it all yet!

Customers on the move!

It's been fun to learn that some of our customers are detaching from old work lives, the "inside the beltway" pace of life, and enjoying new and creative ways of working and living. There are so many alternatives to the hellish commute and "9 to 5" (which in most cases is really more like 8 to 7) routine that for many people it just no longer makes sense.

We've been hearing about customers who work from home at creative jobs, people who telecommute at their old jobs several times a week, and people who have just unplugged completely. Maybe that economic crash of 2008 gave everyone a great excuse to re-think and re-boot?

Of course for many people that frees time and energy for pursuits like gardening, catching up with family...and sewing!

Tell us how you're contemplating a change in your routine!

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN CULPEPER WITH EXQUISITE FABRICS PART 2

There's lots to do in the next few weeks, so it's a great time to enjoy a day-trip from the DC area, Richmond, or Charlottesville.

Sunday November 23rd. We and other businesses in downtown Culpeper will be open special hours from noon to 5 for the annual Holiday Open House.  For all planned activities, click here.

Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 26th, we'll be open at noon. Please call 202 507  9775 or 540 727 0396 so you can enjoy our November Sale!

Friday after Thanksgiving, we'll be open noon to six, our regular seasonal hours, November Sale in progress.

To make a day trip fun for the whole family, you might plan to take in a movie at the Library of Congress Packard Campus. Screenings are free but reservations are required.

There are lots of holiday programs in store at the State Theatre in downtown Culpeper. Some are free, including the following:

Thursday December at 7:30 pm:  It's a Wonderful Life
Thursday December at 7:30 pm:  White Christmas

Along with the dining, shopping, and entertainment, the "main street" atmosphere is very enjoyable to take in while strolling around.

Have fun!

THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN CULPEPER WITH EXQUISITE FABRICS

Nothing beats small town America during the holiday season. Share our delight on Sunday November 23rd, when Culpeper Downtown holds its annual open house. 

Many businesses (including Exquisite Fabrics) will be open from noon to 5 pm. Now that's special!  Get out of the mall and into a delightful, local shopping experience with our fellow merchants on Davis and Main Streets. If you act fast, you may be able to get seats on Amtrak's Cardinal train. Walk, dine, and shop!

In addition, we'll be open one more Sunday, on December 7th. As of this writing, Amtrak has seats from DC on the Cardinal train which departs Union Station at 11:05 am and departs Culpeper for the return trip at 4:11 pm. Reserve your seat very soon for the best prices (as little as $20.00 one way). 

Perfecting your pants making skills

Have you ever made pants that were less than pleasing?  I have. Somehow the template used by the "Big Four" pattern companies doesn't work on me, and probably on a lot more women.  In my case, the back waist bags outward and rides much lower than a typical pair of hip huggers.  (I'm not bashing the Big Four, in general I have had a lot of success with all kinds of patterns, except for pants!)

I like the way Talbot's pants fit.  A visitor to our shop had been in charge of Talbot's sizing when the company modernized and updated sizing a few years back.  I don't recall how the subject came up, but she explained a little about how the adjustments were made for "real women."  I didn't have time to plot it out on paper at the time...

So a little while ago I started to look for "solutions."  I came upon Lekala, a Russian pattern company that sells semi-custom pattern blocks made to your measurements.  They are very inexpensive ($2.49 or so). You enter a set of measurements (do the basic measurements or for more precise fit enter more on their optional template). I ordered pattern #5003, a download.

Today I sewed a mock up from lining. It fit, so I went on to make a pair of nicely fitted pants. I used the mock up as the half lining for my pants.  I'm happy.  They fit like Talbot's, but this particular pair is cut higher in the waist.  I'd like it just a little lower.  Maybe next time I'll do it without the waistband, and just make a waist facing instead.  But this is a good, wearable pair of pants for fall.

This is the line drawing of Lekala #5003.  Lekala assumes some sewing knowledge, so their directions are pretty basic, and they need some work on their American English translation.  If anyone is interested in a tutorial, please let me know and I'll post one so you can begin your pants sewing adventure!

Throwback Thursday...and a contest

Here's a picture from a past Vogue magazine...in celebration of tweed.  In this case, a heavy tweed skirt is paired with a geometric print blouse, and it all looks up to date!

Now, here's the fun part....guess the issue's month and year, and you will win a one yard cut of this beautiful, imported wool boucle tweed to make a skirt of your very own!    First to correctly guess wins.   One guess per customer please. Fabric to be picked up in-store only*.  $49.00 value.  

*Exquisite Fabrics, Inc.  107A East Davis Street, Culpeper, VA  22701

It's not too early for "Pre-Fall"...and the looks are easy

Chloe showed a few Pre-Fall looks with a black and white cheetah print.  Looks fresh and not too animal print-y!  It's easy to get a look like this:

See the whole Chloe Pre-Fall collection on Style.com here.

Get some black geometric lace like this:

Black geometric guipure lace.

And some silk charmeuse with gorgeous cheetah print, like this  (coming soon).

Haute couture pure silk charmeuse, imported from Italy.




Make a classic princess seam shirt, and add long ties.  Then, make a skirt lined with black (or some other color)   Here's a Burda pattern for a floaty, layered hemline:

    

Happy pre-Fall planning!

Threads magazine shares instructions for easy-peasy lace top!

Cotton lace is a favorite for summer dress-ups.  It make a top to go with jeans, or it can go semi-formal as a breezy wedding dress.

Threads magazine has generously shared a set of directions for a "Quick-sew lace top."  It takes a yard and a half of lace fabric.  If your lace top has scalloped edges, even better. This one is perfect:

Ivory cotton lace #6576:  buy it here!

Then get the instructions here.

One cavaet:  The instructions seem to refer to the shoulder seam as a "vertical seam."  The point is that there is not a "seam" at the shoulder because you leave the pattern pieces joined instead of cutting out two separate pieces.  So don't let that one fool you, the instructions are good except for that~

Here's your finished top...enjoy!  

Color of the year and new arrivals!

We've all heard about it--Pantone's "Radiant Orchid"--and we've seen the color chips at Home Depot and the write ups about all kinds of lavenders, purples, and orchids in a whole spectrum of tints, shades, and hues.  But,where is the elusive "Radiant Orchid" in the world of fabric?

Well, good news--get out your pattern stack and get ready to sew, because we've gotten a good selection of silk prints (even a beaded one), a French cotton ottoman, and even a bridal satin in the much-ballyhooed shade of the season!  Sophisticated buttons, too!



Visit Exquisite Fabrics, Inc.'s profile on Pinterest.