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!
by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 28, 2013
Thanks to everyone who entered the Warp & Weft Giveaway! I have to apologize for the late “winner post”. I posted the winner on Facebook over the weekend and then got embroiled in the Sunny Glasses Case tutorial writing and completely forgot to post the winner here as well.
Our winner, as chosen by Random.org, was:
#68: Mackenzie H who said: “I love the Norwegian woods – scandi leaves fabric”
Mackenzie has won the amazing 1.5 metres of Design Team fabric we’ve all been drooling over for the past two weeks! You can get your own Design Team fabric here. Thanks again to Esmari for generously providing our prize! Make sure to go back to her store and order your favorites.
For those of you that missed the interview with Esmari, be sure to check it out here. And, if I can recommend something from her shop – I received my order of Koi, the new collection by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cloud9 Fabrics, the other day and it is even more GORGEOUS in person than online. And it’s organic, which feels great too! Here’s a link to the bundle at Warp & Weft.
One last thing, if you happen to live near Toronto and are coming out to the Creativ Festival this October. Esmari has generously provided you with a coupon that you can use at her booth! Click on the coupon link at the bottom of the interview post to print your coupon before you go!
by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 9, 2013
Update: Thank you for entering – the giveaway is now closed.
Today we are on the 5th Canadian Online Fabric Store in our monthly series. I am super excited to feature an interview with Esmari, owner of Warp and Weft! (I might have a small crush on her store… eek!) Esmari’s store – located in Toronto, Ontario – has been open for almost a year. She has been super generous in giving away some of her amazing fabric and has a discount code for you (she ships worldwide!). Plus she is including a coupon to be used at the Toronto Creativ Festival later this year! Amazing!
When I first saw her store I was immediately hooked, the graphic designer in me loves clean white website and great logo. Her fabric choices are unique and I really like how she puts together her custom bundles. I love how the packages arrive as well – wrapped in brown paper and twine with a tag telling you what you have received. Everything about her shop makes me more excited to receive what I’m ordering! It is easy to see that her background is in interior design – all of the details are perfect.
As well as a great selection of designer fabric, Esmari stocks notions from Merchant and Mills and is one of the only suppliers in Canada to do so. I was lucky enough to receive a bamboo point turner from a friend for my birthday, and it works really well – even though I don’t have the heart to remove the tag, it’s so pretty! You’ve got to check out this sewing box as well. I think I wouldn’t be able to use it, but might just sit and stare at it for a while, or display it on a shelf. (Of course eventually I would have to use it, I do like to sew you know!) She also stocks embroidery products, ribbons and more from Sajou – which are gorgeous as well. Maybe I should also take up embroidery just so I can have these Eiffel Tower scissors?!
Of course, I could talk about this shop all day, not to mention the Warp & Weft Sewing Society and upcoming appearance in Made In magazine… but you can check out more for yourself I’m sure! On to the interview…
Thread Riding Hood: What inspired you to start Warp & Weft?
Esmari: “After many years of working as an Interior Designer I had a niggling feeling that I needed to try my hand at something different although it wasn’t immediately apparent what that ‘something different’ would be. I had taken up sewing as a hobby when my husband and I immigrated from South Africa to Canada and was really enjoying using it as a different type of creative outlet from my work as a designer. I soon realized that for me, the most exciting part of starting a new sewing project was the search for the right fabric. I would spend hours trying out different combinations and palettes long before I knew what I was going to make. So when the time came to make my next move my husband’s advice to me was to do what made me happiest and of course the answer was clear – fabric!! Before moving to Toronto we had lived in a more rural part of Ontario and I found it quite difficult to find anything that really suited my tastes as far as clothing, home décor and even hair styling went! Eventually I found a great hair stylist in town but I found that I was increasingly shopping online for designer furniture, clothing and eventually fabric too. So I started Warp & Weft with a very specific objective in mind – to bring a more design orientated selection of fabric to people in the same predicament as I was in. As a designer I was taught by my mentors that one should never compromise on quality or aesthetics and in this age of e-commerce, whether you live in Toronto or Yellowknife you should be able to have access to products that reflect both those characteristics. I approach every purchase that I make for the Warp & Weft online store with this in mind. You can say I curate the collections and always try to find that one thing that stands out in the crowd, that piece that I would happily use in my own home and life.”
Thread Riding Hood: Can you tell us more about your (gorgeous!) Design Team fabrics?
