Fabric Markets in The Netherlands

Hello, I know a lot of you must be wondering what on earth I mean when I keep mentioning that I get my fabrics at the markets here. As with everything else in Europe, rental you can imagine is very high, so to cut cost, the local council allows fabrics suppliers to ply their wares at the weekly markets in all the towns and even set up a fabric market that goes touring round the Netherlands. This has been going on the last few 100 years, about 600 I believe! So the result is an amazing choice of fabrics in one place at good prices. 

I first stumble upon this fact when I bought the local dressmaking magazine, Knipmode. Inside it listed all the places that these markets were held at the specific dates. So, your's truly have been diligently hopping on trains touring the Netherlands to get to these markets :) I think I've even been to towns that the locals don't even visit ! For those happening to be in the Netherlands, here is the fabric market site, stoffenspektakel and stoffenbeurs, truly an experience ! 

Here are some pictures of the markets, (made them super large !)sorry, not many as I'm always rushing to catch the train back home not to mention the frantic buying sometimes against the wind and rain :)

There is also a permanent fabric market in Utrecht saturday mornings and Amsterdam Monday mornings

Just wanted to share some of my market fabric finds :)

I always head straight to the notions stall, can't get enough of these pretty ribbons

This is what my craft shelf looks like, ermm just went thru a major reshuffling for this photo shoot :) Its my stress reliever, looking at the riot of colors gives me inspiration and just the contentedness to daydream. Shuush , don't look under the bed and in the cupboards !

If touring the Netherlands, a visit to the Saturday Markets is a must, my favorite towns are Leiden, Utrecht , Amsterdam and Dordrecht. The variety of things you can find is amazing and its just so colorful. There will also be a few fabric and craft stalls too :)

There seems to be no listing after June, I'm hoping they are just going for summer break, I need to start planning the kids winter wardrobe :) Hope that satisfies fabricholics out there .

European Blockbuster Giveaway!

Hello Crafters, awww I still have tears watching William and Kate just now, they looked so happy. I'm hoping many happy years for the two of them.

Ok people, listen up! My first ever giveaway and I'm really excited. Do the following to win some awesome gifts, easy as A, B, C :-) Oh Yes, there will be 3, yup 3 winners !!!

1. Become my follower
2. Leave a comment on this post stating which of the fabrics you would love to win and why :) Please list 2 in case the other is already taken
3. Tell me who you like to sew for, name of your child etc ( hint: there will be extra gifts based on your         answer :-))
4. blog about this giveaway and link it up in your comment

Giveaway ends 31st May  Sunday 29th May

And now, for the goodies yeahhhhh

First winner will get a copy of April Burda Style and Ottobre Spring. 2nd and 3rd will get a copy of Burda Style each. See here for gorgeous Spring Ottobre designs

Now choose your 1.25 mtr of gorgeous European cotton

 Pink daisy

 Blue hearts

Green Forest

Green daisy

Pink Forest

Blue Stripes

White Daisy

Pink Cotton Jersey

Grey Blooms Cotton Jersey

And examples of the 'extras' , surprise surprise

There are a few designer fabrics there , but I wont tell which :-) Have a good weekend !

For The LOVE of Fabrics

Yes, for the love of fabrics, I would go to the ends of the earth, weather any storm and jump over train tracks!! Well, not so dramatic, but yes I did walk, take a tram, then took a metro then sprinted the last few metres, forgetting again that I no longer have a perfect right foot! Total travel time :- 1 hour each way!! 

A sort of fabric convention was being held at the AHOY which is the Rotterdam Convention Centre for that one day only! Loads of stalls was expected to be there so of course, how could I miss ?! Set off at 9 am, I needed to arrive back home by 1pm for the kids so time was not on my side. But thanks to the excellent public transport system here, getting there was a breeze. It was already full of shoppers by the time I arrived and yes, it was fabric heaven! Everything from Denim to chiffon to jerseys, name it they had it. 2 hours of intense fabric hunting and here are what I came out with. 

Stretch cotton jerseys

Dress cotton from Germany ( between 12euro to 15euro a metre but so very gorgeous )

European dress cotton, discovered this stall in my last 1/2 hr and they had the whole rainbow spectrum of gorgeous cottons at 8euro, should really have bought more but was so blinded by the colors and ahem, money was running out :-(

Love love the appliques and the gorgeous ribbons, loads of prym 

I arrived at my door exactly at 1pm with bulging biceps and a throbbing foot, talk about efficiency hehe. Spring seems to be playing hide and seek this year! A few days of bright warm sunshine then the next it'll go back to near 0C. I can't wait to hang up my sweaters for good. Blooms are popping out now and familes are taking walks and cycling, a very pretty sight.

The pink blossom tree outside my bedroom :)

Enjoy spring everyone, wherever you are. My prayers go out to those in Japan, I cannot imagine how tough life must be right now for them some loosing their possessions but others also loosing loved ones.