Hawthorne Threads Blog

Out and About - The Pages of Country Living Magazine Come to Life!

Like a blinking beacon on our calendars, Labor Day weekend is always a time we look forward to but never want to see pass. With the unofficial end of summer coming to a close, I thought I'd share one of our hightlights here in upstate New York!

We take our country fairs seriously, with our bucolic Dutchess Fairgrounds playing host to events for 160 years running. With lush mountains, verdant valleys, and gleaming streams that can lull the likes of Rip Van Winkle, it's no wonder Country Living Magazine decided to pay us a visit!

Naturally, we kicked on our boots and turned up in droves - not unlike the party crashing cicadas that could be heard humming the sountrack to our summer!

Amid the barns and tents, the pages of Country Living Magazine came to life before our eager eyes.

Fair-goers poured over fabulous vintage fabric, ric rac, and ribbons at almost every turn!

Eclectic finds lovingly on display - one gets the feeling we're stealing peeks into our mother's carefully catalogued stash...

True to the heart of the magazine, there were so many refreshing pieces that made old look new again.

Love these lisence plate plaques - repurposing at it's best!

But of course there are some styles that don't need updating, like this classic yo yo quilt.

I was quite taken with these patchwork pillows. Quoting Eleanor Roosevelt, and recalling self fulfilling prophesies and general good Karma, they remind us that "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams". I'm so glad that my own dreams are stitched in tecnicolor and am grateful for each day I get to share beautiful fabric with you all!

I'l leave you with this piece that would have made it home with me if I wasn't such a stickler for spelling...

Out and About - The Garment District, NYC

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening - Coco Chanel

Charlie and I had the chance to take a field trip to visit Andover's headquarters in the Garment District, a fitting address for a fabric manufacturing company. Nestled in the heart of the city from Fifth to Ninth Avenue, between 34th and 42nd Streets, the famed Garment District is synonymous with fashion. Housing major labels, designers, showrooms, manufacturers, and retailers of textiles and notions of all kinds, this area has been a melting pot of fashion on a stage that has captivated audiences all over the world for over 200 years. Walking along the streets, popping in and out of fabric shops, the creative energy is palpable. If Coco Chanel is right, fashion lives and breathes in the Garment District, NYC.

Naturally we couldn't resist a bit of windowshopping whilst in this mecca for modern fashionistas. First we stumbled in to NY Elegant Fabrics and found a treasure trove of textiles, semmingly every kind imaginable. 

Rolls upon rolls of canvas, linen, brocade, knit, rayon, polyester, voile, silk, spandex, and faux fur greet you when you walk into a material world. The color blocking offers a map to navigating the myriad aisles in this fabric maze. Organized chaos at its best.

Apparel fabrics of all kinds line the shelves in a rainbow of colors

On a wintry New York day, these faux furs looked very tempting!

Before temptation took hold of me and my pocket book, we ventured on to another staple, B&J Fabrics.

Charlie and I had a fun time browsing through their selection of quilting weight cottons.

But where their selection really shines is the sparkling array of ladies apparel weight goods.

Glittering sequins gather light and draw your eyes to these luxurious silk chiffons. I'm certain my sewing skills are not up to Project Runway status to attempt these pricy gems, much to Charlie's relief when he saw the price tag!

We had a gret time window shopping, and hope you enjoyed the tour. Stay tuned for some more fabric inspiration the next time we're out and about!