Esmari: “Design Team is a textile design company based in South Africa which started out as a final year project in 2000 for the then students, Amanda Haupt and Lise Butler, and has flourished and grown into a business now employing 40 people, many of them previous unskilled workers who Amanda and Lise have trained over the years. There are so many amazing designers in South Africa who are committed to bringing unique and world class designs to the market whilst doing great work towards uplifting previously disadvantaged communities and Design Team is definitely one of the trailblazers today. Their textiles are all printed using a freehand silkscreen technique which renders each and every piece of cloth printed completely unique. Pigments are mixed by hand and printed on base cloths which are woven in South Africa and Lise and Amanda approach traditional and local iconography in a completely contemporary manner which is both internationally relevant as well as reflecting the socially dynamic South Africa of today. Their product line consists of upholstery grade cottons and linens as well as laminated cottons and wallpaper which can be used for just about any home decorating project from drapery and furniture to totes and other fashion accessories. The quality of their work and their approach to interior design in general seemed to be completely in line with what I aimed to achieve with Warp & Weft so I am absolutely thrilled to be the exclusive stockist of Design Team products in Canada.”
Thread Riding Hood: What is something coming up in the near future that you are especially excited about?
Esmari: “Warp & Weft will be teaming up with RE:Style Studio and exhibiting at the Fall edition of Creativ Festival this year. It is the largest exhibit of its kind in Canada and this will be my first chance to take Warp & Weft directly to the public and I look forward to meeting some existing and new clients there in person. E-commerce can be a bit impersonal at times and I always try to engage with clients as much as I can but nothing beats hanging out in a fabric store (or booth, in this case!) and having a big old chit chat about shared passions! We’ll be bringing the full product line which is available on the Warp & Weft website to the exhibit, including an extensive collection of Design Team fabric samples from which you’ll be able to make selections for special orders, as well as upholstery tool kits and supplies and ottoman, headboard and ‘Bring Your Own Piece’ workshop sign-ups from RE:Style Studio. So do please drop in at booth #624 on October 25 – 27th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and come say hi!”
You do not want to miss out on this one! Esmari is giving away a 1/2 metre cut of 3 different Design Team fabrics (pictured below) – an approximate value of $120.00 – to one (very fortunate) Thread Riding Hood reader. Seriously, this is the good stuff, freehand silk screened fabric with hand-mixed pigments means you get fabric that is totally unique. Aside from the great quality, take a look at the designs. They would look great as throw pillows in my house, and I’m sure you can think of a million ways to use them as well. I’m imagining an amazing tote bag or a small upholstery project… hmmmm… oh, sorry – you want to know how to win these?! UPDATE: Thank you for entering – the giveaway is now closed.
This giveaway is open to all Thread Riding Hood readers, internationally (No one gets left out, hooray!). The giveaway will be run from today, August 9th, until Friday, August 23rd at 10pm.
Here’s how to win: (Make sure to leave one comment per entry on this post so we can count them all properly.)
- Leave a comment on this post and tell us your favorite Warp and Weft fabric, notion, embroidery product or kit!
- Social Media Extra Entries: You can get one giveaway entry for each of the following: (1) Like Warp & Weft on Facebook and/or (2) Follow on Twitter and/or (3) Follow on Pinterest. Leave a comment on this post for each like or follow to say that you did so we can count them all!
- Newsletter Extra Entry: Sign up to receive the Warp & Weft Newsletter. Leave a comment on this post to say that you did.
- Pinterest Extra Entry: Pin the giveaway official pic below. Leave a comment on this post to say that you did.
Choose your favorite ways to win from the list above and leave a comment below for each one – you just might win… and that’s not all!
Esmari is also providing Thread Riding Hood readers with a discount code. Thank you Esmari! Shop at Warp & Weft throughout the giveaway (August 9 – August 23, 2013) and get 10% off your order with the code: “THREAD10″! This discount can also be used to purchase her exclusive Design Team special order fabrics – lucky you! Here are some of my favorites… off you go shopping now!
I’m very excited to be visiting the Creativ Festival this fall, and was glad to hear that Esmari would be there as well! For all of those in the Toronto area, this Festival is not to be missed. You can find more information on their website – and my review of this year’s spring Creativ Festival here. Just in case you need more incentive to visit – Esmari is providing a printable coupon that you can use during the show! Click on the coupon image below to access the pdf printable coupon. It will provide you with 10% off any Warp & Weft products at the booth, including Design Team special order fabrics! Bring the printout with you to the show, one coupon can be used per customer per day at the festival.
Thanks for hanging in to the end of this one! Enter the contest – and check out Esmari’s shop, you won’t be disappointed. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!
Note: I have not received compensation for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 22, 2013
Thanks to everyone who entered the Fridays Off Giveaway!
Our winner, as chosen by Random.org, was:
#19: Ashley who said: “Love the ladybugs. I’ve been eyeing up that fabric for awhile now And love the Little Red Riding Hood and Ladybug fat quarter bundle.”
