Sunday 3/7/10
WE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY 3/8 THROUGH WEDNESDAY 3/10. ATTENDING MARKET
Fashion Sewing Class Series Coming!
Esteemed seamstress, designer, teacher, and pattern maker -- SHAUNA SMITH -- will be presenting a series of fashion sewing classes at The Common Thread, beginning Monday, March 15.
Through her former business, First Samples, Shauna was a pioneer in the sewing community movement -- offering a studio/lounge environment which invited people into the art of sewing. We are so excited to be able to share her experience and expertise! Regardless of your level, Shauna can take you to the next, and beyond. Check out the classes and scheduled times, and sign up at SELVEDGE SEWING.
Monday 2/8/10
Please join us in congratulating Janice Dorsey, whose gorgeous jacket will go on to represent our store in the national jacket challenge. Janice used three fabrics and elaborated on Kwik Sew 3732, adding a lining and beautiful details. Photos will be posted on Face Book (link below). Way to go! Thanks, Janice!
We will be closing for three days: (inclusive of normal Monday closing) Monday, March 8th through Wednesday March 10th -- to attend Spring market. Look for arrivals in the weeks to follow!
Join our challenge! 
is excited to announce our participation in a national challenge, sponsored by our sisterhood of independent fabric stores, Fine Fabric Stores. It starts with us, at the local level. (See detailed guidelines below.) Create a jacket and have it displayed in our store. All participants in our challenge will receive a coupon for 10% off a subsequent purchase. A winning jacket will be chosen for an award, and will represent us in the national arena, along with jackets chosen by other participating local stores. An article in a national publication featuring locally selected jackets is in the works. Click here to download a PDF of an entry form today!
Here's the "fine print":
2. The principal fabric (and pattern, if used) must be purchased at The Common Thread between November 2009 and January 2010. A copy of the receipt is to accompany the entry form. This is required for a valid entry.
3. Submit your jacket and entry form to The Common Thread by Friday February 5, 2010.
4. The creator of the successful jacket will be notified by Thursday February 10, 2010.
5. All jackets will be left at the store for display and judging for one month - until March 5, 2010.
6. Participants agree to have their jackets photographed for promotional purposes. This includes our website, Facebook, etc.
7. Participants agree to allow their entries to be displayed at The Common Thread and other national venues.
8. The Common Thread will take all precautions to protect entries from damage or loss, but will not be responsible for damage or loss that may inadvertently occur.
9. The selected jacket will be on display at the store for an additional month.
10. Judges will determine the overall success of the project: fabric compatibility with design, quality of construction, and appropriateness of trim or detail.
11. All local participants will receive a coupon for 10% off a subsequent purchase from The Common Thread. The creator of the finally selected jacket will receive a choice of a Prym Dritz Double Deluxe Dress Form or $100 gift certificate for The Common Thread.
12. All locally selected jackets will be eligible to be featured in a national publication.
13. All locally selected jackets will be eligible to participate in a fashion show in Las Vegas, March 2010 at the International Textiles Expo.
Any questions? (I'm sure to forget something!) Give us a call at 445-7270 or drop us a line info@commonthreadfabric.com
Tuesday 11/3/09
Arrivals
Thirteen new pieces of Japanese cotton are in the house, including one knit print by Nani Iro. Also new in the store is a pattern line called The Bali Collection. This is a group of designs intended to be used, though not exclusively, with The Batik Butik rayons.
We now carry Threads magazine, and in the new issue (not yet in stores but recently delivered to subscribers), our store is listed as a member of Fine Fabric Stores. This is a nationwide group of independent fine fabric retailers who have joined together to provide mutual support, which is great for me. But more important for customers is the fact that the group is working collaboratively to encourage wholesalers to make quality fabrics available at low minimums, so that the small independent stores can continue to provide interesting, unusual and high quality fabric as an alternative to chain store offerings.
Interested in earning a little pocket money? We have been putting together a list of folks who do custom sewing. We sometimes have requests from customers and would like to be able to make referrals when this happens. If interested in being listed, please email your contact information through the contact page of this site. You do not need to be a designer (although some folks are specifically looking for designers.) We also get requests to sew things from patterns and to do fairly simple work such as a crib bumper.
Saturday 10/17/09
We now have a Facebook page. Please join our network, spread the word, and interact with other seamsters. Thanks.
