In mid-May, I traveled to Japan to visit our suppliers and order the new collections of fabrics and embroidery...
Of course, I took advantage of the trip to go shopping and feast my eyes!
I love seeing Japanese trends, getting inspired by their super-efficient storage solutions, discovering new products... and buying a few souvenirs to sew in the months following my trip, reminding me of the places I visited.
This week on the blog and on YouTube, I'm sharing my favorite spots in Japan.
And for those who can't travel that far, don't worry: all these wonders are available in our two shops and on our website right here.
Plus, we ship all across Europe, so don't hold back!
In Tokyo
Tokyo is full of districts specializing in specific types of products. Fabric and haberdashery are no exception! You'll find everything your heart desires in Fabric Town in Nippori! It's a well-known area for sewers, and you'll bump into quite a few designers, fashion creators, and garment makers looking for inspiration.
In Fabric Town, the largest and most famous store is Tomato. In fact, there are several Tomato buildings, each specializing in specific types of fabric, including one dedicated to patchwork.
The largest Tomato store (Honkan) spans 5 floors. On the ground floor, you'll find bargain bins with remnants, cotton, linen, Broderie Anglaise, traditional Japanese patterned cotton, a few oilcloths… On the first and second floors, you'll find knits, lycra, stretch lace, and novelty fabrics (rhinestones, sequins, neon, faux fur…). On the upper floors, you'll discover patchwork remnants, traditional Japanese fabrics including indigo-dyed textiles, and haberdashery (sewing, embroidery, bag-making supplies…).
This year, I fell for several fabrics, including a lovely blue fabric featuring a seigaiha (wave) pattern and cats. Plus, I happened to be wearing my favorite blue skirt, which felt very fitting for buying this new fabric 😂
I also treated myself to two Japanese remnants and a gorgeous embroidered fabric featuring cute little cats wearing glasses.
I don't have a project picked out for each of them yet, but I have no doubt I'll find lovely patterns in our library of nearly 3,000 designs 😂.
In Tokyo, as well as in other Japanese cities, you'll find two store chains that I also really enjoy: Yuzawaya and Okadaya.
Both chains offer fabrics, haberdashery, and supplies for various craft hobbies: knitting, jewelry making, embroidery…
They carry a wonderful selection of cottons from Japanese brands like Nani iro and Kokka… as well as quilted fabrics, faux leather, coated cottons…
I didn't buy anything from these two stores this year, but I always love looking around for inspiration 😊 and checking out the latest fabric trends.
In Kyoto
Kyoto is a city steeped in tradition, with its numerous temples, tea houses, and picturesque shops. It is THE place to buy a second-hand yukata or kimono… or the fabric to make one from scratch! Whenever I visit Kyoto, I always stop by Nomura Tailor, located on the lively Teramachi-dori street in the Gion district.
Cotton, linen, Liberty print, lace, embroidered cotton… as well as chirimen and jacquard.
On the ground floor, right by the storefront, you'll find large bins filled with remnants ranging from 30 cm to 2 m.
Upstairs, you'll find Liberty prints and finer fabrics like silk. I love browsing through the Liberty section because in Japan, there are special editions featuring Hello Kitty, Snoopy, and other characters hidden among the flowers, depending on their collaborations. These are exclusive licensed fabrics made solely for the Japanese market.
There are also special editions in other types of textiles (like Pokémon, for instance). That's how I fell for the Billiken collection to make my George dress by Atelier Bernie when visiting our suppliers this year. What a surprise it was for both me and our supplier when they realized I was wearing the exact same fabric as their display! We had a great laugh about it!
By the way, if you'd like to sew a pretty George dress by Atelier Bernie, the full article is right here.
To visit Nomura, I wore my lovely dress made from Japanese geisha-patterned fabric from our shop. We only have a few meters left of this print, just saying! 😂
In Hiroshima
This year, I made a wonderful discovery in Hiroshima with the store chain Maki, which is mostly present in southern Japan.
I wasn't familiar with this chain, and I was delightfully surprised by all the treasures I found there: fabrics, haberdashery, embroidery, some yarn, as well as plenty of other craft supplies including paper, resin, beads, dried flowers... In short, a true treasure trove for any self-respecting creative!
Additionally, on the top floor, they have a workshop space where local artisans can come to create and sell their handmade items.
That's how I ended up buying some adorable little resin decorative pins made by a local artisan.
I brought back in my suitcases: two quilted fabrics, some denim, and a remnant of cotton poplin.
I can't wait to cut into them!
So there you have it, now you know all about my favorite fabric shop recommendations in Japan... though I know I'll discover even more treasures on future trips...
For those of you who aren't traveling that far, you can find all our Japanese fabric treasures right here and our embroidery supplies including sashiko right here.
Indeed, we did all the curated sourcing in advance, and frankly, we have every reason to be proud of our selection! We offer as many Japanese fabrics as average-sized Japanese haberdasheries, and when it comes to sashiko, we offer far more than what you'd typically find in stores in the Land of the Rising Sun; amazing, isn't it?
If you'd like to see the gorgeous fabrics I brought back in my luggage, be sure to check out our YouTube channel, the video is now live.
Now all that's left to do is get sewing. Ready, set, stitch!
