I visited Dewsbury to
meet up with the Yorkshire Spoolettes on Wednesday 6 March. Ali had kindly
organised another meetup - hashtag is #sewdowndewsbury on IG.
In the morning
I took a taxi from home to the station, Interestingly the taxi driver was
a textile graduate from Huddersfield who had left the business in 1994 as
the only posts available were on the death of the previous incumbent. He was
apparently a thread specialist. We had a bit of a chat about the need for
succession planning in these industries.
I started writing
this on the train coming back from #sewdowndewsbury. My return trip was easier
than my journey there. A points failure in Newcastle meant our train was stuck
in the station! A later train was able to to enter and leave by a different
route via a through platform - we were eventually transferred across to it. It
was a faster train but delayed because of the points failure as some trains
were out of place and the passenger transfer and they had to add an extra
intermediate stop to the journey, I just missed my connection to Dewsbury in
Leeds but my later connection was faster so I arrived only about 30 mins later
than I'd planned. By this time I was wishing I had taken the car - but I gather
there were problems on the A1 too. Honestly, though, it wasn’t bad and I prefer
the train to the car. I wasn't the last to arrive and many had arrived just
shortly before me.
My friend Margaret
@thecraftycreek had looked out for me in Leeds as she thought I was due to be on the same
train.
We all met in
Wetherspoons. Kent and new faces. Organised as previously by Ali
@akathimberlina. Everyone was still there drinking coffee and chatting. Ali
gathered the fabric and patterns for the swap. I took a couple of patterns with
me but no fabric as I didn’t want to be left with it or carry it all over. The
first time I was at one of these meets the amount of fabric and number of
patterns left over was mind boggling so we were all asked to be much more
cautious with one or two pieces at the most.
I had two (three?)
purchases in mind - peachskin fabric, a slightly beefier striped fabric and
ribbing for it. The peachskin fabric is to replace the sandwashed silk in the
silk dresses I’ve made for Helen - or rather to see if it would work as I
didn’t like the last lot of sandwashed silk at all. The striped fabric is to
make a top for #sew50visible though if stretch fabric it would also work for
the GBSB sewalong provided I get on with it!
Margaret and I paired
up. We didn’t want to be moving around in a big group.
Our first stop was Fabworks.
I asked about peachskin fabric but of course that is a finish and not a type of
fabric. They didn’t have anything suitable although occasionally they do get
fabric with a peachskin finish. I found an organic cotton knit that I loved -
lilac striped. The stripe is VERY narrow and so will be difficult to match.
There was toning ribbing fabric, wide not ribbing size pieces, which I also
bought. There was probably just enough on the roll to make another top.
The organic cotton was reduced by 35% so was very affordable. Two down.
We then moved to
Lucky Fabrics. They did have some peachskin fabric but not in a colour that
Helen would like so I didn't buy. There was a shade I liked for me but not for
anything I wanted to make in the near future. I’m trying to think much more
carefully about purchases! I was going to walk away but bought a navy and white
striped knit with a wider stripe (easier to match and I liked it anyway) and a
floral fabric with a lovely handle in my lighter colours. Both destined for
specific makes.
We then went to The
Cloth Quarter (previously known as £1 a Yard Fabrics) but didn't buy anything.
We had a nice chat with the ladies there and learned that there is a textile
college planned for that area. It's running over timetable. Those who live closer
to Dewsbury might in the future have access to some interesting classes. The
area is pretty rundown as I believe I’ve mentioned in a previous post but there
are planned major upgrades to the shop fronts. This shop will apparently be one
of the last to be done. The planned college should certainly help.
The market seems to
be thriving. I say that because one of our local markets - in Chester le Street
- is shrinking dramatically and now Immanuel Fabrics (Burnley) who have gone
there on Fridays for years are stopping - although there is still a
market and there is still a space for them, they would have to put up their own
stalls which just isn’t possible given the volume of fabric they bring. They
will be going on that day to South Shields market instead; an additional day as
they already go there on a Saturday. I was at the Chester le Street market a
couple of weeks ago and was saddened to see just how run down it is and
completely missed seeing the fabric stall. I went to South Shields market the following
week to catch them (there is only one fabric vendor, though they have several
stalls), when I learned of their plans. Probably only a quarter of the market
space was used in South Shields - even a couple of years ago, it was full.
Locals put it down to Amazon. However, in Dewsbury, the market seemed full and
there were several fabric stalls
In the market I
bought 4 cones of overlocker thread in a shade to match the cardigan I was
wearing and I succumbed to the geometric fabric Margaret bought having turned
my back on a pretty floral, also in my lighter colours. Interestingly, the
prices for fabric in the market were higher than I see in our area. I got a few
fabrics in a particularly good quality cotton range in South Shields for £2/m
that I saw in Fabworks today for £6/m. Our market prices tend to be £2/m
whereas in Dewsbury they were £4+/m. I’d like the extra choice though!
We were hungry by
this time. We were due to meet up in the Creative Craft Centre with its new
cafe for a bite to eat and the pattern and fabric swap a bit later but we
decided to go a bit earlier to see if there was any ‘proper’ food rather than
just coffee and cakes. We ordered soup and sandwiches and were glad we were
early as our numbers (varying at times but up to 15, I think) overwhelmed the
tiny cafe and service was extremely slow.
I hadn’t previously
visited this centre. Previously it was around the corner from its current
position, and I passed the old shop on my way from the station to Wetherspoons
and found a dark and derelict building, not realising it had moved 18 months
ago. I hadn't been in previously because I thought it was largely a yarn
shop. They now appear to do a range of classes and groups and sell Simplicity
patterns, though not fabric. They still primarily deal in yarn though as far as
I could see.
Others arrived and we
had nice introduction to those we didn’t know and plenty of chat. No-one was
really bothered about the slow service though a couple had to leave early for
other appointments so couldn’t wait to be fed. We swapped IG details with
others who didn’t already have them. Jen taught us (the older dinosaurs!) how
to get details from someone else really quickly, not something I was aware of
before. We heard about her terrific new creative space - TeesCreative in
Middlesbrough, which sounds well worth going to. Accommodation is available for
space users - so a weekend course, as they did recently, making Ginger jeans,
becomes very possible. Middlesbrough is not that far really - easily
commutable, especially at the weekend when there is less rush hour traffic, but
a nice place to stay if there are a few of you. Up to 6 of you. They do
dressmaking, quilting, candlemaking. The space is available for hire.
By the time we left a
few others had gone but we were far from last in going. I took one pattern from
the swap but no fabric.
My journey home was
uneventful. I walked through my door just 2 hours after leaving the Creative
Craft Centre. I did take a taxi from the station as it was raining heavily.
Another interesting taxi driver which makes the 15 minute ride fly by!
