SHOP VISIT : TESSUTI FABRICS

So you all are probably sick to death of me gushing on about Liberty but here are the ones that I saw at Tessuti. They're SO good, I wish I had a good hand in sewing so I could whip up some shirts with these beautiful prints 

I've been having lots of good luck with shops and being able to photograph them for PFF. Whenever I go out, it's always my number one concern that shop owners don't want their wares to be photographed or to be put on social media. But to be honest, we're living in a world where it's basically impossible to not be on it somehow, so perhaps this is why I'm having so much good luck.

I've never been good at sewing, let me just say that up front. I couldn't even make a pair of shorts in sewing class in high school and failed quite dismally at all other projects following in that department but that hasn't stopped me from developing a strong interest in Fabrics. Tessuti is one of the best fabric shops in all of Melbourne not only for their quality but also for their excellent selection in them. Their taste is on point, especially in the prints department. 

I spoke with shop assistant Trish at the Flinders lane store a little about textiles and sewing. Tessuti originally opened up in Sydney and have been in the biz for about ten to twenty years now. The owners go to Italy once or twice a year for buying trips which of course would lead to doors and doors of inspiration for them. They also receive a lot of end rolls from Labels which means some of the fabrics come directly from the labels themselves.

Linen was the biggest seller at Tessuti. Trish said that it was easy to work with, versatile and perfect for summer because it was breathable. I love linen clothing but find it hard to look after because of the creasing but wasn't surprised that it was a best seller there. I feel like Melbourne is a very linen city. But what gets my heart going is prints and lots of them as you can see here. I've never been one to shy away from colour and prints. In fact, I'm always on the search for a good printed shirt. It's harder than you think to strike the balance between busy and printed without looking too overly retro. I own one shirt from the Parisian label Soeur ( they're really good, check them out ) that totally manages to get floral right without it looking overly nana or sentimental ( You'll see it this Wednesday in my favourite things entry! ) 

Seeing the sheer abundance of stunning fabrics here makes me want to get into sewing. But I know that in order to make the clothing that I want to make, like shirts and pants, I'll have to bear the brunt of the beginning. That means failing a lot at making simple things like coin purses and pouches which I don't particularly want to make. This is the thing about skills, you gotta fail a hundred times before you can succeed once. Wouldn't it just be more practical to just buy something made in a liberty fabric from their E-shop?  The thing is, there's more good prints out there in the world than good clothing made in those good prints. If you can sew, you're not limited to the stock of shops. As someone who's always hungry for new clothes ( haha ) this sounds terrific to me.

Another reason why I love fabrics so much is because I'm a very tactile person. I like to experience things by touching them and so when I go to fabric stores, I can't resist touching and feeling all the different textures available to me right then and there. On top of that, I'm visual too, so going there really is a whole visual and tactile experience. 

I don't know for sure but I'm pretty certain this is the ' wedding ' section of the shop 😂

Being amongst so many prints inspires me in terms of painting too. I get new colour combinations and shapes I hadn't even thought of. It sparks neurons in all sorts of directions. I feel like fabric stores are almost galleries in a way ( as corny as that sounds ) with more paintings and painting colours than a real gallery could ever have. 

An overview of the front entry of the shop  

My favourite section, the bargain bin 

The next thing on my wish list is a paisley scarf for the autumn that's slowly but surely coming. I think paisley is actually a really gorgeous print that can be done well when chosen in the right colours, namely light green, navy and light red. Should I get some of that Paisley fabric there and try to turn it into a scarf? 

More delicious prints 

You'd need a mad skill set to be able to create something this amazing. Trish told me that she can whip up a simple long sleeved t-shirt in as little as an hour, which I was really impressed by. I guess the more you do something, the less of a deal it is. Sewing seems really difficult to me because of its allegiance with numbers. I've never ever been good with numbers and being able to be precise. I get very lax on myself.

They had a table with several fashion books and pattern magazines which I graciously devoured when I was there. I love poring over fashion magazines. Aren't these details so terrific? I love the sequin jacket just below and the beautiful colours of the knitted top just above as well. Sorry I didn't take note of the designers! 

This jacket is gorgeous. The amount of time and effort to go into that would have been tremendous.

Although these aren't fabrics per se, seeing these eye popping candy colours really pushes me to get out my paints and start playing around again. The thing I love about magazines is that they 'museum-ify' the beauty of things which mightn't be possible or look as good in reality. I feel like such lively creations can almost only live and survive within the pages. Another reason why I gush over them so hungrily. Who would actually wear these creations in real life unless they were a celebrity going to some party or gala event? More power to those people who do wear such bright designs every day though. They keep the beauty and vibrant nature of things alive by making it part of their lives. 

Simply stunning. 

Beautiful and restrained details. I love the big belt over the trench coat. I did a similar thing when it was winter in Japan last year 

Whether you're a sewer or just into textiles for their beauty and tactile qualities, you should definitely drop in and mention that PFF sent you there ;-)

Cute and fun mural that was outside. I used to be a huge fan of holographic. I still love it when used in small details to be perfectly honest though. Sparkle will never die 💕💕

Post Tessuti splurge. Afterwards I went for a wander around the city. I tried on some pants at Zara and Cos to no avail 😔. But I did pick up something at Mecca ( The Nars tinted moistruizer i've been gabbling on about )

141 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000 

I'd love to hear your experiences with sewing, especially if you started out feeling intimidated by it but now have gained confidence and finesse in your skills. I want to start but it isn't cheap buying fabrics and I also don't even have a sewing machine! What have your experiences been? What have you made?