Sunday 10/11/09
Arrivals
Wooly wooly! Four pieces of winter weight wool (a couple of them wool nylon blends) have arrived. We've also received a couple of rayon knit prints, a few heavier cotton broadcloth pieces, and a few of what I can only call "novelty" fabrics -- unusual combinations of texture and fiber -- for example: a cotton/linen tweed I thought was wool until I looked more closely, a silk/cotton/linen piece with three different weaves. Very interesting. We've also expanded our selection of Art Gallery cotton prints and added a selection of Fall palette Moda cotton florals. More orders from market still to arrive.
Sale!
To make room for the Fall arrivals we are letting go of selected warm weather fabrics at 20% off. This includes five pieces of summer weight wool with a bit of lycra (which may be perfect for Austin Winter!)
See you soon!
Monday 9/21/09
News From Market
Fall, right? I ordered eight pieces of wool at the textiles market in Las Vegas. So, now, in addition to the summer weight wool we already have (which will probably be warm enough for Austin winter), we will be getting more wooly-looking wool. I wasn't so lucky in my quest for velvet (cotton and/or rayon) -- only one piece. I did find a few nice rayon prints as well as a few knit prints. I purchased some of last season's Free Spirit cotton prints -- look for those at a special price when they arrive. There's more. I'll update as things arrive.
Grand Opening this Thursday the 24th, 6 to 8 PM
Discount on all purchases, door prizes, refreshments -- come mingle with fellow fabric lovers!
Friday 9/11/09
Big news! It rained! (Nothing to do with fabric, but, hey, big news for DRY Austin.)
Now into our fourth week (I wonder when I will stop counting?), we continue to hear lots of positive feedback, and we appreciate all the encouragement and kind words. This is actually from a couple of weeks ago, but I want to share a really nice "review" from a local designer and blogger, Adrienne Breaux: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/fun-fabrics-at-the-common-thread-austin--093721
Going to Market
Next week we will be closed Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th. I will be travelling to Las Vegas to the Fall tradeshow. Look for some cozier fabrics to start arriving after that. Also on the lookout, as always, for some cotton knit prints. And many of you seem to share my love of the Japanese fabric, so I hope to add some to that collection as well.
Grand Opening
We are set for a Grand Opening Happy Hour on Thursday September 24th from 6 to 8 PM. Please join us for discounted shopping, raffle, and refreshing beverages. See you then!
Friday 9/4/09
So my best friend said to me, "try to keep your News page updated because there's nothing worse than stale old info on a website." That sounded so wise, and I was determined to follow her advice...
I am so glad I put the word "tentatively" in italics, below, regarding Grand Opening. I think part of me knew the holiday weekend wasn't necessarily a good idea. The good news is that we are getting some help from a PR expert, because promotion, apparently even when I am passionate, is not my strength. She is helping us do something later this month that will be kicked off with a fun party, to which you will all be invited.
Other news: We have more patterns and still more coming. One of the lines we just got in is from this really cool independent designer in Portland. Check her out: www.colettepatterns.com
We also just bought some incredible vintage fabric from Stephanie Moore of Cush Cush Design. While we are not planning to carry a big selection of home dec fabric (Fanny's is awesome and just down the road), this is mostly drapery stuff that is adaptable for accessories and jackets, perhaps skirts.
Who knew buttons and zippers would be so hard? Zippers finally arrived yesterday. The buttons are turning out to be a huge saga that has gone from frustrating to hilarious. But I am sorry to say they will be a while in coming.
Please keep spreading the word about us. And thanks for all the kind words already. If you have any special requests or questions feel free to send us a note at info@commonthreadfabric.com So far I have been a lot better about email than about the News.
Tuesday 8/25/09
Week Two, here we come! But first, a huge THANKS! to Leslie Bonnell of Stitch Lab, www.stitchlab.biz, for her support and encouragement. It was thrilling to meet all the fabric fanatics who came over after reading the glowing review in her newsletter. Also thanks to Kim Kight, local fabric blogger, at www.trueup.net, who sent the word out as well.
We've got most everything priced and out on the "floor", and major electronic and accounting systems up and running. Now we are turning to filling in the gaps (buttons, zippers, books, and more patterns) as well as planning for Grand Opening, tentatively set for Saturday the 5th. Stay tuned for more info.
Thanks for all the positive feedback. It's good to get confirmation that we're bringing good stuff to town.
Wednesday 8/19/09
Hello! We are open and the credit card machine arrived (unprogrammed) this morning. But it's up and running now, and things are starting to hop. Still pricing things (almost done). Have yet to get buttons and zippers and more patterns (I do have one line, Loes Hinse), so please bear with us on that. But it's coming together. Hope to see you soon!