Now I am thoraghly convinced that craft in Adelaide is dead. I headed out today to replace a small piece of watermark moire taffeta that I had inadvertantly cut wrong. Admittedly it was a piece from my stash that I had had for a while, but I thought no problem, taffeta is a common fabric, watermark taffeta was always easy to buy, there should be quite a selection about, how wrong I was! After visits to 3 Spotlight's, Lyncraft and that damn awful Dk fabrics you know what I found? Zip, nothing, Nada, what a waste of time. Are other cuties finding it difficult to source craft goods where they live? Are all us sewers a dying breed, it makes you wonder!

I'm in a heavily populated area of USA and all most of my quiting stores have gone out of business. There is only one store that carries dress quality fabrics anywhere in driving distance. Very sad.

Several yrs ago after ALOT of the material places close around Atlanta our main supply was WalMart unless you wanted to ride a great distance and pay for overpriced material! Well..a few places opened new stores with outragious prices. It took several yrs for WalMart to decide to put back in there sewing dept. Trouble is, I have seen nothing like the nicer materials that they once carried and that still leaves the most of us having to ride long distances to buy more expensively priced material. Same quality as always but cost tons more. Patterns are 4 or 5 times more than they were just a few yrs ago. If WalMart had brought back the same types and quality as before they could be racking in the money for material. Before I moved to this area in 2007, alot of our nice Dept stores carried very nice material with alot of variety at a decent price...Most of them have been bought out by the huge chains and changed the merchandise that is sold in the stores. I used to wait on the GREAT material sales from B.C. Moore's Dept. Store back home and I would go in and buy enough to last forever. Those days are gone. It has gone to more expensive material and supplies with alot less quality almost everywhere.

Ruth we lucked out on the watermark Taffeta today at the Craft Depot but I will go to Penrith next week and check the big fabric store there for you.
Hugs n roses, Meganne

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by grafiau 30 Jun 2012

Thankyou Meganne, it really is appreciated, Ruth

We have had a lot of fabric stores close down.

I agree with you. Im in Adelaide as well. I hate that we are so limited in choice. Have you tried any of the Sewing machine dealers? The trouble with that though is that they are so expensive.

I have some water mark black, would love for you to have it, where do you live? Hugs Diamond

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by greysewist 29 Jun 2012

Ruth is in South Australia :)

by grafiau 29 Jun 2012

Thankyou for the offer I have sent you a Pm, cheers Ruth

I emailed you Ruth, but I might be in your junk file :( Had a look in Lilydale, Vic & they had a couple of types of taffeta & plenty of colours (Jade, Dk Blue, Black, couple of greens), but no watermark and think it may not be made any more as they used to stock it. Marianne

Yes Brisbane is the same . I blame Spotlight and Lyncraft the moved into Brisbane undercut all the small Fabric and crasft stores so they all closed and now all we can buy is what they decide to stock. Try buying hand embroidery threads Zippers or specialty fabrics around here. If you have some special dance fabric shops you may be able to get taffata there. hugs Joyce

I was trying to reply before but my Internet drops out without warning and I have trouble getting it back up, so annoying!!!
I see Chris has not left you hanging.
So that's 1/2 metre of either sea green, dark blue or black watermark moire taffeta.
Did you want the Jade as well?
Would you like to email me a pic of the fabric/s that you already have?
One of us will get it for you. :-))

Ruth your answer to Meg got cut off - was the colour Jade? I see you want either sea green, dark blue or black as well. We'll keep an eye open for it. Love Chris

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by grafiau 28 Jun 2012

Thanks Chris, it is for a wall hanging with embroidered Koi on it, I will post a picture of the Koi, if you do see any of the above colours in water mark taffeta I will happily pay all costs.

If this problem is being experienced in so many places there must be a solution somewhere. I just dont know what it is.

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by rescuer 29 Jun 2012

It is the fabric mills. They have been closing due to high costs and extreme competition from areas where the workers get paid little in wages. Many fabrics are not readily available. Wedding fabrics were being stolen from a local (national) shop to the point that the local store no longer carries certain fabrics.

by rescuer 29 Jun 2012

point that they stopped stocking expensive fabrics.
Many fabric mills in the USA and many other places closed in the last 15 years.

I have the same problem in Central Queensland (Australia), I find both Spotlight and Lincraft pretty hopeless and they will not source it for you.

This is a UK problem too but where I live a fabric shop opened almost 2 years ago and is doing so well that they moved to a larger shop 3 months ago. The main fabric supplier that I have used is half an hour away. Within a 2 hour drive (any excuse for a day out) I have a choice of a few shops. I live in a very rural bit of the UK so cities will fare better

ttt

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by lidiad 28 Jun 2012

Non only Clegs is offering great discounts tomorrow, but Lincraft is offering 30% off storewide (with some exceptions, like sewing machines) for 4 days, starting today.

