Who Will Save The Slow-Furnishing Industry?

With a fast-furnishing trend influencing consumer purchase of cheaply made and inexpensively priced home fittings, a demand for a more eco-sustainable, value-driven way of decorating our homes simmers on the back burner, awaiting its (re)turn to the forefront again. Enter the scrappers, grassroots DIY’ers, experienced artisans, seasoned wood-crafters, and novices of slow-furnishing in the making.

Like fast-fashion, fast-furnishing offers seemingly fashionable furniture that is quickly produced using cheap materials. Often times it is manufactured overseas where exploited workers from underprivileged countries are paid pennies to produce, and the price tags left hanging once stateside offer a great look at a great price, along with a guilt-free disposable mentality.  What more could a style conscious consumer on a budget want, right?

Top Summer Wedding Color Trends 2014

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With June still reining as one of the most popular months for marriage ceremonies despite February’s National Wedding Month ownership, color and fabric trends for 2014 are the main question inquiring minds want to know as the month unfolds. According to Pantone and several leading wedding planners around the country, the top 5 colors  for 2014 are mint, dark blue, pink, black, and emerald with mint taking center stage. From bold shades to lighter hues, the summer bridal palate offers its own statement against the traditional white of the bride and black tux of the groom.

Picnic Prints!

Now that the weather is warm it is time to fire up the grill and pack up the picnic basket. Eating outdoors at a park or by a lake this time of year is so refreshing. You just can’t beat the beautiful weather, not to mention having a place for the kids to run off all their energy. It’s not hard to see why picnics are such an iconic summer activity.

After years of use, spills and stains it’s probably about time to update your linens and blankets. We carry a great selection of prints that are perfect for your next picnic, including some classy outdoor fabric!

J&O Customer Poll: Top 10 Loved Fabrics

As a fabric lover who also works at a fabric store, I am privy to not only the latest and hottest top shelf fabrics as soon as they come off the truck, but a plethora of textiles that I may not normally have come in contact with along my journey. From popular new novelty cotton prints for 2011, to elegant mid-century Maharam decorator designs, if you were to ask me to list my favorite, it might just take a few days. But such a question shouldn’t go to waste , and so the crew at J&O Fabric Store decided to let our curiosity be fed as we posed this poll to our fabulous facebook fans. Afterall, knowing what our craft customers like most, gives us an idea of which fabrics we should purchase more of to keep our customers satisfied.With so many fabric-holics as fans of our J&O facebook page, it didn’t take any time at all for the feedback to start pouring in. From faux furs and brocades to Michael Miller and Amy Butler, the selection was as diverse as the people who voiced them.

J&O Fabrics TOP 10 Vintage Items That Catch A Curators Eye.

  • jandofabrics, retro, vintageI remember as a child, I was always drawn to the French inspired sleek cuts and boyish yet feminine energy behind the clothing of the Flappers from the roaring 20’s. From the raised hemlines and dropped waistlines of the dresses, to the Robe de Style signature designs by Jeanne Lanvin and chest flattening Side Lacers, if their was an era of clothing that appealed to me the most, this was it.

10 DIY Crafts in 10 Hours.

One of the main excuses we have for not making our own clothing or home fashions is the lack of knowledge of how to sew. The second excuse is the time it would take to even do so. Luckily with access to the world wide web and the availabilty of almost every how to video, downloadable tutorial, and quick reference/resource guides, learning how to sew just got 100x easier. The best part is that once you learn how to sew, there are several quick and easy projects that take hardly any time to complete, some in less than an hour! That’s right! In less time than it takes you to pick out an outfit for that hot date or catch up on the latest episode of your favorite sitcom, you can complete any of a number of cool felt crafts, novelty cotton fashion accesories or home accent pieces made from upholstery fabric or decorative fabric ,and still have time to exhale. From satin pillows and vintage novelty aprons, to funky nylon bags and denim pants, sewing it all together is quicker than you think once you know how.