by Sherri Sylvester | May 28, 2014
Today we have a special treat! Alanna from Fridays Off Fabric Shop is here to tell us about a Toronto-based event that sounds really fun. I thought you’d all like to know about it, so I asked her if she would write up a little guest post and she has kindly agreed. If you can’t get there, make sure you check out her online shop. She’s got lots of fabric goodness for you to stash!
Got any plans for the weekend? If the answer is no, you might want to check out The Post Market in Toronto’s East end.
Hi! I am Alanna and I’m stoked to be guest posting here today. I own an online fabric shop called Fridays Off and I have have an event to share with y’all! 🙂
This weekend (May 31 & June 1) I will be crawling out from behind my laptop and setting up shop at The Post Market – a Toronto-based market featuring a curated group of talented vendors selling all things vintage, handmade and new.
I’ll be there (1075 Queen Street East in Toronto) from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday cutting yardage from my beautiful inventory of premium quality modern fabrics. I will also be stocked with fat quarters and half metre bundles as well as a few handmade items 🙂
In addition to yours truly there will be many other amazing vendors such as vintage clothing finds from Violet Crown Vintage, super hot custom wood furniture by Camstruction, cheeky note cards from Write it Forward, textiles and housewares from Cambie Design and lots more.
If you have been eyeing something in my shop but have been reluctant to click the mouse come out on the weekend and see it (and touch it) for yourself. Be inspired!
I hope to see you there!
So – do you think you will make it out? (And a big thanks to Alanna for letting us know about the event!)
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 28, 2013
I’m working on a big project, likely too late to finish it for tomorrow – but I’m giving it a shot! That said, today’s project is a quick one! I needed a business card holder to carry around Creativ Festival on Saturday and this tutorial popped up when I went looking. It is so CUTE and super fast. Perfect!
I am not sure if you could call this a review or not, because the instructions for this tutorial are so short they aren’t even numbered! It is called “Business Card Holder” (makes sense!) by Jodi Nelson from Pleasant Home. The tutorial itself is a Craftsy tutorial – but it is a free download if you are willing to sign up for a Craftsy account.
The directions are super clear, and it requires a tiny amount of fabric – perfect for scraps! I dug into my tiny “Type” stash (by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics) from Needlework, that I picked up in July of this year. I’ve been waiting to use this one, and it is so perfect for a business card holder. I was also happy to find the perfect button in my stash – a little clear so I didn’t cover up the typewriter too much!
Honestly, I’m not sure what else I could say about the pattern! There is nothing wrong with the directions, the business cards fit 15 per side, just as she says they will. These would make cute gift card holders and would be useful to store all of the random cards in your wallet too.
I will be back this week with a Creativ Festival review (and stash addition photo bomb!), Halloween costumes and maybe more. Thanks for coming over today, stay tuned!
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 4, 2013
As I was saying on Sunday – I splurged a tad to get some Liberty of London fabric (eek!) from Bee Modern Fabrics and Yarn last month. It came home in a super-cute bio-degradable re-usable bag – made in Canada! The bag is “hiding” under my Liberty Scarf Kit in the photo above, also packaged to look as amazing as you’d want to expect for Liberty.
I have to say (at the risk of sounding like a fabric snob) that I really love my little piece of Liberty! I wasn’t sure what the fuss was about until I got to see and feel it for myself. The prints are so pretty – pretty in the truest sense of the word. The florals are very feminine, but not too over the top. And the colours are amazing – the blue and peachy coral go so well together and aren’t a colour mix you see everyday.
I hemmed my piece up a few weeks ago using the handy rolled hem instructions provided with the pack. I ended up sewing the ends together with a french seam to make a faux cowl/infinity-type scarf. It is not quite long enough to be an infinity scarf, but I really like the look of it anyhow. It’s just a bit cozier than it “should be”! Bee sells longer lengths specifically for making infinity scarves, and ones with beaded or crocheted ends as well. (By the way, I’m so irritated that I forgot to wear earrings for this little photo shoot!)
