Recent Purchases: Fabric, Trim, etc..(Destination Shopping)

Pacific Trimming and me wearing a caftan in

Over the last few months, I’ve combined my vacation and work with a bit
of fabric shopping with sewing friends  this started out with sew camp
and my trip to FabricMart.  There was sooo much fabric that I purchased
that I was too overwhelmed to even right a post (insert eye roll for the
rookie lol), I literally took bolts and bolts off the shelf at
Fabricmart!  This, in my opinion was a great opportunity to meet like
minded people and talk sewing without getting on someone’s nerves
(insert eye roll for non-sewing friends and family!).

Sign out side It’s a Material Word aka the Janky Store

At the “Janky Store”

If you have an opportunity to meet with sewing friends, take it!  It was so much fun meeting everyone and talking, it’s easy to stay in our sewing bubble and the internet, face to face interaction is good for us and we have a vast number of sewing people around the world who are willing to meet.

Kashi from Metro Textiles

Mood Fabric NYC!

Some of my favorite bloggers gave tips for shopping NYC garment district so I wont recreate the wheel here, but I will link to the reviews I found useful.   Check these posts:  Sewmanju, Diary of Sewing fanatic,  Inside the Hem and Cashmerette.   I only had a few hours so I didn’t get to go to the MET or any of the museums, maybe next time.  I was trying to be good (whatever that means), I’m a New Yorker so I didn’t have the same initial amazement of New York that people visiting have but there were a fee things I needed to do like see friends and family in addition to shopping that also got cut short.  I will say if you plan to buy a lot, bring or purchase an extra bag preferably one that roll like others have said, fabric get’s heavy walking in the concrete jungle!  I wore a back pack and kept snacks and water (I got hangry at Fabricmart and fizzled out after a few hours).  Also, many fabric stores are upstairs, give them a call and they will give you directions.

In Barbados, Abby met me in one of the popular fabric stores in town, Abeds and we talked, laughed and shopped.  She took me to the tourist spots, and then we went to where the locals shop and that’s where I purchased my fabric and a few pairs of earrings.  She was so much fun and it was great hanging out with her!  She gave great places to go and eat or visit if we wanted to hang out too.

Scuba border print and Ankara from Barbados, hubby has claimed the Ankar (insert eye roll)

Good Food

In Denver, I met with a fellow Sew Much Talent Facebook group admin Elizabeth of .Elizabeth Made This   We ate a local cafe and went shopping at Fancy Tiger Crafts, I only had a few hours but the fabric store was small enough for us to shop and eat before my Uber arrived.  I purchased an eggplant Linen piece and a mustard Viscose Rayon, both are delish!

Linen and Viscose rayon from Fancy Tiger Crafts in Denver

Last but not least, in NYC, Carolyn met me at Metro textiles.  Carolyn is the perfect shopping companion, she knows all the fabric and trim stores and she’s good to bounce ideas off of.  I had an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite so she took me to a pharmacy and we kept it moving.  I went to Metro Textiles and I spent the bulk of my budget there, I purchased about 30 yards of fabric, mostly silk and some Selvedge denim for about $8 a yard!   I didn’t buy anything at Chic fabric because they were super rude and wouldn’t let me touch the fabric, I mean really, who doesn’t allow someone to touch fabric before purchasing?  They had a a good price on knit and ITY but, no, they didn’t get my money.

Navy Crepe and Salmon Rayon from Metro Textiles

Beautiful Coral double Gauze from Metro Textiles

Mustard, Aztec and White Silk can you say camis!  From Metro Textiles

Embroidered cotton and Selvedge Denim from Metro Textiles

Embroidered gauze and more Selvedge denim from the Janky Store (It’s a Material World)

I purchased some more Selvedge denim for $7 a yard from It’s a Material World aka the Janky store.  They had great prices and are closing/ moving, I wish I had more space in my bag and time to shop, they had a few good finds.  You can get lost in the trim stores, we went to Pacific Trimming and yes, I forgot my swatches so I stared at all the beautiful buttons and Carolyn reminded me that this would have gone smother if I listened to her and brought swatches, lol!  I also picked up some other trim/ notions.

Carolyn introduced me to this gathered waist band stuff and seam binding, soo cool!

Buttons, pin and all the ribbing from Pacific Trimmings!  I love this Gucci inspired ribbing.

Ughh! this was a lot, I think I’ll write another post with my plans for some of this fabric.  Overall I’ve had a fantastic time fabric shopping and meeting with sewing friends, more meet and greets to come and of course more fabric!