Funny how autumn puts a spring in your step.
When the temperature drops and the sun is shining, so it’s just the right weather for exploring London.
Time to head back to Goldhawk Road in search of fabric and trimmings. I’d been with Bryony earlier in the year, when we found treasures including the fabric and trim for this shawl, and had to return with Lettice before long.
The fabric shops on Goldhawk Road run east of the railway bridge from the station. Closest to the station (and the traffic lights) are ones aimed more at hobby sewing types, like us. Further east, there are some fabulous places selling more specialist and theatrical fabrics to professionals. (Bryony and I saw a trolleyful of fabric waiting to be couriered to the costume department at Britain’s Got Talent.)
Lettice and I were on the hunt for ourselves yesterday, so we focused on the nearby shops.
Printed cottons at A1 Fabrics
A1 Fabrics is excellent. They’re really nice and prices start at £2/metre for fun printed polycottons.
They have a great range of printed cottons for £5-6/meter and lots of fun fashion fabrics, as well as fake fur, silks and more.
Poly satin at A1 Fabrics
Next door is Fabric House, which has more unusual, good quality fashion-forward fabrics. There are always nice surprises to be found here. The clientele are definitely skilled sewing types.
Over the road are three shops with quite similar stock, again including lots of printed cottons ranging from £6-13/meter: A-Z Fabrics, Toni Textiles and Fabric World.
They also have small but beautiful selections of embroidered Indian ribbon and trimmings.
I *think* it’s Fabric World that has a range of Liberty prints at the back of the shop for £13/meter each.
We then wandered through Shepherd’s Bush market (which has some GREAT fashion shops and stalls) to Mr Falafel, which claims to make the best falafel in London.
Best in London? Quite possibly.
It’s certainly up there. I can recommend the classic with added fried cauliflower (brown, crispy and delicious).
Nom.
It goes well with the salted yoghurt drink too.
Very refreshing.
Lettice had the falafel and halloumi wrap, which she said was amazing too.
We needed nourishment and a rest stop before heading to the trimmings stall in the covered part of the market. It’s a bit of a maze, but if you have a good wander around the Shepherds Bush Market end of the market (sorry), you’ll find it.
OMG.
Total. Aladdin’s. Cave.
OMG!!
We burrowed around happily through the huge range of trimmings and haberdashery.
Edging and bobbles and trimmings and *faints*
That was before we found the Extra Room hidden at the back!
Can I live here, please? (“No.”)
Lettice had to drag me out soon after that. (I was about to move in with the cats.)
Oh my jacquard.
We ended up footsore but extremely happy, inspecting our finds over a chocolate muffin at Costa.
Now, what to make with all that vintage ribbon …?
“And the fabric child followed them home and into their dreams, where she killed them as they slept.”
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