i've got a secret

so when my co-leader and i find ourselves wanting to work on a new sewing project but lack the proper fabric to get the job done, we hop in the car and make the drive out to our most favorite local source.  hidden away at the very end of this small building in alhambra (812 south date avenue, suite g to be exact) is the home office and warehouse of purple seamstress, one of the best sources anywhere for knit fabrics.

when you walk into the warehouse, you're greeted with stacks and stacks of giant bolts of fabric sorted by type, like versatile cotton lycra in every color of the rainbow:

need stripes?  mel's got that too.

she keeps a carefully curated selection of licensed fabrics with all sorts of familiar faces printed on them:

super soft brushed polyester, which has become crazy popular and in-demand since a certain leggings company burst onto the scene over the last year:

if you're so inclined and are willing to put in about an hour of work, those leggings that are $20+ a pair can be made with just one yard of fabric...which you can scoop up for under $8.  it's actually pretty fantastic.

she's got swim fabric year-round:

it's hard to focus on sweater knits when it's a zillion degrees out, but she's got those too:

and if you have time to browse, there are racks and racks of precut fabrics in various lengths.  they're mostly sorted by type - stripes, floral, polka dots, characters, holidays, chevron...you name it, it's here somewhere.

so if you're local to the l.a. area, purple seamstress is open seven days a week from 9:00-6:00.  mel and her super friendly staff are always so helpful and are great about offering suggestions for coordinating fabrics or what to use for a specific project.

i probably shouldn't even be sharing our best fabric secret, because now when we go see mel and flor they'll probably be busy with all of you...but that's okay.  i'm a giver.  

you're welcome.