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Friday, February 24, 2012

I LOVE FABRIC...infact not just LOVE :) I am obsessed, addicted infact even when I am down to my last dollars in my personal lolly fund if someone waves a pretty picture of a fabric infront of me I will literally count buttons to try and purchase more...

I have destashes and then I buy, friends donate me scraps but I still have an urge to buy...pretty, beautiful, funky, retro, vintage I am not fussy if it tickles my imagination...and makes me think OH YES! then I just have to have it...

When I first realised that I had a little need for fabric...and I realised that it had to be fed regularly...I was a bit stumped as to where I would go to get it... it was daunting...where is the best place to go to? what shops have the most selection?have the best prices?...it was enough to put my head in a spin...add to that 3 little monkeys and an almost lifetime ban from Spotlight ;) and you can see why I started to generally shy away from real shops and do most of my Fabric shopping online.

 I was lucky...I had a couple of great friends who showed me a few online shops and the rest as they say is history, I now have a portfolio of about 30 shops I regularly use and am always finding more, those same friends still help me out too :) some times when I or another handmaiden are looking for a certain fabric it is amazing how generous and helpful in the search other businesses and designers can be :)

So...I was thinking :) as I have had a few emails/messages in the last month asking where I get fabric from it may be useful and just a nice thing to do to share with you some of my favourite fabric spots :) one's I use and can recommend :)

So here just for you are a few of my favourites <3
PS...click on their names to go to their stores :) go on...you know you want to ;)

Facebook Fabric Suppliers
The FabricBug
Fellow Perthie Cherie has some gorgeous fabrics in stock and offers a fast and professional service, she is great at finding fabrics too!





Lauren is as her store suggests a Fabricaholic! ;) As well as a beautiful clothing label Fresh Designs she has her online fabric store with some really lovely fabrics in stock and is always super friendly to deal with!


Quiltopia is actually also a  little shop in Maleny, Queensland but I found them on Facebook. I ordered recently from Ann, to get some great fabric for a showcase, she was super quick and really lovely too! 



Bec Clarke Creations
I found Bec via a very close friend who highly recommended her :) She has some wonderful fabrics in stock, and is also apparently very good at sourcing not so easy to find fabrics :) She also has a clothing label which you can find on Facebook. www.facebook.com/pages/Bec-Clarke-Creations/131177716923943?sk=wall


Retro Age Vintage Fabrics
I am a bit into vintage ;) and I discovered my absolute favourite vintage fabric destination Retro Age when a friend pinned/posted a link to a really groovy fabric they had in store in 2011. Since then I have been addicted...I have signed up for Fabric Lovers packs, for scraps, samples, fat quarters as well as ordering larger amounts via their website. Ness is one of the most helpful and lovely ladies I have found out there and she always tries her best to find fabrics you are desiring and looking for. They have scoured the earth to find unique and original authentic vintage fabrics from many decades...if you love Laura Ashley, Liberty, Art Nouveau, 70's kitsch, 80's floral, rare 40's and 50's fabrics of all different types including chintz, cotton, lace, barkcloth and so much more this is THE place to go to.

US Online Fabric Shops
Hawthorne Threads- beautiful selection of new designer fabrics, arranged by designer and you can search by colour too
Fat Quarter Shop - a fantastically quick service and a huge range of popular designer fabrics at good prices.

Australian Online Fabric Shops
Kelani - A wonderful selection of designer fabrics, that can be sorted by colour, designer, theme, weight and they also have some lovely patterns available too. Again super speedy service and very pleasant to deal with.
Tessuti - A beautiful range of fabrics, haberdashery, patterns and more. I have ordered Liberty and other exclusive designer fabrics and found their service swift and excellent.

Etsy is the most amazing place to find patterns, buttons, embellishments, FABRIC and so much more...but with sellers from all around the world it can sometimes be a bit mind boggling and hit and miss with delivery times...so I thought I would share a couple with you that I have used and have been just great! :)
Great Etsy Shops
Voodoo Rabbit
Quirky, funky and fun fabrics that are often just a little bit different from designers such as Alexander Henry, Kokka and many more...I have gotten some of my most favourite fabrics from Voodoo Rabbit and their service is just sensational!






