Desperate for a craft fix while on holiday? I know I usually am. I scour the internet for advice before I go and then desperately run around trying to find the places. So you don’t have to do the work, I’ve listed some of my favorite fabric shops, bead shops, millinery suppliers, fashion magazine shop, craft fairs, and even night schools (if you’re on a longer holiday or live here) so you can fulfill all your craft urges while in the center of London. If you’re touring around, you’ll probably be in the right areas; you just have to know where to go.
♥My Favorite Bead Shops♥
London’s Bead Triangle
Like the Bermuda’s Triangle - You might never be seen again!
Creative Beadcraft
(previously known as Ells and Farrier)
20 Beak Street, London W1F 9RE
020 7629 9964
From the US, add 011 44 and don’t dial the first 0. So you’d dial 011 44 207 629 9964
www.creativebeadcraft.co.uk
Tube – Piccadilly Circus
Please note that VAT (sales tax) isn't included in the prices, so you’ll have to add an extra 17.5% to your bill. In most shops in the UK, usually this is included in the price, so the customer forgets how much she’s paying in tax. The high rate is one of the reasons why everything is so expensive over here! Even so, this is one of the best bead places in London and you’re sure to find something unique.
Buffy's Beads
Kingly Court, Kingly St, London, W1B 5PW
020 7494 2323
www.buffysbeads.com
Tube – Oxford Circus
Located just off Regent Street near Carnaby Street.
London loves beads. These two shops survive even though they’re only a short walk away. Buffy’s Beads has a much larger selection of rhinestones and crystals. This and Creative Beadcraft are my favorites.
As for the last corner of the Covent Garden triangle, take your pick:
The Bead Shop
21A Tower Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9NS
020 7240 0931
www.beadshop.co.uk
Bead Aura
3 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP
0207 836 3002
www.beadaura.co.uk
Located on a corner of Neal's Yard just off Seven Dials
London Bead Shop
24 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LN
020 73799214
www.londonbeadshop.co.uk
Located in Covent Garden
Open until 8pm daily
The London Bead Co Ltd.
339 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2TJ
0870 203 2323 or 0870 202 8007
www.londonbeadco.co.uk
Located outside of Central London and opposite the Kentish Town Tube station (Northern Line). A little farther to get to, but a lovely selection.
♥My Favorite Millinery Shops♥
MacCulloch & Wallis
25 - 26 Dering Street, London, W1S 1AT
020 7629 0311
www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk
Haberdashery, hats, feathers, wonderful bits of fluffy loveliness. Expensive, but quality.
They even sell wooden hat forms. If you’re making a hat, this is the place to come. Off Oxford Street half way between Oxford Circus and Bond Street tube stations. Thursday late opening until 7pm. Since 1902.
Milliner Warehouse
35 Ebury Bridge Road, Victoria, London SW1W 8QX
Mail Order 0207 730 4918
Store 0207 730 5776
www.millinerwarehouse.com
Feathers, feathers, and more feathers!
Located a short walk from Victoria train and bus stations. You wouldn’t think this would be a place for hat heaven, but it is. Well worth the walk. You’ve got to be in the know to know about this place.
♥My Favorite Adult Learning Centers♥
City Lit
1-10 Keeley Street, London WC2B 4BA.
enrolment: 020 7831 7831
switchboard: 020 7492 2600
www.citylit.ac.uk
Tube – Holborn or Covent Garden
In the middle of London, take classes ranging from children’s picture book illustration to mosaics. Prices are very reasonable and the location of Covent Garden couldn’t be better. I’ve taken numerous courses here and all of the teachers have been excellent. If you’re only coming to London for a short period, still check out their classes because they often have weekend short courses and some one day Saturday classes. What a great way to meet the locals!
Kensington & Chelsea
Main Centers are: Hortensia Centre, Hortensia Road, London SW10 0QS
Tube – Earl’s Court, South Kensington, or Fulham Broadway; and
Wornington Centre, Wornington Road, London W10 5QQ
Tube – Ladbroke Grove
Course Information 020 7573 5333
Switchboard 020 7573 3600
www.kcc.ac.uk
Classes are to die for – tiara making, cake design, mosaics, stand up comedy, faux painting techniques. They are especially known for their fashion and millinery departments. Great locations in Kensington and Ladbroke Grove. Very reasonable prices. Short courses are available.
