When I was employed at the college, one of my roles was in charge of ordering supplies for the fashion department. That was one of the perks of the job. It felt like Christmas when the orders came in. Once in a while we take part in workshops to sample new supplies organised by the manufacturers/suppliers or attend exhibitions to make new contacts.
Today’s blog is mainly a link for students studying in the UK. If you are a sewer or crafter you might find this useful because sometimes you just can’t get that special item unless you know someone that knows.
Here are a few links to point you in the right direction. I am not listing all the shops I personally use but mainly the shops that sells or specialises in certain items of interest that may help you with your projects.
Art equipment/classroom equipment: Please note some of these companies may only deal with UK businesses only. You might need your college/university shop to order it in for you.
Beads, Chips, Crystals, Stones, Wire, Jewellery Findings and Tools
Based in Lichfield is this small shop that surprisingly sells a huge assortment of beads and jewellery findings. This is the only decent bead shop I know of in the Westmidland area. They frequently attend the annual Hobby Craft exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham.
I used to pop into this shop when I am in London. Here is where I buy my Swarovski crystals for bridal attire. They have a large range of jewellery findings for hobbyist and professionals.
A treasure trove for weavers, spinners, filters, dyers, embroiderers, artists and designers. If you are after threads and fibres then this is the place to be. They have a huge collection of materials and equipment for fibre art and textiles craft. If you are looking for rare items like weaving looms, embroidery frames, and spindles then checkout their website.
Based in London, they have a treasure trove of rare and popular buttons in stock. Always recommended to sewers.
Digital Printing
Used a lot by students and designers when creating fashion collections.
Fabric Suppliers
Lingerie Supplies, Powernet, Bra Patterns, Fabric, Sewing Courses and more.
I found this contact through an exhibition. I have only used this place to purchase a bra pattern and only directed my students here to purchase bra making trims.
Based in Bradford this is where the colleges and universities get their calico for toiles from. If you buy 10m+ you can get a bit of a discount. They also sell powernet, silk, poplin, cotton, chiffon, silk chiffon, bamboo silk, taffeta, Rigilene plastic boning, interfacing that is iron on and sew on. There is just too many to list. You can request samples as well but this can be limited.
Not sure I love them or hate them. Obviously I have to give them a mention since they are famous for their Tana Lawn Cotton fabrics which every sewer goes on about. A lot of sewing tourist will definitely leave London with a metre or two of this beautiful fabric. No doubt about it. I think it’s a very nice fabric. If you have never been to Liberty you might want to detour and pay them a visit next time. It is very beautifully laid out and you can awe at the display. Liberty of London is not just your usual department store. However, for someone who has been researching and buying sewing equipment and haberdashery for some time now, I think the haberdashery selection is ok. I am sure you have more choice if you went to the other shops that I will be mentioning later. Some people actually drool when they hear Liberty fabrics. Yes, the fabrics are like no other. The prints are created by designers, the fabric is soft, the thread count is quality, it keeps you cool during summer, soft on the skin, keeps its shape, hardly needs ironing, and not so see through.
But is it worth buying Liberty fabrics at that price? Ok it’s not so expensive that the ordinary person cannot afford it but is it really worth it? Just to get this out of the way, personally I think it is a blatant rip off! Ok, I don’t mind paying for fabric I really like and Liberty do have some nice prints but out of every 20 prints or so I find only one that looks appealing to the eye and the print is in the right proportion to my body or to make a garment out of. Otherwise the dainty prints just start to play with my eyes! Some people would say you are paying for the history, the name and the quality.
My reason why I stopped looking at fabrics in Liberty was because their Tana Lawn Cotton fabric was retailed at £22.50 per metre. I had exactly the same fabric on my shelf at home, but in a different colour, bought for £2.99 per metre! I’m not sure about you but did I just bagged myself a bargain of the century?
Where did you buy the fabric from, did I hear? You will just have on keep on reading.
The first time I came here was by accident. I saw a sign in the street saying haberdashery, I just went to check it out. This is one of my favourite haberdashery shops in the UK. Every time I go to London I always make a detour here to just see what new products they have to offer. The shop is split into 3 levels.
The ground floor sells all sorts of fabric, mostly quite expensive. I remember seeing some authentic Japanese Kimono fabrics that were 14 inches wide. I can’t remember the price because it was that expensive it just didn’t register in my head. I swiftly went up stairs to the first floor after that.