I also got a few other things (of course!) while I was there. Since Monique stocks Rowan thread, I decided to pick some up to play with. Maybe a small quilting project? I’ll have to pick up some Amy Butler fabric to make it with of course! I also picked up some Riley Blake “Hello Sunshine” by Lori Whitlock, the Spa Scallop that I used in my latest Toddler Backpack and some California Dreamin’ by Jenean Morrison for Free Spirit. Oh, and 2 metres of green Kona cotton that was on sale. I was going to get 1/2 m – but my husband liked that it was on sale and tells me I will thank him later for upping the quanity! I’m sure he is right… I’m thinking a Sally dress with the California Dreamin’…
Hmmm… oh, sorry… you’re still here… right! It’s been one of those days. The kind where you want to finish things (like butterfly backpack pattern pieces!) and you suddenly remember the 7 things you need to do that aren’t on your list for the day.
Oh, and I should mention that if you haven’t noticed around the web, the Sew Fab Fall pattern bundle is here for only a few more days (ends Oct 8)! I bought the spring version and it was amazing. This time it’s bigger! You get a bundle of 26 pdf sewing patterns for $29.95 – but it’s only available to buy for a week! That works out to just over a dollar a pattern… amazing! You can get the bundle here from Sew Much Ado, Abby’s super-cute quilt pattern is included in the pack. I bought mine on Monday of this week and have been dying to use it. Maybe something will show up on Monday’s post… we’ll see!
by Sherri Sylvester | Sep 29, 2013
A few weeks ago I took a trip to Bee Modern Fabrics and Yarn in Niagara on the Lake. They have been there for 10 years and are excited to be moving to Virgil (about 10 minutes away from their current location) this fall. I first stumbled into their shop a couple of years ago and was excited to see that their selection has grown considerably since the first time I was there.
Their fabric selection is varied – fat quarters, yardage, lots of polka dots (love the dots!)! Monique gave me a detailed tour and was explaining their fabric buying practices. She tends to buy stash-able prints that will work with “that amazing print you just bought online”. Looking around, that is certainly the case. She has a good selection of solids and lots of blenders and stash builders.
They also have a very large selection of Kaffe Fassett prints in preparation for a visit from Kaffe himself, happening this coming week on October 4th and 5th! If you live in the area you can find more information on their website here. There are two workshops with Kaffe on the list.
They also run a wide variety of sewing workshops including some for kids. One of my favorite parts of the tour was their upstairs workshop area. They have a really nice space for sewing upstairs in their current location – and a larger brighter one planned for their new space. I like that their sewing machines are arranged around one large table so that the sewing can be done while chatting. My kids really took the upstairs space too!
For those of you who knit or crochet, there is an amazing selection of yarn available. I don’t know a lot about yarn – but Monique’s descriptions sounded amazing! They have a wide variety of types and prices, and some GORGEOUS colours! The colour selection of Norwegian Merino machine-washable wool is so pretty, it makes me want to learn how to knit! Their budget-friendly prices are nice to see too. Monique was explaining how their lowest priced yarn – great for donations and church sale projects – is super-soft when washed, not like other similarly priced yarns from large box stores.
They also stock Libery of London fabrics (eek!), so I splurged a tad while I was there, and bought myself a scarf kit. (What else is birthday money good for anyhow!) Bee Fabrics has pre-cut and packaged these kits as an easy way to have an affordable Liberty scarf. Since the width of the fabric is not long enough to make a nice scarf, this is a great way to have a longer piece without buying the extra fabric to get the length. She also stocks Liberty binding, and of course sells the fabric by the metre as well. Her Liberty Oliver and S Family Reunion dress is so cute!
Just in case that wasn’t enough, Bee Fabrics stocks patterns and books, Rowan thread and wool felt. Monique also orders ribbons, notions and buttons from Europe for the shop. I really appreciate the time she took to tell me about their shop and I’m excited for them as they move into their new location. It is well placed with lots of parking, large bright rooms and a pie shop across the street – what could be better?
