store crush: purl soho

On my window shopping trip to SoHo last weekend, a friend reminded me about the Purl SOHO store at 459 Broome Street.

I was already familiar with them from their blog, the Purl bee. Finally a chance to go there!

I used to be a sweater designer & knitter, but I got burned out on it after doing it too long. For the first time in a long while I was tempted to knit something...

They are not just a knitting store. They also have a nice selection of modern craft supplies like the good kind of felt: wool.

And the best quilting cottons from the Denyse Shmidt, Kokka, Moda, and the like.

Embroidery hoops: what a cute way to show off their fabric selection in the entryway.

Oh, and there are the Liberty prints too. I just drooled over the selection. Liberty cottons are not cheap, though- something like $37/yard. But at least they are 54" wide, not 44" like most. We know we're not here for bargains, anyway. Just the best.

Purl is fully stocked in all things embroidery too, from floss to needlepoint wool, to books galore. Books on everything and only the best, most enticingly designed ones.

Definitely worth the detour!

window shopping in soho

Spring has sprung in SoHo!

L'Occitane

On my recent fabric shopping trip to NYC, I took a detour to SoHo for some window shopping. It's a cool high rent area famous for it's lofts and industrial past. The former factory buildings and warehouses look like tall wedding cakes to me. The don't make 'em like that anymore!

SoHo is short for "south of Houston" (pronounced How-ston- don't give yourself away if you're a tourist). It is bordered on the South by Canal Street where Chinatown starts.

click to enlarge the map

There didn't used to be so many chain stores, but all the shops make an effort with their window displays down here. I managed to snap a few with my suitcase full of fabric in tow (not recommended).

BCBG

BCBG at 120 Wooster: full-on spring with bright color and scarf pattern prints.

Lucky Brand

Lucky Brand

Lucky Brand at 38 Greene Street: Bright fuchsia balanced with neutrals and cheetah print thrown in. Love the macrame bag!

JNBY

JNBY at 75 Greene Street: I guess tutus are here to stay. The bright yellow + khaki + white is unexpected. I like it.

Tibi

Tibi at 120 Wooster: pastels made sophisticated by tempering with tan & black.

Kate Spade

Kate Spade at 454 Broome Street: as always, crisp, bright, & fun. It's hard to see, but the mannequins have tennis raquets in their hair ;)

Giggle

Giggle, the baby store for überyuppies at 120 Wooster: irresistibly cute & modern baby stuff.

Giggle

Giggle carries Jonathan Adler's baby bags, Dwell bedding, Tea company clothes, and the latest in high end strollers and gear.

Wink

Wink at 129 Prince: embracing the bright accessories!

Crew Cuts

Crew Cuts in the J.Crew store at 99 Prince Street: the kids collection can seemingly do no wrong. They are so good at their styling and modernizing preppy.

Club Monaco

Club Monaco at 520 Broadway: soft transitional colors that are perfect for right now, but I'll never do the sock + sandals thing.

 Liberty print at APC at 131 Mercer. That one's a classic.

Ralph Lauren

And finally, Ralph Lauren at 379 West Broadway, doing navy & white for early spring... again... but he can get away with it I guess. Still want to be her.

My next posting will be all about my new store crush in SoHo...

shopping in nyc: fishs eddy

Did some more window shopping in NYC when I was up there recently. This window at Fishs Eddy on Broadway at 19th stopped me in my tracks. It hit a little close to home! (Zoom in to read the speech bubbles). A successful window forces you to go into the store and this one did.

I forgot how much I used to love this store. This is where I got my single gal dishes: vintage dinerware with a magnolia flower in the center. They still carry some vintage- you can tell by the incomplete sets- but not as much asthey used to.

Most of their stock is reproduction now, but it is very convincing and displayed like a general store. Or at least how you'd hope a general store would look back in the day, but probably didn't.

They really load on the nostalgia here. The emotional pull is irresistible.

You absolutely can't leave without buying something.

They are just as good at the lifestyle approach as Anthroplogie & Terrain.

 

An "Alice in Wonderland" vignette. Not their usual dinerware thing, but it works.

These flea market-style oil painting portraits are lurking everywhere. They must be faux, but very well done faux. They give the store that flea market feeling (minus the dust and hunting through mostly junk part).

More funny windows...

I'll miss you NYC. Until next time...

Union Square Holiday Market

Karma Design

Last weekend when I was in New York City for the Craftacular, I came across a colorful outdoor market in Union Square. The booths were semi permanent plywood structures that stay up for the holiday shopping season. I didn't envy the shopkeepers who are there in all weather every day for weeks, but I did envy some of the displays.

Karma Design

I'd like to preface my enthusiasm by adding that most of the products here are imported from countries in Asia. None of them claimed to be fair trade enterprises, so I didn't buy anything. But there is no doubting the emotional pull of the colorful decorative merchandise. I can only hope to fill a craft show booth as compellingly one day...

Karma Design

Bara Boheme Jewelry

The red chandelier popping against the turquoise with all the crisp white makes this booth!

Cala Design

Pattern + color = yummy!

Cala Design

Tribal Home

Tribal Home

More of my holiday window shopping in NYC to come...