Sandra-P

I know I have read on the board that fabric is much more expensive in UK than in US, but I am wondering if you have quilt stores there as we do here?

This Fall we are planning to be in London for 9 days and Scotland for almost a week and while there I was wanting to see some quilt stores if you have them.

This will be a first for me and I am really looking forward to it.

Sandra

dunster

I was in northern England and Scotland a couple of years ago. I don't remember seeing any quilt stores, but I wasn't looking for them. I did visit the quilt history museum in York, and saw and photographed a number of vintage quilts in various manor houses, castles, museums, etc. If you google 'quilt stops UK' you will find some listings, but I don't know if they're current. Enjoy your trip.

Sheilz

I'm sure there must be some decent sized ones in England but none I can think of in the North East. There is Seattle Quilts in Aberdeen. The ladies in it are lovely but it's pretty small. Not much help sorry. Enjoy your visit.

janedee

I think you will find our quilt shops are much smaller than yours but for size still carry a good selection of fabrics and notions, when you know exactly what towns/cities you are going to google them for quilt shops, for London itself google the area you are going to be in as well. Yes, fabric is more expensive here, but you can often pick up a bargin on sale. Hope you have an amazing time on your visit.

Esmerelde

We have quilt stores but they tend to be small and expensive (that said, when I was in Lampeter, a very small town in Wales there was the biggest quilt shop I had ever seen!).

As per my thread the other day, our fabric can be very pricey. I paid $25 a meter last week! Though I think around $20 is the norm here.

If you are in London 7th-11th October there is the knitting and stitching show at the Alexander palace in London. I think the V&A museum sometimes has sewing events too

DOTTYMO

If you know your itinery then look up quilt shops in specific areas, may come up yellow pages or similiar. Most shops are small but well packed with fabric and notions. Classes are available in some with either bring your own machine or use ours.
Quilting is growing in UK not as popular or well understood as in US.
Prices are high in some shops very high. In the last few years shops have been closing.
PM me and if I can will find shops in those areas for you.

august best time to come as a big quilting show in NEC , Birmingham taking place cost £17 at the door I think. Trains do run to the NEC not sure wether there is a bus shuttle or if you walk.

photographs are allowed at NEC but not very often quilts on show in shops.

Siodach

Hi I can answer for some areas of Scotland :-) . These are the ones i visit regularly if I'm in the area, the ones I can remember the names of anyway lol

edinburgh:
the cloth shop, good selection of fabrics and notions, plus curtain dept downstairs.

another shop 200 ish yards away from the cloth shop, used to be Mandors but I'll have to look up its new name. Has a small but nice selection of cottons, plus other fabrics.

Linlithgow: excellent quilt-only shop with wonderful selection of cottons and batics. Very knowledgeable staff.

Perth: Peacock & Tortoise or something similar, excellent quilt-only shop carrying many notions I haven't seen elsewhere. Again great staff.

Glasgow: Mandors, general fabric store. Haven't been in the Glasgow branch but did like the Edinburgh branch, where they had a very good selection cottons.

Galasheils (Scottish borders): you could spend all day here!!!!! Warehouse sized, quilt-only, Ultra-massive selection, and is where I'm gonna go when I decide to do a bargello, cos I think it's the only place I could select every fabric at once....
(also small but nice shop in Melrose 5 miles away.)

Oban: west coast highlands, small but excellent shop, the one that was my quilting downfall lol. Bought my first cottons here.....

Stirling: Pembertons, small selection of cottons, loads of machines, threads and notions and it's where I get my machines serviced.

Kirkcaldy: Rejects department store, large selection of cottons plus many other crafting materials. Don't let the name fool you tho .

Also most of the major cities have a department store called John Lewis. Their haberdashery depts are usually comprehensive, good quality, but expensive.

Now this is probably more info than you wanted, and probably says something about me and what I do when I'm out and about

Cheers, K

Esmerelde

The trains stop at Birmingham international. It's very walkable to the hall (though long with escalators) but a shuttle bus is also provided.

I'll be there ^_^

Siodach

Hi
trying to paste a link here.

If it doesn't work then google "ingliston quilt show 2015" and you'll get details of the Scottish quilt championship to be held in Edinburgh at the end of September.

Cheers, K

Sandra-P

Thank you everyone! Husband just got the ok at work to take off the end of Sept and first part of Oct, so it sounds like I will miss the big show in August. That said, I will look up the Ingliston quilt show and see if we can do that one in Edinburgh. I am really looking forward to visiting and seeing everything there.