on an busy workday running about with ruggy, i spied with my little eye a shop, a shop in an area where certainly there should be no shop of its kind... a shop called Fabric Planet.
ruggy calmly pulled over and then cringed as he watched me leap from the car, ignore the crosswalks three blocks away and make a mad dash across six lanes of traffic to get to this mecca.
they had an industrial sized bin of dollar-a-yard out front, what can i tell ya.
upon entering the store, i heard OONA! WHAT! i replied. the lovely chica behind the counter knew me from kalkatroona! when i asked if she'd pose for a blog picture she gaily climbed up onto a rickety stool and did a little jig.
can you see her fabulous fuchsia glasses amidst the color? if ever rainbow brite had a vomitorium, here it would be! it's just the right size of shop, not too big, not too small, and red riding hoods of all kinds roam the aisles, while the grannies that run the joint ask about their latest sewing projects like they hang all the time. (actually they seemed early 20s, but just go with me here, i'm feeling a fairytale theme.)
i found a couple fabric goodies, this absolutely stunning wool, which BeSpeckled Dancer made into a wondrous coat...
and then this.
lemme back that up for you.
WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH ALL THOSE 8s AND 3s. i was too caught up in the color to see the repeating numerals on the bolt. there's another 3 completing a diamond structure. what does it stand for? do they come in peace? anyone?
it's a magical place and i'll be back, oddly placed fabric mathematical shapes or not. and it was such a kick to be called out by kalkatroonaan name.
i don't quite know how it happened but i also seem to be popular on teh sewing interwebz... I'M TAKING OVER YOUR READERS AND YOU CANNOT STOP ME. little pigs, little pigs, let me in! evidence here at miss crayola creepy's, and here at rhinestones and telephones, where i tell you how i made my taffy blouse (for alla y'all who maybe wanted to read about sewing instead of an amazing jazz concert), more proof (of the drunken sort) at did you make that's fabulous pyjama party (so many peeps jumping on beds today!), and some getting to know you at my new friend what's up cupcake (i loved her questions).
I work up the road from Fabric Planet :-) Cool place, I agree!
ReplyDeleteack! joint venture next time?
Deletefabric planet looks amazing. and yes. you are the queen.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you are everywhere. And I'm kind of enjoying it. Keep it up, lady. The more Oona the better I say.
ReplyDeletehahahaha! Brilliant! I must visit that shop! And wowza...you are taking over the interwebz! I say HELL YEAH to that!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness wow. Looks like a place worth jumping out of a moving vehicle for. Great fabric, even with the odd numerals on the one!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone should take over the world, it should probably be you. Nothing drab will be safe ever again. I LOVE that wool. I'm about to price airplane tickets to LA to go to this magical fairyland you discovered. And, I'm sure that the 3's and 8's will tell you what they want to be and/or your creative draping will disguise them because those colors are terrific!
ReplyDeletei'm thinking of slicing the 8s in half....
DeleteSo jealous right now! It looks like a cave of wonder and mystery where fabrics are stored buy the bolt on unicorn horns... In all seriousness, that looks pretty rad and the mystery fabric is blowing my mind.
ReplyDeleteyes! unicorns under the subfloor!
DeleteI live right by Fabric Planet and bought the exact same colorful wool that you bought a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to make the happiest shorts in the world with them, what are you doing with yours?
ReplyDeleteman i wish i could have shorts out of them. what pattern are you using?
Deletei'll be going with a semi-fitted mini.
Wow that colorful wool fabric is STUNNING!
ReplyDeletecool !!!
ReplyDeletei live about a mile away -
how did i never notice this place?
(I do check out Lincoln Fabrics up the street on Lincoln now and then)
YEH TAKING OF TEH WORLDZ! In real life and online!
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't happen much, but when someone says 'Are you Veronica Darling?', I get SHY and forget how to talk (and I talk a LOT normally) ... ARGH! xoxo
I would love to dive into this shop!
you shy?!!!!
DeleteOoooh.... colour.....fabric.... and a star-studded (and world-dominating) clientele to boot... Fabric planet could be the new centre of the universe!
ReplyDeleteI drive past this store every day. Do you know how hard it is to live just a few blocks away and not walk in every day? Thank god they are closed in the morning, after I drop the kids off to school because that's the time I shop...
