Making Life more Beautiful
You may remember that I won a box of haberdashery from William Gee, a Dalston (Hackney, London) institution. While I had ordered a few products from them, via the internet, I decided to visit the shop. Adam Graham – the … Continued
I covered the best places to shop for fabric in London and was prompted by a couple of readers to try two of our famous East London markets – Ridley Road (in Hackney) and Walthamstow market (in Waltham Forest). Happily … Continued
This is a big topic, and one that I am fairly new to. This week, accompanied by three interesting dressmakers, I went to a leather wholesaler – Storm in Hackney. Run by Charlie and George, originally from Cyprus, with Nigerian … Continued
I love markets. I used to sell fabric on them with my cousin David Ryecroft from the age of about 12 to 16, getting up at about 4am and driving to various towns in Yorkshire and Lancashire. We would unpack … Continued
When visiting my Mother we often go out on a Saturday afternoon for what we, in Lancashire, call “a run”. This is not a run in the normal use of the word. It actually means “a run in the car”. … Continued
On a recent trip to Bilbao we saw three or four small shops where you can learn to sew. In one there was even a class going on. So the trend that is already evident in London, and elsewhere no … Continued
I enjoy making clothes from vintage patterns. Some I buy in charity shops, but most I get on eBay. On the whole I buy the cheaper ones, searching by “lowest price” rather than anything else. If you buy patterns here … Continued
How could I not fall in love with a shop called Fabrications? It is not easy to get to. I had to take two buses from work (Kings Cross). It is a ten minute plus walk to the tube station … Continued
I have been spending a little time lately looking round the fabric shops of Lancashire. So it was inevitable that I would get to Abakhan soon, as recommended by Maria Josephine. The Abakhan name is common in Turkey, although it seems … Continued