I've been dying to visit The Fabric Store for a while, but keep missing the sales because my work miraculously sends me out of the country every time there's a sale there. Its like they're in cahoots to make me save money (or buy fabric online). Finally a sale email went out when I was in the grand ol' USA baby! Then I went back for the next sale and got more. I want all the fabrics.
First, I'm living in the Pasadena area so the drive is a'right, I only got lost once on the way there and like four times on the way back. There is parking on the street, but they have two parking spots in the back where you have make your way down a mildly gnarly alley, but its free so that's cool with me. When I was there, there was actually a photoshoot in the alley which made things less skeevy at first. As I walked by, the photographer actually told the model, 'Bounce more and walk towards me.' All skeevyness returned.
The store is lit well and is big enough to be airy but not cavernous. There's fabric all along the border of the room and on about four very large two-tiered tables in the middle. The fabrics are two or three rolls deep so there's a bit of digging if you want to see everything. In some areas the fabric is organized by type: merino wool, leather, etc, and some areas its organized by color. The front of the store has a little table to peruse magazines and a few patterns. Probably also a very effective partner-who-went-fabric-shopping-with-you relaxation zone.
The fabric: omg, so beautiful. This is a well curated collection, I only saw one fabric the made me go 'what the hell?' Now I wouldn't call myself a fiber snob, but I am aware of what I work with, how the fibers will wear and feel, and I do prefer natural fibers. This place is the mecca of natural fibers, silks, cottons, linen, and wool, wool, wool. Only a few fabrics seem to list their place of origin, mainly the New Zealand stuff and only a few I saw were organically grown, again a few of the merinos.
The women who work there are great, not intrusive, but very available for help. They were really nice to an adorable dog who'd gotten loose and was corralled into the store by some pedestrians outside. The little guy ran all over the store while the local shelter was called, but his owners were running around the street looking for him and I'm happy to say, Buster found his way home. People who are kind to dogs are good in my book. They also helped me figure out yardage for a skirt that I have an idea for and not a pattern. They discouraged me from buying more than I needed and once I wrapped the fabric around me I realized they were completely right.
I ended up leaving with a haul of merino wool knit, cotton eyelet, silk-cotton blend, a striped black and cream silk, and a Papercut pattern. The second time I got a ton of merinos and wool coating. As long as I live in the LA area, I'm going here every chance I get. I hope they get their online store up before I move away.
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