Fabric Stores: My favorites in New England

So I am often asked about resources. I'm always happy to share.

The Lady Fortune Shop Hop would be to start at the Auburn Fabric Outlet as soon as they open on Saturday, (get lunch at Not Your Average Joe's in Westborough) go to Sewfisticated in Framingham, then Fabric Place Basement in Natick.

Fabric Stores

Adventure Shopping -

The Auburn Fabric Outlet (Became $2.99 January 1st 2015)

773 Southbridge St

Auburn, MA 01501

Hours:

Monday- Saturday - 10:00am-5:45pm
Sunday - Noon-4:45pm

Note: They lock the doors 15 minutes before closing and they WILL NOT cut after closing.

This is not usual fabric store etiquette, so be prepared.

I love this store, but I'm an adventure shopper. You cannot go with anything specific in mind, or you'll be dissapointed.

I've gotten silk, wool, linen and cotton velvets, but some days you do strike out.

Variety -

Sewfisticated

http://sewfisticated.com/

136 Howard St

Framingham, MA 01702

(other locations in Dorchester and Somerville)

Hours:

Monday-Saturday 10:00am – 8:00pm
Sunday - Noon – 6:00pm

Upstairs is a bargain loft and there is a 10% discount to SCA members if you ask for it. Great selections of wools, linens and silks.

Best garment fabric store for value in Massachusetts (probably New England), they also have home decor fabrics and great remnants including leather.

Fabric Place Basement

http://www.fabricplacebasement.com/

321 Speen Street

Natick, MA 01760

Hours:

Monday- Wednesday & Saturday - 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Thursday & Friday - 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday - Noon - 6:00 pm

Great selection of faux furs, home decor, apparel and YARNS. Apparel notions you won't find elsewhere. Check the website for coupons.

Osgood's

http://www.osgoodtextile.com/

333 Park St

West Springfield, MA 01089

Hours:

Monday - Wednesday & Friday - 9:00am-7:00pm
Thursday - 9:00am-7:00pm
- SATURDAY CLOSED -
Sunday - 11:00am-5:00pm

If you need it, Osgood's has it. It won't be cheap, it won't cost your first born, but be prepared.

It's a giant warehouse of fabrics and it's easy to get overwhelmed.

Silks -

Artee's

http://www.arteefabricsandhome.com/

68 Tower St

Hudson, MA

Hours:

Monday-Friday - 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday - 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday - Closed

High-end Home Dec fabrics and trims. Try to resist drooling over the fabric and walk swiftly to the silk remnant table.

Bonus: Downstairs is an awesome antiques shop

Zimmans

http://www.zimmans.com/

80 Market St
Lynn, MA 01901

Hours:

Monday-Saturday - 9:30am - 5:30pm

Mostly high-end Home Dec fabrics and trims. The silks are going to be front and center when you walk in. RESIST.

Turn to the left, go downstairs and frolic among the discount fabrics and trims.

Sewing Machine Repair/Quilting -

The Charlton Sewing Center

http://charltonsewingcenter.com/

12 Stafford St

Charlton, MA 01507

Hours:

Monday-Friday - 10-6
Saturday - 9-5
Sunday - "by chance or appointment"

This is where my machines go, I love them. Cannot say enough good things about them, Cathy the owner is a treasure.

She's fixed everything from my great-grandmother's Featherweight to my computerized Viking serger.

Worth a Look -

Franklin Mill Store

305 Union St

Franklin MA, 02038

http://www.franklinmillstore.com/

Hours:

Monday - 10:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday - Thursday - 10:00am - 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday - 10:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday - Closed

Home Decor fabric, trims, machines and yarn.

Out of State Shops Worth Visiting -

Marden's (Various locations ME, my favorite is Brewer)

What can't you find at Marden's?

The selection is mostly quilting fabrics, but I've found wool for $2 a yard. The location in Sanford is rumored to get really nice leather from time to time

Affordable Fabrics (Uncasville and Rocky Hill CT)

Everything is $2.99. Same family as the Auburn Fabric Outlet above

 

 If you have one I've missed I'd love to hear about it!

Pics or It Didn't Happen: The Viking Sailor Senshi at East Kingdom University

We set a goal of trying to get a lot of these dresses done by EKU in the Barony of Endewearde this past weekend. We are all mostly together and we had many of the Senshi attending.

A few of House Strangewayes:


From left to right: Lady Bianca Anguissola as Sailor Jupiter, Becca as Sailor Mars, Lady Fortune St Keyne as Sailor Moon, Jacquemine van der Bel as Sailor Mercury and Lady Cecily Windham as Sailor Neptune

And the very important shot of the bow!
 

Yeah, we are even more fun in person.

I taught a class on viking garb mostly using resources from previous classes on the apron dress and "Vigdis" style underdress. I also included a tutorial on wool felt applique and the Eura underdress.

It was a fantastic day as most East Kingdom University's are, full of learning, fellowship and laughter. The autocrats are super heroes, as the location changed less than 24 hours beforehand and aside from the map in the guidebook being wrong YOU COULDN'T TELL. Lady Yzabell du Perche the event steward and her team did an amazing job and Baroness Isabelle de Montreuil sur Mer who heads the EKU effort pulled off a miracle.


And a huge shout out to Morgan Donner and her 16th Century Sailor Moon! I had to pick myself up off the floor when I saw that you'd been inspired by this project. Full on swoon I tell you!

Art: A Giorgione Courtesan - seducing men hundreds of years later

NPR - oh how I love thee.

Morning Edition on NPR had a story a few mornings ago about an exhibit called Lock, Stock and Barrel: Norton Simon’s Purchase of Duveen Brothers Gallery at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA.

The thing that caught my attention was an alleged Giorgione of a courtesan. The article includes a picture:

Bust Portrait of a Courtesan, c. 1509
Zorzo da Castelfranco called Giorgione
Italian, 1477/78-1510
Oil on panel, transferred to canvas
12-1/2 x 9-3/8 in. (31.8 x 23.8 cm)
The Norton Simon Foundation

 

The story here is about the man who purchased the painting, Norton Simon. As they state on the website description of the exhibit:

"Mr. Simon had first expressed an interest in the painting in the late 1950s, but by 1963, despite still some hesitation due to the question of attribution, he agreed with the then-owner of the firm, Edward Fowles, to purchase the painting over a two year period of time. And in the course of those two years, he eventually expressed interest in first an additional seven, and then another five objects in Duveen’s stock, until eventually he decided to purchase the whole of the inventory of slightly less than 800 objects, along with the Duveen gallery building itself at 18 East 79^th Street, and its entire library and archive."

But this lady, she's the one who started it all.

The museum is doing a really facinating companion concert called "A Musical Portrait of the Venetian Courtesan" by Tesserae (a Baroque ensemble based out of LA).

The description makes me almost salivate it's so cool:

"The courtesan in Renaissance Venice held a unique social position. Despite a life filled with hardship and danger, she was able to circumvent many of the patriarchal restrictions on women making music. A study of courtesan music is therefore a fascinating window upon the sound world of domestic life in Renaissance Venice. The period-instrument ensemble Tesserae explores this world, from the performance of "high art" madrigals by Barbara Strozzi and San Marco maestri Adrian Willeart and Cipriano de Rore, to lively Carnival songs in dialetto. The performance also includes a re-creation of the lost art of the aria as practiced by the Renaissance improvisatori and instrumental dance music."

Anyone want to charter me a private plane to go to Pasadena for one night? (I'm seeing a special preview of Wolf Hall - the new PBS Masterpiece series set in Tudor England on Sunday in NH)