Alert! Friday, July 12 - a different kind of tour...

*Sad to report, this tour has since been cancelled due to a very small number of signups, who have each received refunds or alternative tour dates, as explained in the notes below.

Very special itinerary...

Not a "speakeasy" like the ones I have led so far.  This one has two very specific parts, and a modified version of it will be offered this fall.

FIRST:

You follow me to go scouting for notions and tools.  This educational part of our journey will feature the most interesting and delightful notions and tools stores I know of, with explanations and demonstrations/examples from me and others more knowledgeable than me, for the things that can take both your sewing and efficiency to a higher level.

THEN:

A special fabric store in the district is stuffed to the gills with glorious fabric right now.  Silks, wools, linings, knits... I was just in there yesterday, and my hands were literally aching from the weight of the sack I brought home!

Well, no one likes to carry excess inventory.  In this hot summer weather, the owner of this great store is offering our group a special by-invitation-only shopping event. And the prices? Oh, the prices... (long silence - that's a good thing, BTW) Special discounts just for us.

*silent weeping*

If you wish, you can label and leave your bag(s) with the store owner, and pick it/them up later in the day.

Do we stop for lunch?  Absolutely! We'll do that at 1PM (included in your fee).

Then, I'll give you a list of other places to visit. And, if you have any energy left, you'll continue...  Otherwise, you'll probably just wanna go home and take a nap!

Wanna come?  Register below!

Or

For general fabric shopping... 

There will also be an October 4, 2013 Speakeasy! This one is for general fabric shopping, with the same timeframe as above, but fabric stores only.

Regarding cancellations:

 If you have paid and wish to cancel 7 days or more before date - 100% refund
 Fewer than 7 days - 50% refund
 If you don't come on the scheduled date or cancel within 24 hours or less - you will forfeit your refund, but can switch reservation to a future tour date.
 If I cancel a tour for reasons not related to weather, newsworthy acts of God or other emergencies, you are entitled to your choice of a full refund, or a future tour.

NYC notions store review: Top Trimmings... (This store is cool)

Top Trimmings

Wholesale and Retail (Custom production, too)

228 West 39th Street

New York, NY 10018

www.toptrimming.com

There are stores in the garment district I pass regularly, and have never venture inside.  Despite recommendations from STGD friends and others, I had not been specifically moved to visit this store, since I am not a person who uses a multitude of flashy trimmings.  The feathers and sparkles in the windows had never lured me in.  But then, because I am working out the design details for a bag I am making, I decided to take a look, and found all sorts of fun stuff.

Of particular interest were these lace neckline decorations (also in black).  I can see ways to use them beyond bridal.

I walked in, with a bit of time to spend, and saw all of the fun, unexpected stuff!  There's also an arrow pointing up, inviting you to go upstairs.  Follow that arrow.  Fun bridal stuff up and more up there.

The store is quite affordable, not high-end, and it looks like it appeals to the costumer/artist types.  At least, that's who I saw when I was in there.  No pressure or aggressive salespeople while browsing.  Just fun.

NYC Notion store review: Archer Zippers & Trim

Note: June 16, 2014 - While in the garment district today, I wanted to check in on Archer Zippers.  Guess what?  Gone.  Checked phone #, no answer.  Looked up website. Nothing.  Looks like they're gone.  If you know something different, let me know!

Sometimes, you simply have to actually look up in the garment district to find something great.  Walking along 39th street, headed elsewhere, I noticed very bold, basic signs in the 2nd floor windows of the building 244. The large yellow signs in the window indicate that you that you can get YKK zippers and labels there - wholesale or retail, but you just have to take a step of faith inside to discover this place.  If you've been following me a while now, you know I generally have no problem doing that, so I entered the lobby, and stepped right into the elevator.  An energetic man jumped in quickly after me, authoritatively asking "What floor?".  "Two!" I shout back, startled at his arrival.  He pushes the button quickly, and says, "I'd tell you to tell them I said hello, but they probably won't remember me. " I smile, not sure what to respond. "Good people in there."  Okay.  "I'll tell them that someone they probably won't remember says hello." I give a quick nod, and the elevator reaches the second floor.

I have no idea what he actually meant. After all, I've never been "there" or met "them". Completely unsolicited, but reassuring endorsement.

I arrive on the second floor and walk into the space.

