Open a little less than a year, Sew Beautiful is a welcome addition to the local area. Light,…read morebright and welcoming, this lovely store stocks a range of necessaries and treats for the crafty. The selection is small, but chosen with care, patchwork fabric (mostly in lovely, modern colours), knitting wool, sewing notions (the bits and bobs everyone needs), ribbons and thread. Also available are a selection of locally crafted gift items including some drop dead cute kids clothes, stitched with care and a real eye for design. Opened by owner Yvette who clearly loves what she does and enjoys sharing the simple pleasures of creating with needle and thread. She offers a loyalty program, credit that goes towards fabric purchases and is ready with a smile and a chat anytime. There's obviously a real need for such community based shops as she tells me that the knitting and crochet classes she offers are booked up until next year, and plans are underway to add more workshops for kids next school holidays. Whether you need something specific or just want to pop in for some inspiration, craft is the new cool and this is just the place to get you started.

I am giving this shop 5 stars because I can't give them more. This is the most delightful,…read moreinclusive place. I know nothing about sewing, am a total beginner and the lady who owns this place dropped everything help me and give me advice. LOVE LOVE LOVE HER. Support local businesses!!!

I've always been a bit intimidated by some patchwork shops. There's a bit of an inner-circle thing…read moregoing on, and I'm afraid my experience here the other day cemented my belief that there's some fat-quarter secret handshake going on that marks me as an outsider. I love looking at bolts of intricately patterned fabric, and at the mind-bogglingly intricate examples of quilts hanging on the wall. There was one here of teeny-tiny hexagons that made me feel quite dizzy in its contemplation. They have a large range of fabric, mostly of the historical/reproduction kind, in muted, traditional tones, as well as a few Aboriginal art patterned fabrics which I can't help but feel are tokenistic and a poor reproduction at best and cultural theft at worst. I tried to enquire about classes and was told they were on nearly every day, but didn't feel comfortable asking for more details, or to stay for a chat. Will someone teach me the handshake? Is it thimbles on all five fingers and embroidery scissors at the ready?

Adorable little quilt shop in Loftus. Friendly and helpful staff. The store offers sewing lessons…read moreas well as knitting lessons. Bright fabrics including Moda. Had all the little things needed for quilting. Rulers, markers, fabric cuts and by the yard. Embroidery floss, yarn, among other things. Back sewing area for classes. Definitely a cute place to stop in!

One of Sydney's newest art spaces. Sew Make Create has been around for almost a couple of months…read morenow. The owner, top Sydney designer Melissa Tan-Lu and Sew Make Create's resident dog Pepper are just adorable. The whole shop is quite funky :) I was fortunate to have been invited (through another blog) to experience their beginners crochet course with Bronwen. I arrived on a Wednesday night at 7pm a little tired yet eager as anything to learn, and learn heaps. My manual dexterity skills deflated me for a while, yet I was amazed with the crochet stitch and getting into a granny square so soon with confidence. The class sizes are rather small which is great. Lindt chocolate balls were provided with water as stunning refreshments, as well as biscuits and tea. This course is also available on selected weekends. Sew Make Create also run a variety of other craft courses. After the beginners crochet course, if you wish to take things further, then the crochet clinic is for you. Instead of yarn, turn that yarn into 'plarn' with a plastic bag crochet course. Sew Make Create is a dynamic arts space that also rents out sewing machines, and hence provides ample working space to design some pretty clothes. Sew Make Create also sell sewing machines and craft supplies. Sew Make Create (from the request of many parents) have put together a fantastic course schedule for the kids school holidays coming up, as at the time of writing this. Beginners crochet is also covered, and kids can also learn cupcake decorating and also learn how to make these adorable felt brooches. Located in Chippendale right near the Broadway Shopping Centre. If you're curious (in more detail) as to how my beginners crochet experience went recently, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crochet-for-beginners-sew-make-create/ For more information on the various courses put on especially for kids these school holidays, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crafty-school-holiday-activities-sew-make-create/ With many initiatives to ensuring that Sydney is an arts and crafts focused city, when is now a better time to learn a new craft? Go on, unleash the craft master within!

