WOA Studio

If sewing, dressmaking or hat making are your hobbies, chances are that you’ve done business with a haberdasher, whether you know it or not. If you enjoy making clothing, purses, hats, shoes or other accessories, you won’t get far without the items they provide. In fact, if those are your hobbies, you may be a haberdasher yourself and not yet be aware of the fact! But don’t worry. It’s an essential trade for all makers, adjustors, decorators and designers of clothing, no matter how fancy or how plain. In the UK, a haberdashery is a men’s’ clothing store, but elsewhere in the world, it refers to a provider of buttons, ribbons, zippers, buckles, snaps, needles, pins, measuring tapes, scissors, patches, elastics… well, you get the picture. In short, it’s a clothing crafter’s word for “miscellaneous”.

Nobody is quite sure where the word “haberdashery” comes from (though nearly everybody agrees that it’s rather fun to say). It appears in Chaucer’s famous “Canterbury Tales”, referring to a peddler who sold small, necessary items such as needles and buttons. This is about as civilized an origin as a word could have, but that’s not the only place it might have come from. Some people think that it could have come from the Anglo-Norman word “hapertas”, which meant “small wares”. Still others claim that it comes from the ancient Norse word “haprtask”, which meant “a peddler’s goods”. That means that even the Viking hordes couldn’t get by without haberdashers! Perhaps ancient Viking haberdashers carried spare helmet horns in addition to their other wares?

These days, you’re more likely to find lighter and less fearsome items at a haberdashery. It’s where you’d go to find notions for sewing… notions in the sense of “small items necessary for clothes-making”, though a haberdashery may also provide an avid crafter with “notions” of what their next project ought to be! Ask anyone who loves to sew and they’ll tell you that finding a set of really neat buttons or a spool of beautiful ribbon can be the inspiration for a garment designed to show off that absolutely perfect bit of trim. Unwary needlecraft enthusiasts may find themselves buying a great deal more than they intended when they wander into such a place!

And yet, despite the potential hazards associated with inspiration overload, a haberdashery isn’t a place you can avoid (and yes, haberdasheries can be websites as well, proving that the Internet really does have everything these days). They’re where you buy the tools of your trade. You can’t sew without needles, thread and scissors. You can get by without a pincushion, but why on earth would you want to? Actually, scratch that. Anyone who has had to cross a floor where pins have been spilled will argue that a pincushion is definitely not something you can do without. A haberdashery is also where you go to find the tools you need to take care of every dressmaker’s best friend: a sewing machine.

The other form of haberdashery, the clothing accessory store, is another friend to clothing makers the world over. Haberdasheries can sell scarves, hats, gloves, tie-tacks and other items that can complement a well-made garment. Some crafters are quite brilliant at making dresses, coats, shirts, and pants but prefer to leave the high-expertise work of making gloves to people who devote their craft to such things. Some people love nothing more than a perfect hat to complement a newly-made outfit, but don’t have the materials to create one. So they’ll visit a haberdasher’s shop to find those little details that take an outfit up that extra notch straight into perfection.

So you see, whether you’re a dressmaker, a hatter or just a fan of needlework in all its many forms, you’re going to visit a haberdashery at some point in your career. In fact, you may find that it’s your favorite place in the world to visit for everything from bare basics to fancy frills. Even if you’re just shopping for inspiration, the haberdasher’s shop is very likely to have exactly what you need. Here’s a hint, though. If you really want to make a Viking helmet, you’re better off going to a leatherworker’s supply shop for the horns.

If you love to express yourself creatively, and also enjoy sewing, then it is vital that you have the necessary sewing supplies at your disposal, so you can get started as soon as inspirations strikes. While some consider buying sewing supplies an additional expense, it is not at all. When you are able to sew, you can save a lot of money because you are not making those purchases in retail. Clothing, furniture covers, blankets, and more can be designed and stitched by your hand. Imagine the savings!

Damaged clothing and other fabrics can be mended with ease, which is extremely more economical than spending a lot of money on replacements. You can use your fingers to make money, save money, and have a fashionable wardrobe that will get compliments left and right. You will pay a fraction of what you would pay retail, and will even save money and time from not having to travel to your local department stores and local mall to get your clothing and fabric purchases. Time spent perusing catalogs, online pages, and aisles in the stores to find that perfect gift will become a thing of the past when you use your sewing supplies and skills to make crafty, useful, and creative items to give family, co-workers, and friends for all your holiday and gift giving occasions.

When purchasing your sewing supplies, you want to find quality and long lasting items to ensure the longevity of your creation. However, you do not have to spend an arm and a leg to get them. There are several ways that you can save money on sewing supplies. For instance, do you purchase your fabric at discount prices? A vast group of people think when they see fabric in a discount clearance bin in the store, or marked down on a website that there must be something wrong with the fabric itself. No one wants to spend good money on fabric that has imperfections or damage to it. However, this is mostly a misconception. When fabric is sold at lower prices, it is usually due to either needing more space to accommodate new stock, or the pattern/fabric is not very popular.

When you have the opportunity to buy great patterns, prints, or solids at rock bottom prices, be sure to get all you can. Paying 50% – 75% less for the fabrics that you love to work with can give you a hefty savings and a wonderful deal. If you find a fabric that you truly love, you can wait for it to go on sale or you can implement a lesser priced fabric for 80% or so of the project and then use the more expensive fabric as trim and accents. This ensures that you are still able to create a wonderful masterpiece without paying a fortune for the fabric. Going online to find discounted sewing supplies is a great way to find great fabrics that you are in love with, and you can do it without having to leave your home or office.

Buying in bulk online can be a great way to stock up on your sewing supplies, but you also want to avoid ending up with a lot of fabric that you are ‘stuck with.’ However, if you do find that you have a lot of fabric or other supplies that are going unused, the network of sewers should be utilized. What is the network of sewers? Well, your network is everyone you know that either sews, crafts, or does something in the sewing realm. When sewers that are networked utilize each other’s resources, they find that they can make a lot more projects and jobs successful because of the wide and diverse selection of supplies and fabrics they can swap.

If you know of someone or a shop that is giving up the sewing game for one reason or another, then you can ask them what they are getting rid of that you can use. You may end up receiving a lot of things for free or at cost, which can save you hundreds of dollars. If you are interested in getting basic sewing supplies, or you just need to stock up on quality supplies for an affordable cost, check out the extensive selection of sewing supplies that are available online today.