Thank you all for playing along with the Thrifty Monday party! I’m excited that you all enjoyed it and will look forward to next week. I had no idea how many would participate, so now that the word is out, I’m sure more will join in next week too.
Also, next week, on Wed., May 6th, I’m going to host a Garden party so get your pics ready to share. It will be a fun pre-summer fling to show off what’s blooming in your yard OR what projects you are up to outside. I’ve been working my butt off in my flower beds the last couple of weeks getting some flowers planted, beds mulched and look forward to sharing. Come on back for the Garden Party next Wednesday! Grab the button & spread the news!
Growing up with a mom who sewed everything for us, I spent many hours following her around the fabric stores near our house wishing she would hurry up. I can still remember the old warehouse fabric store with bins and bolts of fabrics, but I wasn’t that interested as a young girl in the fabrics that came home with us to be made into a dress or blouse or something for us girls. She made all our clothes as youngsters and it was a happy day when I got to be a teen and earned enough money to buy some “store-bought” clothes, especially jeans and some fun pants. She even made Barbie clothes for us. We really lived a frugal life in those days. But, when I got older and bought my first house, I really was excited that my mom could sew. I spent hours dreaming of pretty window treatments and what I would do with all those windows waiting to be adorned. Mom was always willing to give it a try even if she wasn’t sure how it would turn out and she has sewed many window treatments for me over the years. I love the ones in my house to this day.
(all from Fabric.com)
I’m not a total expert on mixing fabrics, but I think I have a pretty good eye for putting things together that work. I learned to mix stripes with florals and if you choose a main large print, then to make sure the other fabrics don’t compete with that. Choose your main fabric, then coordinate with it. I love stripes and florals or florals and checks or plaids. You can always throw in a small patterned print with those too. It really gets fun when you add in a couple more prints to the mix and I enjoy a room with about 4 to 6 different fabrics. So, how do you mix them without them looking like a hodge-podge? Well, as I mentioned, start with a main fabric, add a solid or near solid, a stripe or plaid, a mini-print, and go from there. You want to be sure the colors all relate to each other and nothing looks out of place when you line them all up.
Take a look at all of these fabrics I found online from Fabric.com. I thought these were good examples of mixing patterns. I know some people have a really hard time mixing fabrics, but it has always come pretty easily for me. I probably play it safe for the most part and am not nearly as adventurous as the designers out there are, but this method works for me. See if any of these appeal to you.
(First Fabric: Robert Allen; next Bosporus)
(All by Waverly)
(Robert Allen)
I hope this helped a little with choosing fabrics and how to mix and match them for a fun room. I’ll do another post soon about window treatments and how I’ve put those together in my own house. I’m very fortunate to have a sewing Mama and she has sewed so many things for me over the years. She’s almost 81 now, so I really don’t like to ask her to do a lot of sewing for me anymore and now that I found a bargain sewing machine at a yardsale last year, I really want to learn to sew a few things myself. I will never be as good as she is though!
Tim, the Remodeling Guy, is hosting a Spring Round-up Party on Friday, so I’ll be posting mine a day early on Thursday and linking to his party on Friday. I’ve got a fun fountain project that I’ve finished up outside and can’t wait to share. Click the pic and go on over to Tim’s and check it out if you’d like to participate too.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I’ve been hoping you would do a window treatment post! I’m still looking at my fabric stash and trying to figure out how to do my living room curtains. Searching online has just made me more confused. I found a pretty red striped fabric (99 cents for 7 yards!) I really like it but when I washed it the color wasn’t fast.
Not sure I can use it now with my white sheets. Befuddled here. Thanks for your ideas! Can’t wait to see more!
I am a fabric junkie! My heart starts fluttering and beating real fast when I go into a fabric store. I had taken some interior design classes in college with the intent on becoming a designer (but decide to stay home w/ the littleones instead)I rememberlearning about mixing fabrics 101- main piece, stripe, small print, etc. When we lived in PA there was a great Waverly Fabric outlet nearby- I would go in weekly just to browse & dream up new rooms. Cant wait to see your fountain makeover!!!
My mom made all our clothes when I was growing up too, I hated it until I got older then she went back to work and didn’t get to sew as much…I remember being in the fabric store thinking will we ever get to go home, now I love walking around just looking at all the different fabrics.
