Material Girl: A Quick Look at ESST Fabrics

I've had a thing for fabric for a long time: from exploring the meticulously organized drawers in my grandmother's sewing room as a young girl, to starting to sew around age 11 and choosing bright patterns from bolts in the now-long-gone local fabric store, to traveling with my mom in the 90s and bringing back yardage as souvenirs from places like Tahiti, Grenada and Antigua.

Now, thanks to the internet, patterns and prints beyond my wildest dreams are just a click away.  My favorite place to "get lost" is in the fabric shops of fellow team members.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Coriander in Blue at BeeSquareFabrics.

Bright Red Crysanthemum and Phoenix at EllaHound.

Ocean Zinnia Path at FabricsByTheSea.

My current obsession is a set of Pastel Dye Sticks by Pentel that let you apply vivid color directly onto fabric. Once your design is complete, you simply cover it with a sheet of paper and iron over it to set the dyes. It's the perfect way to add the personal touch to your work and my favorite way to make handmade gifts even more special.



With wedding season coming up, I see a few sets of pillowcases and hand towels sewn from unexpected prints with complimentary hand drawn embellishments in my crafting future.