The first floor is absolutely amazing. Zips, sewing threads, sewing notions, scissors, Rigilene plastic boning, metal boning, corset eyelets, corset lace, feathers, buttons, bias binding that was not cheap and tacky but in an assortment of prints in satin or cotton.
The top floor sold millinery equipment, ribbon and cord, as well as sewing and hemming machines. Since the last time I came here they have refurbished their shop.
Based in Birmingham they sell a good selection of fabrics ranging from craft and dressmaking to upholstery. My students used to come here because it was close to the college. Their prices are reasonable. Students usually get a 10% discount but it is up to the owner’s discretion. I am giving this place a mention because they seem to have a good range of Neoprene to offer in the West Midlands. My students bought this fabric for their 5D project because holds it shape, great for experimental textile pieces that you don’t want to fray at the edges.
This is another fabric shop based in Birmingham. A new contender added to my list recently. I only know about this place because one of my ex students worked there. They have a huge warehouse which I hope one day I get to have a grand tour of! Cheeky of me. You just don’t understand. I love fabric. Ok, I admit I wear black all the time but when it come to fabric there is no limit! I was checking their range of fabric with prints and I can tell you they are mouthwatering good. There was one thing I noticed though, they sell a strawberry print cotton exactly the same as the one I bought recently from Hawkers Bazaar in Hong Kong, but at Hawkers it was at a bargain price!
This shop was open in 2013 by Lauren who was a finalist in the Great British Sewing Bee, series one. I was actually rooting for her to win! I almost went to visit her shop because my colleague at the college did workshops for her. Unfortunately my move was a bit of a rush and I didn’t get to meet her.
Anyway back to the blog. Absolutely love the gorgeous fabrics she stocks. Beautiful prints suitable for all kinds of projects. There are subtle prints for dressmaking, bold colours for crafts, geometrics for home décors or do as you like. She also sells haberdashery, patterns, kits as well as runs sewing lessons, patchwork, crochet, knitting, and pattern cutting.
Flock Fabric
Basically you apply a fabric glue to the fabric/garment of your choice. You then place the flock paper on top with the flock bit touching the glue. Once glue dries you peel back the paper leaving behind the flock effect.
This company supplies the latest fabrics with transfer prints, screen prints, foil prints and flock prints. I remember finding them for a colleague in the textiles department. This company was kind enough to send me around 6 sheets of A4 flock paper to experiment with.
Before everyone bombards this company for samples I must warn you they might only deal with business or education only.
This company can flock about almost anything. Realistic prices and service if you don’t want to get flock everywhere. Whatever your project is they will flock it for you.
Latex Fabric: From time to time you will get the odd student that want something out of the ordinary. I once had a student who wanted to make fabric out of latex. Latex can be fun. You can trap things in it, mould into any shape as long as you have a shape for it to adhere to. But it can be messy and stinky at the same time. So imagine his joy when he found out you can buy latex fabric. Not cheap but you can buy it from the Cloth House in London.
47 Berwick Street, London W1F 8SJ 020 74375155 47@clothhouse.com
98 Berwick Street, London W1F 0QJ 020 7287 1555 98@ clothhouse.com
Leather Supplies
For leather, tools and trims. This is a place hidden in the back alley of a street. Hardly any advertisement done but everybody in the trade knows about this place. If you are after anything to do with leathercraft then pop down to the J.T. Batchelor. I came down here on one of the trips with my students. No one wanted to leave empty handed. This reminded me of my shopping trips in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The price of the items are probably the typical price you would pay for in London. The range is quite extensive and cheaper than other leather shops in London.
Click on the map to enlarge. Sorry about the quality. I took this photo in the shop around 10 years ago.
Fashion Equipment in UK
UK colleges buy their pattern cutting equipment and mannequins from here. If you are after a large roll of pattern paper either Dot & Cross or just plain, this is the place. Pattern cutting card in Buff/Orange/Green/Blue for you pattern blocks. Notchers, pins, pattern masters, pattern cutting books, you name it. If you can take a student with you with ID. You get 10% off. If you are lucky at the beginning of the Autumn term Morplan has a mini catalogue with more discounts.
