How would you honestly describe your home decor? Bold and inventive or drab and staid. If you chose the latter, then your decor needs an overhaul. Where can you find the fabric you need to enhance your home? Look no further than J&O Fabrics!
Maybe all you need to improve your furnishings are some new curtains or other draperies. Following are four bold, eye-catching decorator fabrics that will add plenty of pizzazz to your home. First off is Flower Power Brown (ato00051). This chic designer fabric will lend attitude and style to anything it graces. Curtains, valances, decorative pillows and more can be made with Flower Power. The same can be said for 50's Mambo Bark Cloth Green (bar00008), with its trippy, 1950's Havana vibe.
Shapes Decorative Red (ato00092) andPop Square Retro (ato00059)and can give any room a retro look. These decorative fabrics might even remind you of all those corny 1950's sci-fi movies. If your needs tend toward upholstery, then the next decorative fabrics will help. Ambient Chenille (che00059) is a plush upholstery fabric with a deep black background upon which rest flowers and stems of emerald green, ruby red and copper. Dogs Playing Poker Tapestry (tap00006) is a droll fabric that is the perfect companion for family rooms, drawing rooms and libraries. Beltrame Upholstery (cou00007) is a fantastic chenille upholstery fabric. The retro design and colors combine to form a striking print.
After you use these discount decorator fabrics you will undoubtedly have many new adjectives with which to describe your home decor: bold, inventive, fabulous and fun. All of this is possible with a little help from J&O Fabrics!*
*If your inclination is towards quilting instead of upholstering or sewing, then please investigate J&O's vast array of discount quilting fabrics! These fabrics and many more can be seen by browsing the fifty-plus categories of cotton novelty fabrics listed on our online fabric store.
With the cold days of winter behind us and the new life that the upcoming season offers popping up all around us, it’s time to take a serious look at the dark and heavy wardrobe still hanging in our closets and on the walls and furniture of our homes, and give them all a fresh, light look for Spring 08’.
But what color palate should we be working with? What is in and what is out this season? Well, according to the Pantone Color Report, the Spring 08’ palette is, “ defined by classic, versatile neutrals punctuated by splashes of invigorating brights, empowering consumers to explore new and creative ways to combine colors. With vibrant and uplifting shades and flowery deep pink undertones, the Spring 08’ color palate perfectly reflects the cheerfulness of the season. “
Pantone Inc. is one of the most influential authorities on color in the fashion world. The foremost king of color, Pantone is a market leader in providing insider insights into what will hit our designer boutiques, urban markets and most of all, what fabrics and colors will be popular in our stores each season.
One of the keynote colors for spring 2008 is silver gray. Silver gray is subtle, versatile, flattering and elegant. This keynote color replaces the harsh black of winter and balances well with the soft, floral palate of spring. A list of this seasons exciting hues are as follows:
Red/Purple & Pink Family Spring Crocus Pink Mist Cantaloupe Rococco Red Green & Blue Family Daiquiri Green Snorkel Blue Yellow & Brown Family Freesia Golden Olive
Along with the rainbow of colors and large graphic floral prints that spring 2008's color palate is based on, this season also offers in an array of looks that will fit each of your different personalities. From transparency to tuxedos, togas to disco and airy frocks to safari wear, spring fashions in the trends from all over the map and creates a complete look that is uniquely you.
From head to toe, from ceiling to floor, Spring 08’ ushers in the creative designer in all of us. For the fashionistas both young and old, the trends of the season give the woman in us the opportunity to mix feminine frocks, fluid fabrics and delicate sequins with gender bending borrowed-from-your-man-or-brothers’-closet suits, trousers and tailored vests. Greco-Roman Aphrodite inspired looks combine with the razzle-dazzle of metallic’s, while global fusion juxtaposes earthly neutrals with exotic ethnic influences for a look of house and home that screams Safari Diva into the sultry days of summer. With such a fabulous color and fashion palate to choose from this season, the inspiration needed to spark your inner creativity is endless.
So go on and ignite the Earthly Fashion Goddess in you and take a moment to visit us at J&O for all the latest color palates as we welcome in Spring 08’ together.
