I promised a little glimpse of the fabric market that I attended in my new city last Saturday, the same day that I also hit the flea market just around the corner and scored a new dresser and a doily glass platter. I had such a great time and found some beautiful fabrics and notions, but most importantly, I found a ton of new brands and interesting ideas and inspiration... and noticed that Germans are big on iron on decals! I found so many deer, mushrooms, you name it -- all silhouette style in funky patterns and colors meant to iron on to skirts and bags, etc. And I spotted a vendor who sold all of the fabrics from the Tone Finnager, Tildas Hus line. Really sweet stuff! This market catered to both the fashion and craft crowd, so you found little old ladies shopping next to the girls that you know make most of what they have on.

The market visits here 4 times each year, it will return again November 7th. It tours all around the country, the organizer, Stoffmarkt Holland, is from Holland and so a bunch of the vendors are Dutch and then of course, you have several German online shops selling there as well. I still haven't spotted any Amy Butler or Heather Bailey fabrics, nothing familiar to me really -- but I found so many great ones that were completely new that I didn't walk away disappointed or empty handed! It was also very hard to not walk away feeling inspired.

 

And well... I guess I have to say a little something negative about this market. Nothing is vintage! Boo! I wish so badly that some stylish new vendor would join the crew and sell vintage textiles, I would love nothing more! And they reallllly needed an Indian fabric dealer. And a Japanese vendor with fabrics from Japan. THEN this would have been the perfect event. But I still loved it, but you know, I'm picky and always thinking of ways to improve everything I see... I'm sure you're the same way! Oh and I would have died and gone to heaven if they had a crafts book dealer, oh my! But they did sell a few books and such here and there, but still...

Please excuse my photographs, they were not taken with the greatest care or concentration. The market was nuts, at least at the booths where I wanted to take close ups of the fabric, so my arms were constantly being knocked and my bag was getting bumped - so hard to keep a still photo. I was also the ONLY one there with a camera so I had to be discreet, I didn't want to have to explain to everyone what I was doing photographing their booths. :) But no one seemed to care and so in the end it all worked out. But man, it's so uncomfortable playing journalist sometimes, especially when I'm not fluently able to explain myself! I hope the photographs do this lovely market justice. It was very large, I'd say 100+ vendors maybe? Definitely worth attending one if you're ever visiting Germany -- just look on the stoffmarkt website to see the schedule and try to fit one in to your vacation!

Here is a glimpse of some of my loot:

Do they even have these markets in the states? Or in your country? I don't ever remember seeing one over there and I lived in the south and New England and never came across anything like it. Maybe this is just a European thing. Could be a good business idea, huh? I think someone over there should start a traveling fabric market! :)

(images: holly becker for decor8)