Not exactly a shop but worth a mention. They have very good range of pattern cutting/drafting equipment in the West Midlands before Morplan opened their store in Birmingham. You can get half size pattern masters, sewing tools and gadgets, haberdashery, sewing patterns, sewing machines and accessories, Patchwork and Quilting supplies, storage and lighting equipment, and fabrics all in one place.
Heat Transfer Foil
If you fancy having some metallic foil transfer on your handmade cards then I suggest you should try Heath Transfer Foils. All you need is a laser printer or photocopier and a laminator. Though some people may use an iron but I wouldn’t recommend it. This is where I got my foils from to make my wedding invites.
Crafts
Panduro Hobby can be found dotted around Europe. This is a catalogue for crafts that you mail order. I first came across this in my local WHSmith’s in the magazine/hobby section in my teens. An abundance of craft and sewing items available from here.
Hobby Craft is my local hangout when I used to live in the UK. When I first set eyes in there you could not make me leave. I would spend hours looking at the products and planning what I can do with them. It would be my dream job to work there. They are the UK’s largest hobby and craft retailers. Their shops are usually in big out of town retail parks. Sometimes taking up to 2 floors, catering for the hobby enthusiasts. You could buy paints, miniature models, craft kits, knitting, crochet, sewing, painting, dolls, ribbon, beads, Martha Stewart punches, paper, card, fabric flowers, sewing machines, tool boxes, hobby books, organisers and cake decorating to name a few. At one stage Hobby Craft went a bit down hill. It took them a bit of rebranding and a few years before it started picking up again. At one stage I was disappointed because the stock was very out of trend.
Hobbycraft, Sewing for Pleasure, Stitch & Sew Exhibitions, Cake Show, Christmas Crafts in Birmingham/London/Glasgow. Usually twice a year, you get 2 shows for the price of one.
They tend to have one for trade only and one for the public. Everything and anything to do with hobby and making. First time I drag the boyfriend here he could not believe how many people are into “homemade” card making, quilting and cross stitching! He was so glad I wasn’t into that stuff! When I said homemade I really do mean it looks “PROPER” homemade where you buy a kit with all the card and stickers ready for you to create your signature card! Yes, that type of homemade! Well there is always something for everyone.
Great to go to for contacts and research. If you go on the last day you might risk getting the stuff that no one wants, or you get absolute bargains because some exhibitors don’t want to take the stuff away. Be aware the aisles can be quite tight and wheelchair users, OAPs, mother with strollers will be about. Wear suitable footwear if you don’t want to run the risk of getting your toes squashed. Bring your own bags and lots of change. The price of food and drink is extortionate. The toilets can be quite a wait or very dirty. Apart from that it is well worth visiting. I have never been to one outside Birmingham. The Birmingham location is probably the best because it is not far from the city centre and the transport links isn’t too bad. Trains run into New Street Station/ Grand Central every 10 minutes or so and it only takes 10-15 minutes to get there.
Ribbons, Sewing Supplies and Trims
Very expensive but very pretty ribbons, haberdashery and trimmings in London.
Based in the Midlands there are two Nova Trimmings warehouses. One based in Leicester and one based in Birmingham. This is where I purchase most of the fashion department haberdashery and trims from. Very realistic prices if you want to buy zips and boning in bulk. Very good customer service and punctual with their postage. I haven’t personally been there before but they do say you can visit their warehouses.
Based in Chester they have a lot of machines on display for you to try. Their catalogue has a lot of sewing notions and haberdashery normally not found in some local sewing shops. Service and delivery is excellent. Their showroom does not even display all the stock so it is best to slowly browse through their catalogue.
Brilliant place to get Wool and Jersey Yarns. Especially if you want to make something out of the ordinary. Great for knitters and crochet crafts.
John Lewis used to be the only department store locally that sells sewing, fabric, haberdashery and equipment. The only place I purchase things to stock and organise my sewing/craft studio. Before I had a house my studio was basically 3 large tool boxes with wheels and drawers. I used to love coming to John Lewis when they had sewing patterns at ½ price. I must confess, I have a lot of patterns from these sales. I have to hide them from family and friends because I know I will get a good telling off for collecting something that I teach! Not to mention, I don’t need either. Before I moved I actually cut my collection down. Sold most of the patterns on Ebay just to fund more craft and fabrics! I can never have enough scissors, rulers, fabric, stationery or paper! Oh yes I have a collection of those that I will be sharing with you in my next blog.