According to Dr. David Stewart (aroma therapist, author and lecturer), smell is the only sense directly connected to the central brain, rather than the frontal lobes. Because that part of the brain deals with nonverbal and emotional functions, he says, "our first response to anything we smell can be emotional rather than rational." In other words, scents…including oils, can also bring about emotional healing and increase spiritual awareness in ways we can't fully understand.
This theory explains why certain scents bring on thoughts of nostalgia that can transport us back to our childhood or a specific time and place in our lives. These momentary recollections often times come complete with not only the smell of the event, but with the depth of emotion as well. Some good, some bad. Like the scent of your grandmother’s favorite perfume, your child’s hair, or the whiff of fresh sap from a maple tree on a warm autumn day. These are sometimes all we need to offset the stress and strain of our 9-5, and bring us to a place just outside the present…..if only for a moment.
The aromas we experience in our lives stir our desires, activate our salivary glands, and soothe our aching hearts. But what if we could bottle up those scents to use whenever and wherever we desired. What if the sweet vanilla cookies your mom used to make to cheer you up and remind you that you were loved even when the rest of the world seemed to let you down could be at your disposal each time you needed that extra nurturing? Or that sensuous cologne, you know, the one that your husband wears every day just because he knows you like it? What if you could get the same scent, without all the chemical base products, to spray on your sheets each night he is out of town on business to make your dreamtime just a little sweeter?
Scents carry not only thoughts of nostalgia in each drop, but can even heal and uplift an aching spirit and weary body. The most potent and natural of these scents comes in the form of organic essential oils. Organic essential oils are plant oils extracted by distillation. Though the principal uses of essential oils serve as flavoring agents and as therapeutic remedies in aromatherapy applications, they can also be used to sweeten your laundry, brighten your clothing, balance energies within and around, and keep unwanted pests away. Specific essential oils have therapeutic qualities that when applied to clothing or bedding, can offer you additional protection against negative energies and toxic emotions. While many are found in commercial perfumes and scented air fresheners, the organic base of these wonderful extracts from nature are best applied and utilized in their natural oil state.
Below is a list of some of the more popular organic essential oils, their properties and their usage. When using essential oils (homemade or store bought) please adhere to the following guidelines to reap the full benefits of the oils. The fabrics in your home and in your closet will thank you for it.
Safety Guidelines
1. Always use pure oils with no alcohol or chemicals added. Read labels carefully, and look for the words ‘essential oil’. Many oils on the market today are highly diluted. Some contain alcohol or other chemicals which kill the essence of the plant.
2. Remember that these are scent oils. They are used by inhaling the fragrance. It is not wise to ingest any plant oil regardless of how diluted they may be. Honor the plants, the Creator and your body and use aromatherapy oils as they were intended.
3. Because pure oils are so strong, you must take care to avoid contact with your eyes or other mucous membranes. Always dilute a pure plant oil with olive or other pure carrier oil before applying it to your skin as it may burn. Also be aware that many plant oils can stain fabric if not properly diluted. So use caution and common sense when handling essential oils.
4. Remember that animals have much more sensitive olfactory capabilities than humans. Also, they tend to ingest any substance that touches their bodies. Do not spray room misters near your furry, feathered or finny friends.
5. Wash your hands after handling oils.
6. Keep oils away from direct heat or flame.
7. NEVER ever mix oils with rubbing alcohol or other chemicals.
8. Use only pure plant oils.
9. Essential oils should never be used at full strength on your skin.
10. Always use pure oils with no additives. Many oils on the market today are highly diluted. Some contain alcohol or other chemicals which may harm the essence of the plant.
Application Guidelines
Spray
Fill a plastic spray bottle with pure (not tap) water. Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice. Shake vigorously and before each use. Spray on upholstery, window treatments, car interiors, bedding lingerie drawer sachets or clothing, for that personal touch. Custom made quilts for friends and loved ones are made a little more special when hinted with a tranquil chamomile or other selected scent of choice. Can also be sprayed on curtains by an open window to energetically cleanse and bless a room.
