Fabric shopping!!

[CaptainSparklePants]

I'm fairly new to sewing and to picking fabric, but this coming weekend me and dp are going to stay in London, and of course I am using the opportunity to go fabric shopping!

I plan to go to Goldhawk road as I heard you can get some bargains there, but I confess I have been there once previously and it was overwhelming for a newbie. So much choice!!!

So tips please on fabric shopping how do I ensure I get a bargain whilst also getting quality fabric? Are there certain things/signs I should look out for to tell if the fabric is poor quality?

I plan on sewing garments as I am mad adventurous, so ideally I think I'd like some cotton elastane mix as I think it'd be ok to sew with whilst having "give" for pencil skirts. If I can get some ok quality silk I would be quite pleased as I want to make some simple shell tips for work.

Any advice would be really welcome

If you are new to sewing I would stay away from very stretchy fabrics and also from silk which is a pain to sew. If you do choose silk, make sure you tack all seams before sewing, otherwise it will go all over the place.
I would find a nice pattern, take it to the shop and find a fabric to match. Have a feel, but mainly look and see if you like it for the pattern you have chosen.
Stay away from material with very big patterns too as they can be a pain to match.
Best of luck

"cotton lawn" is usually a nice smooth fabric to sew clothes with. Cotton with 3-4% elastane would be fair least to sew with too.

I would use the shop assistants and if they aren't helpful don't buy!

If you strike out, myfabric.co.uk is a good site to try, you can order samples which is vv helpful (you pay postage but the give you a voucher off your next purchase)

www.beyond-fabrics.co.uk

Lovely sop to visit in Bethnal green my fav :)

Oooh thanks everyone

I confess that even the thought of sewing with very stretchy fabric like jersey is a terrifying one so I won't even be entertaining that as an idea!! I have sewn with silk before and it was very nerve-wracking, but I am mad and like to jump in the deep end

Ideally I'd like to make work dresses and I have a plain dress pattern that I have previously sewn and it went well so I'd happily use it again, I'm just not sure what fabric work dresses are made from

Is cotton lawn the lovely, soft, delicate cotton? I imagine that it works well for tops.

I think part of the problem is that I'm scared that i'll buy something wrong and end up wasting money! But I think maybe I need to accept that all of my fabric purchases won't be spot on first time!

Thanks for the website and the bethnal green suggestions. If we end up near that area I'll persuade my dp to let me visit. Btw is it poor etiquette to haggle in the goldhawk road fabric shops? The sort of fabric shops that have rolls of fabric everywhere and are independent shops. My dp loves a good haggle, but I am easily embarrassed, so would just die if he tried and it wasn't the "done thing"!

I wouldn't dream of haggling.
And it depends on what kind of work you do, what the fabric is for a work dress. Sometimes it gives suggestions for material on the envelope of the dress pattern.
One thing I do when buying fabric is to take a handful and squeeze it. Then look at how quickly is springs back as that is a measure of how creased it gets when you sit on it and how much ironing it needs. I would also make a note (don't rely on memory) of the composition of the material as it makes a lot of difference to the way you wash/iron it.

You can DEFINITELY haggle on Goldhawk Road! I often do. Not in John Lewis or anything but when you're dealing with the owners (usually the case in smaller shops) it's easier and often they'll offer you a deal lower than the marked price. I will ask if I'm spending a lot (ie. if I get this and this and this can I have the lot for £50 instead of £58 for example) rather on one single item or if it's the end of the roll and they want to get rid of the odds you can ask them to throw in the last metre for an extra quid or something. Be careful though, you can honestly spend hours and days there. Walthamstow is also good for fabric.

Goldhawk Rd is a haggleable. It can be a little overwhelming though: rolls everywhere! If you're central at all, there are some lovely fabric shops in Soho, Berwick St especially. They can be easier to use when you're still learning about fibre content, drape etc, and what's appropriate for what purpose.

If dressmaking/apparel fabric is what you're after, Beyond Fabrics might not be the ticket - they have lovely stuff, but it's more for quilting and that kind of thing.