Good Morning Everybody! Welcome to a belated Fabric Friday, I didn’t have time to write this blog yesterday as my first MA Essay is due on Monday so my focus has been elsewhere. However! This week I wanted to focus on a brand new sewing shop that is only a month old and is taking the sewing community by storm. I am of course talking about the wonderful Sew Anonymous.

Sew Anonymous

• Online Shop / Physical Shop / Both
• Web Link: https://www.sewanonymous.co.uk
• Core Purpose: Dressmaking Fabrics, Haberdashery and Patterns
• Units of Sale for Fabric: 1/4 metre (prices per metre)

Sew Anonymous is run by a well known member of the sewing community and stocks fabric, patterns and haberdashery items. Although the selection of products is currently fairly small it is growing by the day. It has to be said that the initial selection wasn’t really my sort of fabric however then I discovered the simply glorious tab that displays fabrics available for pre-order! Let me start by saying that I love this option. Its a great way to help makers plan their future garments and the range of pre-order fabrics on offer from Sew Anonymous is excellent. I managed to get my hands on some Tilly And The Buttons Jumbo Polka Dot Black Jersey which I have wanted for ages and is normally sold out! I got my pre-order in on the opening weekend and now I am just deciding on the pattern. One aspect which i would like to see introduced in the future would be to add a fabric classification menu which I’m sure will become a necessity as their stock and range increases because I definitely shop by fabric type rather than by design. As I say, the range of fabrics is currently expanding at a rate of knots and every time I look there is something new and beautiful! I would say that their stock includes far more feature fabrics than basics but this is an understandable choice in a new supplier as the feature fabrics really draw people in.

In terms of cost I would say they are mid-range, slightly more expensive than the suppliers I normally use but the fabrics are good quality so I don’t mind. I used the discount code for the opening weekend because my fabric was £12 a metre. I know TATB is organic jersey so a justifiable cost but definitely not something I could afford normally so the discount code was much appreciated. Speaking of cost there is one strange aspect to their pricing vs buying quantities, although fabric is priced by the metre(yay!) it is sold by fat quarter. Now this could be because I’m not someone who uses fat quarters often but I found this confusing. Mind you its not extra effort for me to put multiples of 4 in the order box instead of 1 but it definitely took me a minute to figure out how much I needed to buy! It has to be said however the fact they show the prices in metres makes me extremely happy because I absolutely hate it when shops price in terms of fat quarters, its just so much extra maths. There is also a fab range of patterns, haberdashery items, sewing fits and threads. With the pattern in particular there is also a fab infographic that shows you how to find your body measurements and where to measure which I thought showed a really good sense of what their customers need from them. You all know there’s nothing I love more than a shop where I can get everything I need for a project at the same time! Delivery starts at £3 and was very speedy, I also really liked the spotty post bag my fabric arrived in, its a nice touch.

On to the website itself. Now there are a few things that really irritated me about the website however I’m not going to be too harsh because its only just been set-up and most websites take a couple of months to really bed in and settle. In terms of design, I LOVE the branding. It’s strong, recognisable and there has clearly been a great deal of thought put into the brand personality and how they will interact with their consumers. However the website itself has quite a slow loading speed, I’ve tested it on multiple browsers and networks to make sure it wasn’t my laptop. I think the issue is that the photo file sizes are too large so the data load time is quite long, particularly on a phone. It is improving as the website ages but I would recommend compressing the photos further as this will massively improve the load time on the landing pages regardless. My only other gripe with the website is that the main menu is arranged in a really strange order. The home option is in the middle and there are a lot of options on the menu making it a little visually confusing. This might just be me but its worth considering the order of necessity with the main menu to streamline it and make it a little more user friendly. Other than that the fabric photography is excellent, it would be nice to have bit of description with each fabric but its really the photography that is key and they do display a helpful little infographic to talk you through fabric weights which I found useful.

Rating

• Range of Fabrics – 6/10
• Cost – 7/10
• Delivery (Speed / Cost) – 7/10
• Ease of Use – 6/10
• Ease of Payment – 8/10

Overall Score: 6.8/10

Sew Anonymous have certainly started with a bang! They’ve got a great instagram and do well to engage with other makers online. I’m excited to get sewing with my fabric and I’m sure I will be purchasing fabric and patterns from them in the future. Good luck with your journey Sew Anonymous, I can’t wait to see where you go!

I heard the name of the NewCraftHouse long before I started this blog or my instagram account. I saw their summer party through a friends instagram and was instantly intrigued by them. This year actually, in February 2020, I was lucky enough to attend a bra-making workshop led by Rosie and thats when I really understood what the NewCraftHouse is about, it brings together sewists from all walks of life to learn something new together. They are all about individuality and variety and nothing shows that more than their fabric selection.

