I'm sure I'm in the minority but I just love this time of year. I love the cosy dark nights, the autumnal trees turning and the impending thought of Christmas. The kids have returned to school and our routines are finally back to normal which means its an ideal time to dig out our sewing machines and revamp our winter wardrobes. I think the autumn/winter fashions in recent years have been very drab and predictable but this year the Winter Fabrics on the catwalk are far more exciting than usual and I can't wait to get started. This season is set to see an abundance of colour and texture with metallic, mock suedes and velvets all being very on-trend. Here at Calico Laine our Winter Fabrics will not let you down, we have something for everyone. Personally I just love the mock suedes, this range has been around for years and never seems to date, this season it's particularly fashionable much to my delight. Not only is the suede an excellent quality Winter Fabric but it is also very versatile and economical. I have my eye on one of the neutral shades to make a nice A-line skirt but it can also be used for jackets, bags and a multitude of home décor projects. Don't forget that suede has a nap so be sure to buy enough fabric to allow for this, for those who don't know, nap refers to fabric that has a pile (Velvet, suede, corduroy etc etc) this can cause it to appear different shades from different angles so always ensure your pattern pieces are facing the right direction. The autumn seems to have arrived very early this year, the summer feels like a long distant memory already! As a consequence we've all had our winter jumpers and warm boots out. I spent the weekend making my kids some nice warm clothes out of corduroy. Nobody would blame you for thinking that corduroy is both old-fashioned and dowdy but corduroy has actually made a huge come back this year. Here at Calico Laine we have a fabulous selection of corduroys to cater for all tastes. Corduroy is an excellent Winter Fabric as it is warm, washes well and is very versatile. This weekend I used some of the fine cerise and turquoise corduroys to make my daughter a dress and a pair of dungarees. I love these bright coloured corduroys, they are incredibly soft and have a very modern fashionable look for a traditional winter fabric. What are you making this autumn? We love to see peoples creations, why not upload a picture to our facebook page?