Planning for a vacation in February, the spouse wanted to go somewhere warm and relaxing. Ever since I saw Crazy Rich Asians, I've wanted to visit Singapore and there's a place that's warm all year 'round. Two birds, one stone, right?
Other than the movie, I had also seen a video about ecologially-minded architecture in Singapore which sounded interesting even if I don't normally pay any attention to architecture. At that point, that was all I really knew and was willing to go to the warm place and look at interesting buildings; relaxing, I can do relaxing!
The web research then began, he looked at "things to do in Singapore" and I looked at fabric shopping in Singapore. We were both soon very keen to go to Singapore. A local Singaporean, YouTuber DashingHeights does an excellent job describing the Hawker (food) Culture, plus other attractions like the various zoos and such.
With the main destination settled, the next question was how to get there. It's a long flight, so does one want to fly there directly or add a stop to break up the flight? I was pulling for a stop in Taiwan because I wanted to go string shopping š, plus if we timed it right we could experience Lunar New Year in a place where it's a really big deal (apparently they celebrate in Singapore, but not to the point that the place shuts down for two weeks). After much flight shopping and research, we discovered that if we stopped in Japan for a few days, the flight (with JAL) was actually cheaper than if we flew direct. The savings would sort of cover the cost of hotel in Japan, depending on the hotel we picked. Oh noes, Br'er Fox, don't throw me into the briar patch!
My keeper of a sweetie, then booked hotels close to my shopping itineraries, which in the case of Singapore was Chinatown and for Japan was close to Nippori Station.
Furama City Centre was an excellent home base for our stay, being across the big street from Chinatown Point mall (Daiso, convenience stores, tonnes of food choices, connected to transit) and next to People's Park Centre mall.
People's Park Centre mall has 2 excellent general crafting stores and a bunch of beading shops. To my recollection, all the mentioned shops took credit cards.
People's Park Complex mall is right next door to the People's Park Centre, so if you get them confused you won't be far off. Almost the entire 2nd floor is fabric shops. Some specialize in batik, linen, wool, silk, bridal, etc. They don't all open and close at the same time so check before going. Also, there's a significant number of cash-only shops so be prepared.
After the People's Park pair your next stop should be Arab Street, a couple of blocks of which are lined with fabric and crafting shops.
A 6 min walk from Arab Street (according to Google Maps) is the Textile Centre, along the way is the main store of Sin Hin Chuan Kee. The first time we went to the Centre, pretty much everything was closed. I don't remember if it was because of proximity to New Year or day of the week or time of day. The second time we went, more was open but lots was still closed. I got the impression that the shops here are more set up for wholesale transactions. But then, maybe I am a silly tourist who wasn't paying attention.
The Mustafa Centre is like if AliExpress was a real physical place. It is stuffed to the gills with what seems like just about everything. Down in Basement 1 (there are 2) is the fabric area. It is very tightly packed so if you use mobility aids, have a stroller or rolling luggage, you will have problems. Bolts are not labeled with prices or fibre content. I asked the clerk what fibre content the material I was interested in was, and was told it was "satin". *sigh* I bought it anyhoo but still haven't flame-tested it yet. Pre-packaged lengths or finished pieces for scarves, sarongs, shawls, and sari accessories are also in this area. The Centre is said to be open 24hrs, so that's an advantage over the many little shops with occasionally whimsical operating hours.
Memo's Art House is a yarn shop and quite the distance from all the fabric shops, but still easily accessible by transit. It was a lovely shop and big enough to be worth the trip, imho. I was also concerned, as someone allergic to wool, about what there would be there for me. There was plenty of cotton and acrylic yarns. In fact, the wool selection was quite small.
As I understand it, Spotlight is Australia's answer to Michaels/Joanne's. It is a big box store in an environment where that's very rare. More than half of space is devoted to home wares like bedding and waste paper baskets, Ikea without the furniture. The crafting materials are all (?) pre-packaged and more expensive than you'd like unless they're on sale, but cover a wide range of hobbies.
