The Sewing Place

Fabric Stores in Scotland

Sewbee

Fabric Stores in Scotland
« on: September 13, 2017, 18:44:25 PM »
I am returning to sewing after a ten-year break. I receive my new sewing machine tomorrow so today I decided to visit a fabric store and was quite disappointed. It did not have as much fabric or the quality that the fabric stores had 30 years ago. It did have a few rolls of fair quality fabric but not many.

I recently moved countries so I haven't been here for quite a few years. Are there ANY decent fabric stores in Scotland?? Do I have to travel to parts of England perhaps? Or ... is the answer to buy online? But if so where from?

Surest1tch

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2017, 19:10:39 PM »
I think most of us have similar difficulties finding decent fabric stores nowadays, that's f you can find one period.
Have a look in this section for the online suppliers a lot of us use
http://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/board,35.0.html

Sewbee

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2017, 19:18:13 PM »
Thank you! I was  beginning to ask myself why I bother to buy a sewing machine  ;)

rowe1311

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2017, 19:41:36 PM »
I like Mandors in Glasgow city centre.  It is probably not the cheapest place but has a nice selection of curtain dress and craft fabrics. 

I recently went on a fabric shop trip to Edinburgh and was quite disappointed as I didn't find any that looked great and the ones I did see were pretty pricey, but there might have been wee hidden gems that I didn't find.   

This blog here mentions, ones in Glasgow with an overview of what they are like if that helps.   http://www.kestrelmakes.com/p/fabric-yarn-shopping-in-glasgow.html

Sewbee

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2017, 19:51:41 PM »
Thank you. It was Edinburgh I was in today and NOT impressed by its fabric stores. I haven't been to Glasgow yet but I am only 30 minutes away so I will try there next.

By the way to go to Mandors should I take the train to Central Station or Queen Street Station?

BlueCat

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2017, 20:58:50 PM »
It depends on the type of fabric you are looking for.  Edinburgh Fabrics up the bridges at St Patrick Square has dressmaking and some patchwork fabric. Also The Cloth Shop at Bonnington Road has dressmaking, curtain and some patchwork fabric.  The only other shops in Edinburgh I know of, are Fabric Focus, My Bear Paw and Edinburgh Patchwork, but don't know the extent of their stock as I have never visited.

If you can make it to Linlithgow, Purely Patchwork is a lovely shop with a good selection of (patchwork) fabric. 

Other than that, as Rowe1311 says, there is Mandors in Glasgow.  Just outside Glasgow, at the garden centre in Milngavie, there is a 'cottage' beside it which has a very good selection of patchwork fabric and books, called Kaleidoscope (website kalquilts) with a huge selection of batiks.



SkoutSews

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2017, 21:18:16 PM »
A bit of an echo here! The ones I have visited are The Cloth Shop, Bonnington Road; Edinburgh Fabrics, St. Patrick's Square and Edinburgh Fabrics in Bruntsfield has some special stuff. Where is your nearest city?  If you are out in the countryside, in the Borders, there is a good small shop in Melrose.  Clothworks in Kelso has a very small selection of dress fabrics, concentrating on furnishing fabrics.

The days of widely available good fabric shops (I have childhood memories of being bored stiff in Gordon Thoday's while my mother raked through the fabrics!) and departments seem to be long gone.  On the plus side, there is a lot available online.  I try to tell myself that my internet mistakes are more than outweighed by the convenience and value of online shopping, but I do miss a good browse.   

Sewingsue

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2017, 22:34:24 PM »
Another vote for Mandors in Glasgow.

On-line shopping is great, but I like to feel fabric.
Bernina Aurora 440QE, Brother BC-2500, Singer 99K (1938), Juki MO-654DE overlocker, Silver Viscount 620D overlocker.

Tamnymore

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2017, 22:47:54 PM »
Fabric Focus in Edinburgh has an excellent selection and Kevin is very knowledgeable and helpful. It used to be a branch of Mandors but Mandors gave it up a couple of years back when the lease ran out. It isn't a 'cheap' shop of the kind you get in NW England but I've had a lot from there. Ditto the Cloth Shop which is 5 minutes' walk from FF.

I think Edinburgh Fabrics is quite expensive. Never found anything to buy there. And I've never managed to pass the Dress Fabric Company when it was open.
Mandors in Glasgow is near Cowcaddens station on the Clockwork Orange. Again Mandors isn't ultracheap but it's a great shop. Edinburgh and Glasgow are pretty well served for fabric shops IMHO.

However, if you want really cheap fabrics you should join me on a trip along the transpennine fabric corridor.  ;) ;)
'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' Oscar Wilde

Sewingsue

Re: Fabric Stores in Scotland
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2017, 06:49:00 AM »
Bernina Aurora 440QE, Brother BC-2500, Singer 99K (1938), Juki MO-654DE overlocker, Silver Viscount 620D overlocker.