The Sewing Place

Recommended brick & mortar shops

jaloma

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #30 on: March 19, 2017, 10:03:48 AM »
For those in the Essex area Belle Fabrics in Leigh on Sea is lovely - there's a fabulous range including row upon row of designer quilting cotton along with jerseys, fleece, net, polycotton etc; it is really nicely laid out too.
Kayes Textiles in Westcliff is also a great treasure trove of all sorts and really good value. I never leave empty handed!

crooknees

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2017, 18:42:34 PM »
Thank you for the recommendations. We are going to Canterbury for the week in early May. Still have my Christmas money, so Canterbury and Kent shops can expect a visit. :D

Lowena

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2017, 18:47:04 PM »
Cornwall - Truro fabrics is good ( I understand ) for general fabrics.
For P and Q ; The Sewing Studio, Redruth - Coast and Country Crafts, Perranaworthal ( between Truro and Falmouth ) - Cowslip Workshops, Launceston.
Triumph of hope over experience :D

Tamnymore

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #33 on: May 13, 2017, 17:13:50 PM »
And just a mention for Edgeley Fabrics in Stockport. It's very near Stockport station so if you ever have half an hour to spare waiting for a connection at Stockport station take yourself out the back door of the station (the Edgeley entrance) and up the hill to Castle Street. This is very much a no-frills shop. There are no shop fittings; the rolls of fabric are piled against the walls so you have to be careful picking things up or you will start a fabric avalanche!

They specialise in cottons, polycottons, dance wear and curtain fabrics but there are often some surprising bargains to be had. I got a very nice digitally printed viscose for, I think, £4.40 pm the other day. I was after linings today and I knew that they also specialised in £1 per yard linings. (The shop used to be called the Pound a Yard Shop- they are related to the £1 per yard shop in Dewsbury). I snagged a red lining with little paisley-ish patterns on it, a tartan lining (for all those Vivienne Westwood knock-offs I will make one day) and a pale blue for a teal coloured coat I have on the go. There's no hugely great quality to these linings but at £1 per yard who cares? The pale blue is actually the best quality of the three.  Here's a picture. As usual, shiny fabric does not photograph well but it gives you an idea.

Also, the lady who runs it is very nice and helpful and genuinely seems to appreciate her customers!
'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' Oscar Wilde

Sewcycle

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #34 on: September 28, 2018, 10:59:07 AM »
Tamnymore- I'm so glad you mentioned Edgley Fabrics in Edgely shopping centre. I always go there when I come back to see my Dad. It's a treasure trove of rolls all over the place. The linings are great ( I've had recognised brand linings from there) and also waterproof fabrics. I can also recommend the Fent shop in Macclesfield. Much more ordered than Edgely Fabrics but another wonderland.

The reason I am so enthusiastic about these shops....I live in Canterbury- a desert when it comes to fabric shops...only C&H Fabrics here. I shouldn't complain- I'm glad they are still around and I have spent a lot of time looking through their remnant table where the most unusual fabrics are found, with very occasional bargains  ;)
'Is there a life before breakfast'

Sewcycle

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #35 on: September 28, 2018, 11:04:59 AM »
No sadly not, Francesca. They vanished this year. No announcement or anything! Thanks for mentioning Shufflebottoms in Macclesfield. I'll look in there next time I visit.
'Is there a life before breakfast'

Sewcycle

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #36 on: September 28, 2018, 11:07:10 AM »
 So Chic, thanks for mentioning the Haberdashery Shop in Ramsgate. I didn't know it existed. I'm definitely going on an expedition there soon!
'Is there a life before breakfast'

Greybird

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #37 on: September 28, 2018, 11:20:09 AM »
We don't have much here that would be worth travelling long distances for, but I can recommend Forever England in Wells, Somerset. They are mainly quilts (sorry dark side people!), bedding homewares etc. but you can buy their fabrics off the roll and they are not expensive. Some of them are double width. They are online, but the shop is well worth a visit if you are nearby.

www.foreverengland.com

Tamnymore

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #38 on: September 28, 2018, 13:08:39 PM »
Interestingly I've just swung by The Fent Shop in Macc this morning @Sewcycle! I was on my way back from Shufflebothams in Macc (corner of Gunco Lane and Heapy Street on the way to Wincle  :D :D ). Shuffs have the most amazingly huge selection of curtain fabrics and also have some nice tweeds and wools and so on for dressmaking. I had my eye on some linen/wool/silk mixture very lightweight tweeds from Magee of Donegal - not ultra cheap (£15 pm) but fabulous quality and much cheaper than you would pay elsewhere, that is if you could ever find those fabrics elsewhere.
'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' Oscar Wilde

Sewcycle

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #39 on: September 28, 2018, 16:19:38 PM »
Tamnymore- would certainly be cheap for down here, could you even get such things! It sounds lovely. What are you thinking of it for. A coat. I'm just going through my coat patterns. I really need to clear stash and I have 3 wool/ synthetic fabrics...... yellowish check, black with coloured inclusions and texture, and a plain grey suiting. I'm thinking the yellow next....for autumn! Now to match it to a pattern. ( As you can tell, lack of suitable shops has led me to hoarding) :o
'Is there a life before breakfast'

Tamnymore

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #40 on: September 28, 2018, 17:00:04 PM »
Don't worry @Sewcycle , we all hoard on TSP!  These fabrics are too lightweight for coats. Possibly a lightwight jacket, maybe even a dress - not sure how washable the fabrics are though.

Just found very similar fabrics on the Magee website for £48.30!
« Last Edit: September 28, 2018, 17:15:18 PM by Tamnymore »
'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' Oscar Wilde

wrenkins

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #41 on: September 29, 2018, 07:57:08 AM »
Magee's is one of my mum's favourite shops. Any mention of Donegal and she's up for it!  0_0
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Sewcycle

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #42 on: September 29, 2018, 08:36:07 AM »
Tamnymore- sounds like a buy! I wash everything, carefully, at the beginning. I haven't had a total disaster yet, and also dye runs are easier coped with if you know early on.
Depends on how much you like it. Could you ask them for a square to test?

 Not sure I could ever buy fabric at £48 a metre Wrenkins! How would you ever cut into it!
'Is there a life before breakfast'

Tamnymore

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #43 on: September 29, 2018, 09:04:00 AM »
Well you need to bring your Mum over for a holiday amongst all these bargain Magee fabrics @wrenkins . Another good place for Donegal tweeds is Fabworks online and in a real shop in Dewsbury. Theirs are Avoca.
I love tweed - as well as Donegals I have Harris tweed and Yorkshire tweed sitting in the stash.
'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' Oscar Wilde

wrenkins

Re: Recommended brick & mortar shops
« Reply #44 on: September 29, 2018, 12:27:53 PM »
HaHa the thought of my mum buying fabric! She doesn't even know if she still owns a sewing machine as she hasn't seen it for maybe forty years. Knowing my dad...it's hidden where she couldn't find it and throw it out...I hope.
No no no she's one of the RTW brigade in Magees.  0_0 Her little eyes light up and off she goes.
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!