When I went to Singapore, I was hoping to pick up some books in Chinese, since Chinese is one of Singapore's official languages, so that I wouldn't have to special order from my local bookstore and wait 3 months for fulfillment. My research turned up a lengthy list of shops to try, but I was sadly disappointed. The Chinese bookstores in Singapore all seem to be solely educational. They range from kids' picture books to college competency test prep. None of the six shops I visited had anything in the way of crafting books. š¢
Kinokuniya in Singapore, however, had a very nice selection of diy and crafting books in English and Japanese. They also had a reasonable selection of Chinese books but not much in the way of diy and crafting. That said, as of February 2025 it looked like they were still building out their stock. Also, they were happy to order for me but the 2 week fulfillment estimate was too long for this tourist.
If there's one thing they like to do in Japan, it's specialize. They have whole islands full of rabbits, cats, and art. So it is that they have Nippori Fabric Town and the as yet unamed and without marketing committee bead district in Asakusa-bashi (ęµ čę©), among others.
Nippori Fabric Town is a tourist attraction and it knows it. There are location specific maps translated into various languages, banners on the street, and permanent signage in the transit stations guiding you to its wonders. It is centred on a single street, extending several blocks from one transit station to another.
The fabric shopping on the street is not diluted by restaurants, and the map does not show much in way of food sources nearby, so I brought water and a snack from convenience stores near transit and chose to view it as a weight loss opportunity. For those choosing to make a day of it, Tomato's home dec shop had public bathrooms that don't require you to purchase something before using. I'm assuming that at least some of Tomato's other shops may also have public use facilities.
While Nippori is a dizzying array of fabric, trim, beads, leather, and more, a careful examination of the store names reveals that there are fewer different vendors than you might think. Tomato alone has six shops in separate buildings. They are not alone in having multiple shops in Nippori although most, like Tomato, have different themes for each shop.
Starting with the 800lb gorilla, Tomato's main building has 5 floors of fabric including a discount section, but right next door is the discount specific shop. Bolt after roll of fabric for Ā„100/m! There are some higher rates as well in the shop, if I recall correctly. It's spectacular and tempting, but what's disappointing is that there is no fibre content on anything. You'd think that in the stores from which these sale items come from, they had been clearly marked for fibre content, so why has this information now been removed? How does it benefit Tomato to have customers standing there rubbing fabric between their slightly grubby fingers trying to decide if this bolt is polyester, cotton, or rayon if they could have left that infomation which they already had on the bolts?
Some of my other highlights include E & Son's Mont Decor shop which was full of sparkling and gorgeous ribbons and trim (cash only), Tomato's DIY bookshop, And Leather, Furikake beads and trim, and a few shops that specialized in natural fibres.
One of the first shops you'll see from the Nippori Station side of the area is a second hand kimono shop. I was on the lookout for kimono/yukuta fabric but was disappointed in that regard at Nippori. I know, now, that I missed some specialty shops on the far end of the area, and the big (?) one Mihama was closed for all the days I was there. š
Many of us have heard about Japan's unwanted kimono problem with the annecdotal figure of 500 tonnes of kimonos being sent to land fill each year. Since I could not find an actual source for that number, I'm going to look at it with some skepticism. Having said that, used/"vintage" kimonos are a thing. Youtube's Tokyo Lens directs us to the packed touristy area of Asakusa which has new, used and kimono rental/experience as well as accessory shops (eg. kanzashi hair ornaments).
Various online guides will also suggest general second-hand shops like Book-Off and Hard-Off but if your timing works out, don't forget the various flea markets . I had excellent luck with the Tokyo City Flea Market, scoring a stack of fun obis for Ā„500 each.
Not as famous but twice as sparkly is the not-yet-a-thing, Asakubashi "Bead Town". In a 1-2 block radius around Asakubashi Station is a large number of bead shops, some with multiple storefronts. The big ones include Parts Club, Kiwa Beads, and Miyuki Factory. Down the smaller side street, keep an eye out for Genuine's multiple shops for semi-precious strands and the unhelpfully named "Art" with some less common offerings.
Unlike Nippori, there are lots of restaurants in the area to keep you fueled.
