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Sunday 18 May 2014

Shopping Splurge

I went to the Hong Kong garment district of Sham Shui Po for a few supplies and inevitably came back with a bunch of fabrics too.  I went a bit crazy with the prints, I just can't help it, so I will need to go back and really try to just buy some solid coloured pieces.

Every time I go I find a new store so I'm going to add a few details for future reference.  This was an unusually efficient trip largely because it was incredibly hot!

First up the fabrics, all of the ones immediately below came from the fabric stalls set up along Ki Lung Street.  Predominantly cottons and a stall that sells interfacing and another that is good for serger threads and other bits and bobs.

Striped navy and turquoise cotton pique and an oversized ikat print cotton blend, I think navy dress and an ikat pencil skirt for these pieces.

Two lovely pieces of cotton sateen, definitely a floral pencil skirt and possibly a black & white dress

Black and beige printed cotton, not sure what this is going to be yet....

Large panel print purple chiffon, absolutely no idea what I will do with it, but I had to bring it home with me


I wanted to get some piping cord, a detail that Carolyn uses often and which I always admire.  I found some at the supplies stall on the same street and asked for 20 yards.  The stallholder could not find the end and could not be bothered to measure off 20 yards so we did a deal for the whole bundle.  I have no idea if it was a good deal for me or not because I am kind of with the stall holder here and can't be bothered to measure it myself, but I can probably pipe everything I make for the rest of my life and still have some left over!

Ball of spaghetti!


These next pieces came from Moon Yue Fabrics, a gem of a store which has higher end fabrics, although the jerseys and silk linings are very reasonably priced here.
Moon Yue Piece Goods, 1/F, 125-127 Yu Chau St, Sham Shui Po

Digital print jewel silk crepe.  This is a contender for the wedding outfit next Friday if I can get my act together.  My back up plan is this Donna Karan number.

Border print jersey, some kind of dress I'm sure

Geometric print silk blend, love the colours in this, planning a simple but versatile skirt

 Finally for the supplies I actually went for in the first place - elastic and bar hooks - I managed to get in one store plus a couple of interesting beaded necklines to sew onto something.  This place also has lots of lace trims and I noticed bra fixings like rings and sliders if I ever go down that road.
Po Fai Ho Garment Accessories, 158 Yu Chau St, Sham Shui Po.  They even have a website 

I've got a few finished things lined up to post, just need to get onto the photography!

18 comments:

  1. What beautiful fabrics. The jewel tones silk sounds wonderful for a wedding outfit.

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  2. Allison - I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but that looks more like cording than piping. Piping has a piece that's inserted in the seams and your cording seams to be missing that UNLESS you're making your own piping and using that as filling. If that's the case you're right, you have enough for quite a few dozen outfits! :)

    Love, love, love the digital diamond print - gawd is that gorgeous! The other prints are very pretty but if there was one I could snatch through my monitor that would be the one!!!

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  3. Ah yes thanks for clarifying Carolyn, you are right I do mean to make my own piping - goodness knows I have enough to practice with!

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  5. So much pretty...

    Seriously, these fabrics are gorgeous! Can't wait to see what you make from them.

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  6. What a great haul! One day I am going to get to Hong Kong..
    -Sewingelle

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  7. Great fabrics. I love ths chiffon. Last time I was in HK I only managed to buy fabric from a tailor shop in TST. I must find the garment distric on my next visit. It will some time though.

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  8. Beautiful fabrics! The border print Jersey immediately made me think of Butterick 5454. I don't know how to make this a link, but it can be seen here:

    http://sewing.patternreview.com/patterns/37363

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  9. OK, must pin this post for my next HK trip….which is not on the radar yet. Great finds.

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  10. Such tantalizing prints! I look forward to seeing what you make with them.

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  11. Wonderful prints Allison and a nice fabric haul.

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  12. Gorgeous fabrics and thank you for the links and information on the shops as I will be in Hong Kong for a week in December.

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  13. I'll be making a bee line to the fabric district in the first week of July. Thanks for providing these details!

    I promise not to buy the same fabrics...except the ikat print.

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  14. Looks like you've encouraged quite a few of us to go shopping in HK! I'm planning a trip later this year too, with my mother in law who is from Hong Kong and can bargain better than anyone, so I can see me buying loads of fabric!

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  15. Ok Just send me over that border print jersey. I LOVE it and can't buy it here in Australia! Seriously great choices from your shopping trip.

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  16. That's quite a nice haul! That Donna Karan dress would certainly be spectacular for the wedding if you don't get something new done in time.
    Do you speak Chinese? and do you need to to shop in these shops?

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  17. This is quite a haul. Isn't fabric shopping fun? :D About the cording: I purchased yaaaaaaaards years ago, and it doesn't last as long as you think it will if you're going to go crazy with piping! I was surprised how quickly it disappeared from my stash....

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