Address: Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow, G1 2GF (on Google Maps here)
Website: http://www.johnlewis.com/our-shops/glasgow
Do they sell online? Yes they have a sewing and knitting section in the 'Sport & Leisure' section of their website. If you buy online you can 'click and collect' in a John Lewis or Waitrose store too.
Easy to get to? Yes, it's very central, right at the junction of Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street, in the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre. The Bus Station is right behind it plus it's near Queen Street train station and Buchanan Street underground. The haberdashery is on the first floor, right before the cafe.
The haberdashery is handily located by the cafe, so it's always nice to have a look on your way to get a cuppa. The section is smaller than in the Edinburgh store but there is still a good selection of craft items which has really increased in the past few years, in keeping with the increased popularity of crafts. They now have an area with sofas, which is perfect for sitting and perusing books and patterns.
Their haberdashery range is very good and they sell Prym brand rather than the pink Hemline brand which you find at pretty much every other fabric shop in Glasgow. Earlier this year I found that the Hemline large plastic snaps didn't suit a cardigan I was knitting so it was great that John Lewis carried this different range to save me the hassle of ordering such a small item online. I will warn you that their zips are expensive though...
Impressive selection of Prym products relating to bras, dress cups and lingerie
John Lewis have a 'never knowingly undersold' promise and although this would apply to this area of the store like any other I do find it generally expensive plus I noticed several items which I have seen cheaper elsewhere. A perfect example is the fabric in this picture:
What can I buy there?
They have a great range of yarns, the main brands are represented - Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Noro, Sirdar, Wendy. I noticed that they also have a new range of yarns and patterns by Erika Knight exclusively for John Lewis.
What's the best thing to buy there?
I love their ranges of knitting bags and storage boxes. They make great gifts for crafters.
Cath Kidston knitting and sewing products
Their range of haberdashery is very strong but generally, wait until the sales is my advice. They have good wool and fabric sales after Christmas and Easter and probably at the end of the summer too (check their website for details). To be honest, the only time I have ever bought fabric there is when it has been on sale. It's not a cheap place to buy wool either. Again, one of Glasgow's excellent independent shops will see you right for that.
Sum it up
It's handy with a good range but expensive so shop independent first and check out the John Lewis sales.
This is one of a series of reviews of fabric and wool shops in Glasgow. See more here. All posts are independent and represent my own opinions.
I love John Lewis although it can be very expensive, you are right the sales are fab. One or two of the sales assistants used to be quite grumpy
ReplyDeleteI don't recall dealing with any grumpy sales people but I imagine people get put in that area who don't have the same knowledge as your typical fabric shop employee and it could be hit and miss. When I bought the jersey I mentioned, the assistant was very nice but you should have seen the way they jersey had been cut by the previous person - it looked like they had never seen a straight line in their life!
Deleteinteresting to see you saw the galaxy fabric there. I wonder if they would price match if asked? I bought a metre of lining fabric there last week and stupidly didn't ask the price before they cut it. It was £12 a metre! And lovely as it is, it is in fact useless for what I need it for as you can only handwash or dry clean it.
ReplyDeleteI think they should price match but I didn't actually see that same fabric when I went to Cotton Print Factory to do the review a couple of weeks ago so I don't know if they would have to go and check or if they would take my word for it! I think most of their fabrics could do with being price matched really, might make them in a more acceptable range for buying.
DeleteThat's really annoying about your fabric too, £12 a metre and you can't even use it! Arrrggh!
Good review. I love a John Lewis, but it is expensive. I previously told them that I'd seem one of their fabrics cheaper elsewhere and the lady did remove it from the shelf, but a couple of weeks later I did see it back on sale at the the higher price, so not sure if they were just appeasing me, or it went back out in error.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it would be worth contacting about their promise to see what they say. I'll do that, if I remember!
DeleteThey sell Susan Bates needles here in the States. They are serviceable. Have you tried the Knit Pro interchangeable needles? I've heard good and bad about them in the Amazon reviews.
ReplyDeleteI think Knitpro needles are fab except the 3mm Symfonie ones are really too small for the wood and they break all the time. And the instructions for fastening them are stupid - it works much better if you twist with both hands to get a good lock. The 40cm cable is also a bit short for the length of the interchangeable needles. So they are awesome if you avoid the 40cm cable, the 3mm Symfonies (the Carbon ones are great) and ignore the instructions! :)
DeleteMrsC I was about to post the same thing! I broke 2 or 3 pairs of needles knitting a cardigan with 3mms. A couple of the needles just broke when they were sat on or similar, because they are more fragile, but others broke when I was using them. It didn't occur to me to look into the non-wood ones but I will for the future. Did you know you can get shorter length needles to use with the short cables? They make it easier and less unwieldy.
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend buying your needles from a trusted local store as they should replace broken needles without question (it says so on the Knitpro site). I got a good deal online for my set but it was a false economy as they ignored all my emails to replace broken needles so I had to pay for more. Now I can buy them locally so it's no problem.
I really like knitting with the wood Symfonie needles as they feel lovely and are nice and sharp. I would recommend them but with reservations.
Many thanks to both of you. I'm using a pair of Knitter's Pride wood needles right now. They are not bamboo. I think they are rosewood (?). I bought them from my local knitting shop. They are wonderful. The cable is not twisting and they feel like an extension of my fingers. The prices in my local shop are in line with what I see on the interwebs. However, their service can't be beat. They can answer my questions and I'm able to see what I'm getting. She will be getting the kits in in time for Christmas. I can't wait.
DeleteI have a pair of rosewood needles (coincidentally bought from John Lewis at the horrendous price of nearly £10!) and they are such a joy to knit with, definitely nicer than bamboo
DeleteFab review Kerry :) I actually prefer a lot of the Prym haberdashery items to the Hemline equivalent so nice to know there's a large stock of things in town. Looking forward to next weeks review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy, glad you enjoyed it. The next one will be the last review!
DeleteI am not a knitter but I do make the occasional sewing purchase at my nearest John Lewis (Peterborough) as there are no other places that stock habby near me.No much prefer Prym brand as I think the quality is better. However I wish our store had your selection. Years ago there was a pattern bar (remember those?) and banks of fabrics, now it's predominantly quilting, crafts and knitting with a display of sewing machines and sewing boxes...I really hope the resurgence of interest in home sewing will encourage more fabric to be stocked. Basics like denim and (100% cotton!) striped Jersey would be lovely. Sometimes I think I would pay a bit more to be able to feel the fabric first and look at the drape etc. which you can't always determine from a swatch ordered from the Internet.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame there isn't more garment fabric at your branch, I hope they'll get some in for you soon! I agree it's great to be able to feel fabrics before purchase and know they will be quality - though our JL does have that small range of basics, price-wise I now feel mistrusting that they would be worth the prices because I've seen some fabrics so much cheaper elsewhere.
DeleteAh, love John Lewis, but agree their fabric is expensive. I've been using their Heritage Blend Merino yarn, which is gorgeous, and only £3 a ball.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good deal. I've never used their own brand of yarn but I stopped buying wool from them a few years ago so the Erika Knight range was a new one to me too
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