Mimi G For Michael Levine DIY Top Tutorial!

Hi Darlings!

It's so strange to be somewhere other than on my blog posting, but I'm very excited to share something awesome with you.  Over the next few months, I will be posting amazing, FREE tutorials for all of you to enjoy, thanks to the wonderful folks at Michael Levine Inc. We are going to have so much fun together, but I urge you not to miss any postings or announcements. So please, make sure to follow this blog by clicking "FOLLOW" in the sidebar and signing up for the newsletter HERE.

If you are not familiar with my blog, Mimi G Style, or my tutorials, let me share how it works. I film step by step, and easy to follow video tutorials that anyone can sew along to. Not only are my tutorials fun and easy to understand, but they are all fashion-sewing based, and great for any skill level.

Now lets get to the tutorial! We will be drafting and sewing from start to finish, a top that is flattering for almost anyone, and then we will be adding some great leather patch pockets, or a cool leather exclamation point. There is also an adjustment for those who prefer an off the shoulder look. Enjoy!

 FABRIC & SUPPLIES NEEDED: 1.5 -2 Yards of Purple Double Knit HERE, Black HERE  / 1 Leather Hide  HERE / Optional: Trim HERE

 DOWNLOAD the pocket and exclamation point template (other supplies covered in the video)

Announcement time...

We are very excited to share this news with you.  Mimi, from MimiG Style, has come on board as Michael Levine's Star Blogger. Mimi has been blogging about fashion, sewing, and more for over 5 years. Her sense of fashion and style, combined with her amazing sewing tutorials, has brought her loyal followers from all around the world. She started sewing at twelve while spending her summers visiting her aunt. It was on that sewing room floor that her passion for sewing and creating took hold. We can not wait to collaborate with her! Starting in September she will be bringing monthly projects and tutorials to our followers. From apparel to crafts and everything thing in between.  We're excited to start this new partnership. With our fabric and Mimi's style we think our viewers should be in for a real treat. Stay tuned for our first DYI tutorial mid September. We will be bringing you one of this Fall's hottest fashion trends.

Enjoy!

Are you signed up for our newsletter? If not here is what you're missing...

Hi All,

I don't usually post our newsletter on the blog, and I won't do it next month, but I just want to make sure you are all signed up to receive one. We do a newsletter every month. We always show new product and give you a sneek peek of the online sales for the month, as well as other interesting tidbits we have going on. Make sure to sign up here so you are in the know.

Enjoy!

Just Arrived: Beadwork New Sweater Knits! New Covington! Upcoming Sales: 20% Off Home Decor 10% Off Cotton Solids Extra 10% Off Flannel Prints 20% Off Notions 20% Off All Lace Meet Robin! Robin is the newest member of our Internet team. The last week I have been calling her a "super seamstress" as she has been cranking out projects for me left and right. It is so nice to have someone with me who has been sewing for over 35 years. She started out on her grandma's knee and remembers the first time, at five, she sewed something on her own. It's amazing how good Barbie's evening gown can look from scrapes of fabric. Robin says she was hooked ever since and never looked back. Besides working with us at Michael Levine, she has her own sewing business. She mostly sews home decoratng goods for her business, but also sews apparel for herself. She is excited to introduce our readers to new products, different fabrics, and give us some of her insider sewing tips. I'm so excited to have her on board and she is so excited to get to know all of you. A big thank you to MimiG! We had a great morning with Mimi and her 90 shoppers. Our store was buzzing with activity and the the energy was amazing. Take look at our blog to see some pictures from the day. Do you see our new blue Michael Levine bags? For 5 lucky winners, one of those bags, goodies included, will be yours. The details will be announced on our Facebook page on August 6th. Stay tuned! Take a look at what our customers have been up to: Click HERE to see the fabric and HERE to see Yetunde's post! Click HERE to check out all our quilting cottons and HERE to see Bonnie's quilt! Click HERE for the fabric and HERE for the project!! Thanks for tagging us so we can see what amazing projects you're all working on. We love seeing what you are making. Keep it up! Why Follow Our Blog? Here's what's in the queue for August. First, Robin just finished two children's dresses from the new cotton batik that just arrived. Next up we will be featuring McCall's M6083. We are making one romper two ways. One is a casual day look from demin and the other is a silk animal print. It transitions perfectly from day to evening. We will also be showing you a new product that works great in the bottom of purses. We will be making a leather and fabric tote with it. In addition to projects, we will be starting Fabric Fridays. Every Friday you can go to the blog and we will show you some of the new products that have arrived that week. From apparel to home fabrics, from notions to yarn, we'll keep you in the loop. Just check in every Friday to see what new goodies have arrived. Thank you! Thank you so much for sewing and crafting along with us, and for your continued support of our retail and online shop! If you would like to be featured on our blog or our next newsletter, send us some photos of the crafts you have made from our store!      ©2013 Lowpricefabric | 920 S Maple Ave Los Angeles Ca 90015

Bring on the shoppers...

