Not strictly quilt fabric question for the Oz members...

Is there anywhere in Oz to purchase fabrics like Cordura in various weights? And where is the best place for cheap and cheerful canvas and/or curtain fabric?

Someone on another sewing forum (a bloke - new sewist, not into quilting

- yet!) wants to make messenger bags... :)

Reply to
Kate Dicey
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The only Aus-wide place I can think of is Spotlight. I suspect they are a lot like Joanns.

How many does he want to make? Can we assume he is not going to do the sewing?

Another option is find a shop that sells furnishing fabric ends. There is a good one right next to the South Melbourne markets but that is no help if he is a couple of thousand miles away in QLD or WA.

Or . . . . . find a place that makes awnings and ask about off-cuts. There's a place in Caulfield, and even the outdoor blind maker here in my town might be able to help, but again - not applicable if he lives in Darwin or such.

Happy to help but I think we need more details.

Reply to
Cats

Hm... Wouldn't know about that. I suspect our closest to either of those is Hobbycraft...

No idea how many - probably just one to start with! And yes, he will be doing the sewing! He's learning now, on cushion covers. :) Next project will be either the bag, or possibly curtains. :)

:D I'll pass that on, but I don't yet know where he is in Oz...

I was looking for a source of curtain off-cuts, really... So I might direct him to ring round the local bespoke curtain making places. :) He might strike it lucky, though I do know that in the outback 'local' can be 1000 miles in all directions! Maybe there's an on-line place someone knows about that would be more local for him than here in the UK or the USA...

For the canvas, Spotlight might help... Dunno about the Cordura. I'll keep looking! :)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

If he's "outback" he could try an outdoor/camping store, but I suspect he probably wouldn't need a messenger bag if he was away from the major metro areas.

Spotlight carries a vast array of fabrics and you never know what they will have at any given time. If he has one nearby and he is lucky enough to have a good local manager there (as I have been in several locations around Australia) they will try to get in anything you need. But if he is only making a couple for his own use then he would be better to look for off-cuts from furnishing/reupholstering/curtain-making or awning/outdoor blind makers. For those he can look in the Yellow Pages (book or online) phone directory.

If he gets really stuck pass on the email address below to him and I will try to be more specific. Or maybe one of my fellow Aussies will post about stores in other states and one will suit him.

Reply to
Cats

Thank you, Cheryl. I will pass on the advice. :)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

I'd have to agree with Cheryl that Spotlight would be a good place to look for the cheap and cheerful stuff. Most of their fabric is not bad, especially in the curtaining area.Is cordura the stuff you make cord jeans etc with? If so, it's probably at Spotlight too.

We have Textile Traders too, but I'm not sure if that's only in WA.

Otherwise, there's always asking at curtain manufacturers for offcuts that are too small to be of any use to them, but fine for messenger bags.

One last thing though - what are messenger bags? :-)

Reply to
Leigh Harris

Nope - performance fabric for outdoors gear and luggage:

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Based on the old bags messenger boys used to carry:

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Reply to
Kate Dicey

Oh, I get it. Thanks. They're very handy looking bags. As for the cordura, I've seen it on luggage, but I don't think I've ever seen the 'fabric' available anywhere.

Reply to
Leigh Harris

I can buy it by the mile here in the UK from a couple of excellent Outdoors Fabric suppliers, but I was looking for something closer to home for this lad. :) It comes in weights from shirt weight down to bomb-proof! ;)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Ah! Manston! AKA Kent International! :) Old wartime airfield... Used to be a main Concorde diversion airfield as it's one of the few with a long enough runway. :)

There's supposed to be a very nice quilt shop in Sandwich, a not too out-of-the-way diversion between Manston and here... And we have castles galore on our doorstep! Dover, Leeds, Hever, Scotney, Rochester... And that's before we get to historic hice like Penshurst Place, Ightham Mote, and so forth...

Reply to
Kate Dicey

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