tropit

I'm always on a textile hunt when I travel. I had posted on another thread about my upcoming trip to Japan and I was surprised about how many other people on the QB had been there and knew all about the fabric shops and textiles. Have any of you been on a foreign country quilting/textile experience? If so, where did you go and what kinds of quilting places did you find?

As for me, I recently went to Great Britain and came home with a big box of hand-woven woolen blankets and pillows from Wales. Their loom was water-driven by a stream tha ran next to the building. The place was so charming and the blankets were so beautiful! Now that they are in my home, I hate to put them on the bed for fear that the dogs, or people will wreck them. Plus, they're very warm. Not quilty, but they are textiles, none the less. I also saw a few places that sold Liberty cottons, but I didn't buy any...I should have.

I also took a trip to Portugal a few years ago and wondered into a fabric shop in Lisbon. This place was amazing! All of the fabrics were very high-end, mostly suitable for formalwear. Everything was heavily beaded, gold threaded and handsewn with sequins. You just don't see that kind of stuff in the US anymore. I thought I would find more cottons there, but I never ran into a quilting shop.

Where have you been and what did you buy?

~ C

rryder

Spent about a month in India in 1982 and bought a bunch of textiles-- some cotton and also some silk saris, some hand painted textiles, a couple of batiks, some heavily embroidered pieces etc. I was weaving and spinning back then and DH was doing the same plus hand dying using natural dyes, so we spent most of our time in India visiting crafts people.

I'll have to pull those textiles out and see what's what--I haven't looked at some of them in years.

That's the only place I've brought textiles back from, other places have brought pottery (Barbados, Mexico, Jamaica) horse items (Spain), carvings (NW coast of Canada and Mexico and Jamaica), a guitar and some leather goods (Peru), a handmade Mancala game (Barbados)... there's probably more as I'm a pack rat...

Rob

Peckish

I guess it depends on where you shop. You can find those items at Fabric Depot in Portland....

tropit

I guess I need to make a trip up to Portland then, the next time I'm in need of fabric for a formal gown. I love that city. I could spend a week in Powell's bookstore and another week in the rose test gardens.

~ C

newBe

I purchased textiles in India! A good place for purchasing items is at the government run Handicraft shops. Of course, sarees are addicting. I went to a show in an exhibit hall and purchased a quilt, pillow cases, and a drawstring bag. These items were created by women of the Lambadi caste.

Jeanne S

I travel a lot, and will go into a fabric/textile shop if I run across them, but usually don't go out of my way to hunt them down as I am with small photography groups. But I really enjoy looking at the fabrics all over the world. During recent trip to Mongolia I saw a lot of beautiful hand made yak-hair felt pieces that were hand embroidered. I got some fabric in Ireland, Romania and China. But usually don't buy much since I try to travel as light as possible.

leighway

Do you happen to have the name of the weaver in Wales and their website, if there is one? I'd love to see what they have because you make them sound wonderful.

Tothill

I was in Italy, Germany, France, The Netherlands and UK spring 2017. I had time to look for fabric shops in each country but the UK.

Ferrara Italy, had the most elegant fabric store I have ever been in. I would have spent hours there, if I had not had to catch a bus. The customer service was impeccable. The gentleman who served me was in a suit and tie, the shelves were oak and the fabrics gorgeous. I bought a piece of linen and a another of silk and pit cost me almost $300 Euros. Yes, 300 Euros for two pieces of fabric, the silk was 95 Euro per metre. The silk will be an overlay for a dress. My purchases were practically gift wrapped and presented to me upon completion of the sale.

In Florence there was a fabric shop around the corner from where I was staying, they had lots of fashion fabrics with many wools and silks, plus cotton, linen and others. I was not looking for quilting fabric and do not recall if they had any. I bought 4 pieces of beautiful wool there.

In Freiburg Germany I found a delightful fashion and home dec fabric shop that had a great selection of Burda brand notions that are not available in Canada. I only bought notions there.

In Paris we stayed in the Montmartre area and I spent an afternoon wandering through the many fabric shops. It was an interesting area, but I was not feeling well and could not fully appreciate it. I wanted to buy more, but only purchased some beautiful shirting. Plus a lamb skin for a friend who makes wallets. I loved the African Wax prints, but was not sure if it was appropriate for me to buy them. I spoke with a Nigerian friend and she said to go for it. I will be in Paris again next May and plan to buy some.

In Amsterdam I did not get to the fabric market, but did stop at two quilt shops. One had lots of Dutch reproduction fabrics, plus Aboriginal prints from Australia, an interesting combination. Next door the shop had lots of Kaffe and bright modern prints. I shopped in both.

copycat

I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. I purchased a 2 color, cotton, throw that I watched being woven by a young lady operating a loom with her feet and both arms, moving in rhythm, all the while smiling at us.

Wanabee Quiltin

When I was in India, I was able to find some cotton fabric in a bazaar. I only bought two yards of each fabric, I think four different designs. I really had no way to carry it around with us.