What a fun Saturday morning! Last Saturday, July 20th, we had over 80 of MimiG's followers descend on our store. Mimi and I have been talking about this day for months. When we started discussing the numbers I think it was around 50, but it quickly rose and before I knew we were up to 89 shoppers. I just wanted to share a few pics from the morning and give a big thank you to Mimi, her great family who was there to support her, and of course the shoppers. We had a great time answering your questions, feeling fabric with you, searching for what you wanted, and watching our fabric cut like crazy! We hope you guys had as good of a time as we did. We can't wait to see what everyone makes with the fabric they bought, as well as the fabric from your goodie bag. Make sure to tag us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Here are a few pics...



Setting up the goodie bags



Yummy snacks from Panera and Coffee Bean.



We made one of Mimi's dresses so everyone could see it in person. This fabric is almost sold out. I can't wait to wear this dress in Hawaii. It is so comfortable!



And the cutting begins!

Just one of the many hold piles. The knits , stretch wovens, and cottons were all hot sellers.







Lining up to get questions answered from Mimi. This went on for the entire 3 hours. Mimi is a great source of knowledge and you could tell this group really wanted to absorb as much as they could from Mimi, as well as the Michael Levine staff.



Bringing more fabric from the warehouse. There were a few prints that everyone really liked. We can't wait to see how everyone interprets the same fabric in different ways.



Checking out and our new Michael Levine bags. Don't forget to check in on August 6th to see how you can win a goodie bag of your own. I will announce the details on our Facebook page.



Larry, the owner, and I had to get a picture with Mimi. It's been such a pleasure getting to know her this year.



More shoppers checking out of The Loft, our "per pound" store.

Even while everyone was waiting for the bus to arrive they were asking questions and getting information.







And the bus arrives. Whew. What a fun-filled 3 hours! We really enjoyed our time with you guys. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter so you can keep up with everything we're doing. If you're a local, make sure to say hi when you visit again and if you're from out-of-town, don't forget you can still shop us at lowpricefabric.com. Again, we can't wait to see what you make from all the fabric you bought. Have fun!

Enjoy!

The infamous pattern down one side wrap dress...

So for the last year I have followed MimiG Style, as well as worked with her. She shops us regularly and I love seeing what she does with our fabrics. A few months ago MimiG made this wrap dress from a floral knit and we sold over 200 yards in a few days. It was crazy. Every time she makes a dress I say we should make one, but the days just get away from us and we don't. Well now we have!

This dress is really figure flattering and makes me feel very statuesque. While Robin followed the pattern here are a few issues we ran into. She needed an extra  yard and a half than the pattern called out for due to the floral pattern running right down the middle of the fabric. Also the pattern didn't call for a belt. We definitely felt the dress needed one so Robin cut a 55" by 6" stripe from the salvage & in a snap we had our belt.



I really liked the ruching detail on the sleeve. Just a simple detail, but it really made this dress feel polished.

While the dress is a bit heavy, due to the length and the ITY fabric, it also gives you nice coverage and hides any lumps and bumps without needing to be lined. This fabric is great for travel. Roll it in your suitcase and it comes out looking great. I will definitely be taking this on my vacation in a few weeks. It is so comfy, yet nice enough to wear out to dinner. I will be wearing it for the date night I am planning for my husband. Our one night out without the kids. I can't wait!



If you're in Los Angeles, stop by and see us in person. This dress will be in the front display for the next 2 weeks, than it will be in Hawaii with me!

Enjoy!

Regina & Robin

Progress....

Here are a few pics of the dress & romper that we're working on. Both these fabrics are brand new and caught my eye as I was doing one of my weekly "walk-throughs" through the warehouse. Both projects are well under way & should be done by the end of this week.

DressPattern: Simplicity 1804 (ML244255)
Fabric: ML244085
Supplies: Scissors or rotary cutter, tape measure, elastic, pins, wonder tape, fusible tricot (ML244260)

Since the salvage rolled, it had to be trimmed off.

The proper needles make all the difference.

Don't forget to iron the pattern before you put it on the fabric. This will make the pattern easier to work with. 

Tricot knit fusible interfacing & elastic

Pinning bodice to skirt.

Pinning interfacing to neckline.

RomperPattern: Marcy Tilton V8813
Fabric: ML243985 (cut  yards for a size 6)
Supplies: Scissors or rotary cutter, tape measure, pins



Measure the grain line to salvage to make sure it is straight.



Again, iron the pattern to make sure it lays flat on the fabric.



By the end of the week we will have the finished product ready.

Enjoy!