Wednesday 16 January 2013

Winter, Spring, Winter




On Monday we had a fall of snow.  It wasn't much to write home about at first, but when I went out for a walk later, it came on harder with lovely big snowflakes. 


Here are some photos I took in the churchyard, but then my fingers were getting cold and the camera wet, so I put them away. 







Most of the snow had gone by Tuesday, so I decided to have a trip out on the train to find a fabric shop a friend had told me about in Dewsbury.
Coming out of the station, I could see the shop I was looking for, at the bottom of the hill not far away, but I wanted to save going there until last off.  
I'd been on the Charity Retail Association website the night before to see if there were any charity shops in Dewsbury, and as there were quite a few, I thought I'd check them out first.  Before I got to the first one I came across another fabric shop where a lot of the fabric was £1 a yard (I think that might even have been the name of the shop).   It was a very higgledy piggledy place with rolls of fabric leaning up against the walls and you went from room to room and up and down different staircases like in a house.  I was very restrained though and didn't buy anything (which I'm kicking myself for now, because there's no fabric shops at all locally).

After rummaging in all the charity shops I only bought one thing.  It is however a little gem.  A pure silk Chinese style blouse in a gorgeous blue and green colour for £1.  It's too big though so I'll show you it another time when I've done something with it.

In contrast to the snow of the day before, it looked quite Springlike with the sun shining and blossom on the trees outside Dewsbury Town Hall (although it was really cold).

The statue is called The Good Samaritan but when I was googling to see what it was, it seems locals as usual, have other names for it, such as A Curry Too Many!

And now onto my reason for going to Dewsbury, Fabworks Mill Shop.
It's like a warehouse - the entrance is even through those hanging plastic strips like in a warehouse.
They've got absolutely loads of lovely fabrics and trimmings and very reasonably priced too.
Off the rolls I bought a metre of plain blue cotton for £2, and half a metre of some netty stuff for £1.50 that I want for a dress I'm altering.

They've got boxes of upholstery remnants at £1 each or you can fill a carrier bag full for £5.  This is what I managed to get in my bag
8 pieces of a slubby dralon fabric in different colours which are each about 27-30" by 48" wide, two pieces of a fantastic blue and purple tweedy fabric in about the same size and over a yard of beige linen.

I also picked some pieces out of bins that were priced at £10 a kilo.
This little lot cost me £3.  A yard of turquoise pure silk (which the very helpful assistant told me was a real bargain as it's expensive stuff),
27" of this great fabric which is a two tone red and green, with a raised flower design and fringing at one end,

and this scarf which they were selling elsewhere in the store but had somehow managed to get in the bin

All in all I spent £11.50 - I know, the last of the big spenders!


Returning to winter again, today is frosty and foggy.



(click on the photos to enlarge)




11 comments:

  1. I love all your photos they are stunning. You did do well with your fabric shopping. Can't wait to see what you're going to make.
    P. x

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  2. Oh I want to go fabric shopping, although I really ought to use what I have first and get on with actually making something!

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  3. Gosh, you're going to busy with all that fabric, your frosty pictures are really pretty! :) x

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  4. I love your gate photo at the top :) And your spiders web is absolutely beautiful!

    You did a brilliant job getting all that fabric for £11.50, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you make with it, and how you alter that silk blouse :)

    Hope you're keeping well my dear. Stay warm too.
    Take care, Donna xx

    P.s. Little tiny stitches -blogger is being a pain at the mo and won't let me sign in :(

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  5. Great photos. I could have looked at them for hours. I am trying very determinedly to REDUCE my stash. I simply cannot turn sideways and look at any more. Love the turquoise silk.

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  6. All that gorgeous fabric for just a fiver - can't wait to see what you create with all those lovely pieces. no snow here yet, but a lot promised for Friday :(

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  7. That is a nice haul you have there, brilliant. I wouldn't have been able to come out of the £1 fabric shop without buying anything tho!

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  8. Great photos.....and the frost and snow look like a nice change from our weather here at the moment....really looking forward to winter! 40+C temps are a bit wearing!

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  9. Looks like a good day out with some great finds. You are going to be busy with all your fabric bits, what a bargain!
    I love the frosty cobweb. We have been spotting these here too, so pretty, but where does Mr spider go I wonder?
    We have blossom on our tree outside all covered in frost and snow. The weather is very odd. We were out for a walk last week in warm springlike sunshine, now its minus 9 last night! Spring can't come soon enough for me, snow is pretty, but far too cold!!!

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  10. What bargains! I love the blue silk with the fleurs de lys. It a fab idea to sell fabric by weight or volume too.

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  11. That was a good shopping trip!
    Love your frosty photos.

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