Ashley has won a Valori Wells Wrenly 8 Fat Quarter Bundle from Fridays Off. You can get your own bundle here. Thanks again to Alanna for generously providing our prize! Make sure to go back to her store and order your favorites.
For those of you that didn’t win, go have fun and sew up something pretty with your favorite stash! Or better yet – maybe order some new stash from Alanna!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 14, 2013
*** The giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all those who entered! ***
I haven’t had a Canadian Online Fabric Store feature in a while, so today I am happy to introduce Alanna, owner of Friday’s Off Fabric Shop located in Toronto, Ontario. She started her shop recently and has a great (and growing!) selection of 100% cotton designer fabrics. Her fabric is available by the metre, in fat quarter bundles, and in quilt kits. She also sells patterns if you need some inspiration!
Alanna has a full time job, a toddler at home and a baby on the way, she blogs for UrbanMoms.ca (which has some really great information on it) and she decided to start Fridays Off Fabric Shop too! She’s not busy at all – ha!
So, with all that going on she’s also generously offered to give away a Valori Wells Wrenly fat quarter bundle to one very fortunate Thread Riding Hood reader! Hooray! I love this fabric and am so jealous of you guys… it makes such a pretty quilt. And (of course!) Alanna stocks the Valori Wells Wrenly Christmas Quilt kit – so you can get started on your gifts for this year!
Let’s meet Alanna!
Thread Riding Hood: What inspired you to start Fridays Off?
Alanna: It was kind of one of those light bulb moments. I’ve been sewing a lot over the last 10 years and buying really great fabrics at shops in my neighborhood downtown Toronto. People always admire the fabrics I buy because they’re modern and fresh and not available at large fabric stores like Fabricland and Fabricville. I also started buying fabrics online from US sources (which are expensive!) and that’s when I realized there was a huge lack of online fabric shops catering to the Canadian market. So, I just went for it and set up my own shop online. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m having so much fun with it and I’ll be continuing to stock beautiful designer fabrics as we move forward. Most of my customers live in rural areas or in cities that don’t have great quality fabric stores.
Thread Riding Hood: What is your best trick for making sure you find time to sew?
Alanna: With a toddler running around, a full time job, a budding business and a baby on the way (4 more weeks!) I don’t have very much time at all to sew at the moment. I try to sneak in time by sharing the bath and bed routine with my husband, so some nights he does bath and bed with my son and I’ll sneak downstairs and do some sewing or I take advantage of my son’s nap time on the weekends. Now that I’m on maternity leave I’ve got my days free to get a bit in here and there. I often have to make something in stages though. Like I’ll cut a pattern one weekend and then sew it up in parts the next weekend.
Thread Riding Hood: Which of your upcoming fabric lines are you most excited about right now?
Alanna: I’ve got lots of great lines coming in over the summer. Like Lotta Jansdotter’s Glimma collection, Madhurri Cottons, Hooty Hoot Returns, Ashbury Heights Cottons
Thread Riding Hood: Ooohhh, nice selections, I’m excited! Thanks Alanna.
Alright – so you’d like to win some fabric?! The prize consists of 8 fat quarters, 1 each of 8 different fabrics from Valori Wells’ Wrenly collection. This giveaway will run from June 14th (today!)- Friday, June 21st at 10pm. Canadian and US residents are free to enter.
Here’s how to win: (Make sure to leave one comment per entry on this post so we can count them all properly.)
- Check out Friday’s Off Fabric Shop. Pick your favorite fabric/bundle/kit/pattern and leave a comment on this post to tell us how you would use it!
- Optional Extra Entry: Like Fridays Off on Facebook and/or follow on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post to say that you did, include your Facebook name or Twitter handle.
- Optional Extra Entry: Like Thread Riding Hood on Facebook and/or follow on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post to say that you did, include your Facebook name or Twitter handle. (If you already like Thread Riding Hood on Facebook or follow on Twitter this is an easy entry for you – Leave a comment!)
Here are some of my favorite fabrics from Alanna’s shop, what do you think? While you are commenting, let’s leave Alanna some well wishes on the coming of her baby!
by Sherri Sylvester | May 25, 2013
Thanks to everyone who entered the Fabric Spot Tsuru Giveaway!
Our winner, as chosen by Random.org, was:
#16: Christie who said: “And one more for good luck! Following Fabric Spot on Twitter.”
Funny thing! I met Christie at this Spring’s Creativ Festival while she was shopping at the Fabric Spot booth. She will be delighted to win this – as she says in a previous comment – “I really resisted the Tsuru print when we met at the booth! Maybe it’ll be destiny…!”
I have emailed her with additional information.
For those that didn’t win… hang tight, here’s a photo of a tiny fabric lover to help make the world right again!