Check out The Treasure House on Unley Road

I had a craft/fabric store (in the USA) about 20 years ago and the industry was changing then and going downhill fast. Walmart certainly was a huge factor and now that they've killed off the competition they quit selling fabric. And the fact that much of the younger generation have no sewing skills and don't care. Also many of my wholesale dealers disappeared as the huge chains buy direct so the little stores have no source. A great number of craft/sewing magazines are gone. You can't even find good buttons or nice trims any more. So sad.

It seems easier to get hold of good fabrics for patchwork, but dress-making fabrics are usually not good quality and only in the city [I am in the rural area and am finding it increasingly more difficult and frustrating!!!!]

I guess I'm spoiled. Here in West Texas I can run out 24 hours to 2 Super Walmarts,Hobby Lobby,Michaels or Hancock Fabric. And if I still can't find it there is always the internet and ebay. The only thing we don't have is a JoAnns. They closed up and left town when Michael's came in.
Bev

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by bevintex 27 Jun 2012

All within 15 minutes of home.

Me again!! I'm still thinking..... do any of those little fabric/dressmaking shops owned by the Asian ladies still exist around the Central Market area? I remember them being stocked full of gorgeous 'specialty' fabrics.
I'd ring around some of the specialty shops, e.g. wedding dress shops, and see if anyone can help you with what you need.
Can't help thinking that maybe you'd find what you want in Victoria Market in Melbourne!!!
AlmaG.

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by greysewist 27 Jun 2012

I don't think there's anywhere the amount of fabric that used to be at Vic Market, either, Alma. I used to tear up there in my lunchtime when I worked in Melbourne (City).

It's many years since I shopped in Adelaide, but don't the big department stores in Adelaide have their fabric sections any more? Where could you buy bridal fabrics these days? Wouldn't taffeta be one of the favourite fabrics for brides to wear? Wouldn't a dress fabric store be the place instead of a craft store?
Also have you sounded out any of the dance costume stores, if they still exist?
Just wondering.... not much use me planning fabric trips to Adelaide if the stores don't exist!!! I should go and check out my local Spotlight and Lincraft for dress/dance/bridal fabrics. I haven't needed any of these for years.
AlmaG.

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by meganne 28 Jun 2012

Don't most brides these days want expensive shop bought dresses? One of the fabric shops at Penrith has all those gorgeous "to die for" fabrics and it is owned by a lovely Chinese couple, as is the one around the corner in the arcade, her store isn't as large but she has a fantastic range of fabrics.

by meganne 28 Jun 2012

as large but she has a fantastic range of fabrics.
Here on the NSW, Central Coast I have no idea where the fabric stores are hiding, other than Spotlight, so many businesses closed down during the 8 years I was gone.

by grafiau 28 Jun 2012

Sadly Alma the department stores do not have any fabric, craft or sewing machines. The last one with anything was Harris Scarfe in Rundle Mall, but they too stopped keeping anything and moved to a very small section of the first floor in the old David Jones building. One of the best stores for bridal fabric used to be Glynburn fabric, but they closed down. They did have a discount store near Gepps Cross for a short time, but they have now gone. My favourite used to be johnson's but theyve gone too. I rang Ferriers but they didnt have any, I dont know of any others. As Meganne said, the biggies like Spotlight and Lincraft have driven them to the wall.

by oigelcox 28 Jun 2012

They dont have them in Brisbane any more. Lincraft and Spotlight killed them at Garden City and the Bris City centre then movede out themselves, Hugs joyce

We are finding fewer and fewer fabric shops these days here, too.

We used to have 3 places here: a small Singer store (owner retired - didn't sell out), WalMart (they haven't brought much of anything back - just a few fat quarters and a few mini bolts and a few notions, and last but not least - Fabricland. Now I have to go into the city when I want something. Hubby took me to fabricland a couple weeks ago and they are always running a sale, it just switched what is on - I looked around and found several fabrics to add to my stash.

I live in a small community, and the only fabric store closed down 2 moths ago, now i have to go to the capital or buy it on line :( And yes I think we are going to be in the extinction list.

I think the whole problem lies in the fact that Spotlight and Lincraft forced most of the smaller fabric shops out of business.
Now, because they need to make such huge profits to maintain such large stores and staff, they are forced to close down leaving us with nothing.
Thankfully, Penrith and St Marys here in NSW still have several great fabric stores, besides SL & LC, so I regularly go back to Penrith when I want inexpensive but EXCELLENT quality fabrics.
There is also the Craft Depot at Pennant Hills, which currently has a 20% off sale, so Chris, Polly and I are meeting there this Friday to have a spend-up and get together.