The New Craft House

• Online Shop / Physical Shop / Both
• Web Link: http://thenewcrafthouse.com
• Core Purpose: Dressmaking Fabrics, Haberdashery and Workshops
• Units of Sale for Fabric: 1/2 metre

The New Craft House is based near Bethnal Green tube station in East London and the vibe as soon as you go is so welcoming and friendly. They have their rolls of deadstock to one side in racks and then workshop tables with sewing machines spread through the room. It’s bright, friendly and welcoming. Clearly a lot of work has gone into ensuring that the website has the same vibe. It has a clean fresh look that is impressive on a laptop as well as usable on a phone. They sell their fabrics in half metre increments and it is free delivery over £60, otherwise delivery costs £3.50/£4 using Royal Mail. The interface is user friendly although I would like to see the shop option further up the menu bar but thats just personal preference. They have a good variety of payment options and have definitely expanded their functionality since my first visit to their website last year.

On to the fabrics themselves. The New Craft House are almost unique in the sense that they buy from the designers directly rather than from wholesalers which means they get limited amounts of high quality fabrics and they don’t always know what they are going to get. This works well for them, it has the feel of a pick’n’mix in that there is just a huge mix of fabrics and it isn’t necessarily a curated or coordinated collection as in other fabric shops. I’ve marked them down a little for range because although stye do have a wonderful range of fabrics at any one time I don’t think its necessarily very reliable. It does however allow them to retain their quirky individuality and makes them a fantastic place to find one-off fabrics for that special project. What I would say however is that because they don’t always know what fabrics they are getting there is occasionally some uncertainty on fabric types meaning that its not always the easiest to tell what you are getting online. To counter this they do tend to show all the fabrics on their instagram story so you can get a sense of their weight and movement which I really like. They have a wide range in terms of price but I would say they are about mid-range and they do have a fairly good remnants section.

Due to the range of fabrics and the unreliability of the selection I wouldn’t recommend the New Craft House as a first fabric shop for beginners as I think you nee to have a slightly better understanding of fabric properties before you dive into their selection. I made the mistake of getting so wrapped up in the quality and the range that I ended up buying fabric that was entirely unsuitable for the pattern I was using however it was absolutely gorgeous and I do not regret the purchase in the slightest! I only regret not pre-washing the fabric as that garment has now shrunk so much that I can’t wear it. They are a fantastic shop but for me they are more special occasion sewing than everyday makes.

Rating

• Range of Fabrics – 7/10
• Cost – 7/10
• Delivery (Speed / Cost) – 7/10
• Ease of Use – 8/10
• Ease of Payment – 8/10

Overall Score: 7.4/10

The NewCraftHouse is full to the brim with personality and this comes both from the co-owners Rosie and Hannah but also from the fabrics themselves. They stock deadstock like many other shops but the variety of fabrics is unusual and always inspiring. Shopping there has something of a market feel because there is no dependable stock level so you have to grab it while you can but the flip side of that is their variety of fabrics is constantly changing so you are sure to find something you like at some point. While I wouldn’t recommend them as a standard fabric shop for a beginner, they are a fantastic shop for intermediate/advanced sewists who understand to find the fabric for THAT special project you’ve been thinking about.

Apologies to anyone who saw the accidentally empty version of this post, I schedule all of these in advance and try to write them while I am actually using the fabric from these suppliers so the details are fresh in my mind. I had made all the notes for this post and completely forgot that I hadn’t actually put them in the post. Particular apologies that it should happen to The Rag Shop who are up there in my top 3 favourite fabric suppliers! This week on a belated Fabric Friday we are talking about The Rag Shop a wonderful independent fabric supplier whose high standards, quality and personality come across in every purchase.

The Rag Shop

• Online Shop / Physical Shop / Both
• Web Link: https://theragshop.co.uk
• Core Purpose: Dressmaking Fabrics, Haberdashery and Indie Patterns
• Units of Sale for Fabric: 1 metre

The Rag Shop is the site of one of my first proper impulse purchases of fabric. I was scrolling through instagram minding my own business when I saw the Red Spot Dobby Cotton above and before you know it I’d bought 2 metres. I think their fabric is of fantastic quality but more than that I would say they probably have the best fabric photography of any website I’ve worked with so far. Not only do you see the fabric clearly but the colours are accurate and you can even get a sense of the fabric texture, this is so important in the world of online fabric shopping because you need to know exactly what you are buying. Their fabric range is good and they have a good mix of plain fabrics as well as interesting and on-trend patterned fabrics although they don’t have a massive number of categories you definitely still have choice. I like the jersey they have as well, I haven’t bought any yet but I’ve had my eye on a mustard stripe jersey for about two months now for a long sleeved top and I’m probably going to give in soon and buy it. When I look at The Rag Shop site I really get the impression that everything on there has been handpicked to form a collection and I think that really shows off their personality. A lot of the more out there patterned fabrics aren’t my thing but I love that they are there, I love that when you buy fabric from them that you know its going to have a bit of flare.