Cotton Ball
Scent a cotton ball with crushed and dried jasmine, cinnamon or ylang ylang essential oils. Place in the corners of your fabric piles , linen closets or wherever you keep your fabric craft projects for at least 24 hours. This will leave a sweet and harmonious energy on the fabric for you and your friends, clients or loved ones to enjoy.
Laundering
Add a few drops of rosewood, peppermint or patchouli essential oils to the last phase of your rinse cycle to sweeten your laundry. Add a little lemon oil to freshen the load.
Add a little lavender or cinnamon to your unscented dryer sheets for a softer, more aromatic load with a hint of calming residue on your garments, bedding or other fabricated item.
Essential Oils
Frankincense or Bergamot- Frankincense has been used for hundreds of years in many different religious traditions. It protects against negative energies and helps to cleanse the mind of depression and heavy emotions. Bergamot relieves anger and anxiety, and assists in elevating our spirits.
Honeysuckle - A sweet, lighthearted scent credited with expanding joy. Good to use if you you're feeling grumpy, old or weary.
Chamomile- A soothing and relaxing oil good for calming energies within and around.
Eucalyptus- Historically used as a germicide, this oil is also commonly used for medicinal purposes, as it works great to alleviate a nagging cough. Spray on bedding pillow for a more restful night’s sleep.
Gardenia- A feminine scent with a hint of mystery, said to enhance a woman’s innate kindness.
Jasmine- Uplifting scent that for some is sexually stimulating. Spray on lingerie or bedding for enhanced energies.
Lavender- Calms, soothes, settles the nerves, flea repellent. Great essential oil to place on dryer sheets when laundering bedding for your frisky pet, colicky infant or spa upholstery.
Lemongrass , camphor & citronella– Spray these oils on your outdoor fabrics for additional protection against summer pests. All three have insect repellent properties.
Orange- Instead of the little artificially scented tree that loses its scent the moment you roll down the window, spray a little orange essential oil dilution on the vinyl seats of your 65 Mustang for a more natural and long lasting air freshener.
Vetivert-Relaxing and helps with insomnia. This essential oil carries a very unique scent which some people find unpleasant. Place a few drops in a water diluted spray bottle for a light spritz on your bedding before bedtime.
Oregano -Useful as a fungicide and assists in balancing out personal insecurities. Place a few drops of this oil on a cotton ball or two and place in the same storage area as your fabrics for a clean, fungus free environment.
Patchouli , Pine or Rosemary – Helps fight against fatigue. Lightly spray on clothing when your energy is depleted.
Sage– A protective essential oil. Good for cleansing the mind, body, spirit & home of negative or heavy energies. Spray around your house, dap on your clothing, spritz gently on upholstery.
Marjoram or Ylang Ylang- Good essential oils for alleviating the discomforts associated with PMS. Spray lightly on garments, bedding , and on fabric wrapped heating packs when required.
So the next time you pick up your Amy Butler cotton, Satin L’more, or Retro upholstery to make that one of a kind quilt for your favorite grandmother, birthday lingerie for yourself, or cozy love seat for you & your wife’s 50th wedding anniversary, take a moment to baptize your craft with the perfect organic essential oil to make it complete….naturally. With a little help from J&O, you can turn your creations into truly unique reflections of the senses.
Check out our NEW fabric section here! Check out our complete fabric section here! Check out our collection of quilting fabric here!
Last Friday after work, my fellow co-workers and I went out for ladies night at a local hang out where we were guaranteed to have some good food, good laughs and a good time on the dance floor. While we were sitting in the lounge checking out the parade of young adult and middle aged fashionistas, an advertisement on the club’s monitor caught my eye. It read:
“Best homemade bikini contest next week!”
A picture of a model-like playboy bunny posed scantily in a hot white patent leather bikini trimmed with pink feathers was all that it would take to spark a curious excitement in some, and plant a seed of creative ideas in others. Without knowing all the particulars of the contest, one thing I did know for sure was that J&O was definitely the place the soon to be contestants needed to come for all their bikini crafting needs.