Japan has a surprising number of crafting franchises, all of which are much better than Michaels is or Joanne's ever was. Some shops are free-standing, some are stores in malls, and some are fully integrated into department stores. It can get very confusing when you are following directions but expecting a storefront. At least you can be sure that you can use your credit card at these shops. š My favourites include: Okadaya, Yuzawaya, and ABC Craft.
Having made that crack about credit cards, there is one thing of note at Okadaya flagship store which always trips me up. Their credit card machine gives you a scrambled keypad with no letters for typing in your PIN. If you remember your PIN based on letters that are on a typical keypad OR are using muscle memory for where the numbers should be, you'll be in trouble. I have never seen this security feature anywhere else, but there it's a thing.
The last chain store of note is Tokyu Hands, which is less a craft store and more a maker store (tools, wood, screws and nails, solder, etc). Having said that, Tokyu Hands has changed in the decades since I first visited Japan. For one, they have rebranded as just "Hands" vs "Tokyu Hands". For two, they are becoming less of a crafting/maker store and more of a travel/home stuff store. It is extremely disappointing, but at least their flagship store in Shibuya (for now?) is still a worth a visit for the DIY fan.
My must-see bookstore in Tokyo is Kinukuniya. As an added bonus, their flagship store is in Shinjuku walking distance from Okadaya's flagship store. Speaking of which, each of the chain stores mentioned above tend to have good collections of more current crafty books and mooks.
Even in English, I have found that browsing physical used bookstores to be mostly a waste of time. The sole exception being the new/used combo at Powell's in Portland. Online collections work so much better. š„ŗ The problem is even worse in a language I don't really read, so the aforementioned Book-Offs and second-hand book zone in JinbÅchÅ are mostly an unsuccessful slog for me, but if anyone knows of a second-hand shop that specializes in craft books, be sure to let me know!
Singapore is a joyfully multicultural place with four languages on most signage (English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil) with an excellent public transit system (as is the case in all the Asian places we have been?) and clean, safe streets. The food is fantastic, the zoos and gardens are fun, and the shopping is amazing. Singapore is a city-state and so for us, it seems that we've seen all there is to see?
I managed to miss some chunks of Nippori, plus one of the stores I was most interested to visit was closed, so I'll need to go back and fill in those holes. I would like to revisit some of the second-hand kimono stores when I'm less overwhelmed (and perhaps with a project in mind?) for something other than obis.
]]>Laurie covered prehistory up to the Egyptian dynasties. Part two will be in October.
Show and Tell:
I'm mixing the show and tell in with the material Laurie showed us in her presentation, due to laziness. It is left as an exercise to the reader to decide which objects illustrated the history of beads and which are merely things members brought to share. Mouse-over the image to see a short description and click for a bigger image.
From Polymer Clay Polyzine, way back in 2004, they're peeling the the shiny, holograph-y layer of a CD off and adhering it to polymer clay. Wild, no? It's not like there's a shortage of used CDs or DVDs here'bouts.
http://www.pcpolyzine.com/2004april/barettetute.htm
(via)
]]>Youāll notice that I didnāt start with Michaels because it is my unverified belief that they price all their products to give them a healthy profit even when using the regularly available 40% off coupon. In my humble (and unverified) opinion, this makes them evil so I try to give my business elsewhere whenever I can. But for $10, I thought, I can call them and check. Thatās what phones are for, right?
After determining that there was no shop component on their websites to check prices, I found a phone number and called them up. Their voice menu lead me through hours and such until I got to the ātalk to a personā option and picked it. The phone is allowed to ring 3 or 4 times before you are bounced back into the menu. I picked ātalk to a personā 4-5 times before giving up. Later in the day I tried again with the same result. Today I tried again. This time I only had to pick ātalk to a personā twice before I got an actual person. They took my request and presumably went somewhere to check, putting me on hold. Now, I was reading my RSS feeds and nattering with my offspring, home from school due to a cold, while listening to the hold soundtrack. This is to say I was distracted and not paying attention. When I realized that I had been on hold for over 40 minutes, I hung up.
Big thumbs down, Michaels. Opus, local shop that you are, I should have supported you from the beginning.
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I just finished reading Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning by Lexi Boeger of pluckyfluff and it is a wonderful, inspirational, gorgeous book. The author, Lexi, spins like she is a katamari, sticking anything from felted sushi to wire springs, shredded money, doll parts and hardware store detritus into her yarn.