Love the fabrics! It gives me a lot of ideas for a new project. Thanks!
my mom used to sew doll and barbie clothes for me as well! She still loves to sew and I reap the rewards:)
Thanks for a great post on choosing fabrics.
Oh, you definitely have a knack for that. I just love those fabrics. The blue was really pretty and I love the monogram.
I have never purchased fabric in my life. I don’t sew and it makes me a little dizzy seeing all of that fabric or even going into craft stores. I think it’s just so much stuff that gives me a headache. I can never wait to get out of there!
I have made drapes out of a heavy cotton tablecloth for a project once. It turned out beautiful.
I have been itching to get some new toile fabric for a project I want to do.
My Mom sewed alot of our clothes too. I can remember going to bed while she was working on something for me and waking up to find it hanging on the door knob ready to wear to school. Its a Cinderella feeling for a little girl. I muddle through and make simple projects. Plain ‘ol stubborness pulls me through them.
I did just buy some pretty fabrics and put them in big frames (11×17) in a spare bedroom. They turned out really nice, and CHEAP.
Awesome post Rhoda. This is very much the way I choose colors and texture for my scrapbook kit creations. I begin with the background colors, textures, then create the prints, stripes or plaids, and solids. Working with the graphics for three years has helped me in my own decorating as well. ♥
Great post. I am with you in that I LOVE fabric. I can roam the fabric stores for hours dreaming and looking at all the fabulous possibilities. It is always such fun and I love to mix patterns and the more the merrier. Your tutorial was very informative for someone trying to learn. Great job. Hugs, Marty
Thank you for your very informative post! I love all the fabric combinations! I just recently started sewing so i’m still learning. I love it though!
Have a nice day!
Sandra
Thanks so much for stopping by. The party was fabulous and thrifting is so much fun. Ready for next Monday. I love picking out different fabrics and experimenting with them. I love making curtains, pillows and even quilts and using different fabrics. I’ll be showing curtains in that same room that I will be making/altering. Debbie
Great post! How wonderful that your Mother was able to make such pretty things for you! 🙂 I love using stripes and florals together! Can’t wait to see your window treatments!
My husband also grew up in a fabric store. He didn’t learn anything about fabric though! LOL!
I love the fabrics you choose. I also like putting floral prints with plaids.
Great post… and the sad thing is, I sell a slew of fabric but can’t sew and I’m always oggling fabrics wishing I could. Hmmmm.
I just purchased a sewing machine (again) and will be re-teaching myself how to sew.
Waiting for my Fabric.com order to come in so I can set up my sewing area and make it all pretty.
Sewing area is going in the master bedroom (under renovation right now). Can’t wait!!!!
I’m like Dream Mom – I don’t sew (but want to) and am overwhelmed with the chaos of fabric types, textures, patterns, etc. when I go into joann’s (the only fabric store here). What kind of fabric is used for what? I just want to make a couple of pillows. I always leave frustrated.
My mom sewed clothes and ballet costumes for me. Yards of tulle gathered for tutus! She made my beautiful wedding gown, too.
I prefer very simple in everything, including window treatments for my home. Simple panels that lift and blow in the ocean breeze here, light and sheer for most of the windows, a sweet white cotton for the living room.
Your combos are beautiful and so perfectly Rhoda!
Dear Kindred Spirit-
I so love your posts. . .
we share so many similarities in
taste as well as colors. The
kiwi & chocolate theme is the LR/DR
and blues with lemon in the mbr.
Check out Serena & Lily's paint colors – the "air" is what we are
painting our bedroom in. It will
set off the Williamsburg blue pieces – thanks for sharing your
talents with us. . . patti
Rhoda,
Very informative & helpful post. I love the fabric samples you showed~a lot of ideas there. You have a great eye for mixing colors! Thanks so much! 😀
xoxo
Jane
Thank you!!! I am pretty clueless (and scared) when it comes to mixing fabrics. This was a great post. 🙂
My mom has those green Waverly fabrics, along with a few others, mixed and matched on pillows throughout her living room. How funny that some of the fabrics you have chosen are ones I recognize.