Fabric Shops in Cheshire

[Kelly]

Hi All

i wonder if you could help me please???

Recently i've come to a bit of a dead end with my card ideas and found myself doing the same thing over and over again .... however .... i really like the idea of using fabric on my cards to add texture and dimension ..... which leads me to my question ... do any of you know of any really good fabric shops local(ish) to Warrington ????

We have TP Textiles here but the material there is rather plain and dated or just not suitable for producing nice cards (i.e. purple glittery gym suit lycra ). Does anyone know of anywhere that sells great patterned/textured fabric thats 'up to date'??

thanks
Kelly x

[dozyrosy]

Not being in Cheshire any more I can't recommend any fabric shops but how about looking for web sites that sell patchwork pieces - they have some lovely small design fabrics and you can buy small quantities and matching fabric packs.

Or you could buy suitable plain fabric and use dies and paints or even rubber stamps and create your own, or try ironing patterned paper bags or papers onto your fabric for a base to work from. Look at some of the modern embroidery books, they show some fantastic textured work - not my thing but I have an elderly friend who did a city and guilds course and they worked with all sorts of weird stuff including carrier bags and bubble wrap! Then you can also investigate some of the beautiful coloured and textured threads available, and there's always beads...

You don't even need to go to fabric - if you get some of the lovely inks and paints for cardmaking you can spritz and splatter and crumple and distress to your hearts content just using these on plain ordinary copy paper. And get some embossing powder and UTEE and a heat gun or melt pot and play with those.

And finally how about considering your purple glitter gym suit lycra as a bit of a challenge?

Rosemary

[Princess Lily]

Not sure how far you are willing to travel?

Manchester has a few...

Best I think is 'Aberkhan' in the Northern Quarter.
It's split over two floors, with piles & pile on the ground floor, kind of messy but loads or fabric & sold by weight! & then upstairs they have more organised (& more expensive rolls to buy per yard or meter?) they have haberdashery too & also down stairs is an a-joining craft shop that sells alsorts of arty crafty bits & bobs!

While in the area there is also 'Fred Aldous' that does just about a bit of everything & Aflecks Palace is good for those retro or vintage recycling ops!

Plus loads of lovely shops, cafes, bars, pubs, clubs - well worth a trip in my book!

[Princess Lily]

...But if you are just after teeny tiny bits - try out a few samples?
Cath Kidstons are great & available via her website.

[Polgara]

Great fabric stall on Widnes market - but if you want seriously nice fat quarters of patterend fabric then there is a fabby shop at Lady Heyes just outside Frodsham

[sarahscards]

Have you been to Warrington Market? Quite a few fabrics being sold there.... They also hold once a month-ish (or used to hold) a fabric sale at the church in Stockton Heath - the one on the right as you go over the swing bridge

HTH's

[Damkina]

If you've got a hobbycraft near you, they sell fabric with picture panels about 3/4 inch square for various themes. You get about 36 or so to a half metre.

Glue the panels around some card and stick them on or stick them into an appature with padding behind with stamps etc...

[Elin]

Have you tried the run down (very run down) looking shop not far from Central Station? come out of the station, turn right & its on the left. (it used to be behind the petrol station that they knocked down & are devloping all round it.) It is a goldmine of ribbons, fabrics & haberdashery - very run down looking though.

[glitterpops]

that's funny, I heard about a great fabric shop for the first time today, one in macclesfield. It's called 'Fent Fabrics' or and sounds like it sells all sorts of amazing fabrics - somebody went from school where I work and came back with all sorts of exciting looking bits. don't know any more details than that though!

[Kelly]

thanks for the help and ideas everyone!!!!

looks like i've got a reason to get out of the house this weekend

YAY !!!

[scrapnanny]

As a Widnesian living in Scotland, I am often home visiting the family. I always pick up cardmaking supplies from the sewing stall in Widnes Market. Ribbons, big bags of buttons for 50p, ric rac, twill, threads, felt, lace, fabric etc

Also somebody mentioned abakan mills. We go to the one in mostyn next to the sunday markets and the old funship. Bags of squares in a rainbow colours for £1 each etc.

There is also a centre but I cant remember the name of it around sandiway in northwich.

Pop along to lady hayes as well for Rosemary Merry's crab apple crafts, no fabric but everything else for card making.

Hope this helps

[scruffysheep]

We have TP Textiles here but the material there is rather plain and dated or just not suitable for producing nice cards (i.e. purple glittery gym suit lycra ). Does anyone know of anywhere that sells great patterned/textured fabric thats 'up to date'??

thanks
Kelly x

I'm from Warrington but haven't been "home" for some time & even then didn't go in the market. Has Harts gone? They were always the best place for miles around when I was a child & when I was doing Textiles at college in Wales I usually went home as they had a much wider selection that many other places.
I guess it's just a sign of the times

[Elin]

Mum says yes, Harts has dissapeared. I got my bridesmaid materials there amongst other stuff.

[scruffysheep]

So are you from Warrington then Elin? If so where abouts?

[Elin]

I'm originally from Newton-Le-Willows & my parents now live in Golborne (same place as Sonja. I moved to go to uni many years ago but still go home a lot. Mum was from Warrington (Sankey) hence us knowing it very well. What about you Valerie?