Saturday 9 March 2013

Fabric Websites, Shops & Blogs I Love....

Hello Ladies and Gents,
Bill Murray and a beaver

Today is a dull, dank and dark day with the skies full of thick grey cloud...it has been so grey these last few days its been like a scene from Groundhog Day. As the weather is sooooo depressing the only thing to do is to look at fabric websites and dream about my next projects....

With my next projects simmering in the background (shower cap bloggie coming soon) I thought I would share with you websites that I truly love and have set me in good stead on my stitching journey. They will be split into four areas:

  • Online
  • Fabric shops
  • Haberdashery shops
  • Blogs & websites

So lets begin...

Online

Fabric Rehab - http://www.fabricrehab.co.uk/
This is a great online store that sells a wide range of fabrics from lightweight to heavyweight. They describe the fabric really well and take great quality photos and try to scale where possible - they also have good offers on bundles too. The delivery of the fabric is quick and if you feel you have made a mistake there is a number you can call and they are always helpful.

Fabric shops

Tikki - http://www.tikkilondon.com/
A great little shop in Kew (South West London) that specialises in quilting and patchwork and also sells an array of glorious fabrics. This shop is my nearest and I only discovered it today so definitely will be back to have a thorough look around (I only popped in today for some elastic). Its good to know I've a great shop on my doorstep (20 minute walk, or 5 mins on the bus!) as before I had to go into town if I forgot something.

Ray Stitch - http://www.raystitch.co.uk/
This shop in Islington (North East London) is a shop of fabric magic. It has a great selection of fabrics and a small haberdashery plus a cafe! The shop is neatly presented and the staff are very helpful. They also run classes for all skill types and I hopefully will be booking myself on one soon.

Liberty - http://www.liberty.co.uk/
To me, Liberty is a truly magnificent shop - having more to offer than cosmetics and clothes. The fabric range is dreamy and I love the fact that some of it is made in UK still. The prints are wonderful and I will purchase something from here soon to make something for my husbandy...

As my passion for sewing is growing all the time I need to get my fabric fix when I can. If I know me and husbandy are going on a day trip I search the web to see if they have any sewing shops... below are some little gems I have found so far...

The Sewing Shop Canterbury - http://www.thesewingshopcanterbury.co.uk/
This shop is a cutsie shop that is situated near the heart of Canterbury. Here I found some great 1950 print fabric but I didn't buy any at the time - oh well it just means I have to go back! 

The Brighton Sewing Centre - http://www.brightonsewingcentre.co.uk/
This shop is only 5 mins from the train station. Again it has a great selection of fabrics and also the added bonus of specialising in Berina sewing machines. The shop is neatly presented and friendly staff.

Haberdashery

Macculloch and Wallis - http://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/
Macculloch and Wallis is situated in the centre of London (just off Oxford Street) and sells a superb range of fabrics. The fabrics are totally wonderful but I love Macculloch and Wallis for it's haberdashery. If you think you can't find what you're looking for in the haberdashery world then look no further - they have more buttons, elastic, trimmings, craft tools, etc than you could possibly dream about. It always has what I want and I think it will do you for you too.

Blogs and websites

The Thirfty Stitcher - http://www.thethriftystitcher.co.uk/

This website really helped me on my way to start my sewing journey. The tutorials are clear and precise and offer great hints and tips on where to buy things and how to make things. Again, they offer tutorials ranging from beginners to advance so I may have to book myself on a beginners course soon!

Quilting along the Grain - http://quiltingalongthegrain.blogspot.co.uk/
I love the style of this blog...and this is what partly inspired me to do my blog today (a good blog on grey material). This blog offers great hints and tips and is always a good read!

Handmade Jane - http://handmadejane.blogspot.co.uk/
This blog always makes me smile and I love the photos used....Austin Powers, Percy from Blackadder 2.... I also used her blog to make my Mother-in-Law's wash bag (which was well received so big smiles all round). Great tutorials which are clear and concise - good for beginners!

There are a lot of websites, shops and blogs in the sewing world and I have shared with you the ones I have experienced so far. If there is not one here that suits you then get googling! As I said at the beginning of this blog, these websites, shops and blogs have set me in good stead at the start of my sewing journey and hopefully they will do for you too. 

Happy Stitching x

P.S. The piccie below is taken the same time last year (10/03/12)...what a difference in the weather!

Sunny March 2012

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