ReplyDeleteDude, when are you back in NYC? I need to rub some of that Oona magic on me. In a, mostly, appropriate for married ladies way....of course.
ReplyDeleteHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
DeleteNiiice! The owner/ shop assistant looks like a fun person. Wish there was more of that in the fabric stores in Melbourne (most of 'em are chains that seem to only employ passive agressives and the criminally insane, the indie ones are alright but even those have staff with .. shall we say... interesting personalities..). Love the wool, it'll be cool to see what you make from it =D
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you wear the spin around in the mesh numeral fabric at just the right phase of the moon, do you open a portal? I'd use my power wisely with that one!
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOD PERFECT ASSESSMENT.
DeleteThat fabric is NUTS. I'm envisioning some sort of varsity-inspired awesomeness to appease the numbers. Maybe something like the fashion-show scene at the end of "Don't Tell Mom, the Babysitter's Dead"? Tell me you've seen that.
ReplyDeletei'm ashamed to say i haven't. it is now on my list.
DeleteI'm totally ok with you taking over the world. I know my hobby would be safe.
ReplyDeleteThat wool--- omg. If you decide that you just won't be able to use it, please send it to me. It's so unbelievably awesome.
it's presidential election time here next sunday.. i thought to pass it, but i might just go there and vote for you.. no kidding here
ReplyDeletealso, i wouldn't mind committing a variety of crimes to lay hands on that wool..
if i'm elected president, TECHNICOLOR WOOL FOR EVERYONE.
DeleteOh no, I disappeared for a week and all these amazing fabrics! I can't believe how many l.a. fabric stores, nay warehouses, just seem to be casually dotted about the landscape. You should do a round up some day of your favorites and how to go about them, in case any of us should ever find our way there.
ReplyDeleteThat wool, methinks, wants to be a cape. Or maybe even a tailored jacket. Now THAT would be tailoring, Oona style.
i shall (make a map, that is.) but alas... i only bought a quarter yard of this stuff!
DeleteOh man, you need to let me know next time you go there! I am always dropping by because of our mantra: it's just $1/yd! I got some fabulous clock-printed cotton voile that will be perfect for something steampunky. I need to stop myself from going too often or else I would have no room in the sewing room for you know, actual sewing.
ReplyDeleteDONE.
DeleteWowza, that store looks like it was worth risking your life to run into. Can't imagine what you're going to do with that fabric but I'm sure it's all part of your plan for total world dominance-- maybe a super hero outfit?
ReplyDeleteOH EEK.
DeleteWe ARE all secretly grannies! How clever of you to figure it out. I want to see pictures of what everyone makes from that fabric! I just love it sooo much.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I've made the afore-mentioned jacket (with another in the works), two vests, and a computer case. But shorts?! Oh wowza, that sounds too awesome.
We can ship that fabric ($15/yd) to just about anywhere in the world, or everyone can come visit me at the store. All of you regular customers better holla at me next time you're in the shop. Oona, it was a pleasure to meet you last week!
you too girl! be seeing you soon...
DeleteThank you for sharing your story on my blog!!! xo
ReplyDelete:))))!
DeleteI wish we had shops like that in the UK. That stuff's great!
ReplyDeleteWhere is this magical shop? Can't wait to see what you make with the
ReplyDeletenumber fabric..I hope you are taking over the world, some awesome
girl like you should!~
i'd like to say it's in funkytown, but really it's in venice. here's the website & i edited the post to include the link:
Deletewww.MyFabricPlanet.com
i think we need an LA meetup!
cool! thanks I am definitely going to check it out.
DeleteYes LA meet up!!
I want to go to there!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG. You are tres celeb all over the place - you are like the Cheers theme song "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name" - except for you, that's like everywhere on the planet. Because you are amazeballs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link love btw, I meant to say that and then got distracted by something shiny (i.e. the link to the jacket made from the multicoloured wool..).
ReplyDeleteDid you also check out the warehouse-looking Lincoln Fabrics across the street from fabric planet? I live nearby, so I have to resist going to both of them every weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou probably know already, but they also have a store downtown that is good for fabric too, but their craziest deals are in trims. They have whole rolls of fold-over elastic for $8 or something, buttons are $1 for as many as you can stuff in a little baggy, you would probably find their selection of crazy coloured zippers the most fun though.