From low hair faux furs, lame' and pima dotted cottons, to cute Betty Boop, organic hemp and crushed velvets, the ideas that could get you first place are endless. A short trip to your J&O fabric scrap pile and trim bag is all that you will need to make your homemade bikini complete. Use all your fabrics up and nothing to spare? Have no fear. With fabulously new fabrics coming in to J&O every week, you can design and create a swimsuit masterpiece that will go down in history as the hottest homemade craft this side of the Delaware.
I can see it now, young girls’ repping their college team colors and mascots’ in cute two pieces , diva’s in glittery sequence with beaded ties, and Go-Green advocates in natural organics trimmed with fauna leaves and recycled fasteners. If I shed another 20 lbs and freshen up my seamstress skills, I may have a chance for fortune and fame with all the left over Christmas tree decorations in my overstuffed closet. I’d fashion assorted ornaments, strings of popcorn and a few red bows to my green sequence bikini fabric and call it Christmas in April. I’d even place a star upon my head and be the light and life of the party as I receive my award for most festive!
For those of you living in the surrounding area, it’s not too late! If you got the time, we got the place. Stop in and pick up your homemade contest fabric and trims today. With a little money and creativity, your little hand crafted polka dot bikini could be your next claim to fame.
With the arrival of this year's spring, it is time to begin exciting new sewing projects so that we may delight in the unfoldment and blossoming of their creation. Many of you could very well be faced with the dilemma of how to make best use of the samplings from your J and O fabric scrap compost heap, rich in the nutrients of novelty design. Others could simply be thirsting for a new avenue of application for recently acquired prints. In any case, alleviate all of your anxieties surrounding this issue for you are now being presented with the time honored solution of the yo-yo. Yes, this circular disc shaped toy used since ancient times now has the additional modern use of being a fabric crafter's or sewer's design element. Rather than tying and wrapping a string around a hard circular material as done with traditional yo-yos, sewers worldwide are now using their fabric and and thread to make disc-shaped flat pouch-like creations.
They can be applied in a variety of manners. Some of these include use and embellishment for sewing projects such as making quilts, interesting applique features on handbags, clothing, backpacks, etc. The powers of your imagination are really only the limit here. If you wish to acquire more information about the construction of these yo-yos, please refer to the short tutorial provided below, and also be sure not to forget to check out our new lines of novelty prints on our website which is updated daily. Have a refreshing as well as pleasant spring time and may the sewer's knowledge of the yo-yo be with with you!
How to sew a basic Yo-Yo:
Step 1:
During this stage, you are going to be gathering up the materials needed in preparation for the yo-yo construction. You will need the following:
*Fabric - old clothing, scraps around the house, anything you can think of but it must be of medium to light weight so that the yo-yo will gather and layout smoothly
*A Circle Template - this template must be double the size of the your intended finished yo-yo, you can cut this out of cardboard, purchase a circle template at your local craft store, or use any circular object that can be found around the house such as jar or can lids, cups, bowls, etc
*Marking Tools - quilting pencils, or tailoring chalk
*Well Sharpened Scissors
*Hand Sewing Needles
*Quality Thread
Step 2:
Once you have all that you need, you will first begin by laying out your fabric. If you desire to cut multiple circles at once, it would be a good idea to layer your fabric. Next, place your circle template on top of the cloth, and then mark its perimeter with your pencil or chalk. At this point, if you intend upon cutting multiple circles, you might want to pin all of the layers together so that they remain anchored while you cut. Go ahead and cut out the circle(s).
Step 3:
It is now time to start sewing your yo-yo. Thread your sewing needle, and be sure to make a knot at the end. While working with the wrong side of the fabric toward you, begin to turn under the edge of the circle. This under turned edge should be approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inches. Insert your needle on the folded edge of the wrong side of the fabric so that the knotted end will be inside the yo-yo. Sew a running stitch around the edge of the circle, and turn it as sew stopping just short of where you began.
Step 4:
Hold the thread and needle in hand, and pull the string through to gather the circle. Gather the thread until you have an almost closed circle. Use this extra thread to knot the end stitch at the closing multiple times. Trim the thread close to the knots, and then hand press the yo-yo flat with resulting hole being in the center.