You might not know this awesome little handmade / design store exists unless you've taken a stroll…read moredown Cleveland Street at some point recently. I completely adore what they're doing here. In a city that runs the risk of being a little redundant (I'm talking shops alone), Follow really mixes it up and offers the browser so many new and exciting things to oogle at. Among my favorite of the handicrafts on offer is the hand stitched, plush animals. Made of felt and vintage fabric and held together with large rustic stitches, these lovable little creatures would make a perfect gift for children and adults alike. And while we're talking about vintage fabrics, check out the earrings and necklaces made out of covered buttons in the cutest of old-time prints. Another item here in Follow that would make a wonderful gift for anyone in your life with a green thumb, is a set of 4 mini chalkboards that stick into your garden with spears. They are shaped like flowers or veggies and are just delightfully cute. Follow is definitely worth taking a stroll down the "path less taken" in Surry Hills.

Follow store is one of those cute design stores. Everything has a handcrafted approach and the…read moreitems seem to be made with care and love. They have gorgeous art prints, contemporary jewellery that is interesting enough that you could have made it yourself. There's some cute clothes that has a kind of pinafore take on it. Textiled cushions and quaint homewares, if that is your thing. It's a great store to peruse especially if you are into design. There are some great gift ideas too. For those who do not live in Sydney, Follow has an online shop in which they can sell and ship worldwide.

Like having etsy on your doorstep…read more The Brook is owned and run by a collective group of members, all artists and craftspeople who sell their work through this great little shopfront. From gorgeous mosaics, to jewellery, knitwear, baby clothes, woodwork, you name it, here you can find a handmade, often one of a kind item made locally. When I popped in the other day I was intrigued by lavender candy, marvelled at some minimalist pottery and picked up a handmirror backed by an artpiece as a gift for my sister. Damn, let the cat out of the bag there! This is a wonderful place to drop in and see the clever workings of those gifted with dextrous fingers, keen observation and patience galore. The members staff the store on a rota system, so you can stop by and have a chat too. There is a wide variety of items available, and caters to an equally wide range of tastes, making it an ideal place to shop for gifts. In doing so you support artists and artisans in the local community and strike a blow against mass-production and conformity. So there. Buy handmade!

I visited Morris and Sons in 2018 and again this year (2025) and what a glow up they have had! Love…read morethe addition of local dyers, Rowan, and Project redesigned bags! Staff was friendly, even being close to closing. The store is bright and welcoming and I could have spent another hour there pursuing yarn goodies if I had the time.

Most anyone will be pleased by the selection of fibres, weights and colours found at Morris and…read moreSons. I really enjoyed visiting this store, I found exactly what I was looking for (sock yarn at a decent price) and even found some Cashmere blend fingering weight yarn to make a hat (it turned out perfect for the short cold spell we recently had). The atmosphere is very pleasant, especially compared to the raucous sounds of the city just outside. The staff is helpful and not overbearing. One of the employees helped me carry my pram down the steps as I was leaving and that made a permanent impression on this mama.

When I am looking for ANYTHING random, like oh for example, massive capital letters (LOLKAZ) to…read morefashion into a Halloween costume (what, it's ALLCAPS, I thought it was hilarious) or a pinada or crafts materials or fabric- which is what Spotlight actually exists for- Spotlight is in my top three places to trawl. As my most recent visit was the Saturday night before Halloween, I clearly wasn't the only person searching for last minute props or inspiration, but there were an equal amount of shoppers who probably had no idea about some misappropriated Pagan festival. Usually by the time I hit the buttons sectionat the back of this huge store I am fantasising about all the fabulous clothes I could make, and my imagination went into overdrive on Halloween but unfortunately I didn't have time to bring any of my ideas to fruition. I did get enough inspiration from that visit for 5 Halloweens to come though...

I can't decide if my love for Spotlight is greater than my boyfriend's hate for it or vice versa…read more I remember as a kid being dragged into Spotlight and other fabric stores by my sewing loving Mum and thinking it was the most boring thing ever, but I think that indicates how old I am that I now count Spotlight to be one of my faves! This is a particularly good Spotty too, it's large, has a great selection and the staff are super friendly- I always leave with thousands of potential projects running through my mind. Tip: try not to pay full price for the fabric- they have really decent sales pretty regularly!