When I was little most large towns had a fabric shop and now, even with the resurgence of interest in crafts, they are something of a rarity. Like bookshops that were once essential to your local life haberdashery shops have become something you travel to a larger town for- if you're lucky. The passing of the high street is often spoken about but I think it's hard to put into words how it feels when you go back to your own place and see it become homogeneous and feeling powerless to help.
Happily in London fabric shops survive- as any schoolgirl who lives near a John Lewis knows they continue to support selling fabric, thread and more and of course lovely Liberty is heaven for all craft and sewing lovers. In terms of stand alone stores Berwick street in Soho has lots of lovely doors to walk through and my particular favourite is the branch of Cloth House towards Oxford street. This window is one their recent displays, they always have lovely offerings featuring vintage sewing machines and lovely cloth- I can't wait to see what they do for Christmas.
It's interesting to think back on the everyday shops that are no longer there. One barely even misses them. I feel sat to think this is what might happen to the small independent bookstore. Women used to sew their own clothes to save money but now it's cheaper to buy clothes made overseas than to buy the cloth and sew your own.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be one at the North end of Portobello Road. We should go on a trip down memory lane there together.
ReplyDeleteI just love this shop so much always end up penniless after popping in to touch their velvet and embellished fabrics, some things just have to be held and seen in person before they are bought x
ReplyDeleteFabric and old hardware/utility stores rule for me.