If the world "amazeballs" is not in your garment district lexicon, it sure should be after visiting this place.  Not because it is such a visual delight; the setting is extremely industrial. But yes, you can buy retail!  One zipper or 1,000, you can get them there! "No frills" is probably the best way to describe the environment. The business cards convey that sentiment as well, don't they?

Organized and brightly lit, they have lots and lots of zippers, as you would expect.  Plenty of colors and sizes.  Sure.  They will also repair zippers, which is good to know.  Covered, sew-through, and rigilene boning, spiral steel boning, horsehair braid hem stiffening in a variety of widths, and all sorts of magical notions and things people who make things need. Lots and lots and lots of thread (on large spools), lots of pins of different types, great scissors, those cool bent U-shaped cleavage boning things I love, all sorts of bra cups and underwires, ready made labels, custom labels, and most wonderful of all... wait for it... lots of factory stuff, not readily available in retail stores for people who make occasional or custom garments. You can only get those kinds of things from places who buy excess inventory.

What kind of people shop in there?  Based on my visit, a quick, steady rush of busy, serious designer-types who have no time to waste and already know what they want.  I didn't get the impression that "browsers" would get much attention, but you can certainly call out for a staffer if you have questions.  They seem extremely busy in there, so don't expect a chat. While certainly polite and professional, they are all business.

They have a website, but a visit to the store quickly reveals that they have a whole lot more to offer than the website displays.  I can't say that I know what everything they have is used for, so I would suggest a visit to see for yourself, if you're in the area.  You'll be glad you went!

Wanna find more places like this?  Need a sherpa?  If you want to find fun places to shop in the garment district, sharing the creative energy of a group, come along on a Speakeasy tour!

NYC Notions Store Review: Steinlauf & Stoller

Address: 239 West 39th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-869-0321
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., closed weekends.
Online site: yes, but it's not set up for online ordering. Click here.
Best for: Interfacing, tailoring supplies, and for getting snaps and grommets installed

[Apologies for not posting this review a long time ago. Somehow I thought I had already reviewed S&S.]

Steinlauf & Stoller has been around since 1947 and the W. 39th Street store looks like it probably hasn't changed much in the last 65 years. But you know what? That's a good thing. I want a Garment District store that looks like it's still sells the same notions my grandmother used. Classic tailoring supplies haven't changed much over the years; they've just become harder to find, especially beyond the Garment District. Here's hoping S&S is in business another 65 years.

Ok, let's talk specifics. Personally, I have no allegiance to any one notions supplier in the Garment District. I get some of this here, some of that there. If I want to save money on notions, I head to Chelsea for Fashion Design Books on the FIT campus, which seems to have the best prices around. But Steinlauf & Stoller is my go-to place for interfacing (especially now that Mood Fabrics is carrying less interfacing than in the past) and for having snaps and grommets installed by long-time employee Nancy.

S&S has fusible 2-inch wiggan, which I love to bolster hems in garments. (You may have to ask for this as it's not always on display.) Here's what my friend Mimi, of Find a Dressmaker, likes about S&S:

"I love shopping there because they have a great selection of bust cups, shoulder pads, different types of boning, they'll cut your zippers to size, sharpen your scissors, they have care labels that are very affordable (but sold in FAR too large of a quantity for the small business or individual dressmaker)… and there is a RIDICULOUS amount of knowledge that comes with that. I love their interfacing, sample/pattern paper by the roll, and dress weights. They also have hoops for hoop skirts! They have great closures for swim suits, and lots of good quality tools for marking (pencils, chalk and stuff). I always buy my pins there, too.… I also find them particularly affordable. The big drawback is their business hours."

Have you been to Steinlauf & Stoller? What do you buy there?

Bolts of the many kinds of interfacing S&S stocks (right foreground).

A decent selection of standard notions. Prices for packaged notions run a little on the high side here, but sometimes I'm willing to pay a little more here rather than traipsing all around the Garment District.

Excellent selection of all kinds of thread.

Here's Nancy working with a customer who wanted to add snaps to a garment. S&S asks that customers not take advantage of Nancy's pleasant personality by making unreasonable demands on her time.

Buying Zippers in NYC's Garment District

SIL Thread at 257 W. 38th Street in the Garment District offers zippers in all types of teeth and colors

When I need a separating zipper or closed zipper cut to size, I usually head to SIL Thread. This is for those cases where I don't need my zipper to be a star, just functional; for stunning Riri or Lampro zippers I go to Pacific Trim (Riri) or Botani Buttons (Lampro).