Back to this Blog…..
Every John Lewis may stock different selections of fabrics and materials. The fabric choice isn’t the best compare to the vast quantity in London but sufficient enough to make an evening dress and the odd Halloween costume. The items made by demonstrators were always out of date and not very inspiring to a fashion or textiles student. They have a good selection of haberdashery and sewing notions and is probably one of the best places for this kind of shopping outside of London.
Update: 2018, I have heard news that John Lewis might be scrapping their haberdashery department in the near future!
In the middle of Soho, London you will find this gorgeous high-end fabric store. It might look a bit intimidating at first but if you go to the floor below you will get to the clearance section where there are metres and metres of print fabric at discounted prices. If you are very lucky you might just find some tweed at a discount price of 60% off.
If you are after French bead/sequin embroidery and Tambour needles/hooks then this is the place to buy it from. Based in the corner of North Wales, near Anglesey, you will find a normal detached house in a scenic cul de sac. You wouldn’t expect they sell haberdashery and all things to do with hand embroidery. I was lucky enough to be allowed in after passing by on one of my road trips with the boyfriend back then. Usually not open to the public, strictly mail order only. I got to know the lady because of my links with the college and I notified her before I turned up. Here they stock every brand of embroidery threads. The house was completely jam packed from floor to ceiling with purls, spangles, shisha, shells, books, and quilting products. Here is the place were you can get your hands on some hot and cold water soluble fabric, great if you want to create freehand machines embroidery. Not forgetting to mention Thermogaze/Vanishing Muslin. Like the water soluble fabric but dissolvable using a hot iron. This stuff is like gold to a textile designer.
Check out their sister site for fabrics like calico in a variety of weights. Bleached and unbleached. Chiffon, Cotton, Georgette, Satins, Crepe, Interlinings and more for your dressmaking needs.
Abakhan. The name sounds like magic itself. Well, if I told you I got my Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton fabric from here at a fraction of the cost wouldn’t you think that was magic?
I came across this fabric shop on one of my adventures with the boyfriend back in year 2000. He would take me on road trips up in the Welsh mountains and foraging in the seas for cockles in his sports car. Sorry, I got carried away reminiscing the carefree days before we got married and had a baby.
Yes, Abakhan was one of the shops that caught my eye. I have been too all their shops. Wales, Liverpool, Chester and Stoke-on-Trent. Since then 4 more have popped up in the UK. Preston, Birkenhead, Manchester and Bolton. They have a large selection of fabrics mostly sold by weight. Some are remnants or end of rolls. A large variety of haberdashery, knitting wool/yarn, and craft section. The main one I go to is in Wales, Flintshire. They have an outdoor cabin that sells 50p bargain bra hooks and trims, craft selection, tools and equipment. There is a little outbuilding that sells fabric at a bargain price. I remember getting a huge roll of ivory tulle netting, roughly 60+ metres, 120 inches wide for £4. Ok, it had slight imperfections but you get what you pay for. That bag was coming home with me no matter what!
As I have already mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I got my Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton fabric for £2.99 per metre here at Abakhan compared to £22.50 from Liberty London. That price was quite a few years go. If you go to abakhan.co.uk you might be lucky and find some ranging from £5.99 to £22 per metre depending on stock/design.
This fabric shop is located on Old Brompton Road, Kensington, London. You will not believe how much fabric is stored here. There are rooms and corridors full of shelves filled with precut fabric. Their selection of Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton is even larger than Liberty itself. You think it’s over until you see the rolls and rolls of fabric they still have against the walls. Stocking the latest and past fabric collections you definitely won’t be leaving empty handed. The price is even more appealing, you can easily save £5 per metre of fabric here. So next time you are in London don’t buy on impulse. There are plenty of bargains to snatch up if you know where to go.
So, that is it for today. My guide to sourcing Sewing & Craft supplies in the UK. I hope someone will find this useful.
If you are planning a trip to the Far East then check out: My Ultimate Shopping Guide to Sewing, Leather, Craft & Sewing Materials in Hong Kong, you might need to re-plan your trip and take a detour there for some serious retail therapy.
Until next time, take care!
Shan x