The instructions warn the reader that you should have acquired the basics of yarn spinning on a wheel elsewhere and dive right into unconventional shenanigans.
I love the idea of spinnning. I remember learning the theory of spinning around about grade 4 and tearing tissues into strips and spinning little paper cords with my hands when bored, but I am allergic to wool, that mainstay of hand spinning, so Iām unlikely to make much direct use of this book. I remember, when first picking it up, thinking that maybe the fabric spinning part might be useful to me but even that includes wool. About halfway through, I was thinking that Iād finish the book and then either sell it or donate it to a library, but Iām not sure I want to let it go. The book fairly oozes creativity. It exemplifies thinking outside the box. For now, at least, Iām going to hang onto it and show it to the kids if they get down on some project thatās a little too rigid or formal.
Books mentioned in this post:
]]>Friday, March 26th (10-8) Saturday, March 27th (10-5), 2010 AgRec Building Abbotsford Exhibition Park Grounds, 32470 Haida Drive, Abbotsford, BC http://www.fibreswest.com/
Now, there used to be a show called Fibrefest International that was held close to the same place (the Tradex, I think) and apparently there still will be (see http://www.mail-archive.com/fibernet@yahoogroups.com/msg09426.html) I would point you at their website, but it looks like someone missed the domain name renewal and squatters got it. I thought that the two shows were related, maybe run by the same people, but now Iām not sure anymore. Certainly the same subject matter is being covered, although no live animals at this one to the disappointment of the offspring.
When I told my mom yesterday where I was planning to go today, she was totally game to come (and most welcome company for the journey (for me trips of longer than about 20 mins are long generally to be avoided when possible) there and back). Especially since mom has a smallish hybrid versus our (theoretically efficient, butā¦) family minivan. The offspring were polled as to their interest in coming. Gameboy, as expected, had no interest. Just as well as he had homework. Junior totally wanted to come even though I warned her that live animals were only a possibility and not a promise. Tiger surprisingly didnāt want to come. As we were leaving I heard her asking to play WoW. Fine, be that way. 8)
The trip went smoothly, as might be expected at midday on a Saturday. Entry fee was more than yesterdayās bead show, but at least Junior was free and they offered the seniors rate to my mom outright. Seeing the short person with us, they mentioned the drop-in workshop for kids of all ages (felted beads, $6) which we went and had a look at before signing her up for. I checked in at the end of each row and got through the entire show but for one row before she lost interest/finished her necklace.
The show took up at most half of the floorspace in the AgRec building. The BC Gem Show (didnāt it used to be the Rock and Gem show?) coming up in 2 weeks has historically taken up the entire floorspace. Fibrefest International used to take up the entire floorspace at the Tradex. Still, there were more than enough vendors to clear out my wallet.
As per my usual pattern, I moved methodically up one row and back checking end rows only to the width of each perpendicular row. Seeing a niddy noddy for around $19, I decided that it was time to get one (although I did get the materials for building one with PVC pipe, but never did build it). Shopping around I found one for $16.95 or something like that, but indecision over how big a niddy noddy I really needed (or do I really need one at all?) combined with a line at the till make me abandon the idea. I still love looking at tools, and I would love to try cord making on a spinning wheel, but you donāt buy something like a spinning wheel to try a goofy experiment. I did rent the guildās rental wheel for a while many moons ago, but for the month (or two?) that I had it, I never got around to trying my experiment. All the more reason not to buy such a thing, although I am totally trying to get DH to build me one of these. 8)
Which leaves yarn (no, despite being a Weavers and Spinners Guild member forā¦ 7(?) years, I neither weave nor spin). First up was some blue/green sari silk yarn from The Silk Tree for $6. I had previously spotted some glorious blue/purple āshibori ribbonā from Total Texture kinda like this but still folded and beautiful blue on top and royal purple on the bottom, intense colour throughout. The price card and fallen down and under something else, so a nearby price sheet which turned out to be for something else entirely ($5 things) covered the fact that this ribbon was in fact $20/m. For a pretty thing that I had no idea what I was going to do with itā¦ too steep.
