I came here to pick up a few bits for my sketchbook after hearing about it from a friend who's…read morepretty arty. I can't say I found anything completely inspiring or unusual but the basics of the kit you need were there. Brushes, Pencils, Card, Crafty bits and bobs....etc. The shop is reasonably priced and does have some nice quality materials.

Headingley don't have many arts and craft focussed shops around, but tucked up a back road,…read moreDisdale's is a resource for the artier of Headingley's residents. It is a traditional arts and crafts shops, selling quality materials in the way of fine paint brushes, drawing pencils of many kinds, quality paper meant for certain tasks etc. As I say in many other of my reviews, I prefer a more creative way of finding imaginative materials in unexpected places, rather than conforming to these sorts of traditional (overpriced) shops, but for what it is, it is a great thing to have in Headingley, away from the busy pub ridden road.

This is a cute little gift shop in a sea of gift shops on the Chapel Allerton high street. At…read morepresent the store has a lovely christmas display in their window, which caught my eye, so I went in to have a look. The first thing to hit me was the lovely cinnamon smell as I entered. On browsing I discovered all kinds of different items for sale, ceramics, cards, hello kitty brand items and many other knick-knack type items. On deeper investigation I noticed that the prices weren't as competitive as their neighbours'. The glassware was quite expensive for what it was and they had some button earrings on sale - which were literally buttons attached to earrings - that cost £10, which i thought was pretty high for what they were. Still, it's always worth having a look in these shops as everyone has different taste, and invariably there will be some little treat that you might find. All in all a nice little shop with a few cool things to see.

This gift and card shop is similar to the second Angels shop down the road 'Angels Too'. I had…read morepopped into this one for a card and decided to check out the other one, mentioned to me as I was making my purchase. They both sell cards and gifts but the range here seems to aimed at different customers. There are gifts and stationary items from the Hello Kitty brand and a range I had not come across before - Momiji dolls. They seem quite a cult thing when I looked them up on the internet later on but something that might appeal to teenage girls. There was also a 'Top Model' range. Something else I hadn't come across before either, probably due to my age (mid-twenties, too old to be interested but to young to have children that are). So you can find many gift items here and will probably be drawn in by the colourful window display that currently involves a gothic christmas tree.

I have no idea what a Zebrit is. Nor does Google, and Google knows everything. So kudos must go to…read morethe owners of this store (which sells, amongst other things, toys, cards, arts and crafts materials, and fancy dress) for naming a store after an animal that doesn't exist. It exemplifies the shameless childishness and wackiness of this store as a whole. Come here with your children to buy them all manner of unique toys, or on your own to admit to the fact that you never really grew up. Indulge your most childish desires as you wander round with a stupid grin on your face, buying bouncy balls, silly string and water-bombs. Then feel like an idiot when you meet your friends and they ask you what's in the bag.

I have been here for a sock knitting and a crochet course. Both have been fantastic courses aided…read moreby lovely coffee and cakes! The shop itself sells a range of material and wool and haberdashery type bits and pieces. A rarity outside of town. The owner is super lovely and very helpful. Definitely worth getting on their mailing list for upcoming courses. As well as doing wool based courses, they do quilting courses, which my mum did and what she came back with was just beautiful.

skep mill shop is a must for buying your wool, patterns,needles,material etc..... it is now owned…read moreby a lovely likeminded knitter, quilt maker, creative person, clare. Lots of her knitted bags hung around the place, cosy atmosphere, very friendly & helpful, crochet classes starting 10th March, great place to go & meander. Lots of Debbie Bliss yarn & huge baskets with discontinued wool if you like a bargain.

An absolutely brilliant lttle craft shop selling fabrics, wool, buttons, silks, crafty things to…read moremake cards, kits to do tapestry, make cushions etc. It also stocks a huge variety of unusual beads and charms with which you can make jewellery, as well as all the wire, earring backs and hooks you could possibly need to do this. The staff are lovely and helpful and have a wide range of experience of doing crafts themselves so are very knowledgeable. I could spend hours in here trying to choose between things to buy.

Second time I went to York and I found this place. Amazing! A crafters dream! They sell card making…read morethings, felt, ribbons, beads they have a good selection of felting wool too. This beats Manchester by far!

Shiva Variety Fabrics sells women's South Asian fashions -saris and suits and a wide range of…read morebangles and costume jewellery. It is very eye-catching from the outside with a rainbow of bejeweled clothing displayed in the window below a bright red, blue and yellow sign and electric blue window frames. Anyone who loves to see a good splash of colour won't be able to stop themselves venturing over for a closer look. The shop is packed full of a huge range of fabrics, some thin and sheer and almost too delicate to touch and other thicker and more substantial cottons. It's the perfect place to buy fabric for a sari or suit but is also great for buying fabric for cushions or curtains or any other creative urge! The jewellery is very pretty and reasonably-priced and includes an array of metal bangles of different sizes and some large and colourful necklaces with matching earrings featuring vibrant glass gems.

As far as I know this tiny shop is the only sewing machine shop in Leeds. I may be wrong...hope so!…read moreBut if it is it certainly serves Leeds well. I was recently given an overlocker as a birthday present. It was bought from Ebay to save money but may have been bashed in transit because when I finally got round to finding threading instructions and cranking it up something inside was stuck fast and it wouldn't do a thing. No! It was too late to try to send it back to the seller so I bussed it into town and managed to carry the heavy box down to Sewing Machine Co. Despite the nice chap in the shop seeming a little confused by my overlocker's unusual malady he seemed confident he'd be able to sort it. He did...by the next day! I was very impressed! Unfortunately after a couple of days I realised there was still a problem, but due to the fact that repairs come with a 3 month guarantee I took the machine back and he quickly fixed it free of charge and was very apologetic. As I know from experience how mysteriously temperamental sewing machines of all kinds can be I didn't hold this against the repairer and was just grateful to have it back and working...and for £30 I thought it was definitely worth it! Sewing Machine Co. also sell machines at reasonable prices, and sell a range of sewing essentials such as thread, needles, scissors and other bits and bobs. They also sharpen scissors - there's nothing like a freshly sharpened pair! On top of this they also have an amazingly impressive looking embroidery machine and can embroider clothing if provided with a design...large and complicated designs can be rather expensive but small motifs or words are very affordable. Overall I think Sewing Machine is a great little shop and essential back up for all sewing machine owners who know how temperamental the things can be!

i always take my sewing machines to this man. he is reliable and hones and reasonably priced. he…read moreand his wife are nice people and if the machine can be repaired they will do all they can to get the parts for your machine. brilliant A1 service.

If you're in York, I recommend this shop if you're into journaling and crafting. Lots of blank…read moresketchbooks and journals, handmade paper and art supplies. I also picked up a calligraphy set as a gift. Such a lovely shop.

From the owner: Specialist paper shop, offering Italian, Nepalese, Indian & Japanese sheet paper, journals, photo…read morealbums, calligraphy supplies, lampshade making kits, paper pulp, origami papers, leather notebooks and many paper related gifts.