Fabric shopping utopia

Today was meant to be a day dedicate to updating the DIYcouture website. It's drizzling outside, with gusty London winds pushing around a kind of gloomy polluted mist. It really couldn't be more encouraging weather for staying indoors and getting deep into some html.

However, I needed some soya milk and I thought I might go looking for vegetarian sausages at a supermarket I don't usually go to. Then I remembered hearing tales of a mystical fabric warehouse, located in the vicinity of that very supermarket and I was compelled as if by a higher power to seek it out.

It doesn't look like much but believe me, it is much.


I locked up my bicycle and pushed my way in through some plastic flappy things. This is what I beheld:


The incredible scale and the slight air of chaos reminded me of fabric shops I visited whilst in Canada, but I've never come across such a shop in Britain, where space is at a premium. Still, here it is, a ginormous fabric utopia, right under my nose, just a few streets away from where I live.

Even more exciting, it is not full of loads of crappy fabrics with the odd gem buried amongst the rubble. It is all killer no filler (well, some filler, but lots of killer). And it's cheap. Here is what seems to be their slippery animal print and psychedelic-yet-tasteful-pattern department.


There are some really cool animal prints there, but it's not all animal print, it's just I really like animal print, so I'm over representing. I was so excited by this point I got a bit of camera shake.

I'm including a picture of my feet so when I wake up tomorrow I will know that is wasn't all a dream.



Skull print jersey anyone? This is one of many patterned jerseys. Check out those tropical palm leaves right next to it! There is also an area dedicated to plain jerseys too.


Here is the tartan department (again, blurriness caused by ecstatic hand wobbling).


And way back in a musty corner I found this sexy little collection of giant houndstooth and zig zag stripes. Hoooooooly fabric! This stuff has a weird texture. It's sort of like jersey but foamier. I would love to know what it is.



Seeing as I am 'not fabric shopping at the moment,' I left the shop empty handed Ha ha ha who am I kidding? If my back pack was a bit bigger I would have bought every one of those rolls of foamy jersey! As it is, I limited myself to four fabrics, two of them costing £2 a metre and two of them (the houndstooth) £5 a metre.


Not bad for a trip to the supermarket to buy some milk and sausages!

If you are dying to go to Woolcrest, their address is 6 Well Street, London, E9 7PX.

Alright, now back to my html!

Rosie xx


Comments

  1. Drool! So excited to have a rummage here soon. Is the foamy jersey a scuba knit perhaps?

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  2. I can't wait to go back! It could be scuba knit, I've never come across that I don't think. I'm feeling it again now... I'm wondering if it is 100% wool woven very tightly.... It's almost like felty boiled wool - but nice! xx

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  3. I have just Google Map-ed. 30 minutes away from my front door on public transport. I'm not sure I needed to know that. Thanks, Yorkshire lass!

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    1. Argh tell me about it, it's five minutes on a bicycle from my place and I can't stop thinking about it.... I need help. Maybe I need to move house so I'm further away... If you do make a trip let me know Karen and you can pop round my place for a coffee xx

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  4. Sounds fab, and only 16 minutes from London Liverpool. St Station:)!

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    1. Yep it really is accessible, I'm surprised it is not a sort of fabric shopping mecca attracting sewers on fabric pilgrimages from around the UK xx

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  5. Wowzers, this place looks amazing! Will you take me there soon, please? x

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    1. Tilly! Why yes, let's get our fabric shopping adventure boots on and go exploring. This is a warehouse of wonders, you need to see it! They also have a really weird way of cutting fabric, on these huge machines. I don't know what's wrong with a humble pair of scissors but... it is a spectacle. xx

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  6. Kathryn told me about this place and I still haven't been - it looks incredible though! Determined to make it there soon!

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    1. I popped in again today, just to check it was still there... y'know. It is! And it still has wonderful fabric in it! My only criticism is that it is lit very badly so hard to see some of the stock. But still most definitely worth a trip : ) xx

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  7. Oh my giddy aunt that place looks AH-mazing

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