Monday, September 24, 2001
a very detailed site on how to make paper darts
- the people who work there are frazzled snobs, they know a lot, they have a deep appreciation for fabric, they are probably expert seamstresses and tailors, they are asked idiotic questions all day long (rather like librarians)
- there are four floors, expensive silks and dress fabrics on the first, home fabrics and cottons on the second , more dress and remnants on the third and notions on the fourth
- there is an elevator and stairs in the middle of the store, the elevator is slow
- you pay for notions at the counter on the fourth floor
- you pay for fabric at the counter on the first floor
- they are pretty low-tech but do take credit cards
- don't get up on the ladders
- if you want some fabric leave it where it is (don't carry the bolt away) and beckon (good luck) an employee to the fabric, they will cut it for you there and give you a slip for it, which you present to the register on the first floor
- the dress fabric in the back of the store on the first floor is very expensive and if you look like I do they will ignore you
- the prices are hidden tucked in the ends of the tubes, this is a good thing to check before you bug a salesman who was consciously ignoring you and knows you don't acutally intend to purchase that $80 yard of embroidered silk from India
- head to the remnants on the third floor first, this is also the floor with the fake fur, you can unwind the rolled remnants to check the fabric
- there are remnants of terrycloth, oil cloth, corduroy, velvet, all the silks and bridal fabrics and expensive embroidered silks from India, fake suede and pleather, etc. the prices are marked on the paper wrapped around the middle. we love the remnants.
- they have vintage buttons!