newport beach fabric

[Auryn]

Hello all fellow fabric fiends.
I haven't been around in a bit- life is crazy right now.

I am going to be in Newport beach cali next week for work- I will be there wed to sunday.
Anyone know of any good fabric stores I should pop into??
I will have a rental car so if there's anything in a reasonable drive range (no more than 30 min each way) that shouldn't be missed please let me know.

[Baron Dacre]

It is a bit farther than 30 miles unfortunately, but if you can swing it, I'd suggest the the fabric district in LA.

[Cilean]

Yes,
that would be my only real comment as well.
Newport is a little more than 1 hour away from the District and if you go early (Around 9am) you will miss most of the traffic.  I can tell you that it will be the BEST time you would ever have.

[Auryn]

Oh man you guys are such instigators hehe.
unfortunately I only get 1 tourist day while I am there- Im technically there for work.
So I have to decide between driving to LA or going on a whale watching tour.
I think the whales will win but we will see


thanks

[Baron Dacre]

Oh man you guys are such instigators hehe.
unfortunately I only get 1 tourist day while I am there- Im technically there for work.
So I have to decide between driving to LA or going on a whale watching tour.
I think the whales will win but we will see


thanks

of course if your "tourist day" is on saturday there always is RPFS...

(just sayin...)

[Auryn]

Actually,
my tourist day is on saturday.
Do tell

*bugger* I just looked it up, its just as far away as LA.
dang it, figures.

[Luciana]

There are few more small fabric stores in the area, one in Lake Forest, the other one in Garden Grove but they don't compare with the Fashion District.

[Auryn]

well I just found out that my travel partner (my mom- its a family business so we try go together on the possibly fun business trips hehe) is a-ok with going to the fashion district or RPFS.
I think we are going to move the whale watching to thursday  morning as I just found out that the show we are attending doesnt start till noon.

Are the fabric stores in the fashion district open on saturdays?? any webpages with more info on this fashion district??
How long of a drive would it be from newport to the district??

[Baron Dacre]

http://www.fashiondistrict.org/show.aspx?mi=2666

have fun! and most should be open on saturday.

Home Fabrics is probably my favorite, tho the most expensive (cheaper tho then what you'd pay for elsewhere).

[Annastina]

Actually,
my tourist day is on saturday.
Do tell

*bugger* I just looked it up, its just as far away as LA.
dang it, figures.

It may be the same distance on paper, but any SoCal driver will tell you that getting from Newport to Irwindale (where RPFSC is) is much easier than getting to LA.  You don't want to do that LA thing if you don't have to.  (granted, on a Sat it will be better, but still.....)

[RumbaRue]

Fashion District in L.A. IS NOT OPEN WEEKENDS.


In Anaheim, on Ball Rd. look for M and L Fabrics. The most unbelievable materials around at reasonable cost.

[Baron Dacre]

I'm not sure where you got your info. but it the stores are open on Saturdays and Sundays.

I've been there quite often, I can assure you. :-D

Michael Levine's is definitely open as well as Home Fabrics...

[Becky10]

In Anaheim, on Ball Rd. look for M and L Fabrics. The most unbelievable materials around at reasonable cost.

I second that!

[Auryn]

I don't know if anyone is interested but I have an update
I am finally home.
We ended up going to LA on saturday.
We left at 7 am and by 8:05 we were pulling into a parking garage.
And let me tell you am I glad we got there crazy early.
The shops didn't open till between 8:30 and 9 am. By 10:30 the streets were a mad house.
Unbeknownst to us when we did it, we actually parked smack dab in the middle of the fabric/trim section of the fashion district.
I just realized I didn't take any pictures of the shops or the streets- dang it.
Anyway.
It was a sewer's nirvana.
I gotta say that most of the fabric was either upholstery or dance/ high end wedding/fashion fabric.
A lot of the stores carried a lot of the same stuff which made it easy to get them to come down in price, but it also made me afraid of getting gouged if I didn't walk around and price comparison.
I ended up buying some great buttons. 5 yards of a beautiful chiffon that I fell in love with at $3 a yard, 10 yards of a pretty purple trim at $1 a yard, and white cotton and lilac cotton.
I didn't buy much as I only traveled with my carry on to avoid the $50+ to check a bag. I also didn't buy a lot cause I was afraid of getting cheated. The stores are so jammed packed with rolls upon rolls of material that it was really really difficult to walk in them and actually see the fabric. So when they measured your fabric they do it by hand with a yard stick and then snip at the "correct" length and do a theoretically straight rip down the length of the roll.
The great thing is all the fabrics were at least 60".

I'll post pics of what I bought this weekend if anyone cares.

[gem]

I care!!