Fabric Shopping

We have a pretty good choice of fabric shops here where I live in Chichester.

• C & H Fabrics is a chain based in the South and South East of England and stocks fabric, patterns, yarn and haberdashery.
• Clothkits are based in The Hornet in a converted pub and if you don’t know about the company the website is worth a look to learn about their story. As well as fabric, yarns and haberdashery they run regular courses and the shop is home to Maria Pulley who is a brilliant dress designer. I’ve done a machine embroidery course and another entitled Professional Techniques for Dressmakers run by Maria. I really enjoyed both. I was very enthusiastic about continuing at home with the machine embroidery but the specially purchased darning foot has never been out of the packet. Another challenge for the list.
• The Eternal Maker is based in Terminus Road, an industrial estate near the railway station. Their cavernous premises houses a very large collection of fabrics, patterns, yarn, haberdashery and a lot of buttons – they also run The Button Company. Their coffee shop serves really good cakes!

Although I do prefer to buy fabric in a shop where I can see and feel exactly what it’s like, I do also buy online and have had recent successes with purchases from Clothspot, Tissu Fabrics (huge range of jersey fabrics) and Raystitch.

I spotted this denim top on Net-a-Porter. I don’t buy clothes from them, I was just idly browsing the web to try and re-stock the fake tan my sister bought me for my birthday last year and it was the only place that had it! I have to say their packaging is gorgeous if rather extravagant. Back to the point, I decided the outrageously expensive top was not dissimilar to this Cynthia Rowley pattern for Simplicity which I have made up before so mounted a search for denim/chambray fabric and came across Sherwoods Fabrics for the first time. They have an amazing range of denim as well as a good selection of other fabrics. Definitely worth a look, although I’ve not ordered anything yet.

Kyrie of kyrie_in_kalamityland has just bought some lovely dark blue gabardine from Calico Laine for £5.99 a metre and it looks like there are some very reasonably priced fabrics on there.

I am also hankering after this fabric from the Village Haberdashery when it comes back into stock and, having checked up on current availability (still Coming Soon), I found this double gauze which I think looks rather fun. I’ve just been working with this type of fabric so I know it makes up well despite its tendency to fray.

Have a great weekend!