I then picked up a skein of Seduce (shiny!) and a skein of Origami (the texture, the colourfulness of it all! must learn to use sewing machine to embellish cords!!) from Stitches.
Lastly, I got 2 balls of bambu 7. One solid black, and one variegated black and white. I want to try to make something like an ikat braid. Weāll see how the repeats line up.
Mom didnāt get anything except some sheep buttons for Junior. She was disappointed that there were no live animals, but happy with her buttons.
Picked up some fliers for 2010 Fibre Week at Olds College, Olds, AB (June 25-July 2) and Interlacement a symposium celebrating the guildās 75th anniversary at Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC (May 17-23, 2010).
Gas was 13 cents cheaper per litre out in Abbotsford than Vancouver/Burnaby, so we topped off the tank and headed home just in time to pickup Tiger and get the girls to their dance class. When I got to the rec centre, I discovered that the Middle Eastern Dance Association was having their Grande Bazaar. Tempting, but after all the entrance fees I had been paying lately, plus the fact that Iām not dancing anymore (but, but: shiny, jingly, colourful pretties!) I decided against. Maybe Iāll change my mind and go tomorrow. Maybe Iāll take up belly dancing againā¦?
Next up:
BC GEM SHOW April 9, 10 & 11, 2010 Ag-Rec Building, Central Fraser Valley Fairgrounds, 32470 - Haida Drive, Abbotsford, British Columbia.
* Friday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
* Saturday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
* Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Admission: Adults - $6.00, Students (6 - 17) - $2.00, Under 6 (accompanied by an adult) - Free
See you there!
]]>In any case, today I went to the Canadian Bead Oasis Show, Vancouver 2010 MARCH 26-28 2010 Empire Landmark Hotel Lower Level, Coal Harbour Room 1400 Robson St. Vancouver BC Canada
SHOW HOURS Friday noon - 8pm Saturday 10am - 6pm Sunday 11am - 5pm http://www.oasisshows.com/Vancouver/2010/
Went Friday noon-ish. No problems finding street parking (meters).
I went just for the vendor room, because thatās the kinda gal I am. $6 to get in for one day, $10 for all weekend (Ah! I just checked the website to verify that, and noticed that seniors are $3. I thought about that when I was paying (for me and mom) but didnāt say anything. Could have saved $3. sigh)
It was small as these things go. Whole Bead which will be a month later has historically been more than twice as big (although not based on the current list on the site).
I started off reasonably well behaved resolving to scan the room first and price compare before buying until I came across an adorable lampworked glass sheep by Jan Parada of Killer Beeds. Things kinda went downhill self-control-wise from there. Next up, some partially frosted onyx disc beads, appealing to my sophisticated monochromatic self, from Universal Gems and Beads. Iām pretty sure Samrat doesnāt remember that I had a booth right next to his 3 (4?) years ago at the Fraser Valley Bead Show.
Moving methodically around the room, next I came to Bedrock Supply Ltd. and got a Eurotool metal hole punch plier (whatās sad about that link is that Eurotool itself only has PDF catalog pages, and Bedrock themselves have no picture for those particular pliers, sigh) I imagine hammering the ends of wire, punching holes in the paddle ends and then attaching danglesā¦
Turning around, I scanned NLM Glass Arts where I thought: I donāt need regular beads, I have lotsā¦ Hey! Size 3/0 beads! The holes must be at last 2.5mm, maybe even 3!! The cord I could fit through there, and then thereās this other project Iām thinking of and these other beads would be nice and ā¦ Well, you know how it goes.
Lastly, I went back to ACC Bead where my magpie self picked up some blingtastic rhinestone balls and spacers.
Tomorrow, FIBRES WEST. See ya there! 8)
Friday, March 26th (10-8) Saturday, March 27th (10-5), 2010 AgRec Building Abbotsford Exhibition Park Grounds, 32470 Haida Drive, Abbotsford, BC http://www.fibreswest.com/
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From 0-5 in the life of my firstborn, I was working on her ābaby blanketā. It was a knitted blanket and I got the pattern from a dyeing book. Iām fascinated by dyed works, but donāt always have the confidence to tackle them. So I decided that Iād knit this blanket with store bought yarn. It wouldnāt be that hard to assemble a rainbow from the store would it? Ha!
