Wee Birdy Q&A: London craft and haberdashery

Q: I'll be in London in May and wondered if you knew where I could buy felt? I tried finding a shop in London like Spotlight (craft supplies) in Sydney but didn't have much luck. Any ideas? That sweet shop looks amazing! Thanks, Trixi

Hi Trixi,
I’m not surprised you didn’t have much luck in finding a craft supplies chain store in London – it’s sorely lacking in this area. However, I did find some other good options for you to check out in May.

Firstly, I headed to the fourth floor of John Lewis on Oxford Street. Back in its glory days, John Lewis’ haberdashery department was apparently THE place to go for this kind of thing. Sadly, these days you’ll find a much smaller and limited version of itself. But I did find a good selection of felt in white, black, ivory, red and green at £6.50 per metre.

Large bunny rabbit feltidermy, US$120, from Girl Savage’s Etsy shop.

Your best bet, though, is London’s marvellous Cloth House. It has two large retail shops on Berwick Street in Soho and sources a spectacular range of fabrics from around the world. You need to head to the shop at number 98, which has a fine and extensive range of felt.

In fact, Cloth House produces its own line from a mill in the French Alps which has been making felt for over 300 years. They have two different types of felt: a woollen viscose that comes in over 30 colours at £15 per metre, and a pure woollen felt at £25 per metre.

Gray kitty feltidermy brooch, US$30, from Girl Savage’s Etsy shop.

And if you’re up for a trip to London’s East End, you would also be in luck at Dalston Mill Fabrics. They stock over 15 colours in acrylic felt at £4.40 per metre, and a woollen felt in black and navy at £17.50 per metre. Good luck and don’t forget to buy a bag of bon-bons from Hope & Greenwood!

Silver gray doe feltidermy, US$45, from Girl Savage’s Etsy shop.

John Lewis
Oxford Street
London W1A 1EX
Nearest tubes: Oxford Circus and Bond Street

Cloth House
47 and 98 Berwick Street
Soho, London
W1F 0QJ
Tel: 020 7287 1555
Nearest tubes: Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Dalston Mill Fabrics
69-73 Ridley Road
Dalston, London
E8 3NP
Tel: 020 7249 4129
Nearest rail: Dalston Kingsland

p.s. OK, it's slightly off-topic but I love these hilariously cute “feltidermy” hand-stitched pieces by Girl Savage on Etsy. And I needed something to illustrate this post. Genius!

Brown mouse feltidermy brooch, US$30, from Girl Savage’s Etsy shop.

London shopping: VVRouleaux

VVRouleaux is London’s legendary emporium of ribbons, trimmings and braids, and oh, so much more. It’s the kind of place that instantly makes you bug-eyed with excitement, recalling childhood days of coveting ribbons, buttons and other “fancy” bits and bobs to add to your most precious and treasured collection.


But it’s the grown-ups who flock to this beautiful bazaar of inspiration for specialist ribbons sourced from all over the world, like Japanese organdie and French wire-edged taffetas in every shade imaginable.



In fact the large light-filled entry-level room in the Marylebone store is literally a Pantone book come to life, with reels of ribbons in every size, pattern and colour. No wonder brides make a bee-line to the store for that exact shade of caramel to work their bridesmaids’ sashes back to the reception chair tie-backs.


Speaking of brides, there are double-sided velvet ribbons which make perfect belts and sashes, as well as double-sided Japanese satin ribbons. And downstairs, there’s a fabulous collection of vintage bridal accessories, including hand-made veils, headpieces, hats and birds (birds!) from the late 1950s.



Ribbons aside, there’s a glorious range of silk, organza and velvet roses in a myriad of fashion shades, as well as a vast collection of fancy feathers. Apparently the shop does a roaring trade in June and July during racing and wedding season.



Don’t miss the tables crammed with vintage pieces like hand-crocheted butterflies and clusters of velvet violets (I spied the same violets behind a glass cabinet at the Golden Age of Couture exhibition at the V&A). I particularly love the selection of vintage French earrings and hair combs as well as the double-sided velvet belts with vintage buckles (from £14.95), delicate feather brooches (from £12.95) and bird decorations (from £3.95).



Downstairs is haberdashery heaven, dedicated to heavier furnishings like acrylic and glass tassles in traditional and modern colours, as well as vintage braids, faux-fur trims, cotton lace trims, and leather and suede ribbons for fashion and furnishing. I found a bunch of Chanel-style braids that would make chic suit edging. There’s also an extensive range of wax cords in all shades, which was raided by the wardrobe department from Elizabeth: The Golden Age.




From October onwards, the store introduces its Christmas collection, with tree ornaments, wreaths, garlands and berries for decorating the home.

For more inspiration, buy a copy of owner/creative director Annabel Lewis’ new book, Ribbons & Trims, for £20.


VVRouleaux
www.vvrouleaux.com


LONDON
102 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2QD
Tel: 020 7224 5179
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6pm
Nearest tube: Bond Street and Baker Street

For more shops in W1, click here.
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

54 Sloane Square
Cliveden Place
London
SW1W 8AX
Tel: 020 7730 3125
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6.30pm
Nearest tube: Sloan Square

For more shops in SW1, click here.