I had a surprising phone conversation yesterday. It had to do with wanting to buy some fabric to make a dress for my trip to Denmark. I’ve been sewing since I was six years old. Both my grandmothers were professional seamstresses, sewing for the rich in Riga, Latvia. The story that I heard was that my father’s mother did very well with her sewing, well enough to pay for a first class ticket to the U.S. but because of the nature of marriage in those times, she couldn’t tell her husband. As a result, my dad didn’t see his father from age two until he was six years old. During those years, his father was in Africa and then in the States, working to earn enough money to bring his young family over.
My mother made most of our clothes and I always found it magical. I was so eager to sew; both she and her mother helped me make my first garment, a blue polka dot sundress. I pinned, basted, and then sewed on the machine. I remember how proud I was. From then on, I was allowed to use the sewing machine. I made mostly doll clothes until I was in my teens, when I found sewing the perfect way to fantasize about the perfect life. I could live in my thoughts and make pretty things.
Until this week, I hadn’t been in a fabric store in over a year. Having a puppy to care for has taken up most of my free time. When she’s in her kennel, I’ve preferred to go into my studio. Sewing took a back seat. So I was disappointed when I checked out the usual stores in Halifax and couldn’t find any decent fabrics, or very few. I did find some lovely lightweight red linen and am making a casual jacket from it. Everything else in the store was polyester and I wasn’t interested.
I found what looked like a local store listed in the phonebook and called. The woman said she sold only on-line, no visitors to her “store” because it is in her home, but she would mail me swatches if I wanted. Even though I live nearby. Then she told me fabric stores in Halifax are not doing well. People are not sewing. She used to teach sewing classes but they have been cancelled. They are not needed. The schools don’t have any machines now. And textile factories are closing all over Canada and the U.S. They cannot compete with China and Pakistan. The only way to get good fabrics is through on-line shopping. She gave me the name of several sites that do have some beautiful fabrics.
When I told her what a surprise all this is to me and, after years of loving to browse fabric stores, how upsetting not to be able to do that anymore, she said: “Welcome to my world!”
Posted by leya at April 11, 2007 08:39 PMI'd be interested in those on-line stores.
When I was first married and we lived in Cheyenne Wyoming I ordered most of my fabrics from the Sears catalog.
Now most of what I make is slacks--from a much-altered pattern. That's the only way I can get the right fit, AND have pockets.
Posted by: sue at April 11, 2007 08:50 PMSue, I found the information from Julie, whose site is www.timmelfabrics.com. She will be getting new fabrics posted on her site in a couple of weeks. I've signed up for her mailing list. The other sites she mentioned are emmaonesock.com, michaelsfabrics.com, gorgeousthings.com, casualelegancefabrics.com, textilestudiopatterns.com and fabric.com. I also looked for links through the magazine Threads at threadsmagazine.com. Through them I found pmorganics.com and a fabricoasis.com. There's also fabricsonline.com. Hope that's a help to you. I could spend all day just browsing fabrics on-line. Who would have thought it!
Posted by: Leya at April 12, 2007 09:17 PMHi Leya,
I've got this idea to post some blogs in the nearest future, with things and places I would like you to see in Denmark in June!
Here goes (see my blog) the first one from my favorite café in Aarhus yesterday!