I haven't been sewing but I did some travelling! Last month I was very blessed with the opportunity to visit 3 major cities in Australia. As this is mostly a sewing blog, this post will be about my window shopping trips (yes, you read right, since AUD is so strong against our RM!) to the 2 major Aussie fabric/craft stores, Spotlight and Lincraft!
Spotlight
This is the Spotlight Canningvale branch in Perth. It is a big building by itself. I finally get to touch and feel fabrics like gabardine and crepe for myself as Malaysian stores do not label the fabrics properly so it's all guesswork on the fiber content of the fabrics. Spotlight was having a 3 day Big Brand Sale on that day, so it was bustling with shoppers.
I was hoping that the paper patterns would be ridiculously cheap during a Big Brand Sale but they were only 50% off, still a far cry from the famed Joanns' $1 sale that I've read so much about. I also believe that the pattern prices in AUD are much pricier than the retail undiscounted USD prices at the respective pattern companies' websites. I wasn't too disappointed though as I already have enough sheath dress patterns in my personal pattern stash to work with.
I was hoping that I could thumb through some pattern envelopes and revel in the joy of having so many pattern envelopes around me for once. Malaysia fabric/craft stores do not stock paper patterns by the way, one has to order online and pay hefty international shipping costs, if downloading/piecing together digital ones are not your thing.
My sewing friend from the States told me that one can actually 'touch' and thumb through the paper patterns in Joanns, what a delight! However, the system in Spotlight is a little bit different, one has to choose from the pattern catalogues and order your choices from the lady who guards the big steel cabinets containing pattern envelopes at the counter. And she will dig it up for you. A very efficient system but no thrill of being able to go through the pattern envelopes myself.
Adjustable Body forms, we don't have these locally!
I so wished that I could lug a Brother sewing machine home as those 'Runout' models were selling for AUD99 each (RM300), which, despite the foreign exchange translation, is still cheaper than the cheapest generic model in Malaysia which retails for average RM500. I was really, really tempted but my parents thought I am being impractical as it is not that light weighted and I need to hand carry it on the plane and had to transit for many hours in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on my flight home to KK. Mum said: "It's not like you don't already own sewing machine at home". I have a generic sewing machine by the brand of Okurma BUT I so want a Brother. Oh well, true, true my sewing machine is not broken....yet. Grumpily and defeated, I heeded their advice and rest my case. I didn't buy any fabrics as those on sale were still expensive in my opinion when translated to my local currency. Oohh..and don't let me start on the Overlockers for AUD99 each (RM600), where can you find a good overlocker for that price in Malaysia?
Though
I didn't end up with any fabric or patterns, I was still very happy to window
shop there, to be surrounded by so much beautiful fabrics and
sewing/crafting notions not normally available in Malaysia. They have
many variations of lining fabric such as stretch and non stretch and of
varying fibers, unlike where we only have polyster or satin here. I got
to learn so much fiber content, it was an educational visit, ha!
To my consolation, I didn't leave the store empty handed. I got myself a nifty sewing gauge ruler which is really useful for hemming. I have wanted this for so long. Yes, it's not available locally, at least not in my town.
Lincraft
I did not expect to visit Lincraft at all but I chanced upon it during my last morning in Melbourne, before heading to the airport. This is Lincraft in the city, just behind the beautiful Burke mall. It is 2 storey-high and had a really pretty window display. I didn't spend much time there as we were in a hurry, hence do excuse some blurry pictures.
They were having a mega sale. Paper patterns were not on sale at all and disappointingly, they were also kept in big cabinets overlooked by a worker, so I didn't have the chance to 'touch' any. I think Lincraft is slightly a more upscale version of Spotlight, if you have visited both stores and reading this, do you agree? I do not have much to describe about this store as I only had time to snap pictures!
Fabrics...oh fabrics...and more fabrics....
This is a really pretty mosaic piece on the ground floor of the mall where Lincraft is
Australia is really a beautiful country. Spotlight and Lincraft are just shopping havens for sewing enthusiasts like me! Here's to hoping that the next time I visit the RM has strengthened against the AUD so I will actually get to shop! For the meantime, I really hope local stores here will one day carry paper patterns (with reasonable prices). Cheers!!
OMG sertyan!!! what an awesome retail therapy. this is a dream store for every seamstress especially like us. i am very amazed how u can resist all the temptation to buy everything.. haha.. if u excuse me, im going to rob a bank now.. hahaha
ReplyDeleteHi Sertyan, I hope you enjoyed your visit to Australia! Fabric is definitely more expensive here than some other places and I'm sorry you couldn't buy (though window shopping is fun too!). If you make it back here another time, try getting to Rathdowne Fabrics in Melbourne or the Remnant Warehouse in Sydney. I went to Sydney a few months ago and went a bit overboard at the Remnant Warehouse. (Both of those shops have websites, but they don't do justice to the fabric available in store). Happy sewing!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle
DeleteYes, I certainly enjoyed Australia - the attractions, the weather, the culture and the food!