Firstly, Iām allergic to wool, so I knit with cotton, rayon and the like, plus acrylic and other artificial fibres that donāt mimic wool too closely because Iāve gotten an allergic reaction off of some of those as well. sigh Anyhow, good quality (non-dishcloth quality) cotton isnāt cheap. I estimated the cost of this blanket at $500 easy. Way more if you count the yarn I bought when I was in the store getting yarn for the blanket. 8)
So, Tiger watched me knit this blanket for years and years. Eventually she decided she wanted to try knitting too. I had visions of little chubby fists clutching sharpened sticks go running around the room and disaster following so I put this off for a long time, but somewhere around late 4 I gave it a go. As might be expected she quickly lost interest and there was no running around with sharpened sticks (yay!). Off and on over the years we tried knitting and there was never enough attention span to learn the skill until she joined the knitting club at school (the benefits of peer pressure?).
Now, knitting is a skill that I acquired pretty much in parallel with that blanket. I remember trying somewhere in my tween era and failing dismally, but crochet was always something I could do. Thus in my mind crochet is easier than knitting and quick to pick up.
A couple of years back (when Tiger was 8 or so), when amigurumi was picking up steam I figured my cute-loving offspring would enjoy this movement and I should be able to teach the skills she needed to participate. bzzt! No luck there.
I tried again later with a Klutz Crochet book/kit
For a while now Iāve been thinking itās me. Something prevents me from sharing my knowledge, especially with my kids. For some cosmically unjust reason I need to pay other people to give my kids the skills I should be able to freely share. But then, at least in this case, I had a breakthrough. I had just discovered Prudence Mapstoneās (free form knitting and crochet (scrumbling) pioneer/evangelist) new blog. Now, as anyone trying to learn a new skill will tell you, itās disheartening to attempt something and not end up with something even close to what is in the picture. But with scrumbling, there is no wrong way to do it. You could never point to anything and say āthatās an errorā or āthat was a mistakeā it all just adds more texture. So, I went and dug out my The Crochet Workbook
āSee how cool it all is?ā āAnything you do is fine!ā āThereās no way to make a mistake.ā And it worked. She DCs like gangbusters now and occasionally breaks into a fringy bit on whim. I showed her ruffles and sheās experimenting with those too.
She pointed out that her 2 siblings (7 and 5) donāt have their baby blankets yet. sigh I mentioned that I was thinking of scrumbling their blankets and have a few patches so far and sheās offered to help. 8) Maybe we can finish them before anyone else turns 10. 8)
]]>The deadline date for submissions is April 6, 2009.
The entry details are below, follow the link for full details:
Lampwork / Glass - New category for 2009!: This category will include beads, buttons, components, jewelry, or jewelry-related objects that are 85% or more glass made by the applicant. Entries that use someone elseās glass beads or components should be entered in the Finished Jewelry category.
Polymer Clay: This category will include beads, buttons, components, jewelry, or jewelry-related objects that are 85% or more polymer clay.
Beaded Objects or Accessories: This category will include a non-jewelry item or accessory, including, but not limited to, purses, shoes, sculptures, or wall hangings.
Seed Bead Jewelry: This category will include beaded beads, a piece, or an ensemble of jewelry, that is predominantly seed beads or bugle beads, including, but not limited to, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings.
Crystal Jewelry: This category will include a piece, or an ensemble of jewelry, that is predominantly machine-cut crystals, including, but not limited to, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. Jewelry made using fire-polished beads, or cathedral beads, should be entered in the Finished Jewelry category.
Finished Jewelry: This category will include a piece, or an ensemble of jewelry, that is made from materials such as, but not limited to, glass beads, crystals, semi-precious stones, wire, metal clay, seed beads (piece must be less than 50 percent seed beads), found objects, etc.
Metal Clay- New category for 2009!: This category will include beads, buttons, components, jewelry, or jewelry-related objects that are 85% or more metal clay.
http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/bnbshow/Default.aspx?c=a&id=200
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