Hi, I’ve just joined the forum.

[realale]

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[Tamnymore]

And here's a map which has the England/Scotland border drawn below Liverpool, Sheffield and Hull -   [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

and that' s fine by me! 

[Ouryve]

@Tamnymore    no it isn’t but living that far up was enough for me.   However people down here usually say 'Anything past Watford is north'.  I’m originally from Portsmouth and you can’t get much further south. I remember the cold and the snow every year.  It was a major event if it snowed in Pompey. 

We have a big John Lewis in Southampton and it still has a fabric, habby and wool  section.  Also sell sewing machines.

Newcastle John Lewis still has fabric and machines, too, though our new and very local Boyes is my go to place for gutermann thread, now, as it has a huge selection.

[Surest1tch]

Welcome @Clduk, welcome from me too. I've been sewing too since I was very young and made a career out of it. Now in theory I'm supposed to be retired and should be able to sew when I feel like it unfortunately it's not worked out that way due to unexpected family commitments.

[Clduk]

@Clduk I agree that a bit of poly mixed in makes for easy care/no iron but often the poly% isn't quoted and if there's too much they can be a bit sweaty/scratchy. Do you like knits? A good quality cotton lycra (95% cotton) is very comfortable and surprisingly cool in summer. I only buy CL if the weight is listed, at least 180 gsm but 200 or even 225 is lovely to make a t shirt dress for summer.

Yes it’s the higher % poly I don’t like, just can be wearing anything that makes me sweat at my age!

I haven’t tried making anything from cotton Lycra, but I’ve got some fabric I bought a few years ago 😬 in fact, I’ve got a little bit of white stretchy fabric I’ve had for years, can’t even remember buying it! So absolutely no idea what the fabric content is.

[Clduk]

Dewsbury in Lancashire?? You'll be rekindling the Wars of the Roses @Clduk .  In Manchester centre we just have Abakhan now but there's Leon's in Chorlton (take a tram from the city centre) and those stalls on market (192 bus from the centre). Nothing in Stockport now. There's the wonderful Shufflebothams in Macclesfield but we're getting right into Cheshire now!

    can’t be doing that! 😬

Thanks for that info on those places.

[Clduk]

Nooo, too big and scary for the likes of me. Anxiety.
I'm a cyclist so my go to place is Nortex mill. Dead friendly and just down the road from me. Cheaper than abakhan too.

Sorry to hear that, it does mean a bit of driving about for me but I don’t mind it. I do need to push myself though, i could easily default to letting my other half drive everywhere but know that would eventually take away my confidence.

[Tamnymore]

And the trouble with getting your other half to drive is that they tend to act as a bit of a brake on fabric purchase..... I don't think I've ever managed to visit Standfast and Barracks on my ownio... but that's probably a good thing.

[Clduk]

And the trouble with getting your other half to drive is that they tend to act as a bit of a brake on fabric purchase..... I don't think I've ever managed to visit Standfast and Barracks on my ownio... but that's probably a good thing.

Yep, it’s always better being able to mooch about on your own!

[Ouryve]

And the trouble with getting your other half to drive is that they tend to act as a bit of a brake on fabric purchase..... I don't think I've ever managed to visit Standfast and Barracks on my ownio... but that's probably a good thing.

Tell me about it! I've out the feelers out for a trip down to Fabric Mouse. No guarantee it would happen. I could get there on the bus but it's 3 buses and 2 1/2 hours each way with an added 20 minute walk at that end.

[Celia]

In my part of the south even if you are happy to drive there really is nothing much unless you are happy to go into London, that works out pretty expensive so I have found ether an exhibition if you are lucky or buy on line and take a chance.

I have had some lovely bargains from https://poundfabrics.co.uk/   Might just go and have another look

[Acorn]

I have just used Pound Fabrics for the first time and am delighted with the quality of the fabrics - and the price!  Not a pound, but one was £1.50 and the other £6.50 a metre.

I also use Calico Laine, Fabric Guild (not a vast choice, but nice stuff at good prices) and The Cheap Shop Tiptree - which is not a particularly cheap shop, but sells interesting fabrics at decent prices.  There are lots of others, but these are the ones that spring to mind.

From home I have Calico Kate (15 miles away) for quilting fabrics - incredible, vast choice, but no bargains (online as well but not the easiest to use) and Aberdashery (10 miles away) for dressmaking (and a little quilting) - a nice shop, but small. 

[Ohsewsimple]

Yes @Celia the south is really a desert as far as fabric is concerned. 
I’ve used Pound Fabrics too.  I blame @Tamnymore for that.    But it was her talking about getting the same fabric for less that now has me hunting.  I got some jacquard knit from them for £5 a metre as opposed to £17 a metre!   

[Tamnymore]

@Ohsewsimple guilty as charged!

[Ohsewsimple]

Absolutely @Tamnymore.  But it saved me some money.  Ok I lie it didn’t because I bought something else as well.