Fabric and button shopping in Harrogate

First of all, I didn't get back to the YSL exhibition on Thursday - I'm afraid I ended up in the dentist's  chair. I've had a lot of problems with jaw pain on eating especially (unfortunately not leading to weight loss!). When it first happened my GP suspected temporal arteritis but a quick referral to hospital excluded that. I was given a diagnosis ultimately of 'TMJ syndrome' which,  as far as I'm concerned, it's just saying 'you get jaw pain!' There are a number of contributory factors. One of these was the tooth I had work on today. I've had problems with it but got an urgent appointment because a lump appeared and I  was worried. My dentist started root canal treatment as the nerve was dead but was unable to complete as I have narrow,  twisty  canals so I'm going to a specialist practitioner after the October holiday. I'm praying my jaw pain will subside. Anyway, that's why I missed my second dose of YSL.

Admittedly, I had also had too much travel and yet another day's traveling didn't appeal too much. Preferable to the dentist any day though! And I missed lunch and company. I gather the exhibition run has been extended so I need to consider whether to go again;  some of the others in my college course haven't been yet.

I met up with my friend Anne briefly on Sunday and we had planned to meet again, to continue our interrupted conversation on my way to the bridge weekend on Friday. Unfortunately she was called in to work. She suggested I travel on the Thursday night,  go to her house in the Lake District  for dinner and stay overnight and then continue my journey. This would have been nice but my course is on a Thursday evening;  it wasn't meant to be.

As I was no longer meeting Anne, I decided to cut down the travelling and miss out trips to fabric shops on the M6 route, which is a good bit longer than the A1 route to my destination. Also, I did not get good recommendations for the shop I had considered. I did get a recommendation for Fabrix in Lancaster but decided it wasn't worth taking the M6 on this occasion. Something to look forward to in the future!

Instead,  I decided I would go on with my plan to visit Duttons for Buttons in Harrogate and a couples of others that had been recommended. I have to cut off the A1 and bypass Harrogate to reach my destination so this didn't take me much or of my way, though the traffic in Harrogate is a bit of a nightmare.

So my plan, as I  write this on Thursday night, is Harrogate for lunch on Friday and some button and fabric fondling then down to my destination later in the afternoon at a leisurely pace. I'm an rhs member but won't have time to visit Harlow Carr. Maybe on the way back. And a visit to Betty's. There is a branch in Harlow Carr.

It's now Friday night and I've been to Harrogate, had dinner and played bridge this evening.

First stop in Harrogate was Duttons for Buttons. Lots of buttons! Other haberdashery too. I wanted to buy a particular type of metal button, if it's a button,  not sure, to cover a hole in a knit top. I'd only had it on once! I have quite a stash of buttons at home from a factory closure and have two that are ideal, except they don't quite match in tone. I didn't manage to find anything. They were very helpful and do mail order,  sending samples.

Next stop was Fine Fabrics of Harrogate. I liked this shop, beautiful fabrics and the proprietor was very helpful. I explained that I wanted some wedding type materials to practice on. We had a discussion and she advised me against using silk for the dresses,  feeling that the satin polyesters are excellent.

I must admit the fabrics she showed me were beautiful. I bought some white crepe backed satin and some duchesse satin (and I learned it's pronounced dutch-ess rather than doo-shess!). I also managed to buy some nice proper silk organza.

This is a proper fabric shop,  outside my experience. Following our discussion, I was recommended a couple of fabrics,  a faille and a stretch and it was amazing to have these shown to me in the sample books. I remember when I was young, we used to choose wallpaper from books like these. What's great is that these are reliable and repeatable fabrics.

Before I left, I had to buy some recently discontinued patterns at a great price....

I then visited both the Remnant Warehouse and White Rose Fabrics but came away empty handed. Really, I had already got what I wanted.

I may be back in Harrogate next month for the Knitting and Stitching Show. Fine Fabrics won't be there but the shop will be open and I may be ready by then,  having tested the fabrics I bought today, to return.

Preston or Bradford? Or neither?

This is my first time posting from my phone so I hope this works. I accidentally left my tablet in my daughter's house yesterday. We were staying there after we three plus my middle daughter had been at my youngest daughter's engagement party in London on Friday. We had a good time and met some people who will be at the wedding for the first time and met quite a few of Helen's school friends again as most of them are in London, though one of her friends travelled back from Greece (where she works) to go to the party.

On Saturday, David had to rush back home on an early train to get to his photography course but didn't set his alarm properly and A's phone went flat. He woke up and realised it was only 20 mins to his 6.30am train time but somehow, unbelievably, made it with time to spare - A drove him to the station in her pyjamas. He had to change trains at Stevenage but his second train broke down and after transferring to another where he couldn't use his laptop to do some course work  he ended up 90 mins late for his course but it worked out okay.

I was babysitting for my two grandsons after David left as A had to work for a couple of hours. They'd been at a sleepover the night before and were probably a bit tired after a midnight feast! A's husband got back from New York not long before I was due to leave and things were a bit chaotic. The boys were so excited to see their dad, who'd been away on business since Monday. We'd managed to take down his birthday present which he'd left behind in our house last time, so he was pleased about that. I didn't manage to attend any of the Sew Saturday events.

My train journey was uneventful, though I'm very tired today. I fitted in my flu injection on Thursday and am not sure how much impact that has had! I felt it at my golf match on Thursday and later at my class!

I still have quite a bit of travelling to do this coming week.
On Thursday I'm going back to the YSL exhibition at the Bowes with a group of ladies from sewing. It closes next weekend.
Friday to Monday I'm back in Yorkshire (I think it's Yorkshire -Clitheroe) for a bridge weekend.
My title -
I can travel to or from my venue via Harrogate so am likely to do that. Any Harrogate suggestions welcome. I'd like to visit Duttons for Buttons as I've never been there despite having visited Harrogate quite a few times.

At my destination, I'm not that far from either Preston (Abakhan) or Bradford (Bombay) though neither are on a direct route home. Would anyone recommend one over the other - I can't do both! Is it worth adding 30 mins to my journey time for Preston and more probably an hour for Bradford? David doesn't think so but I'm still looking for silks and satins and other bridal type fabrics at a good price for practice. I also need Illusion tulle and silk organza. Are either good for those types of things? I could of course do mail order! Or send Helen shopping in London.

Over the next few days I need to bring my course portfolio up to date and make a decent shirt sleeve placket sample (my first was rather poor) and a godet sample. Tonight, though, I am meeting an old friend who's passing through nearby.

Anyway - advice welcome!!