Here are the steps to buying a zipper to-size at SIL:

1. Decide on what kind of teeth you want: Brass? Nickel? Molded plastic?
2. Factor in your application: If you're making outerwear you'd probably want a zipper with a wider tape and larger teeth, but something more delicate if you wanted an exposed zipper on a dress. SIL has many choices for tape width, weight and zipper teeth size.
3. Find the right color zipper for your garment
4. Take your zipper to the counter: Tell your cashier what size zipper you want out of the one you've selected, and whether you want it to separate (like for a jacket application) or closed (like in a dress or skirt). Pay for your zipper and then wait while an employee cuts it to size for you.

Today at SIL I bought a separating zipper with molded plastic teeth that I'll use on a spring jacket I'm making. It cost me just $4 and I only had to wait a few minutes while it was sized to 12 inches.

Even though Coats & Clark has expanded its zipper offerings to keep up with the styles, and they served me well for many years, I love being able to buy zippers that look more RTW. What about you, readers? Where do you buy your zippers?

SIL offers a large selection of colors and zipper teeth styles.

When you've chosen the right zipper for your application, take it to the counter to buy it and then have it cut to size

Meet Nancy, Snap Installer Extraodinaire

Nancy helping a customer with fabric-covered buttons at Steinlauf & Stoller on W. 39th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

If you need snaps, grommets or eyelets installed, or buttons covered with fabric, Nancy at Steinlauf & Stoller is your go-to person. I think she gets the award for most pleasant person in NYC's Garment District. In fact, there's a sign posted near her desk by S&S management warning customers to not take advantage of her sweet disposition and let the poor woman have her lunch break.

Cost for Nancy's services range from around $1-$2 per item installed or button covered, depending on size. Make sure you clearly mark where you want your snaps or eyelets installed so Nancy can work while you browse for notions and dressmaking supplies at S&S. Most of the time Nancy can complete your job as you wait, but she does get busy and you may need to return later to pick up your garment.

If you've ever tried to install snaps or grommets on your own (a huge pain-in the-you-know-what), you know this is a small price to pay to have Nancy do it for you professionally.

Not in the Garment District, But Great Place for Notions

My favorite place to shop for notions in NYC is Fashion Design Books on the FIT campus at 250 West 27th Street. It has a great selection, including muslin in different weights and carbon transfer paper in different colors, and the prices are student-affordable. You'll also find plenty of sewing, fashion, dressmaking and design books here too, though these tend to be textbook-pricey unless you can find a used edition. Combine a trip here with a stop at the FIT Museum, which currently has an exhibit on Vivienne Westwood, and stops at TrueMart Fabrics just down the street at Seventh and W. 25th and the City Quilter at 133 W. 25th. Call or visit their web sites for store hours as not all places mentioned here are open every day.

Free Shipping on Sewing Supplies and Dressmaking Notions

Here's an online merchant you should know about: Sew True, a sewing notions and dressmaking supply online store which happens to be located in the Garment District. I bought my pattern weight and my presser/clapper from them. I can't say that Sew True has the lowest prices around, but when they throw in things like free shipping you can get some pretty good deals. (Use code 11H11F between now and 1/17/11 for free shipping.)

NYC Notions Store Review: SIL Thread

Note: See the related post on Responsible Blogging, which refers to posts like this one...

Address: 257 West 38th Street, New York, NYC
Phone: 212-997-8949
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Online site: n/a
Best for: YKK zippers and other dressmaking supplies in a store where you're basically on your own

I have ambivalent feelings about shopping at SIL Thread in the Garment District. On the one hand, when I need notions and dressmaking supplies and I'm already in the Garment District, it's my go-to store when I don't have time to shop around. But "service with a smile" and "it's all about the customer" don't seem to be important management mantras here. Questions are answered with a yes or a no and nothing more; don't even think of asking a "which is better to use, this or that?" kind of question unless you like getting blank stares.

Garment District Dressmaking Supply Store Closes Doors

This is the kind of thing I absolutely hate writing about: another Garment District establishment files for bankruptcy. Greenberg & Hammer, the 91-year-old dress-supply company on Eighth Avenue and West 37th Street, closed its doors late last month. Signs the store was faltering were there when I visited it for the last time in the summer: supplies were low and no one was available to help me. Read more about G&H's bankruptcy here. If you're looking for dressmaking supplies there's still Steinlauf & Stoller (W. 39th) and SIL Thread (W. 38th).