Liberty jewelry / Bijoux en Liberty

While wandering at Shaukat, one of the sales ladies was thrilled to show me prototypes for their new collection of jewelry in silver & liberty: rings and a charm bracelet. She indicated that the jewelry will be available at their store or via their website, and customers will be able to chose the Liberty fabric they want. The sales lady also mentionned that the rings would be available in other shapes (squares). I love their idea, all the more since under the fabric for the ring there is a turquoise that can be revealed once the fabric is worn out.

Lors de mon passage chez Shaukat, les vendeuses étaient ravies de me présenter les prototypes de leurs nouveaux bijoux en argent & liberty: des bagues, et un bracelet avec un "charm". Apparemment les bijoux pourront être commandé en magasin ou via leur site, avec choix du tissu. La vendeuse a mentionné d'autres formes pour la bague (carré entre autre). Je trouve leur idée géniale, d'autant plus qu'en dessous du Liberty de la bague il y a une turquoise, qu'on peux révéler une fois le tissu usé. 

Too bad the rings were all prototypes and non at my size...

Dommage, tous les modèles étaient les prototypes, et hélas aucun était à ma taille...

Jewelery available soon online or at the store of Shaukat & Company, 170-172 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0BA

Bijoux disponibles bientôt en ligne ou au magasin Shaukat & Company, 170-172 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0BA

Fabric shopping in London / Shopping tissus à Londres

First stop on Goldhawk Road: a small street full of fabric stores. All the cotons and cotons mixes I bought were between 2 to 3.50 GBP per meter. Bolts and bolts of fabric to dig through, and in the end some quality and very stylish finds. See below the loot and addresses.

Premier arrêt à Goldhawk Road: une petite rue de magasins de tissus. Tous les cotons et les mélanges cotons étaient entre 2 et 3.50 GBP par mètre. Il a fallu se frayer un chemin entre des centaines de rouleaux de tissus, pour faire des quelques trouvailles de qualité et très tendance. Ci dessous le butin et les adresses:

FABRIC WORLD 

#49C Goldhawk Road

My favorite, a coton with little magpies thieves:

Mon préféré, un coton avec des petites pies voleuses: 
A modern twist on "broderie anglaise" with holes but no embroidery, just a printed highlights around the holes: 
Une version modernisée de broderie anglaise avec les trous mais sans la broderie, juste un rebord en surimpression:

A TO Z FABRICS 

#53A Goldhawk Road

A white plumetis (never sure how to translate some French terms) again with a twist: tiny silver threads are woven in the fabric, to give is a subtle shine.
Un plumetis blanc avec une surprise: un minuscule fil argenté tissé dans la trame, pour donner au tissu un brillant très discret.

CLASSIC TEXTILES

#44 Goldhawk Road

A greenish blue in two fabrics: a cotton/synthetic mix with a funky print (and again the subtle silver thread highlighting the design) and a cotton plumetis (translation?!).
Du bleu pétrole décliné dans deux tissus différents: un mélange coton/synthétique (avec le retour du subtil fil argenté) et un plumetis de coton.

Second stop, an old time favorite:

Deuxième arrêt, un classique et une valeur sûre:

SHAUKAT  & COMPANY

170-172 Old Brompton Road

Les achats du jour: exclusivement dans la collection de printemps de Liberty:

Today's purchases: only new prints from the Liberty spring collection:

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

A big part of my spare time consists in hoarding fabric. I blame it on my mother for bringing me at an early age "Marché Saint Pierre" the frozen-in-time fabric store right at the bottom of the Montmartre Hill & the Sacré Coeur.
In my memories I could barely see the top of the tables. Going back to these childhood memories on a Saturday is always a soothing experience. Those who know the neighborhood and the store would say that the experience is more like fighting the inebriated crowds on Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
When in London I never miss an opportunity to go to the Liberty store to check out their fabric selection. Unfortunately their selection has gotten smaller over the years and a bit shameful for the Liberty mothership, so in the end I only got their just to say "hi" to the beautiful building. My sister just in time gave me the name of her new Liberty "dealer" (let's face it is an addiction...), Shaukat on Old Brompton road. Here is a snap shot of the last harvest:

Addresses:
If you are in Paris you can combine a visit to Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur, and on the way back down from the hill you can check out:
Dreyfus - Marché Saint Pierre, 2 r Charles Nodier, 75018 Paris (a Parisian tradition & a mess!)
Sacrés Coupons, 4bis rue d'Orsel, 75018 Paris (great 3 meter remnants from famous fashion houses, great silks, wools, cottons & linens in the summer)

In London:
Liberty, Great Marlborough Street, London W1B 5AH (worth the visit even if you don't buy anything)
Shaukat & Company, 170-172 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 0BA (a great selection in the store, good prices, and also good online service). The picture below is from their webpage showing one of the "Liberty Walls":