I Love Lucy Comes to Life on Fabric, Thanks to Cranston Village


Starting in 1951, I Love Lucy revolutionized television and made the sitcom the primary tv vehicle for decades to come. The series starred real life spouses Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball as husband and wife Ricky and Lucy Ricardo, along with their neighbors and friends Fred and Ethel Mertz (played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance). The couples’ constant bickering and hilarious adventures (or misadventures) kept viewers tuning in until 1960. Here are stills from some of the classic episodes:

J&O Fabrics 2010 Emmy Worst Dressed Award Goes To…


Far be it from me to judge another on their sense of style and dress, but I have to say, out of all the interesting and creative design concepts that walked across the red carpet during Sunday nights 62nd Annual Emmy Awards, the very mod retro yet slightly DIY inspired dress and shoe set worn by the lovely Rita Wilson kind of rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn’t the crystal mesh gown from Prada that struck a cord with me as much as the coordinated crystal drop chandelier heels that really had me reminiscing about the art and craft classes from my youth. And though I was pleased to see Rita with a little less cleavage showing, I was a bit disappointed at the visual decadence none the less.

Another Top 10 Quilting Disasters


Garish colors, strange patterns and terrible stitchwork will make for an ugly quilt. Yet very few people will ever admit to making an ugly quilt. A few brave souls admitted as much and posted their quilting failures online. Following is a list of Another Top 10 Quilting Failures. They may not be uglier more original than the chicken with full lips, but they can certainly try:

10. The Disinterested Dog Quilt

9. The Nightmare Quilt

This quilt could've starred in its own '80s horror movie

8. Getting the Seasons All Wrong Quilt

 

J&O Fabrics 2010 Emmy’s Best Dressed Award Goes To….


In between getting my son ready for bed, doing a late load of clothes for the week, and sipping on a very satisfying glass of mango juice, I managed to sneak in an occasional peak or two of the 2010 Emmy Awards this past Sunday night. Much to my disappointment, I found myself loosing excitement as one by one, presenter, nominee, and winner were captured on camera in designer threads and do-it-yourself selections. And as the human side of my nature created its own ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ list in my head at the ensembles that appeared before me, my appreciation for individual expression and sympathy towards those who just don’t know any better when it comes to dressing the bodies they have been blessed with, silenced my ego’s desire to judge to harshly. Instead I either shook or nodded my head as a sign of my silent approval or there lack of, and kept to my business at hand. That is, until Kelly showed up.

J&O Fabric Store “Top 7 Tips for Pattern Reuse.”


Retro Fabrics from Robert Kaufman Fabric Company


One of the most popular sections of our online fabric store is our 70s Mod/Retro Fabrics section. All of our craziest and most vibrant prints are found here, and the designs from Robert Kaufman Fabrics are among the most inspired! These fun Robert Kaufman fabrics can be given a multitude of uses. They are especially suited for quilts. They are also great for Hawaiian shirts and other garments, window treatments, and crafts.

Here is a glimpse of our extensive selection of retro Robert Kaufman fabrics.

Flower Child Fabric: Garden

Mingle Jumble Fabric

Peace, Power Bright

New Arrivals from TIMELESS TREASURES Fabric Company August 2010


Tempting Treasures that are Hard to Resist!

This is just some of our Timeless Treasures Fabrics.

Quality combined with beauty and style most starting at $7.98 a yard.

Whether it’s funky gorilla’s or retro flowers, Timeless Treasures Fabrics has something to please all of us. High quality 100% cottons are a favorite among quilters. The variety of designs and colors work wonderfully with children clothes and home decor.

Check out our full line of Timeless Treasure Fabrics, Novelty Fabric and more of our fabrics on our website.

 

 

 

Back to School Fabrics from J and O Fabric Store


Ugh…. August is rushing by and soon it’ll be time for kids to hit the books and get back to school. Just in time for the back to school season we have fabrics available to celebrate (for parents) or mourn (for kids) the return to school. Check out some of these fabrics. They are guaranteed to put a smile on every parent’s face:

Back to School Alphabet Fabric

Back to School Supplies Fabric

Chalkboard Letters Fabric

Colorful Pencils Fabric

Diploma Owls Fabric

School Buses Fabric

Sesame Street School Time Fabric

J&O Fabrics Tip: Four Basic Handsewing Stitches


Every once and awhile we come across a blog other than our own that speaks to the ideas and topics we as seamstresses and craftsmen(women) have interest in. Whether it’s a new technique, sewing gadget or application, or the latest trend in fabrics and textile goods, if it has to do with our livlihood, we want to know!

It would be just the other day that I would stumble across this blog as I was searching for ideas to expound on for our own Facebook sewing tip of the day. For both novices and experts alike, this simple breakdown of four basic stitches has its way of coming in handy long after our first needle has been thread many years ago.

The Perfect Notions for Your Project


When you are working on a fabric project it’s easy to focus in on just the fabric you want to use to the exclusion of everything else. Nevertheless, with our selection of notions and tools, you won’t be at a loss for when you do remember these important items. Here is a selection of the notions that we have to offer:

Fiskars Heavy-Duty No.8 Bent Scissors

Gingher Knife Edge 8" Dressmaker's Shears

Fiskars SewSharp Scissors Sharpener

Seam Ripper: Deluxe

Tracing Wheel: Smooth

Sewing Kit

Dress Shield

Fabric Marking Kit