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May 16th, 2008

Welcome to iLuvFabrix.com blog

We travel the world to source out and bring you the finest, most exclusive and exquisite fabrics available, many of which are commonly available only to the top design trade, and we sell them below trade wholesale.

Over the years Michelle Tennen, a Professional Designer with Over twenty five years in the high end Design Marketplace, has acquired a client base second to none.

We are in Fabric Heaven!

Every day for the last 2 weeks new shipments have been arriving in from Europe.  As the warehouse is unpacking the crates we are not able to work as we are standing by, oohing and awwwing……..even drooling in some cases!! Timing wasn’t wonderful for the warehouse as they don’t have space to even breathe right now while unpacking and stocking all the new goods.The design team on the other hand is in absolute heaven here.  During the day, everyone has been disappearing to go and admire.  tons of new florals, we are all inspired to redo bedrooms, spruce up our Kitchens and patios for the summer. There are so many new and wonderful fabrics we really don’t know where to look first.  you can certainly see where the color trend is heading too.  Lots of purples, greens and even gorgeous yellows are back in.So many choices, so little time!! 

What a difference some color can make!!

     PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.We are associated with one of the best ‘bead artist’s ” around.  She makes Hand Beaded pillows, every bead is sewn on individually and they are spectacular.  It takes about 4 months for one pillow to be completed.Well, we got two of her latest creations the other day and I just cant get over how unbelievably gorgeous they are.   She provides a large un-named NY shop with them and they are selling for over $2100.00 each.  A lot of dough so thankfully we are able to sell them for less but she’s 81 or 82 now (she doesn’t remember which) and who knows how many  more of these gems we are going to be able to acquire.The vibrancy of the beads is like a piece of art, chocolate hands ……….my kids in particular, stay away! 

Combining fabrics

PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW. As a lot of you know I am always a fan of combining fabrics and textures.  I love how patterns and textures all play off one another and so at last my dining room chairs have arrived back from the upholsterer and Voila!I just love the effect of the printed velvet along with the tiny silk check.  Sophisticated but still fun.  I chose another fabric for a tablecloth for parties, which was fab9082 and I will match up some wonderful trim to go around the sides.   Hopefully I will have this done soon and let me know if you want me to post a picture for you to see.Now that the weather is at last changing and spring has sprung….even up north! Its nice to get the house  looking good.  Almost time for those summer bbq’s and get togethers.To change your dining room seats and kitchen chairs seats are often as easy as 2 yards (for 6 chair seats) and a staple gun.  I can even do a tutorial on it if requested.  A very simple update though and not much time to have your chairs updated!!   

What a difference 3 yds can make!!

PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW. I am just kicking myself right now for now having a before picture with this ottoman.  I have never been a Leopard person but always appreciate how such a small amount of a wonderful animal print can change the spirit and feeling in a room. This ottoman was done in a dark brown velvet but was just so incredibly ‘dead’ in the room.  I took the plunge and bought 3 yards of Old World Weavers leopard velvet. I can’t stop admiring both the ottoman and actually the room.  It has taken a dull, stayed room and brought it to life.  Love the Pierre Frey throws, but then I have been a fan of these since I saw them in Barneys for a million gazillion dollars.  Thankfully our team was able to  get them at a huge discount so they are now affordable for the rest of us.So here we go, 3 yards of the leopard velvet fabric from Old World Weavers,  a staple gun and a glue gun…………could of done it myself but gave in and had the upholsterer whip it off in a few days.Absolutely gorgeous, don’t you think?        

Time to freshen the house for Spring!

PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.  I love this time of year when you can smell spring just around the corner.  March break is done, kids back at school and I always love to give the house a ‘pick me up’ this time of year. Over the last few weeks, new fabrics have been landing on our doorstep, or loading dock rather, and we have just been going crazy, thinking of all the new projects to do.Prints with wonderful warm colors as well as some pretty vibrant ones that we haven’t seen for a while.  Lots of tapestry and printed velvets, which are my favorites! The new Manuel Canovas prints from France in bright apple green and hot pink and the florals that look like you can just pick them right off the page are wonderful for accent pieces this time of year. The new silks from Jack Lenor Larsen and Scalamandre and just as wonderful and have me dreaming of some new drapes and bedding.I  just redid some window seats that I will post pictures of, makes we want to go home and curl up by the window with a good book!  Amazing difference that just some cushions made. they changed the whole look of the area and made it so inviting! and best of all, very easy!  I had our upholsterer do them but it would be easy for any home sewer to knock off in an afternoon.   

Our new Squidoo lens

Ever been to Squidoo.com?   it is a new Social Networking site and we have just created a “lens” about upholstery/designer fabrics.Check it out by clicking on the following link:  http://www.squidoo.com/upholsteryfabric  Keep your eye on it and our blog too for more regular information on the purchase, care, feeding and maintenance of high end designer fabrics. iluvfabrix.com 

Using Ultrasuede for Home Decorating

PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.  Ultrasuede is one of the those fabrics that has a multiplicity of uses.  iluvfabrix has a fabulous selection of solid and patterned ultrasuedes that are wonderful for upholstered furniture, drapery, and many customers have used them for clothing as well.The fact that ultrasuede can be washed as well as its resistance to stains makes it an ideal material for use on upholstered furniture, even in an active home.Ultrasuede comes in so many luscious colors you can match pretty much everything else in your home with one of the myriad color choices. Check out some of the other fabrics at iluvfabrix  as well.

Recovering a piece of furniture

 PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.  How many of you have a really comfortable piece of furniture that is starting to look a little worse for wear, but don’t know where to begin in terms of recovering it.  iluvfabrix.com has heard this same story many times.  iluvfabrix.com employs a full time designer that will help you with all your calculations.  She starts by discussing your room design with you, the changes you would like to make, fabric selection and yardage calculations and she will even recommend a local workroom to do the reupholstering.   Leave all the elements of your recovering project to us at iluvfabrix.com  

Who has the Best Deals

 PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.  Being in the fabric business you can  well imagine that we watch all the other online and retail fabric stores to see how the prices at iluvfabrix compares to those or the other vendors. We have built relationships with the best fabric mills and suppliers over  thepast thirty years to the point where we can often buy better than almost any other company.  We contstantly change and modify our prices to offer the best deals possible.  There is a clothing store that had a great line…..it went…..”an educated consumer is our best customer”.  Thats how we feel at iluvfabrix.   The more you know about fabric, the better you will appreciate our fabric quality and pricing.

Sew it yourself kits

PLEASE NOTE:  WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS POST…CLICK THE SUBJECT LINE TO OPEN COMMENT WINDOW.  iluvfabrix.com is, by popular request, coming out with “Sew it yourself” pillow kits. The kits will consist of a pillow form, the necessary fabric for both front and back, all the necessary trim and complete step by step instructions. The cost of these kits will of course be much less than pre made pillows and will contain raw materials of the very highest quality. People have been asking us at http://www.iluvfabrix.com to do this and we finally have the time.Also watch for our new category of Iron Rods & Fixtures which will be filled with wonderful choices very soon. Keep an eye on it at http://www.iluvfabrix.com/upholstery-fabric/rodsfixtures/23.htm