They also have a great range of patterns from different independent designers which isn’t something I thought to look for but that I was really impressed by. When I first bought my fabric I put out a call on instagram for ideas of what I should make with it. Then Steph from The Rag Shop actually came back to me with the suggestion for the Made My Wardrobe Anya Shirt, a suggestion I took and I am now on the last steps of finishing. I love a company tat has so much awareness of the fabric they sell that they can recommend patterns that would work well. It shows a level of detail that I find downright astonishing. On the slightly more negative side I would say that unless you are a confident beginner or using a simple pattern I would say that the fabric itself is fairly pricey so if I was a complete beginner I would probably steer clear until I’d made one or two garments and could justify the money. That being said in the grand scheme of fabric shops they are mid-range in terms of cost and they do have a fabulous remnants section that is well worth raiding if you’re on a budget.

The website interface is clear and user friendly and I like that they put a proper description of each fabric next to the photos rather than just specifying the fabric type. The payment interface was very smooth, I used it on my phone and managed to go from instagram post to payment in under 5 minutes. Their delivery was quite speedy and although the outside envelope was plastic as most brands are, inside the fabric was carefully wrapped in tissue paper and came with a printed note as well as a discount for a next purchase which I thought was a really nice touch.

Rating

• Range of Fabrics – 7/10
• Cost – 7/10
• Delivery (Speed / Cost) – 8/10
• Ease of Use – 8/10
• Ease of Payment – 8/10

Overall Score: 7.6/10

Where I think The Rag Shop excels is their customer interaction, they are very active on social media and super helpful as my earlier interaction about pattern ideas shows. I like a company that actively tries to connect with makers and support them. A company that does that is one that will get your business time and time again and honestly as soon as I have some money and I’m out of my September fabric ban they will certainly be getting my business again.

Happy Friday Everybody! This week we are talking about the wonderful Sew Sew Sew a purveyor of high quality fabric for adults and children. I recently bought a stunning viscose from Sew Sew Sew and made my wonderful Rhea Dress(below) and I was so impressed that I had to review them next.

Sew Sew Sew

• Online Shop / Physical Shop / Both
• Web Link: https://sewsewsew.co.uk
• Core Purpose: Dressmaking Fabrics
• Units of Sale for Fabric: 1/2 metre

Let me just say to start, I found the selection of summer fabrics available at Sew Sew Sew utterly tantalising. Their fabrics are very high quality and there is a wonderful selection, the downside of this is that they were somewhat out of my price range. When it came to picking the fabric for my Tammy Handmade Rhea Dress they were my first point of call as I wanted a high quality and draping fabric, something that flows beautifully, I wanted to splash out. However as I needed about 3m I didn’t think I had the money but just my luck there was a stunning blue firework pattern viscose remnant 2.74 metres long. Result! This has to be one of Sew Sew Sew’s great strengths. Their remnants are actually a decent size which makes their fabric accessible to those with lower prices ranges who still want to make something beautiful or treat themselves. When my fabric arrived it was absolute perfection so soft and cool to the touch even in the heat.

The website is sleek and easy to use, the brand identity is strong and interface is fine. Nothing to write home about but competent and simple. Where I feel Sew Sew Sew really excels is in the little things, the delivery was speedy and is priced as a standard flat rate of £3. It arrived beautifully wrapped in lavender crepe paper and arrived with a handwritten note from Katie which I thought was a lovely touch. It honestly made me smile the second I opened the package and I think thats a wonderful feeling to get from a fabric supplier. Sew Sew Sew understand people who buy fabric are doing it for fun, they are doing to make something beautiful and you’re excited to get it! The handwritten notes ties a bow on this feeling and I think its wonderful.

Rating

• Range of Fabrics – 8/10
• Cost – 6/10
• Delivery (Speed / Cost) – 9/10
• Ease of Use – 7/10
• Ease of Payment – 7/10

Overall Score: 7.4/10

Sew Sew Sew are a wonderful company selling high quality fabric, they are definitely more expensive than other suppliers but the quality more than justifies the price. I love the little touches of personality and I adore the quality of fabric. It’s a yes from me!