On Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, CA, not far from my home away from home, one can find Stone Mountain and Daughter. This is a delightful fabric store that I am drawn to every time I visit.
It helps that the shop is a short 1.7 mile bike ride...or an easy bus ride, from the condo. It helps when it is a beautiful summer day, perfect for a ride through quiet Berkeley neighborhoods, and it helps that they always have 50% off fabrics up stairs - bolts and bolts of them!
Stonemountain & Daughter was founded in the early 20th century in LA. by Steinberg, an ancestor of the current owner. Steinburg means Stone Mountain. When the shop was opened in Berkeley it acquired its new name.
MUpon entering the store one sees aisles of fun fabrics that draw you in to browse, and touch, and to think and imagine.
The shop has samples of shirts, skirts, dresses and pants that one could make.
I think something like this shirt would make a cool Florida top!
In addition to quilting cotton the shop has Japanese and Indian imports, voile, flannel, lawn, linen and linen blends, chambray, wool, knits, coatings....and more!
They have shelves of notebooks with hundreds of patterns for inspiration.
A rainbow of motivation meets your eye, that just beg to be made into something!
Stonemountain & Daughter is not huge, by any description.
But they have an incredible variety of soft goods.
The rolls in the bottom corner of the photo above are similar to what used to be referred to as
'oil cloth'. These have a clear plastic of some sort, waterproof layer that protects charming prints,
perfect for table cloths, slickers or waterproof bags.
Upstairs all of the fabrics are half off, and half of the fabrics, or more, are behind me in the picture above!
.I always wander up the creaky stairs, and invariably I find at least one thing that I must have.
As I approached the cutting table with my arms full,
another helpful shopper pointed out that the store does have a few shopping carts.
I smiled, and explained that I found it a chore to carry the cart upstairs,
and bump it back down after collecting the bolts needing cutting!
She agreed!
Sew, I bought a bit of this,
and a bit of that,
and wandered around a bit more and bought some fabric to make a blousy shirt,
like the one in the picture!
I haven't made garments in eons....
but the fabrics are so inviting.
Mayhaps I'll have to try my hand at making more of my clothes.
Maybe selecting a yummy fabric and making a garment can become a tradition for my California visits!
Just a thought!
What a wonderful shop! I'd love some of that oil cloth but would have to see each design.
ReplyDeleteThe store I still miss is Service Merchandise with all those small appliances and things each made by different companies. I mean there were about 15 toasters to choose from and so it was with everything they sold.
Hugs!
Next time I go, I'll send a picture. They do offer online sales (https://stonemountainfabric.com/product-category/fabric/oilcloth/) but I think they have more choice at the store.
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