Congratulations, you have just completed your first yo yo! At this point, you may now apply your yo yo to whatever, sewing project you wish, simply leave it as is, or continue to make more of them. For those of you interested in joining multiple yo-yos together, please continue along with the below.
How to Sew Yo-Yos Together:
Step 1:
The first important thing to do it to arrange the yo-yos in a sequence that you find to be most aesthetically pleasing. This sequence can be as simple as a row of them lined up side by side or as elaborate as a lot of them used to create a variety of shapes in a pattern based on color combinations. The choice is yours, play experiment, and remember to have fun!
Step 2:
Once you have the pattern in place, begin by gathering two of the yo-yos together. Then take multiple whipstitches along one side with backstitching at start and end of the seam to help anchor it in place. You can make a knot at the at this point if you wish.
Step 3:
To attach the rest of the yo-yos, repeat step 2 by successively adding on more yo-yos until you have completed your row or pattern.
Four schools, one national championship….the NCAA’s Men’s Final Four is upon us as this year’s March Madness continues underway in a frenzy that’s sweeping the nation for yet another season!
The vertically UNchallenged, quick footed, fast handed, 3-point throwin’, movin-and-a-shakin’, boppin-and-a-dunkin’, flyin’-through-the-air-like-Mike men of college b-ball have rounded up their teams from the four regions of the country for a month long trek across rough terrain and jungle-like environments in a journey that would lead only the strongest of the strongest to the oasis of the Alamodome. In the heart of Texas these ambitious athletes fight through sore muscles, pulled tendons, and fractured fingers for the long awaited and eagerly anticipated rights to the war trophy that would grant the best team the privilege to bear the title of “NCAA 2008 Champions” and earn them the rights to private and public gloating until next year’s march to madness starts all over again.
Basketball fans, ball players and tall athletic men admirers will be on hand to experience this most exciting showdown in NCAA basketball. From miraculous buzzer-beaters to unforgettable upsets, nothing compares to the Madness of the Final Four. And the fun doesn’t end there. The road to the final championship game is paved with award ceremonies, block parties, concerts, tournaments, clinics, rallies and the annual Hoop City and Big Dance events. It all culminates on April 7th in a testosterone filled arena where the doors to the Alamodome open to a sold out crowd of screaming spectators garnished in their teams colors and branding the mascot logo’s that mark them as #1 fans. From Kansas Jayhawks seat cushions to Memphis Tigers custom made infant outfits, the final four teams (UNC, KANSAS, MEMPHIS & UCLA) will be represented across sports bar and living room flat screens nationwide. The young, old and wildly fanatic will be fighting for victory and rooting for their favorite college teams as the blow of the empire's whistle marks the beginning of the end for the weaker team, and the rise to glory for the next 2008 NCAA National Champions.
Only two of the final four teams will take center court in the days to come; and while the team colors of those that have fallen may start to fade as the process of elimination gets underway, J&O Fabrics promises to keep their name and team spirit alive in our selection of college team cottons, fleeces, and vinyl prints long after the last cheer has been shouted and the last confetti has dropped.
March with us into the madness
When: Monday April 7, 2008
Game time @ 8:21pm
Where: San Antonio, Texas Alamodome
Why: To see all J&O College fabric fashionistas ...of course!
J & O Fabrics is a leader in online fabric stores with hundreds of discount fabrics including: upholstery, quilt, quilting, drapery fabric, fleece, decorator, felt, retro, upholstery fabrics and more!
Essential Oils
The vertically UNchallenged, quick footed, fast handed, 3-point throwin’, movin-and-a-shakin’, boppin-and-a-dunkin’, flyin’-through-the-air-like-Mike men of college b-ball have rounded up their teams from the four regions of the country for a month long trek across rough terrain and jungle-like environments in a journey that would lead only the strongest of the strongest to the oasis of the Alamodome. In the heart of Texas these ambitious athletes fight through sore muscles, pulled tendons, and fractured fingers for the long awaited and eagerly anticipated rights to the war trophy that would grant the best team the privilege to bear the title of “NCAA 2008 Champions” and earn them the rights to private and public gloating until next year’s march to madness starts all over again.
When: Monday April 7, 2008