Thank you for your tips for the cheaper fabric locations, I will certainly take note of those during my next trip (hopefully in the near future)
You are right, in the US our patterns are in huge filing cabinets that we thumb & touch to find the one we want, it is that way in all our stores that sell patterns, and yes JoAnn's has $1 pattern when on sale. I think it is funny that you want that Brother machine so bad, some of the Brother & Singer sewing machines sold in the stores in the US are very cheaply made machines, and not what a US home sewer would want without frustration. There are some nicer Brother machines around. Maybe some day you will make it to the US to thumb patterns.
ReplyDeleteHi LauraM,
DeleteBrother Machines are regarded as the better ones here in Malaysia for the home sewist. It is assumed to be the better quality brand among the 'affordable' or 'beginner' level machines for home users. I am aware there are better Brother models and the rolls royce of machines (Bernina!) but for me and my budget and level of experience, my next dream machine is a Brother. Hehe.
Yes, I am really aiming to visit the US one day and I must then go to Joanns!
Hi Sertyan,
ReplyDeleteWell, that was quite an enjoyable trip I just took with you to Australia! Thank you for sharing, so much fun to see new places...full of lovely fabric! I'm sure you'll get your dream machine some day!
Cathe
That Lincraft store looks great, I like how they display the trims. As for paper patterns, when I first started sewing seriously (as a teenager) you choose your pattern numbers from the catalog and then went to the counter where the person got the patterns from the big file drawers. I think the stores realized they could eliminate one worker by making it self-service, and it is quicker to retrieve them myself. I confess that I frequently pull out the instructions and give them a quick read, to see the fabric layout and/or the instructions.
ReplyDeleteI do this to see compare similar patterns, and to see if they are overly generous in their fabric requirements (almost always are).
The trouble with the $ 1 pattern sale is that I have too many patterns ! but they are a small indulgence and easier to store than more fabric !
I enjoyed this post on your travels in Australia.
Hi Sertyan thanks for alerting me to your post on your visit to Australia, glad you enjoyed yourself. I never really thought about the option to thumb through patterns I'm just glad I can run my fingers over the fabrics and drape the silks over me and then prance about the store in a dream like state before handing over the dollars. Michelle is right Rathdowne are rather fabulous. Tessutti Fabrics are divine but terribly pricey I guess that's because the majority of it has been imported. Spotlight works for me, Lincraft is my backup :) I'm pleased to read you enjoyed the food and weather here. Happy sewing x
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Perth but our Spotlight near me in Brisbane has the pattern cabinets out in the store so that customers can go through them and has had for at least a couple of years. The old way was so inefficient and a time sucker - you'd have to line up for ages just to get to look at the m'ments on the back of the envelope. Now that you've seen the Australian pattern prices you can understand why so many of us order online from the US.
ReplyDeleteI've always considered Lincraft to be a smaller, more upmarket version of Spotlight but it probably depends on the particular stores.
I usually go to Sydney a couple of times a year and stock up on fabric in Marrickville, a lot cheaper and a much wider range than Spotlight.
Glad you had a good time here.
I've heard about Spotlight and Lincraft on many of the Australian blogs but this is the first time that I've actually seen pictures of them. So thanks for sharing. It's always interesting to see fabric in places other than the US. And Beth's sharing of the pattern cabinets is just as I remember it when I was a teenager and into my 30s sewing...glad you enjoyed your visit and thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty unfair that patterns in the US are so much cheaper. I was unaware that you could not buy sewing patterns in shops in Malaysia. I live in Australia but I order online too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Australia! I practically live in spotlight ;)
Another blogger mentioned The Remnant Warehouse in Sydney. This is my favorite fabric store. I agree that you must visit it next time you are here!
Also I went to Malaysia not long ago and I came back with a lot of lovely printed poly/cotton fabrics (excellent prices!), and don't get me started on how great the food was :) I will be going back soon.
Now, that is one wonderful shopping experience! Thank you for giving readers ideas on where to shop in Australia!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you to visit us in Aus! Spotlight is one of my favourite living in Brisbane. I dont visit Lincraft that much because all of my fabric turns out horrible when sewing it from there. You will have to visit Melbourne's other fabric stores (Rathdowne fabrics, Tessuti, The Fabric Store etc) if you come again. I am going down there very soon to do some fabric shopping. I never ever buy patterns in Australia even when they are on sale because they are so much cheaper online on sewingpatterns.com plus they get delivered within a week or two so you just stock up hehe.
ReplyDelete