J&O Fabrics Store Newsletter

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

J&O Fabric Award of the Week: Celestial Tapestry!

Timeless elegance and effortless class are the qualities most evident in our large selection of designer tapestry fabrics. Tapestry will not only draw out the innate beauty of your home, your own personal selection of tapestry fabric will make a beautiful and decorative art heirloom for your family and serve as a wonderful feature for years to come.

Dating back to the Age of Antiquity, tapestry has always been considered a luxurious fabric woven and crafted by artisans from different cultures and backgrounds. With each technique carrying its own distinctive style, pattern, or symbolic meaning, tapestries became a valuable source of information and expression to be handed down generation to generation. As this woven art form spread over land and sea, ancient tradition became infused with modern ideas, and tapestry became a reflection of our vast imaginings. Today you can find just about any image on tapestry fabric, for it is truly a decorators blessing.

At J&O, we carry an extensive selection of tapestry fabrics in an assortment of categories ranging from landscape to seascape, from Route 66 to the San Francisco Bridge. But for our fabric pick of the week, the award goes to Celestial Tapestry. With its three dimensional-like appeal, Celestial Tapestry is a mystical and heavenly decorative print with alluring qualities that draw you in for a closer look and feel. Printed on a 54” wide cotton-poly blend, Celestial Tapestry carries an array of sun, moon, star and planetary images that nearly pop off the midnight black canvas. If your universal spirit connects you to the world of astrology, maybe the printed sun chart can direct you to your perfect soul mate too.

A great material for upholstering seat cushions, slipcovers, table covers, wall hangings or other decorative items; at only $19.98 per yard, Celestial Tapestry gets 4 stars and this week’s Fabric Award!

Check out our large selection of tapestry fabric here!
Check out our mystical wizard fabric here!
Check out our nature novelty fabric here!

Posts by J&O Fabrics Store

Labels: astrological, moon, stars, sun, tapestry fabric, zodiac

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

THE FABULOUS FABRICS OF LIFE

Since I was able to spell my name, I have been drawing. I would sketch for hours, just disappearing into myself. Consumed by the look and feel of fabric, I would sketch images of women in clothing of my designs, right down to the microscopic details of their trim. From the recesses of my imagination, would come creations inspired by the world around me. I would absorb beauty from the swaying trees and the still flowers. I would soak in ideas from the sun and the rain. The simplicity and perfection of my ideal perspective uplifted and inspired me over and over again till I had created my own little world of splendor around me. Fire, water, earth, air and most of all LOVE, were the elemental canvas from which I drew upon and nurtured into each piece of art that would become the portfolio of my intimate relationship with fabric, fashion and mother earth.

Today, as I look around at all the various bolts of material that surround me here in between the walls of J&O, I am touched by the unique characteristics that each textile possesses. From the raw and rough texture of burlap, to the soft and sensuous feel of suede cloth, these beautiful fabrics are symbolic reflections of life itself. To look upon the pictorial scene of a seashore tapestry or follow the intricate embroidery of a silk brocade and not appreciate the creative imagination at work is almost a sin.

So I will gladly take these inspirations and shape them into the masterpieces of my own making for all the world to see. I will express the uniqueness that is me, and smile quietly at my expressions made manifest for they are simply reflections of the most High herself. And I will graciously invite you to do the same.

Check out our beautiful selection of dress fabric here!

Check out our fun selection of novelty fabric here!

Check out our elegant selection of upholstery fabric here!

Check out our scenic selection of tapestry fabric here!

Check out our great selection of cultural fabric here!

Posts by J&O Fabrics Store

Labels: african fabric, dress fabrics, Fabric, fashion design, novelty fabric, tapestry fabric, upholstery fabric

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

From 'Railroad' to 'Repeat'. The Real Way to Figure out How Many Yards of Fabric You Need.

For most professionals who have been in the fabric and upholstery business for a number of years, the terms ‘railroaded’ and ‘repeat’ are as common as a materials’ ‘look’ and ‘feel’. But for the novice, these words can have us frantically searching our fabric dictionaries and web resources looking for a quick description that could save our pockets from unnecessary spending and the purchase of excess yardage.

The term ‘railroaded’ is in reference to the layout of a fabric on a piece of furniture in relation to the way it is woven at the fabric mill. It also refers to the direction of the pattern or the nap of the fabric. All fabric is either railroaded or not railroaded if it has a nap or pattern. Normally the pattern or nap on the fabric goes from side to side of the roll rather than up it. This allows you to upholster a sofa or piece of furniture in one piece instead of risking the prospect of creating a seam along the span. Sometimes it is more efficient to cut fabric that is railroaded even if you don’t have a large span because the pattern may be difficult to match. Design and repeat will have to be considered as well.

With most solids and velors you don’t have to worry about whether or not it is railroaded because they don’t have a pattern or print. With geometrics and retro’s you can have it situated regular or railroaded. With stripes, if you want to create consistency and balance, special attention needs to be paid to the direction they are going in. When stripes have different widths, they are considered to be either balanced or unbalanced. A balanced stripe is a stripe with the same type of stripe on each side. If you cut the fabric across the stripe, it would line up with the other end. An unbalanced stripe is a stripe that does not have the same stripe on each side. When cutting across this kind of stripe, the only way it will line up is if it is put back at the point at which it was cut. When working with chenille’s and velvets, you will find that a lot of them already come railroaded, making it easier for upholstery projects.

Another very important term to learn and understand is the ‘repeat’ of a fabric. The fabric repeat refers to the distance between one image or pattern and its repeated image or pattern. Most prints carry a vertical and horizontal repeat, but it is the vertical repeat that is most consistent across the length of the fabric. For this reason, it is the most important measurement when planning an upholstery, window treatment, or garment project. Repeats usually come in increments of 3” (3”, 6”, 9”, 12” etc). For smaller projects like ties and children’s clothing, a smaller repeat is recommended so that the images can be seen in full. Larger repeats are best suited for larger upholstery and bedding projects.

Having a basic understanding of these two common fabrication terms will save you a lot of time, money and aggravation on your next shopping trip. And in case this article was a little too long winded for you, here are two easy tips that will help you remember each one.