Fabrics

Any and every bride-to-be wants her big day to be perfect; from decorations to outfits and songs to food, absolutely everything must be exactly as she and her groom want it. A big part of any wedding is the bride’s gown and, of course, her bridesmaids’ outfits; we quite often have brides-to-be visit us in-store to see our selection of...

Here at Calico Laine, we have amassed a huge collection of excellent quality items useful for everything from Sewing and Dressmaking to Crafts and even Toy Making but after 40 years in the industry out passion, pride and joy always has been and always will be, Fabrics. It is for this reason that we have worked so hard over the...

Here at Calico Laine, we are always adding new stock to our stores and website; in an effort to keep up with both fashion trends and the needs of our customers, we regularly update our stock with hundreds of new products. This includes lots of new Dressmaking Fabrics, and in today’s blog we’ll be talking about a few new ranges...

At this time of year we are seeing many new film releases hitting the cinema screens and with movie award season not far behind us, we find that many of our customers are feeling inspired to create pieces either in tribute to their favourite film costumes or for their own amateur productions and costume conventions. Film costumes are such big...

As the weather is slowly warming up, our customers are looking for lighter fabrics that are comfortable to wear in higher temperatures, perfect for summer and holidays they have booked for later this year. In today’s blog post, we’ll be talking about a few of our fabrics that we think are great both for dressmaking and for keeping you cool...

Downton Abbey is surely one of the most successful British Dramas of all time and was certainly the most watched Christmas Special of 2013. Since its debut in ITV on 2010, Downton has taken the world by storm, not only for its climactic story lines and breathtaking dramatic performances, but for the exquisite costume design. Downtown's stunning costumes have made...

Like any dressmakers, or anybody else keen on fashion, we always have one eye on the red carpets throughout the year, looking to be inspired by the latest celebrity trends and 2013 has seen a whole host of stunning looks, many of which will go down in fashion history. This year, the red carpet has been awash with sumptuous fabrics...

Gabrielle Coco Chanel once famously said "fashion fades, only style remains the same", and as with anything fashion related, Coco was always right. Coco Chanel was of course an expert at creating elegant, simple classics which were guaranteed to stand the test of time. The inventor of the Little Black Dress, Coco knew better than anyone what fabrics and elegant...

The first 'LBD' by Coco Chanel showcased in American Vogue, October 1926. From playful party dresses to elegant evening gowns, every girl needs at least one Little Black Dress in her wardrobe. The classic, timeless elegance of the LBD dates back to the 1920's and is attributed to designers such as Coco Chanel and Jean Patou who aimed to...