Haberdashery of every shape, size and colour at MacCulloch & Wallis

I do like a mooch around a good shop when I’m in London, and this trip was no different. After a day in Islington I headed to a haberdashery extraordinaire just off Oxford Street. Now why I’ve just discovered this is a mystery to me, though it’s probably a good thing that I hadn’t found this shop while I actually lived in London!.

Yes, not that far away from Oxford Circus tube I found myself standing outside MacCulloch & Wallis admiring their window displays, and having an internal smile of how they’d displayed balls of wool on models of sheep.

Wool displayed on sheep with inbuilt compartments

There was every kind of haberdashery item you could possibly wish for, plus wool, plus fabric and with a lot of vintage charm.

A wooden vintage shop unit - full of more wool

I couldn’t help but think wouldn’t it be lovely though to have a similar unit for my own craft supplies, though the wooden storage unit above also reminded me of a school uniform supply shop, just me?

A display of tapestry wool in every colour

Throughout the two levels of the shop there was a rainbow of colour.

Trims and edgings - this is just a selection of the green options
Bolts of fabric stacked on the shelves with lace and trimmings either side

At the very back of the shop on the ground floor I found the cutting table, and even that was a cutting table with a difference as the centre was filled with buttons.

A large wooden cutting table, with a central channel of buttons

Thankfully though, buttons weren’t in short supply - just look at the range available. And to think I thought the selection in Liberty was extensive when I visited last year!

A very extensive button range - organised by colour
Tailor's chalk in charcoal, pink, blue, yellow and white

I was tempted by some of the Tailor’s Chalk, but I resisted - I have some, though not as beautiful as this, and well, there’s only so much of it you can use isn’t there?

Packs of needles - of every size, for every craft

In the basement, alongside the tempting Tailor’s Chalk were rows and rows of needles, cards of every type of fastening you could ever want.

Boards with sample fastenings - of every type

And miles of zips.

A wall of zips - choose your colour and length - it's not as easy as you think!
Another wall of thread to match your sewing project

With cotton and ric rac in an array of colours.

A whole range of rik rak - different colours, sizes and just full of joy

In fact the choice was vast, almost overwhelming - this is definitely a shop you need to go to with a plan. A browse is good, but just wow - it’d be even better with a plan!

Post Comment Love 6 - 8 March

Hello there, welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a relaxed, friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love.

Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed, and if you see older posts are linked then please don’t feel that it’s necessary to comment on those. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

At last, we’ve had some glorious spring days here - and we’ve been making the most of them. We ate lunch outside at the local cafe which is a favourite with cyclists, and with us too - it’s where I took this week’s photo. MOH cycled there but as I was off to get my hair done I went in the car, which is more usual for me to be honest.

Then yesterday was even better, with warmer temperatures and the first gardening session of the year, it’s been a while! Long may this glorious spring weather continue, although I don’t think it’s forecast too, sadly.

Have a great week.

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My garden in February

Last month I said the snowdrops were coming, well this month they arrived. These giant snowdrops are my absolute favourites and I can’t wait for them to take themselves for a wander around the border!

my giant snowdrops, snowdropping

I can spot these from inside the house, and each time I do I’m reminded what a great idea it was to plant them there!

Pink sky in the distance, the older olive in the foreground with the potted rosemary

Once again there’s been very little actual gardening activity this month but as well as enjoying peeking on the snowdrops, there’s been some pretty sunsets too. Though isn’t it great that sunset is now past 5pm, and won’t be before 5pm until much later in the year.

The mahonia is doing its thing and looking glorious, I love how the berries have that pink tinge and think it’s a plant that looks very regal with its crown of berries.

Looking into the many berries of the mahonia

Elsewhere in the garden I’ve seen evidence of daffodils, so I’m hoping that they will enjoy the warmer days we’ve had towards the end of the month, and will quite literally march into March. I know that I need to spend some time with all my bulbs in pots after this growing season, but I’m hoping that they’ll give a good show before I refresh their soil and get them ready for flowering next year.

I spy a daffodil bud...

Alongside the mahonia the other star in our garden right now is the creamy green hellebore, isn’t it gorgeous?

The creamy green hellebore flowers
Looking a bit tatty, and coping with a huge thistley type weed - but the elephants ears are in flower with heads of pink flowers

The elephants ears we brought with us from London are also in flower and while they could do with a general tidy, they’re doing pretty well contending with that huge weed on the right. I’ve plenty of weeding opportunities too, so as it looks like the weather is going to be good that’s at the top of my list, and to be honest I can’t wait to do some actual gardening, just as long as the weather’s fine!

Fingers crossed for a dry and uplifting spring!