I would not mind making purchases for any Aussie Cutie who is having problems getting supplies, because I understand the difficulty trying to buy fabrics online where there is the added difficulty of colour distortion due to monitor and camera variations.
Of course anyone availing themselves of my offer would need to pay for the postage, but you can fit a fair amount in a 3kg pre-paid satchel for $11.40 or 500g satchel for $7.20

You could even mail your own PP Satchel if you need to send a sample of fabric you want.

So, anyone interested, keep this in mind or send your request by Thursday night for this weeks shopping spree.
Hugs and roses, Meg

EMAD: melide_menschen@yahoo.com.au

9 comments

by pennifold 27 Jun 2012

Nice to see your old Betty Boop avatar back Meg, love Chris

by pennifold 27 Jun 2012

I'm off to air Amy's home tommorrow and make the beds up for her and clean out the fridge. They arrive back home from Singapore on Sunday evening. Can't wait - had a great chat on Skype this am. See you Friday - Credit card in hand! Love Chris

by cfidl 27 Jun 2012

I did not recognize you til I read chris' post. Offering to assist is wonderful and I would be willing to do the same from colorado, USA!

by meganne 27 Jun 2012

You'd be proud of me Chris, today I helped Rada make a start on her next quilt, got some squares cut and wrote up did a pattern for her to cut some strips, then stitch what we have done, before we move on to the next bit. :-))
It froze my brass monkey being downstairs!!!!!

by meganne 27 Jun 2012

being downstairs!!!! LOL!!!!
Hugs n roses, me

by christracey 28 Jun 2012

Oh Meganne would you have a look around Craft Depot for me....I've been trying to get there for ages....Not that I'm after anything in particular...lol

by meganne 28 Jun 2012

Sure if you think of anything you need before the morning, I'll PM you my Mobile number so you can text me.
I have started a shopping list. :-)

by meganne 28 Jun 2012

PS. You could always come and join us at Pennant Hills, what a great surprise THAT would be for us. 10:30 - 11 ish.
HNR, M

by grafiau 28 Jun 2012

Meganne you are so generous with your time, and if I cant find anything here I may take you up on your offer. I only need about half a meter in either a dark blue a sea green or a black. i am doing a couple of pictures of Japanese Koi and the taffeta is just right for it especially the water mark variety. I will post a picture of the koi. Ruth

I find most stuff around me is for quilting, which I don't do. Sigh~~

Ruth if you can send me a sample, (a decent size piece, say 30cm2, that I will send back to you) there are still some fabulous fabric shops down at Penrith where I go visit Polly and my sister, perhaps I will be able to get you exactly what you need.
I think I have your emad so I will write and send you my street address, if not you can email me.
melide_menschen@yahoo.com.au
Hugs n roses, Meganne

Here in South Africa, I really think that sewing is dying. I think it is such a shame. I have 2 grown daughters and neither of them can even sew on a button!!!!! So very sad. Sarah.

1 comment

by cfidl 27 Jun 2012

That is not good. A button is like boiling water right? LOL!

Very sad.... In the city we have Spotlight, Lyncraft and Clegs (high class store), and in some suburbs Spotlight or Lyncraft. I consider myself lucky that they are near where I live. Over the years Lyncraft has closed two large stores not too far from where I live and the one close to me was about to close a few years ago but fortunately has survived. Still I don't find what I need easily and recently I started buying online. Sad :(
Hugs, Lidia

3 comments

by lidiad 27 Jun 2012

Correction: in the city we have Lyncraft and Clegs, no Spotlight.

by greysewist 27 Jun 2012

But ohmygoodness, Cleggs is way out of my price bracket!

by lidiad 28 Jun 2012

I heard on the radio that Clegs offers 10% to 50% (yes, 50%) discount tomorrow, Friday 29th June, in their stores in Melbourne and in Brunswick (Lygon Street).
Hugs, Lidia

We have very little here in Tassie apart from 3 Spotlight stores only a very few quilt shops. Shirley

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by grafiau 27 Jun 2012

it doesnt make any sense, ladies are buying (or are being expected to buy) very expensive sewing machines. In some instances we are talking tens of thousands of dollars. Fabric is an intergral part of the whole sewing process. Buying it on line is not right, buying fabric is a tactile exercise, you want to touch it and see how it feels, you want to look at the colour in good light to see if it is right, you want to go home with the satisfaction of a parcel under your arm, to put your carefully choosen fabric lovingly into your stash. Thats what it's all about. Ruth

Same, apart from Spotlight & Lyncraft 20mins away, there is only one little fabric store (25mins in the other direction) with a pitiful range - very sad.

Yep, same in Belgium, around Antwerp. As far as I know only one shop who sells fabric, and not many shops who well materials to use for crafts (like sissors, special mat, cutters,...) Even no craft show :-( it is sad...

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by pennyhal 29 Jun 2012

You could be the first to organize one. You might start with a church group!