Well, we just heard of an interesting-sounding fabric store, via one
of our friends on another costume list - and it also applies to the
current thread about 60's and 70's clothing!
Sandy
Our friend Sophia Kelly Shultz sends this information:
Gombar's Fabrics is located in St. Clair, PA (home of the famous St.
Clair fern fossils, for you fossil collectors out there). It is the
last fabric store in Schuylkill (if you're from Philly you pronounce
this "Skoo-kull"; natives here call themselves "Skooks" which I find
scary) County. Thanks to Wally World and the general economy, she is
in trouble financially and it would be a tremendous loss to the
sewing world if she went out of business.
This store has not gotten new fabric in since about 1988, and most
of the fabric dates to well before that. I have not gone through a
fraction of the stock and have seen loads of fabric dating back to
the 70s and before, and LACE...if you like vintage lace (not the
stuff everybody's grandma saved from the Victorian era, but things
like the cotton laces of the 60s and 70s--beautiful stuff, really,
and in quantity) this is the place to go. Her prices are AMAZING
(read: the prices have not gone up since they got each piece of
fabric in. Gathered 2" wide cotton lace can be had for .69/yard.)
She also has vintage TRIMS, some of it hilariously dated (think MOD)
but most in beautiful condition.
If you are interested in millinery, she has millinery blocks in
profusion, including specialty ones for wide brims. Her mother got
her start as a milliner and I hope to find more feathers like the
ones I found in the basement last week. We do not have set prices on
the blocks, but no fair offer will be refused. (And please be fair:
she is fighting for her life here.)
BUTTONS...they are everywhere and I haven't taken inventory yet, but
there are a LOT, dating back maybe to the 50s.
PATTERNS...if you like vintage patterns she must have at least 500
of them (looks like a thousand.) Some are without envelopes but were
apparently "samples" provided by the pattern companies, so they are
not cut or anything, just without envelopes. They date from the 40s
to the 80s, and include hat patterns, classic dress patterns,
bridals, and men's clothing. Interestingly, she has many of the same
pattern in multiple sizes, particularly from the 70s. I am hoping to
start a database soon, starting with the really old patterns. We
plan to inventory all of the patterns and make sure each one has all
its pieces.
REMNANTS... Some .25 and .50 each. Tidbits of the past!
So as you can see, this place is a treasure trove, with 30% off her
already low prices on fabric (one time I bought something and she
said, "Now, you know this is $3.49/yard" like that was a lot!) I
have been helping clean out and we find new things every time I am
there. I suppose I can update this as we find things.
If you call in advance, we will open specially for parties or
individuals wishing to fish around. We are right off of I-81 (at the
Frackville Exit) and Route 61 South (directions are available or you
can use google maps.) If you're coming some distance, please call me
at 570-691-6327 and I will be happy to put you up at my house if you
can tolerate two energetic Springer Spaniels, a pissed off cat (one
of the dogs is new) and my rock collection. Please help to save this store!
Gombar's Fabrics
15 West Carroll St.
St. Clair PA 17970
570-429-0403
The owner's name is Mary Beth.
Thanks in advance!!
Sophia
At 06:04 PM 7/7/2009, you wrote:
Hi everyone,
I am travelling to the USa next week with my husband and we will have
about a week near the East Coast between about Philadelphia and
Richmond. We will be hiring a car in Pittburgh and travelling around
before we go to the SCA's Pennsic War. The area of travel is influenced
by where friends live.
We hope to get to Plimoth and Jamestown reenactment villages but are
looking for other places of interest to see - historical or
costume-related, but not as late period as the Civil War.
Any recommendations?
thanks in advance
Annette Wilson
(Canberra, Australia)
"Those Who Fail to Learn History
Are Doomed to Repeat It;
Those Who Fail To Learn History Correctly -
Why They Are Simply Doomed."
Achemdro'hm
"The Illusion of Historical Fact"
-- C. Y. 4971
Andromeda
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