Why use an Invisible Zipper

Hi Simply fans,

It’s time to talk about that dreaded ‪#‎InvisibleZipper‬. It seems a lot of our customers are put off using invisible zippers when ‪#‎sewing‬, however, they do have their benefits.

So, what are the benefits………?

• They look great ‪#‎sewn‬ in the side of slim leg pants
• The back or side of a tight dress
• Concealed in the seam of a pencil skirt
• They lie flat with a delicate fabric
• An evening dress in delicate fabric and you want your dress to look seamless

Lapped zippers are great too but sometimes your garment needs a zipper that is invisible.

Do I need a zipper foot?

No, many people think you need an invisible zipper foot to insert your ‪#‎zip‬but you can use your regular zipper foot. Here is a tutorial from‪#‎Craftovision‬ on how to insert an invisible zipper with a normal zipper foot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wj_tB6a9-4

An example of an invisible zip.

Kente Fabric – What is it?

IMG_0210

Kente Fabric

About 2 years ago to our customers delight Simply Fabrics started selling African fabric by the metre  (in fact the minimum you can buy is one quarter of a metre)  traditionally it is sold  in 6 yard pieces.  We sell Holland Wax and Kente cotton print fabric at only £5.00 per metre.  I thought we would do a post specificially about Kente cotton print fabric as it seems to fly out of our shop!

You can now see Kente print being sold on the High Street and various artists wearing Kente, also in the late 80’s and early 90’s African-Americans returned to their roots, many outfitted themselves in Kente printed cloth made in the traditional style dress.  Printed Kente designs on plain woven materials became a less expensive alternative to the traditional cloth, and a way for African-Americans to show off their African heritage.   Now acceptable for everyday wear, the design is seen on everything from apparel to accessories.

The great thing about Kente fabric are the bright colours and geometric shapes that make it look very fashionable.   However, Kente fabric does have a deep and meaningful history.   Kente dates back 375 years and originated in the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana and was solely intended to be worn only by Kings, Queens and the Chiefs, even the patterns and colours have meanings.

I will attach a very informative post from Dupsies.com about the history of Kente, please click here

I have just come back from a shopping trip for our shop, feast your eyes on the jaw dropping prints that will be coming into our shop this Thursday!

Enjoy

Holland Wax Fabric

Holland Wax Fabric

IMG_0210

Kente Cotton Fabric

 

 

 

 

 

Scuba fabric – Whats all the fuss about?

I thought I would do my first post about scuba/neoprene fabric, yes the same fabric as wetsuits.  Over the last few years it has become very popular for sewing enthusiasts and fashion lovers.

Many high street shops and fashion houses have designed outfits in scuba, you are probably thinking, what is all the fuss about?

So what is scuba?

Scuba is a double knit fabric which is compared to ponte, it is a double knit.  Scuba is generally made from polyester and lycra, where as ponte is often a mix of rayon, nylon, poly and lycra.

Scuba is normally smoother than ponte and also has a spongy quality like wet suit fabric, however, its normally thinner and more malleable than traditional neoprene.

What are the best things to make in scuba?

Lots, its suitable for dresses, tops, jackets, skirts and leggings.  It has amazing texture and best of all does not need to be hemmed as it will not fray!

Still not convinced?

If you are not convinced as to why scuba is great, check out this article by The Fashion Police

http://www.thefashionpolice.net/2013/09/neoprene-scuba-fashions-new-favourite-fabric.htm

Also, a cute video by Korea Today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-_9oH4ZJ9M

Below are some photos of scuba fabric that we have in store at the moment only £4.00 per metre and 150 cms wide, most stores sell this fabric from £10.00 per metre up.

image (12)