Fabric Swatch - fabrics we love, their suppliers & what we made out of them

[xing]

There's so many great prints around so I figured we should really post some fabric swatches here.
Post a picture of the fabric, the place you got it from and maybe a little description about the texture and weight of the fabric?
It's even better if you can show the rest of us what you did with it. I know I'm always seeing all those really pretty fabrics around but I have no idea where to buy them(online or otherwise) so I'm hoping this thread will inspire some and help other people find some decent fabric

 

[haute femme]

Ooh I wish this thread would become active.. I love fabrics of all kinds, especially vintage. Maybe we could post ones we find online as well as ones we own?

 

[xirja]

Back in 2005 I managed to catch the textile expo in LA and saw a wonderful
presentation by a french compani called Goutarel. I wish I would have had
a camera for that. This article mentions the company, but no good photos
of samples:

http://www.textileworld.com/Articles/2008/September_2008/Knitting/Previews_In_New_York.html

 

[gius]

thank you xirja^
i didn't know the U.S. had textile shows.
how do you find out about them?
i only know about Premiere Vision preview in NYC..




yesterday i saw a couple great big catalogues from L'Elegance Fabrics in Vancouver
It is a store showcasing high end fabrics, especially haute couture quality, but for a shorter price
They carry even fabrics by Valentino
It had so many small samples of the REAL fabrics, you can touch them yourself. The books cost a bit above $200 per season. Not so many prints, but very interesting textural fabrics.. quilted textures, burn-outs, bonded fabrics.. like a fine satin bonded with thick rustic fabric, its yarns piercing through the satin on the surface.. SO interesting!

I believe they also have shops in Toronto and L.A.
Here are a few samples.
elegancefabrics.com

 

[xirja]

Thank you gius!

I found also from what you mentioned that Ungaro and Etro have their own
fabric lines for the public; oh I wish Missoni had. I wonder if they are in sync
with the runway presentations or delayed a while?

Any preference for Heimtextil or Premier Vision? What are the differences in
European fabric expos?

I think because I had visited Material World in Miami I received a notice about
the LA expo, I don't recall. I'm sure that NYC has all other US locations beat
with Premiere though.

 

[gius]

Yes Elegance's books are for each season, like the fashion weeks

I read NYC's Premiere is only a preview... the real show will be in Paris
I've met a textile designer here, she is from Scotland, and she used to visit Heimtextil when she worked there. It seems big as well, but Premier Vision is really well-known... and you can do trend-tasting and see experimental fabrics. I don't know if the American shows are experimental or if they are fashion-forward...

I've never been to Premiere Vision, only read But eventually I will!

If you have any peculiar experiences at the fabric trade shows, I would love to hear more..
We have a separate thread for that-> Trade shows around the world