Posted by Susanne Chess on 5/20/2020
to
News
Can it get any better than this? Add to the mix, Susanne’s professional
demeanor masks are made exclusively for Fine Fabrics of Santa Barbara by
Eduardo.
Eduardo is Santa Barbara (and Montecito’s) local pedigree tailor.
Sample maker for Shaun and Carla Thomson’s Solitaire, Firenze and others.
Couture for Luis Estevez and tutelage under Letizia Alta Moda for more than 17
years. It does not get any more bespoke than this… not in London, Paris, Milan
or Barcelona.
Posted by Susanne Chess on 5/8/2020
to
News
Meet Venus de Milo, Fine Fabrics' sanitized mask fitting model. She is wearing a couture mask made by Fine Fabrics, You too can feel as beautiful as our goddess. As we add couture mask-making to the repretoire of services provided, we've identified those steps necessary to mindfully build masks inspired by the Classical Greek perfection expressed by Michelangelo with Venus de Milo.
Layers of
100% pima cotton from England, with
lace and/or
silk outer layer. Softest of 100% cotton bias tape from Italy to wrap around your ear, adjusting with a tie under the chin. 100% cotton bias tape is much softer than elastic, which can be abrasive at the end of the day.
A soft, small pleat to contour under the chin. A larger pleat to allow you to talk, communicate, SCREAM! Upper box pleat and tucks to conform around nose and drop below eyes.
Most importantly, all Fine Fabrics' masks are made of the finest and most beautiful couture fabrics, including the
world's finest lace made in France by Solstiss!
Posted by Susanne Chess on 2/16/2020
How to destroy a camel hair coat. It was a classic, rounded collar, horn buttons, mid-calf length, loose fitting early 1950's style camel hair coat. The coat had hung in the vestibule closet for decades. It was a holdover from our move from Michigan to California. One particularly dry and cold winter (similar to the one we are having this year), I pulled my mother's camel hair coat out of her closet and proceeded to destroy it. I wore it hanging with neighborhood friends (sitting on tree limbs, stairs, walls or on the grass). Can you imagine being such a grunge in a classic camel hair coat? I wore it in gale force winds, opening the front with my arms like wings. I remember wishing it would aid me in taking flight. In the end it was stained and torn by my misuse.
I loved that coat. My mother probably did as well, but I don't remember her ever being angry with my ruining it. Maybe she understood how cozy it made me feel. Or maybe, she didn't miss having to wear it since moving from Detroit to Southern California.
Posted by Susanne Chess on 2/1/2020
to
News
Many of you now know that I am passionate about water, the Oceans and the relationship of both to the air we breathe and our very existence. Today I received affirmation from the store window of Banana Republic that my obsession is also related to fabric.
Posted by Susanne / Ms Fine Fabrics on 9/17/2019
I was, I am obsessed. Scanning through nearly 100,000 images of sewing patterns. I found a picture of a sewing pattern I remember using, or dreaming about using. I had to find that one sewing pattern. The one that I made with pleats, a square banded neckline popular in the late 1960's and early 1970's, and long shirt sleeves with placket and cuffs. It reminds me of hours spent at fabric stores thumbing through pattern books. It has me thinking about rearranging our small downtown Santa Barbara store to include a table with pattern books. Let me know what you think with comment below.
Posted by Susanne - Ms. Fine Fabrics on 8/21/2019
Fine Fabrics of Santa Barbara, our downtown Santa Barbara brick and mortar store is located at 1307 State Street. Just a few steps down from the historic Arlington Theater. Many of our clients stop by when traveling to our beach community to escape the inland hot days of Summer. I share with you all silk georgette. It is like wearing nothing at all. It is not shiny. It can be worn as day-to-day casual. Use the stretch on the cross-wise grain, 92% silk, 8% lycra, and make a t-shirt to feel elegant, instead of dumpy.
Yes! It can be washed and dried in the machine. It will last longer if line dried, but I machine and wash dry the
silk georgette in my wardrobe.
Posted by Ms. Fine Fabrics on 8/9/2019
to
News
A silk charmeuse blouse has become my uniform. Wash it in the machine. Dry it in the machine. It softens the sheen, softens the color too. Over time, it gives the blouse that beat up, worn because you love it look... and feel.
Posted by Ms.FineFabrics - Susanne on 7/9/2019
My not-so-silent partner Bob and I received an invitation to a 4th of July party at "The Top of the World." With a 260 degree view of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara City and Harbor, we celebrated with feast and friends, joy and solemnity, and when the sun sets the best view of the annual fireworks show!
The cool red, deep navy and bright white of Fine Fabrics
pima cotton poplin (milled in England) was simply too tempting to resist.
Posted by Susanne Chess on 1/24/2019
to
News
Welcome to the newly updated FineFabrics.com! We're working hard to quickly update our online fabric store and bring it up to date with all the beautiful items we have to share at Fine Fabrics of Santa Barbara brick and mortar store.
Here at Fine Fabrics of Santa Barbara Downtown Santa Barbara fabric store we have a special treat: Our large screen television which can be seen through our store front windows 24 hours a day, featuring fabric, fashion, buttons, lace, and all the items that make Fine Fabrics special, will be interlaced with a gallery of images that some may think unrelated.