ZeetZeet
A huge eclectic selection of gorgeous designer fabrics.
Kerry's service is great and she often has unusual anddifficult to source fabrics in stock :)







Australian Online Fabric Marketplace
Craftumi - the place were best friends shop for craft supplies is a fantastic platform for small businesses and WAHM's to sell supplies to a wide market...I have used it a fair bit to purchase items and some of my favourite handmade designers here in Australia also use it to destash their supplies...Oopsidaisi Destash is my current favourite...designer Sam McLean's taste in fabric is exceptional and she currently has some rare and divine stock she is destashing!


My Favourite Fabric Shops here in Perth

Calico and Ivy
Well this is when my fabric loving friend and I go to this emporium in Mosman Park when we really want to spoil ourselves, the bolts of Liberty are this English girls idea of heaven, throwing me back 25-30 years when I used to visit the Bond Street HQ with my parents on our termly trips to London. Their ribbons, trims and the other fabrics too are sublime and the ladies have always been so welcoming and helpful and you really get some of that old school customer service. They are also fantastic about inquisitive monkeys! and have a basket of toys and books especially for them :) They have classes for all sorts of sewing/crafting techniques...I long one day to do their smocking course ;) before the girls are too big to wear a liberty smocked dress :) but first I need to master sewing and dress making ;) The link will take you to their online store where you can purchase fabrics, notions,patterns, kits and more :)

Southlands Sewing Centre a recent discovery in Willeton this really is a fabric lovers idea of heaven, with many designer fabrics including Moda collections, Michael Miller and many more, beautiful buttons, quilting items and so much more. They even have a wide range of sewing workshops and sell sewing machines and overlockers! They were so lovely and friendly when I went there I just know it will be somewhere I will be visiting fairly regularly!(minus the monkeys ;) ) They also stock applifix my preferred fuse for appliquéing which makes them even more wonderful in my eyes :)


WELL...see I told you I was ADDICTED <3 I hope this is somehow useful for some of you, I am by no means any sort of expert and I know there are hundreds more shops and places you can go but this is where I shop for my addiction and also I hope it gives you a few ideas if you ever did feel the urge to throw yourself into fabric and creating as to where you would go :)

xxx Georgie



Sunday, January 1, 2012

balance and new year


I have rather neglected my blog of late...I just cant seem to find the words to write or things to say...I think its tied up with my total exhaustion and pretty full on monkey wrangling of late...I kind of took the break here that I probably should have taken sooner with sewing...and am only just getting back to feeling that maybe I have something I could share :) 

oooooo before I forget Happy New Year! 2012 has gotten off to a cracking start for me and the monkeys and I just know after bit more R&R I will be able to create and have even more fun with Monkeys Over The Moon than I did in 2011 :) 

A few things have already changed...balance was something I did not do well in 2011...so for now family is definitely first, as is spending time doing things for myself...not just time alone but putting back some of the things I love into my life...something fun I am doing for now is the 30day Photo Challenge set by Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim... I am not posting my photos on FB or here but if you follow Instagram you may see me in the #janphotoaday feed :) 
With the support of some amazingly inspirational and wonderful cyber pals I am also kickstarting my lifestyle again :) last year saw me lose 30kg and regain 8kg...I hope to lose that 8 and some more...to enable me to live, laugh and love more happily forever :) (well haha not forever...I do not yet know the location of the fountain of youth ;) ) watch this space :) 

I have taken up reading with a vengeance again...instead of sitting in front of the computer or sewing to all hours in the night I have been reading a few pages of my latest gripping series of novels...A song of Ice and Fire... if you havent yet seen the TV series The Game of Thrones ;) or read the books...I can highly recommend ;) 

I have been quietly  making a few things for the monkeys and even took on a challenge to create something for myself on New Years Day :) a little case to protect my wonderful new toy from Santa :) 

so so far... without setting too many high expectations it has been a bloody great year LOL 

I am sure I will continue this blog...I expect I will write from time to time about what's happening at Monkeys Over The Moon, run a few competitions and updates about whats new and even sometimes share some of me with you...but for now...I wish you all a fantastic beginning of 2012 and all it may bring and  I am off to have a few more cuddles with the monkeys in my life :)