Tagged with 'buy'

Christmas is a time for giving, and also for wandering around the seasonal markets, taking in the smells of German sausages and roasted chestnuts. If you go to one of these Christmas markets, you’re likely to see a number of stalls selling homemade fleeces, jumpers, hats, gloves, the lot. You name it, they probably sell it.

What makes these stalls so popular and successful is the homemade factor. Getting hold of the right fabric and making something for a friend or loved one will certainly put a smile on their face when they open their present on Christmas morning.

The trends at the moment seem to be around the wooly hats with the animal faces and the dangly parts over the ears. Unfortunately, such is their popularity that the major stores have started producing their own and the prices have consequently gone up. So what’s the alternative? Paying over the odds for it? That’s just silly. Order the fabric and make it yourself and give the recipient something you know they will love.

You know the person better than the retailer, who might not stock their favourite animal hat, so by making it yourself you have the opportunity to personalise it for your loved one. At Abakhan we stock everything you would need to make it, so the rest is down to you.

The person you give the gift to is not only guaranteed to love what you’ve made for them, but they’ll really appreciate the effort you’ve gone to. After all, it really is the thought that counts.

To find out more information on our range of fabric and other essential accessories for all your home requirements, such as curtains and knitting equipment, get in touch with Abakhan by clicking here to find the details for your local branch.

The Christmas and New Year period is a time of celebration, with friends and families getting together to exchange presents or to go out and watch the New Year arrive in style with a beverage or two. At these times, many choose to hit the town for the party atmosphere, while others throw house parties with only their nearest and dearest invited round to share the festivities, with many of these parties having a fancy dress theme.

But for many this poses a big problem. How do you come up with a unique costume for the party that (a) nobody else is going to be wearing, and (b) doesn’t cost the earth? You make your own of course!

At fancy dress parties, you can spend upwards of £50 each time on a costume, either renting one from a store, or buying one online that you’ll quite possibly never wear again seems a bit of a waste of money, particularly when you’re a dab hand with a needle and thread. With plenty of fabric available either online or in shops, you have the creative freedom to create a costume that will definitely be unique, and provide a real talking point at the party.

Part of the whole fancy dress party experience is to get people talking with your costume, so you’ve got nothing to lose. If you’ve gone to the expense of splashing out on a spaceman or princess costume in the past, only to see someone there wearing the exact same one, you’ll appreciate how infuriating that can be.

Creating your own costume out of fabric and with a needle and thread or sewing machine can also be the ideal last-minute fix. Going down to a fancy dress shop or trying to order online around Christmas and New Year is bound to end with you buying a costume you don’t really want because all the others are sold out. Making one yourself allows you to make the necessary alterations before you leave the house for your night of fun.

At Abakhan, our fabric range is extensive and covers all kinds, from lace to imitation leather, and jersey knits to 100% cotton. To find out more information about any of our products or to find out what we have in stock, contact us today by calling your nearest branch, which you can find by clicking here.

One of the most in-demand materials on planet earth, fabric has been used for a number of different purposes over years. Obviously, clothing and drapes are two popular uses, as are curtains and sofas, but many people are unaware as to where it actually comes from. Well, courtesy of an exhibit in London, they’re about to get a bit of a shock!

A cape created from golden silk spun by more than a million spiders is going on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in the capital. The hand-woven garment and its partner, a four-metre long piece of brocaded fabric, took more than four years to create and involved around 1.2 million female Madagascan Golden Orb spiders.

Madagascar-based Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley made the cape, and they are the only large textiles to have been made from spider silk. The last known spider silk textile was made for a Parisian exhibit in 1900, but no examples are in existence today.

The spiders, which are not harmed in the creation of the pieces, are collected in the mornings and their silk harvested by trained handlers, before the eight-legged creatures are returned to the wild at the end of the day.

Peers said that he created the pieces, as he was “keen to show the spider silk textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, being the most appropriate place to premiere this work in Europe. The unique and historic costume and textile collections have been a constant source of inspiration over the years, and as we know, the museum has never before shown anything made from spider silk, despite its diverse collection of art.”

Many people love arts and crafts as a hobby, with people loving the opportunity to be innovative and unique. Everyone has a creative spark in them, whether it’s creating their own clothes, or stitching a breathtaking design into cushions. Either way, you can personalise your whole home with a bit of thought. To get your hands on some fine quality – but not spider-spun – fabrics, visit the Abakhan website. Should you have any questions about our range, or other products available such as beds, contact your local store.