♥My Favorite Craft Fairs♥
Country Living Christmas Fair
Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1
Tube - Angel tube
Nov 12-18th, 2008
www.countrylivingfair.com/xmas/
Plum puddings, mulled wine, spicy chutneys, and heaps of crafty wonderfulness!
Country Living Spring Fair
They also have a spring show at the same place. Next one is March 11-15th 2009
www.countrylivingfair.com/Spring
Spirit of Christmas Fair
Olympia, London
Tube – Kensington Olympia
www.spiritofchristmasfair.com
Mid-November each year.
Most of the exhibitors at the Country Living Fair are likely to be here too. Like this fair, but if you have to choose one, go to the Country Living Fair.
Spirit of Summer Fair
Olympia, London
14-17th May 2009
Tube – Kensington Olympia
www.spiritofsummerfair.co.uk
♥My Favorite Fashion Magazine Shops♥
RD Franks
5 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HG
Open Monday through Friday 9am -6pm. Closed weekends.
Tube – Oxford Circus
0207 636 1244
www.rdfranks.co.uk
Need to know the next trend? You’ve found the right place. Since 1877, you can’t beat London’s huge selection of international fashion magazines and books.
♥My Favorite Fabric Shops♥
A Stitch in Time
(Under new ownership as Tikki Fabrics)
293 Sandycombe Road, Kew Gardens, Greater London, Surrey TW9 3LU
0208 948 8462
www.stitchintimeuk.com
www.tikkilondon.com
Tube – Kew Gardens
Desperate for a quilt hit? This is a dedicated quilt shop. Wonderful place. There are very few quilt shops in England and this one has a good selection of fabrics. Has recently changed ownership and has been operating at reduced hours. Check website before you go. Located in Kew near the gardens. Make a day of it and if you go, Extremely Crafty highly recommends buying lunch at the Kew butchers shop named Pether of Kew. Turn out of the tube and turn left, it’s a few shops down. Their warm steak and cheese pies and Cornish pasties are amazing. I recently sprinted there on the train after work just so I could stock my new freezer.
The main fabric shop street in London is Berwick Street off Oxford Street. Prices are high, but some of the fabrics are gorgeous.
The Berwick Street Cloth Shop
14 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0PP
020 7287 2881
Spent weeks looking for wolf print? Look no more! For all of your faux animal needs such as giraffe, Dalmatian, tigers, cow, leopard, zebra, bald dog, and of course, wolf.
Borovicks Fabrics
16 Berwick Street, London UK W1F 0HP
0207 437 2180
www.borovickfabricsltd.co.uk
Bridal, evening, theatrical and dancewear fabrics
Chelsea Textiles
13 Walton Street SW3 2JD
0207 584 0111
www.chelseatextiles.com
Beautiful luxurious fabrics primarily for interior décor and furnishings. Fabric design center. Note this is not on Berwick Street.
Cloth House
47 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 8SJ
020 7437 5155
www.clothhouse.com
Vintage trimmings and natural fabrics
Cloth House
98 Berwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0QJ
020 7287 1555
There are two Cloth Houses on Berwick Street. This one sells embroidered fabrics, synthetic fabrics, leathers, jerseys, wools, silks and felts.
Liberty
Regent Street, London W1B 5AH
0207 734 1234
www.liberty.co.uk
Expensive but gorgeous fabrics, yarns, and haberdashery. The place to buy Liberty prints. Fabric section has been significantly reduced in recent years, but still wonderful. Wouldn’t it be a cool job designing Liberty prints?
Peter Jones
Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EL
020 7730 3434
www.peterjones.co.uk
Furnishings fabric. Sumptuous and expensive. Sponsors the Kensington & Chelsea student hat contest around Ascot time each year.
John Lewis
Oxford Street, London W1A 1EX
020 7629 7711
www.johnlewis.com
Excellent location. Reasonable prices. Fabric, large yarn collection, and a bit of all crafts.
Soho Silks
22 D'arblay Street, Soho, London W1F 8EG
020 7434 3305
www.sohosilks.com
Located in Soho to meet all of your fake fur needs.
Textile King
81 Berwick Street, London W1F 8TW
020 7437 7372
They’re king. What more can we say?
Please Note...
All work; including photographs, descriptions, stories, books, artwork, patterns, and crafts, represented on this site and elsewhere is protected by copyright. Please feel free to use my pdf books, e-zines, and patterns for your personal use, but not for commercial use.
Thank you!
Contents
Letters from London
Love Chocolate?
Want to Earn Money Doing Something You Love?
London Crafting
Euro-Santas