Supplies From Paris & Stockholm

European craft shops can suck my wallet dry. I started at Marché Saint Pierre, five stories of fabric at the base of Montmartre in Paris (the area is very touristy, but has at least five fabric shops in the area that I can think of. Sort of strange). That's where the red floral knit came from. The rest I got at Sundbybergs Textilcentrum, one of the best fabric shops I have ever been to. Very reasonably priced and so much cute, good-quality stuff (I could have bought more than the 12 1/2 yards, ahem...metres, if my bag allowed me). I guess all the Stockholm fashion students shop here, which says a lot because it's a very stylish city.

I also hit up Mahlia Kent in Paris. This is where the fabric for Chanel, YSL, Dior, etc, etc, etc is woven. The shop has big looms right up front (which I immediately tripped over, of course). You can buy yardage there, but the great thing is the one-Euro scrap bin for the peasants, which I took advantage of. These pictures do not do the texture of the fabric justice. I plan on making some Chanel buttons, maybe a headband.

Speaking of buttons, they're the easiest thing to pack, so I tend to buy a lot during trips. The green ones in the middle are from Sundbybergs, the green umbrellas from Marias Garn in Stockholm, the next two from La Droguerie in Paris (so much good stuff there!). The handpainted white flower ones I got at the flea market at Porte de Vanves. The next three are from Bonheur Des Dames and the final two from Ultramod in Paris. Obviously, I got around.

Ultramod is a ribbon shop in Paris (I love a city where a shop devoted to something like ribbon can stay in business for years), which is where I got the blue and red ribbons on the left. The daisy ribbon and the blur of a thing you can't see (too lazy to take another picture) are from Bonheur Des Dames, an embroidery shop. It's a cross-stitch keychain project of an outhouse. Bonheur had some very expensive cross-stitch kits, so I had to go with the smaller purchase. I've never had an interest in cross-stitch until I visited this lovely shop. I'll start with my outhouse.

I also got some yarn in Stockholm. I'm really excited to use the pink, it's really chunky and I love all the different colors (it's from Anntorps Väv). The blue is from Marias Garn. Both shops were so cute and run by sweet ladies who didn't speak much English (which is rare in Stockholm). It made the shops a little more quaint and humble.

And finally, I like to get pendants from my travels. I got this one at a shop on Gamla Stan in Stockholm (I already have a pendant from Paris). The guy gave me a 40% discount since I had to run to an ATM for cash (he's in the middle of the tourist area, selling jewelry and stones and he doesn't take Visa. hmmm....).

So now I have to get to work using this stuff!