J&O Fabrics Store Newsletter

Monday, June 11, 2007

Uses for Fabric Scraps

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Scrap Fabric

What do you do with all those fabric scraps mounting up??????

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You should see the buckets of remnants we develop here at J&O cutting orders all day. For people who make things with fabric it may seem especially hard to throw away the substantial size scraps. One of the most traditional uses for fabric scraps is none other than patchwork quiltmaking. Even though quilting seems to be the end all for what to do with fabric scraps, not everyone is into quilting. J&O has included a list of ideas to lessen that ever growing pile of fabric scraps.

Here's four things to do with all those beautiful and useful fabric scraps.
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Wrapping Presents

For most of our holidays in American culture there seems to be a requirement to buy someone a present. Whether it's Mother's Day, Christmas or someone's birthday, on some level there's pressure to go out and spend money. At times, buying wrapping paper or purchasing a pretty gift bag on top of your gift expenses can be pretty annoying. One simple and "green" way to rid yourself of this annoyance is to wrap presents with your fabric scraps.

Depending on the size of the present and how creative you want to be, just cut your fabric into a square or rectangle and simply gather to the top and tie. If you have time to make it extra special, sew a custom-made fabric bag. Overall, the fabric scrap is out of your hair and passed on to someone else to reuse and do with it whatever they please.

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Ribbons

To go along with wrapping presents with fabric, you can also use fabric scraps to make ribbon. Be creative and play around with contrasting patterns and colors as you would constructing a quilt.

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Fabric Envelopes and Cards

This particular use may be a little more "craftier" then making ribbons and wrapping presents, however if you really get into it you can end up making some really incredible cards.
To make fabric envelopes and cards, most likely you'll need a stiffener.

If you're interested, check out these few links that give pretty good instructions.

Making Fabric Cards
How to Make Fabric Postcards
Fabric Postcard Lesson

Another idea, if you have a collection of novelty print scraps, cut out a repeat or just one item in the design and attach with glue to plain cards or envelopes.
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Donate!!

At the end of it all, if you still have a ton of fabric scraps; too much to even save for other crafts, DONATE IT :). There are a number of non-profit organizations that accept fabric scraps. Some organizations have a size requirement and may only accept fabric that is a of a particular material. Check out these links for more detailed information.

Project Linus, a volunteer, non-profit organization with a mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

AIDS Baby Quilts, a international voluntary network program to make and provide baby quilts
to infants with HIV/AIDS

Art Therapy Connection, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving children who are at risk of failure in their school setting. Participating children visit therapists during their regular school day. By making art, they develop a language of expression.

Many local Day-Care Centers accept fabric scrap donations , to use during arts and crafts projects.

Overall, making good use of your fabric scraps can prove to be very rewarding. It will push your creativity and foster the idea that everything can have a use.
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If you're in the area, visit our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. The size of a supermarket, we have the largest selection of fabrics in New Jersey! Everything we carry is not on our website, so if you're in the area, check us out and browse our fabric aisles.

J&O Fabric Center
9401 Route 130 South
Where Rt.73 and 130 meet
Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110
info@jandofabrics.com

Posts by J&O Fabrics Store

Labels: craft-ideas, discount fabric, fabric-stores, quilting-fabric, scrap fabric, sewing

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Great Fabrics from Timeless Treasures Fabric are at J & O

The world that the fabrics of Timeless Treasures inhabit is one where anything can happen and your imagination can compel you to fabulous heights of creativity. The designer fabric from Timeless Treasures are wonderful for quilters, crafters and sewing enthusiasts of all stripes. The home decorator can also find something charming amongst our huge selection of truly timeless Timeless Treasures novelty cotton fabrics.

At J&O Fabrics' online fabric store you can find a incredible array of fabrics from Timeless Treasures. We currently have in stock thousands of yards of about 850 different prints from this company. We also receive weekly shipments from Timeless Treasures with their latest fabrics.

Part of the appeal of these novelty fabrics is the designers whose distinctive work can only be found adorning Timeless Treasures prints. Following are some of the works of individual designers.

Lloyds and Barton

Air Balloon Adventures

Bon Voyage Animals

Crescendo Instruments

I Love My Dog: Pink

Space Dots Flannel: Lime

Mike McCartney

Dog Chase

Free-Falling Dogs

Dan Morris

Beach Collector

Camping Supplies Fabric

Chipmunk Nature Fabric

Cuccina italiana

Fishing Supplies Fabric

Flower Fields Flannel: Pink

Patrick Lose

Blue-Blooded Cats: Blue

Cats and Birds

Classic Martinis

High Society Cats

Sewing Basket: Blue

Lunn Studios

Rainbow Stripes: Lavender

Helen Weinman

Lighthouse Toile Fabric

Starfish Toile Fabric

Seashell Toile

Karen Montgomery

Par for the Course

J&O Golf Invitational

Posts by J&O Fabrics Store

Labels: Designer fabric, discount fabric, Hi-Fashion, novelty-fabric, quilting, quilting-fabric, Timeless-Treasures

Monday, April 09, 2007

Fabric Shopping in New Jersey

The tip of an iceberg might only represent one ninth of its total mass, the rest being submerged. With J&O Fabrics, our fabulous online fabric store is similarly just the tip of the iceberg. Our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey has an even more extensive amount of fabrics than that which we carry online.

For a store that exclusively sells online it is easy to loose focus on the customer. However, at J&O Fabrics the customer is our primary concern. In fact, a considerable portion of our customers are simply walk-ins who want to browse and feel the fabrics for themselves.

Our longtime customers know - and our new customers soon find out - the benefits of being tended to in person by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. If you need help figuring out the yardage for drapes, valances, seat cushions or any other item, you can find a helping hand in our store.

We are conveniently located off less than 5 miles of off such major thoroughfares as the New Jersey Turnpike and I-295. Off of the N.J. Turnpike take Exit 4 towards onto Route 73 West towards Philadelphia. From I-295 North take Exit 36-A onto Route 73 West.

In about 30 minutes time or less (depending on traffic) we can be reached from Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Mt. Laurel, Berlin, Gloucester Township, Delran, Deptford, Voorhees, Camden, Burlington, Philadelphia (Philly) etc. In only about 45 minutes or less, you can also reach us from Hammonton, Ewing, Mount Holly, Trenton, Pitman and other points in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland and Pitman counties. In about an hour and fifteen minutes customers from Princeton, Atlantic City, New Brunswick, Lakewood, Toms River, etc.

Once you get here you will find an incredible range of fabrics of every type. We carry drapery, dress, upholstery, quilting, craft and novelty fabrics. Our huge stock includes some of the most prominent names in the fabric industry as we carry the wares of such companies as Michael Miller, Timeless Treasures, Alexander Henry, Peachtree, Covington, Waverly, P. Kaufmann, Robert Allen and Maharam. Here is a selection:

Palm Tree Bark Cloth: Black