I think I might have to organize a trip there after they have moved for a workshop with “The Material Girls” (My newly named monthly sewing club!). I hope you get a chance to check out Bee Modern Fabrics and Yarn. If you do visit, be sure to let me know what you stashed!
by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 29, 2013
This post is for Ellie in Toronto! It is one of the “you asked for it” posts from my Blogiversary giveaway. I asked everyone to give me ideas of things they would like to see on the blog, and Ellie asked for more brick and mortar fabric store reviews. So, here we go with the first and there is another one waiting in the cue!
A while ago, I blogged about visiting Ottawa Street to buy some fabric. Meg kindly commented on that post, letting me know about Needlework on James Street in Hamilton. I checked out her link and was totally hooked! Kate & Liz have the most perfect shop. It looks like all of the things I want it to. A great variety of fabrics, patterns and notions, a good selection of quilting and pattern books – all perfectly arranged. Oh, and did I mention the row of workstations with Janome’s at the ready? (And, I admit it, I stole today’s title straight from Needlework! It’s their web url.)
I went to visit them mid-July in my yellow Fiat, and picked up some goodies! The peony fabric went into making the Empire Waist Scirocco Sundress (the tutorial is coming next Thursday along with a surprise for you!) The typewriter button fabric can be spotted as an “M” button in my oldest’s Sunny Glasses Case. The others are stashed away for now!
I got to go back to their “last Wednesday night of the month” Craft Night at the end of July. What a fun place to visit! There were people working on everything from quilts to needlework to (I think) maybe a Wiksten tank?! I almost bought the pattern for the tank, not sure why I didn’t and now I regret not picking it up! It was really nice to meet Kate at the meeting. Liz was away on her trip to South Korea & Japan, you have to check out their blog for her Nippori fabric store photos!
Before I talk too much about them, I did ask a few questions, and so I will let Liz tell us a bit about Needlework herself.
Thread Riding Hood: When did you open the shop?
Liz: We opened the shop one and a half years ago, in February 2012!
Thread Riding Hood: What main types of fabric do you stock?
Liz: Our biggest selection of fabric here at Needlework is of quilting weight cotton, but we also carry a selection of linen, linen/cotton blends, and more recently: bamboo and cotton knits! We love modern and vintage inspired prints — fabrics with bright, bold geometric patterns, pretty florals, classic stripes, and polka dots! We love a good polka dot.
Thread Riding Hood: What are your favorite designers (fabric or otherwise)?
Liz: We’re big fans of Denyse Schmidt, Martha Negley, and Anna Maria Horner. We always look forward to checking out their latest collections!
Thread Riding Hood: What other crafty supplies do you stock?
Liz: In terms of patterns, we carry Megan Nielsen, Wiksten, Colette Patterns, and Victory Patterns. For the embroidery enthusiasts in town, we have DMC cotton floss in every colour, as well as some of DMC’s really lovely perle cotton floss. Other notables in the shop are these super cute DIY Embroidered Doll Kits from Kiriki Press, japanese sashiko patterns and thread, 100% wool felt, and needle felting supplies.
Thread Riding Hood: What is coming up soon that you are excited about?
Liz: We always look forward to our monthly craft night, an evening that we get to spend time with our wonderful customers, doing what we love to do most — sew! We’re also looking forward to Supercrawl this year, which is just a few weeks away.
Needlework also hosts a variety of classes for beginners and seasoned sewers, and has machines ready so you can Sew-by-the-Hour. It is an amazing creative space to be able to work in, and their machines were amazing to sew with. I got to try one out at the Craft Night! Here are a few photos of their shop to inspire you.
Hope you like the review. If you are in the area, make sure you visit Needlework, you won’t be disappointed. (And you can say I sent you!) Thanks for the great shop Kate & Liz!
