The Haberdashery of Dreams or: Why I Hate Fabricland

Some of my earliest memories are of buying fabric with my mum. She shopped at the local draper, a tiny little shop in the back streets of our town where there seemed to be cloth of a hundred different colours, patterns and textures up to the ceiling (I was very small). I was fascinated by the button display and the long wooden counter with the brass rule set into it. Buying fabric there was magical.
Buying fabric here is not.

Fabricland: Not Magical

 Doesn't it make you depressed just looking at it? Until I discovered Etsy all my fabric purchases were made here, and they were all dreadful. Dreadful. Not only is the selection poor, the lighting is horrible and the staff grumpy. Well, wouldn't you be? Oh, and did I mention how pricey they are?

Here, on the other hand, is where fabric goes when it has been very, very good indeed.

Liberty of London: Magical

Now, I must be honest and admit that I have never set foot in Liberty's. This is probably a good thing as I imagine I could spend an awful lot of money there. Small niggles like cash flow (and 6,000 miles of distance) aside, who wouldn't want to shop there? The selection is amazing, the patterns exquisite, the displays imaginative and attractive.I have no idea what their staff are like but I imagine them to be kindly and helpful ladies of a certain age who know all there is to know about dashing haber.

I'll take it all!

See how fascinating button displays can be?

I don't know what I would do with a lot of turquoise feathers, but I'm willing to take that risk

 And when you get bored of browsing yards and yards of tana lawn, varuna wool, vogue patterns, bias binding and tapestry kits....you can always go and buy a zebra's head.

What every home needs: a zebra to hang your coat on

All this drooling over Liberty reminds me of the fantastic giveaway the lovely Handmade Jane has on offer. Post a comment here and get the chance to win a copy of Sew Serendipity and/or five fat quarters of Liberty quilting cotton.

Aren't they lovely? (and isn't she generous?)