Burda Style For people who sew

There’s no way around it, buttons are magical. They are both commonplace and remarkable, functional and decorative. Did you know that, even though buttons appear as far back as 2000 BC, the buttonhole did not appear until the thirteenth century? Before that, they were solely for show. They’ve been made of wood and metal, plastic and bone, rubber and mother of pearl.

My newest book, Vintage Notions, takes much of its is inspiration from the newsletter produced by the Woman’s Institute of Scranton, PA. This remarkable school taught dressmaking via correspondence courses and newsletters to over 300,000 women in the 1920s and ‘30s. A popular feature was always the “Magic Pattern.” These clever and timeless patterns were so simple to make, they seemed like “magic.” The “magic” continued when a student realized no paper patterns were required, as cutting your pieces was based solely on diagrams and measurements.

Buying fabrics online will never replace the satisfaction of shopping in a well-stocked fabric store, because seriously, who can resist petting, fondling and draping fabric in person. But you know what comes close? Ordering fabric online, opening the package when it arrives, and discovering yay!, it’s just what you wanted. Online fabric shops are a boon to home sewers in areas where the nearest fabric store is miles away. Just follow these tips and you’ll become an online fabric shopping pro in no time.

Despite reports of its imminent demise due to clothing designers and manufacturers moving production overseas, New York City’s Garment District is still the best place in the world to shop for fabric, trims, notions and everything else sewing- and craft-related. I shop there two to three times a week and write about it for my web site Shop the Garment District, but I still manage to discover something new and exciting every time I’m there. BurdaStyle asked me to share my Garment District store recommendations with you, so I’ve put together three shopping itineraries that can be accomplished in an afternoon or a day. Addresses, store hours and a map are all available on Shop the Garment District.