Rag Week, Part 1

As in, Birmingham Rag Market and all the other good stuff.

I used to do regular Birmingham sewing meet-ups, but have let them drift over the last year, and decided to resurrect the fun this week while I’m on holiday.  As a member of the Steampunk Seamstress Squadron on FaceBook, I offered to act as native guide to anyone who cared to venture in.  The main meeting will be on the coming Saturday, June 4th, but one online pal couldn’t make that, so I suggested a mini-meet today.

So I duly met up with the delightful Denise, her daughter, an avid anime and cosplay fan, and her long-suffering husband [Denise’s, not her daughter’s…oh you know what I mean]

Denise had never been to the Birmingham markets before, so we did the full tour.  Firstly, the Rag Market itself, where I got cracking on the button stall. [One of the button stalls, I should say.]

We spent about an hour pondering over various goodies, and I must admit, I slipped a bit, buying these lovelies, for no particular purpose [but perhaps another bustle…]

The glasses were unavoidable, and I don’t care.  The cotton insertion lace was a good find, it’s great for the neckline of Victorian undies… We ummed and ah-ed, trying to find the exact colours and fabrics for a myriad of anime characters with unpronounceable names.  We found several, and Denise snaffled 25 cones of thread at a bargain £1 a cone and some blue fur fabric for a tail for %^&*.  I got some buttons for the two shirts I’m currently sewing.

Tea break, then the Fancy Silk Store, more pricey, but we found the perfect purple velvet for a cloak for *$%^& [or something like that.]  Extra wide curtain lining for toiles from the outside stalls, and a couple of goodies from the jersey lady.

Husband was then summoned to take several bagloads of purchases back to the car, and await further instructions.  Poor love!  Off we trekked to Barry’s warehouse, a ten minute stroll round the wholesale market area.

The sale tables were creaking with all manner of madness at £1 and £2/metre, and we sorted out several more anime requirements, plus some VERY nice olive gabardine and matching poplin lining for one character’s trenchcoat.  Which I want.  Now.  We found ponte for a bodice, and some bargainalicious grey/blue shot poplin at £1/m.  I got a couple of metres for a shirt for Dawn.

I also spotted a lovely ombre chiffon which I last saw about 8 years ago when I used it for floaty sleeves for a bodice for the wife…so I got a metre of that too.  Denise was running back and forth from cutting table to bargain tables, and ended up like this:

We’re off out for a meal in a bit, so we had to call it a day…I think we were pretty worn out anyway, after about 4 hours of serious marketing.  Denise’s stash apparently holds enough fabric for SIX anime costumes instead of the three she’d intended, but at lower cost, so all is good.  She also has a whole heap of lovely stuff, which I’m sure she’ll share on FaceBook later!

A fun day, new friends, and shiny buttons.  I call that a result!  Join us on Saturday if your feet can cope…