Special Offer!

We have hit 1000 likes on Facebook and to celebrate we are offering 20% off our beaded French lace range, 20% off our printed silk satins and 20% off trimmings ! To view some of our trimmings check out our previous blog post.

To take advantage of this offer like us on Facebook and simply click 'redeem offer' and present it in store next week. 

Here are some photos of our beautiful beaded French laces to inspire you !

Get excited and redeem this offer now !

Sff. x

How to Add Some Christmas Bling

Hello our fabulous fabric followers!

I've noticed a lot of blogs use the word 'refashion',  where you take a garment whether it be one of your own or from a vintage shop and alter it to bring it back to life. This got us thinking here at SFF, what better way to 'refashion' a garment than by using one of our gorgeous trims to add some bling to a Christmas party outfit.

There are so many different ways to use our trims. They could be used as a belt for around your waist or just under your bust, or even as straps. You can cover existing ones or add them to a strapless dress for a completely different look. I have even used a small amount of trim and twisted it around to make an abstract flower to wear almost like a broach. The only thing limiting you is your imagination.

Comment below to let us know your thoughts! How have you changed the look of an old garment?

  

P.s don't forget to like us on Facebook as we will be posting photos of our new collection within days!

Until next time,

Sff. x

The Perfect Dress for a Wedding Guest

Hello our fabulous fabric followers!

As I mentioned in the rolled hem post, I have been working on a dress for a guest for a wedding. She found her inspiration online and together we fine tuned her design.

It was so hard choosing a colour from the 150 shades of silks we have but we decided to go for a pastel shade. The fabric we used for the dress was a dupion silk in the colour 'mint' which I interlined with our shapewell to give it a lovely structure and lined it with our silk lining. The drape is made with our fine silk chiffon in the colour 'duck egg'.

The fabrics we selected

The dress is a basic one shoulder shape with panel lines over the bust extending into the waist darts. We put an invisible zip in the centre back. The main feature of the dress is the drape which starts as a ruched strap at the back neckline and extends over the shoulder and curves over the bust. This is then caught at the waist and falls into a beautiful drape that sits just below the hem.

The start of the draping process

Detailed pictures of the ruching 

                                                      

Detailed pictures of the ruching 

The finished product

the finished product

Until next time,
Sff .x

                                                        

Christmas Kaftans

Do you realise there is only 8 weeks until Christmas?

We didn't!  Not  only does this mean we need to start thinking about gifts and food, but also what to wear to the upcoming parties and on the big day.

Being in Queensland we are usually guaranteed very warm weather over the Christmas period so something cool to wear is on the list.

What better to wear than a silk kaftan! You can opt for the shorter length or the full length. And being a luxurious silk it can take you from day to night depending on the accessories you wear and whether you opt for some beaded trimming.

Inspiration Image Only- Camilla Franks Kaftan

Inspiration Image Only- Camilla Franks Kaftan

Here at Selective Fine Fabrics we have an amazing range of silks that would be perfect for a kaftan. There are plain silk satins or georgettes or we have a huge range of printed silk satins and chiffons.

For a finishing touch you could also add one of our beaded trims for around the neckline or a few individual crystals.

 Inspiration Image Only

Inspiration Image Only

Until next time,
Sff. x

Tutorial 1- Rolled Hems

Hello fabric followers!

We hope you have had an enjoyable week and have taken out those sewing machines. This is the first of our sewing tutorials so make sure you subscribe as we will be posting new tutorials on a weekly basis.

We certainly don’t claim to know all about sewing as we are all constantly learning, whether it be through other blogs or by talking to other people in the industry. Here at Selective Fine Fabrics, we have in house designers who have a collective wealth of knowledge. This combined with our accumulated sewing knowledge from 20 years of trading allows us to provide our customers with insightful sewing tips and techniques.

What we hope to bring you is maybe a new technique, or a handy hint to maybe make sewing your next garment a little easier.

So onto our rolled hems...I have always been a little scared of rolled hems particularly in a silk chiffon or georgette, but after learning this technique I find them almost a pleasure to do. This technique uses a rolled hem foot, most sewing machines usually come with one, if you don’t have one with your machine you should be able to purchase it separately.

The secret I have found is pressing a 2-3 mm hem on the edge that you want to hem. I have always had trouble in starting the hem, so I fold my pressed edge over again thus giving you a twice rolled hem. Once you have done this, pin it together.


Place this under your foot and drop your needle down holding the hem in place. Take the pin out and do your back tack. I also find it can be handy to start with a thread tail if you need something to help pull the fabric through.

It is then just a matter of stitching the hem keeping your folded edge next to the part of the foot just before it starts to roll.



It may take a little practise but once you’ve got the hang of it rolled hems will never be scary again.

A similar technique can be applied in achieving  perfect French seams, but this will be elaborated more on in another post.

Wrong side of rolled hem

                                                             Right side of rolled hem

We hope you enjoyed your first tutorial. 

Did you notice the beautiful shade of silk chiffon in the photos? Stay tuned as this delicate fabric will be transformed into a beautiful silk dress in the coming tutorials. 

Until next time,

Sff. x

Product Details:

100% Silk Chiffon Colour Mint - Selective Fine Fabrics

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog!

We are so excited to start our own blog after much persuasion from our clients.

This blog is for those who indulge in luxurious fabrics and have always had questions about techniques in sewing the finest of fabrics.

Selective Fine Fabrics is a specialised fabric retailer based in Brisbane importing some of the worlds' finest fabrics in bridal and evening. We travel the world to source exclusive fabrics from New York, Paris and Milan twice a year to create collections that are always up to date with international design houses.

Over the years, we have met so many mothers that would have loved to have sewn their daughters' special gowns but were hesitant to do so as a long period of time had elapsed since they had dusted off their sewing machines. This blog will not only showcase our extensive fabric collection but will also provide an insight into the tips and techniques used by our in-house designers. These techniques will range from assisting you to achieve the finest of french seams to constructing a perfectly fitting strapless bodice.

So come and join us in this exciting new journey and be inspired by our exclusive bridal and evening fabrics. Our insightful techniques will help you achieve the perfect outfit for that special occassion. So dust your machines off, replace your needles and get ready to be inspired!

In the meantime don't forget to like us on Facebook!

Until next time,

Sff.x