'BUYING FABRIC ONLINE: How do you know what you're getting, and how do you get what you want?'

A very useful Fabric Workshop is up and coming at my studio here - date to be confirmed, but late Feb probably - please state your preference re dates and I will organise accordingly.  smile emoticon
See below:

Hi Everyone,
I am a designer / maker / teacher of pattern cutting / sewing / bespoke garments, and would like to tell you about an upcoming Fabric Workshop which will be happening here in my spacious studio on the edge of Cropredy at Prescote Manor. (See the map on my contact page below for the location: www.bobbiesroom.co.uk/contact)
Cost will be around £20 for a 2 hr workshop, and you will go away with:
A LIST OF FABRIC SHOPS AND SUPPLIERS, including Harris tweed suppliers direct from the Scottish Islands, silk tweed from the suppliers who Coco Chanel first used for her jackets (yes, it was British!), Yorkshire tweed suppliers, luxurious ex designer fabric suppliers, tech and sports fabrics AND some small SWATCHES OF SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITES smile emoticon

I'm aiming to encourage creativity, enthusiasm, knowledge of course, and successful making as a result. If you know what the fabric can do, you can design and make accordingly, AND be inspired - just knowing what you can get, gives you ideas.
Please email me on atelier@bobbiesroom.co.uk, or just reply here on this post or message me, to let me know if you are interested in principle, and I will organise accordingly. Thank you!

SEE DETAILS of what will be covered below:

'If you're thinking of buying fabric online (and we do that a lot more these days for many different reasons), I’ve realised that a lot of people just don’t know what’s out there, and what they might go for in making any kind of garment, let alone what they might choose for a really special occasion - a wedding dress or outfit.
So I’m putting together a workshop where we can look at:

• HOW TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WHEN YOU BUY ONLINE!
• Sample swatches of actual fabric: types, varieties within a type, what's suitable for what use,
properties of different fabrics, how to tell what a fabric is if it's not labelled, (you might need to
know for washing / ironing / dry cleaning / dyeing etc).
• What questions to ask the supplier when you contact them, so that both you and they are saving
time and wasted swatches being sent.
• Technical stuff - thread count / strength and resilience / types of prints / names of weaves /
construction ...and what that all means!
• Histories and background of fabric production in different areas of the UK, and the world.
Did you know for instance that Banbury (my nearest town), used to be the centre of the production of a fabric known as ‘Plush’ ?

There will be loads of beautiful fabrics for you to look at in the studio, for inspiration and information -
• Harris and Yorkshire and Irish tweeds,
• Cottons: (fine shirtings/lawn/muslin/satins/prints/woven Madras checks/denims/honeycomb
weaves, oil cloth),
• Silks of all descriptions from silk tweed to taffeta, organza, georgette and satins,
• Wools, from fine suitings to pilot cloth (used for duffle coats), to jacquards, cashmere and all in
between.
• Many different types of lace.
• Tech fabrics- vinyls and polyester microfibres, neoprene, nets and mesh for sportswear and
accessories.

Email me on atelier@bobbiesroom.co.uk, or comment here, or message me for confirmed dates and all other details you might need smile emoticon

Thanks!
Bobbie