I had an amazing, if exhausting time on Saturday! Ali AKA Thimberlina had organised the second meet-up of the Yorkshire Spoolettes and sewing bloggers from all over the north of England descended on the fabric shops of Dewsbury, a couple of ladies had travelled over 120 miles, now that’s dedication!!
We met in a friendly café called Kenny’s Bistro, we were basically doing everything we tell our children not to do, meeting ‘internet friends’ in person!! It was great to actually meet in person the ladies you’ve been ‘chatting to’ on blogs, putting faces to names. It was also fantastic to meet lots of ladies who all enthused about sewing, we laughed as we were all touching the fabric of each others clothes…only sewers would do that!!! I organised a bit of a swop (I’ve got to destash somehow!!!) so we had a pile of patterns and fabric that everyone could just help themselves to. I managed to donate about 8 metres of fabric, which made me less concerned (stash-wise) about the amount I bought later!!
First stop was the market, it’s only there Wednesday’s and Saturdays but it’s well worth a visit, there was a great stall selling trims and haberdashery, I got some cones of over-locker thread for £1 each. The weather was somewhat drizzly which curtailed our wander round the outdoor market a little but we were all keen to get to Fabworks anyway…
Fabworks
Fabworks is a huge fabric shop selling both dress-making and furnishing fabrics all at very reasonable prices. I fell for some knit fabrics and a lovely purple wool, oh and a pretty length of shirting!
Lucky Fashions was our next stop. It’s only a small shop (especially with 15 of us in there!) but it is jam-packed full of bargains. The staff were very friendly, they had been pre-warned about our visit so were prepared with tea and biscuits 🙂 I bought a length of embroidered crinkly silk (no, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it, it was just too pretty to leave behind!) a blue and green tweed skirt length and a jersey fabric.
Lucky Fashions
Just round the corner was the £1 a Yard shop, whilst everything wasn’t a £1 a yard, it was very reasonable. I bought a shirt length of a fun print covered in sewing things, scissors, dummies, machines.
After all that shopping we needed some refreshments so we headed off to Wetherspoons for a late lunch and drinks and of course more chatting 🙂 Late afternoon I staggered onto the train with all my bags and about 15m of fabric!!!
Huge thanks to Ali for organising such a brilliant day, (ad for the photos!) I’ve got some serious sewing to do if my stash isn’t going to be sky-high for the end of the month report!! Ali also dropped the suggestion that next time we could make a weekend of it with a minibus…good job I’m getting a bigger sewing room 🙂
thecraftycreek 
I’ve never been to fabworks, the lady at bonds keeps recommending it. bonds in farsely is possibly a bit remote for such a meeting, but it’s well worth the visit
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Fabworks was great, I used to love going to Bonds when I lived in Pudsey, but it would take about 3 buses to get there now, is it still as good?
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Looks like you did very well with your fabric purchases as well as having a great meet up!
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It was great meeting up with everyone, having people you could enthuse with about sewing things!
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I couldn’t believe how generous people were, bringing unwanted fabric and patterns! I definitely need to organise a giveaway ASAP!
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My stash has got rather out of hand, so I needed to off-load some I knew I was unlikely to ever get round to sew, particularly as I then bought about 15m!!!
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Ha I know, I hadn’t thought to total metres until you said. I bought 13m from Fabworks & 3m from Lucky Fashions, plus picked up about 2m for free. Does that make you feel better?! 😊
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It would make me feel much better if I didn’t already have over 80m at home 🙂 and that’s just dress-making, not quilting fabrics or home-furnishings…..
Just trying to fathom out Twitter, I think I’m just going to have to start and learn as I go along!!
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So much restraint!! Only kidding! You are fab at shopping, no wonder you needed to deaths! I imagine you’ll be busy already, what’s going to be first? 🙂
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I’ve just got to finish another Fumeterre skirt first, but then I think it’s going to be my sewing cotton to make a shirt, I’ve just got the Archers shirt pattern 🙂
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Lovely to meet you. Sounds like an impressive stash! Look forward to seeing what you sew up first…
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Great to meet you too, I’m trying very hard this year to reduce my stash!!
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I love all of your fabric! Especially the vintage sewing print!! Swoon 😀
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Thanks Natalie, I loved the sewing print as soon as I saw it, I’m planning to make a shirt out of it. I can sit and sew in my sewing shirt 🙂
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Oooooh a sewing shirt would be fab!
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Great fabric choices. I’m trying to work through my stash this year, I seemed to buy more fabric than I sewed last year, so trying to do the opposite in 2016!
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Thanks Ruth, I’ll be happy if I can make a serious dent in it 🙂
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I had a great time on Saturday. It was lovely to be with like-minded people. Like you I have way too much in my stash and I’ve now added even more. What to make first that is the question….trousers, top, skirt, jacket. I could go on….and on….and on.:-)
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We all seem to have the same problem! You’re dealing with it a bit more rapidly than me! My problem is more serious now than it was but I wouldn’t have missed the day. It was great to meet fellow sewers. Looking forward to seeing what you make first.
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I’m working hard to keep mine under 100m at the moment!!!
By the way, when you go to Bombay stores it is a bit of a maze and huge!! Fabric is at the back of the store but make sure you find the wedding fabric room, I haven’t been for a while but they always had all the wedding fabric in a separate area. Hope you find what you want 🙂
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