I visited this shop during a short stay in London, mainly because it was an independent shop and…read more(very!) easily accessed by train. As we know, indie shops can be hit or miss, since they tend to fit the owner's tastes...but I have to say, this shop had me wanting to buy ALL THE THINGS and start up many new crafts. (Restrained myself, as I had limited luggage space and Parisian craft shops on the itinerary.) Yarn and apparel fabrics were the main attractions for me--I picked up some cotton that later became a skirt, and a couple balls of bulky British yarn that are now keeping a friend's head warm in Toronto. I also added notions, markers, iron-ons, and paper goods to my craft arsenal. (I don't normally do paper stuff but how could I not buy giant cross-stitch paper??) I was super impressed by the machine parts collection--who knew that many feet existed?! I probably walked the whole store 3x to make sure I wasn't missing anything I couldn't live without. Anyway, amazing stock aside, the owner is incredibly sweet & kind. We had a nice little chat about the shop, and she graciously shared some business tips. Since that visit, I've been following her Instagram and *really* wish I had managed to take a class when I was in town. (Now I know for next time!!) The shop is bright, cheery, inviting, and beautifully pulled together. If you're in London and you or someone you love is a crafter, swing by this store. You're bound to find something(s) wonderful.

Fawonderfu place Just what we crafters need…read more So nice to see what u need instead of buying on net Excellent selection and first rate classes at good price All materials supplied

I've had nothing but 5-star service here…read more On one particular occasion I was looking for a certain silk chiffon for a designer and the man behind the counter, who was dressed like an urban dandy, was nothing but a gentleman. He immediately acknowledged my presence when I walked in with a "I'll be right with you" - even though even though he was helping another person. I was then bowled over by the courteous way he assisted me with my search. He pulled everything off the shelf... despite knowing that he'd have to put it all back... told me all about fiber content, and really tried to understand what I was looking for - giving me plenty of genuine suggestions and helping me brainstorm possibilities. Even more remarkably, after all of his time and wonderful assistance, he didn't bat an eyelid when I said I merely wanted a swatch of all six fabrics with the price and fabric content - he kindly wrote out all of this information, and was very generous with the swatch sizes - always very considerate. There's also this cool system here where they keep a record of the swatches they've handed out to you ... all you have to do is leave your name and they'll keep track of what you've left with on various days - which is *super* customer friendly if you're accumulating swatches from all over the place and are trying to design the perfect piece. The atmosphere is exactly what you'd imagine the Silk Society to be... very luxurious and decadent, and they carry a myriad of silk and silk chiffons and antique silks... all rather traditional, I don't think they carry any silks with Lycra. The fabrics on offer are all of stand-out quality... and there are so many to choose from! If you're not on a strict budget, and are looking for a silk in a really specific colour, I recommend coming here because they really have such a beautiful rainbow of options. You can definitely go to Shepherd's Bush and other places and find some comparably stunning silks... but you'll also have to traipse around and sift through the grunge of it all... and you certainly won't be treated like royalty. I really feel they *want* to help their customers at this shop... they'll really bend over backwards to help you here - and that's worth something.

The first day I discovered Berwick street, I made an excursion to the Silk society boutique. It is…read morevery small, has lots of couture fabrics - some of them even behind the counter and as the name says they are specialists for Silk. The Silk Society supplies to the business trade for seamstresses as well as to the general public. You can also order large quantities with free delivery. In addition to this, they sell a range of sewing and knitting accessories. This is definitely where a student should not go - it is way overpriced and is probably more thought for people who are sewing a wedding dress or ball gown. For my taste, the fabrics are to playful and decorative. I tell you what, try Shepherds Bush for silk, I am sure you will get a better deal.

Sass & Bell is the most amazingly magical place to spend an hour browsing, yes a full hour. This…read morelittle shop use to be on Neal street but has now moved to this bigger location opposite Scott's on New Row. Basically it is full of a huge selection of RJB Stone goodies. For those of you who don't know this is a company that makes adorable tat that appeals to teenage girls and ridiculous women like me who insist of super cute nonsense in their homes. These guys only sell wholesale and I have never seen a collection like this in a shop. We are talking appliqued pirate bunting and hand painted Russian Doll photo pegs, white bird cages with stuck on flowers and butterflies. If you are looking for a new baby gift they have brilliant kiddies room decoration stuff, and as for stocking fillers, well this place is ideal. Nothing is more than £20 and some start from as little as £2.95 so you can really go nuts if you wanted to. As I have mentioned before I have happy places in London, this is one of them. I hate to Yelp this but I will and I am sharing this happiness with you.

