Advice on starting a at home sewing business

[august24]

I am wondering if there is anyone out there who has a business designing, producing and selling items in London or the UK? I used to sew for a woman who made clothes back in the states, and I am toying with the idea of starting something up here(I would like to make handbags, and I actually have some places that I could sell them) But I have no idea where to start, as I left all my sewing stuff at home(in the US)I am wondering if there is anyone on mumsnet who has this type of business or if there is anyone who can offer advice on where to buy fabric and supplies in London. TIA!

Twinkie did say at one time that she would like to make maternity clothes when she gives up her job to have her baby. She may have been joking but it didn't sound like it!

august24 - I can give you tips on places to look at fabric/trimmings in London, but if you're doing it for a business, perhaps you need some kind of wholesale deal. Maybe some of the shops I use might do that, I don't know. Anyway - my favourite fabric shops are mostly around the Berwich St Market area of Soho (there are about 5 in a little cluster, traditionally catering to the theatrical costume business, but with loads of nice stuff, plus linings and so on:

Borovicks - Berwick St, W1
Broadwick Silks - on Broadwick St, near corner of Berwick St.
Kliens - trimmings, feathers and buttons (you have to ring the bell to be let in) - just off Berwick St on either Noel St or D'Arblay St.

There is also an amazing fabric shop - can't remember name and I haven't been there for a while - off Edgeware Road on Church St (if you're going north from Central London, go under the Marylebone flyover and Church St is 4th or 5th road on the right. Shop is on the right hand side). It has fabulous stuff as well as cheaper things. We got my sisters wedding dress fabric there.

Re trimmings and so on - be wary of VV Rouleaux, they do have the most amazing stuff and are a great inspiration but they are very very expensive. I have often bought something from there and then found a perfectly acceptable version of it for a quarter of the price in John Lewis or Peter Jones.

Good luck - sounds like a fun thing to do!

Some of my friends designed and made handbags for a living, it wsa quite a few years ago and I have more or less lost touch with them, they made fantastic bags - they had an offer to supply harrods but couldn't match their demand - they went bust about 5 years ago. Theirs were leather and sooo gorgeous. If you want me to get any details and then you could get in touch with them I could. They are really nice people

The other place to look is the sari shops of south London - places like Tooting Broadway are packed with them and you can get some beautiful stuff for not too much £.

Thanks everyone!

I'll check those places out, Wilbur. I just wanted some advice of good places to go! At first I just need to stitch up so samples, so the I am not worried about the cost just yet. I think it makes the most sense to source the materials outside of the UK as it seems everything is so expensive here, but I first need to make up some samples.

www,croftmill.co.uk sends out lists of various sorts of fabrics
Barnet & Lawson 0207 636 8591 for trimmings
www.barnyarns.com for threads,needles and other sewing needs.
the Brick Lane area,in London has lots of places,you'll need to buy minimum lengths tho.
I've got other suppliers but as I make Irish dance dresses a lot are quite theatrical,but they do have other fabrics too.What sort of stuff do you need?

Try the fabric shops on Goldhawk Rd in Shepherd's Bush - (by the G Rd tube) very extensive selections of all sorts of stuff, and very reasonably priced. I get a lot of cottons/linens from there for dresses for DD, but also got some beautiful Liberty print silk for a posh frock earlier this year for £6.50 a metre. You have to have time and inclination to ferret the nice stuff out - but it's well worth it. Good luck with your business!

I've quite often used Online Fabrics . They have some quite good deals, and a reasonable range. They send out cheap samples, and the service is quick. Don't know if it's the sort of thing you want, though, but it maybe worth a browse!