After hours of looking round London for presents for my Mum and a wedding gift for my friend. I…read morefound them all under one roof! The store has loads of great things to hang up in your home. Not being that descriptive i know but if you go in there you will be amazed at what they have. I'm definitely heading back here to shop again as not only did they have so much choice for a small shop. It was reasonably priced!

This shop had several different selections of local yarns, plus the basics. The shop keepers were…read morevery friendly and answered my questions/chatted with me despite the very crowded store. I would come back on another visit to London.

Teeny yarn shop filled to the brim with yarn, notions, and books. I was unfamiliar with most of the…read moreyarns they carried but I picked up some sock yarn, which seems to be my project of choice when I'm traveling. This place had several other customers and a couple workers but no one interacted with me until I approached with a question. Nice area of town. Ok experience.

I don't know a stitch about knitting, but this too-darling shop is eye-catching enough for even…read morenovices to peruse. I came in with a friend who was inquiring about a certain pattern, and the girl working was extremely friendly and as helpful as could be - even though her advice meant we didn't end up needing to buy anything... Perhaps what makes this store especially unique is their fantastical window displays, made entirely of, you guessed it - yarn. Apparently there's a whole slew of "knitting artists" out there... and many of them are on the monthly docket of this shop to deck out the window in whimsical and unbelievably architectural cascades of yarn. Last month it was a (large!) knitted sink and toilet... this month its a wooly version of a snowman. The shop offers classes... now, I'm not exactly one to bother knitting a scarf... but a truly ambitious and artistic construction of woven fiber is a slightly different and more enticing story... for £40 I can join one of their classes for "knitters and crocheters who have visions!" Hmmm....

Reckons its a haberdashery but is mostly selling knitting stuff like it's some hallowed form of…read morereverential lost art. As a keen crafter who grew up in jumpers hand knitted and handed down by me ma I don't think it's anything special. Went in to check it out and the attendant was pretending she didn't notice us (2 people) this is hard to believe as you can almost see a red stripe round the walls where someone tried to swing a cat. When the attendant finally acknowledged us with a face like someone had dropped a stitch we had just about seen all of the meagre ammount of items on sale. I think they do 'knitting circles' in there too. In such a small space it would be the ideal way to pass on knits. Get yourself up the Roman Road nearby for bargain haberdashery and a fairly good sewing shop with a lovely chap who repairs machines.

Don't be deceived by the small shop front it is a veritable…read morean Aladdin's cave inside and covers a large area. There's a huge stock of fabric, rolls and rolls of the stuff in a range of styles. Great prices, service and advice on offer and no hard sell. Best fabric shop I've been to in an age.

This cute little fabric shop is undeniably at a very convenient spot in Islington. I am very fond…read moreof this place for the 'eco friendly' concept behind it. I adore their bamboo silk and fair trade cottons. However, what stops me from being really passionate about this place is their distinct limitation in both - their range and staff and owner's knowledge about their goods. Worse then this is, they do not like being asked. That happened to me several times already they simply snap at me for asking something basic like: 'Is this stitching hand made or machine made?' or 'Where is this fabric from?' Also shortly after this shop opened I just googled fair trade fabric in the UK and their supplier's website showed straight as a first option. Their supplier's range had nothing more and nothing less to Ray-Stitch offer. It spoilt my illusion about this shop being customised or special in any way as no one seems to be bothered with selecting the shop's range with love and trade knowledge. Now I see it more like empty concept and good shop to pop down to for a set of new threads or fancy ribbons.

This shop is pretty, but past that I don't think it's so great. The prices are really very high…read more(any place that sells Liberty fabrics for more than Liberty itself really puts me off). Apparently it used to have coffee, but that seems to not be there now. I saw a small section of Cotton & Steel (a popular fabric line) and, as I've been on the lookout for a specific print of theirs, asked if they had any more. The employee seemed really confused and pointed out their fabrics in cotton. I feel like not knowing the brands you carry - especially as an independent shop - isn't good salesmanship. They did have some nice fabrics, but their prices are just so high - even compared to other independent shops. Also, "Klona" instead of Kona - but at least as expensive? Nope. Not impressed.

This is a gorgeous shop with "outdoors/indoors" decorations…read more I loved the giant picnic basket full of bags each priced at £12! Was less impressed with the sale basket of tops for 2-4-1, they were all crumpled up and hard to rumage through. I was very impressed by all the beautiful long silk dresses availble. Priced £30-£50. If you have a special event coming up and like a vintage edge to your clothes be sure to visit here.

If you want something beautiful to wear on a night out and have the figure to pull it off, get to…read moreKingly Court and cover yourself in silk. Some of the dresses can be quite skimpy but they are always very stylish and most of all bright. The average price for a dress is about £45, but that's not bad as the items you buy from here will always call for an occasion. A place to definitely keep up to date with.