Thursday, January 3, 2013

Savannah is for Crafters



I took a quick little getaway trip with my husband and a friend-couple to Savannah! It's a short 4 hours away, a very do-able vacation spot by car for us city slickers. I'd visited the waterfront city a few times in the past, but mostly as a child and once in college for St. Patrick's Day festivities (not the best time to get to know the not-so-subtle beauty of this Southern gem). My short trip blew me away, and I even had the chance to meet some great ladies that own the fantastic fabric shop Fabrika Fine Fabrics in a beautiful historic brick building.



This trip I was thinking a little less about sewing (gasp! I know) and a little more about hunting for vintage treasures. Savannah is full of fantastic plazas overflowing with massive azalea bushes and incredible centuries-old architecture. Walking through the city I stumbled upon a fabric shop with great aprons in the window display. Fabrika is lined with mostly long tubes of fabrics, certainly the impossible-to-find types. Fine linens, pure silk, 100% wool batting, oilcloth for a perfect summer tablecloth, perfectly curated ribbons and tapes, napkin fibers -- all against a backdrop of bright white walls and a cheerful duo of women that own the shop.




I had to control myself not to splurge on everything I loved (they also had some really great quilting cottons in prints I'd never seen!) so I picked up some vintage-inspired cat printed fabric for pillows for Salvage and a handful of ribbons and tapes for a project that hasn't been dreamed up yet -- I just couldn't pass on the colors. They had some really cute kitchen towels, we bought one for a family member. The hardest thing about picking up supplies for a project you haven't planned is the fear getting too little so I try to get too much. Better safe than sorry!
Photo from You're Welcome Savannah
I got a warm welcome from Ashleigh and Emily in the shop, the two owners of the fabric shop (and SCAD alumni). The hip, creative feeling in the very well curated shop fit in perfectly in the city that balances the strong influence of an art & design school with a rich history and Southern culture. If you're ever in Savannah, or in search of a close-by vacation spot, I highly recommend stopping into the shop located a 2 East Liberty Street in Downtown Savannah.

We also spotted an awesome old-school Taco Bell sign just outside of downtown!
 

We stayed in the retro/vintage Thunderbird Inn, a very well renovated motel in Downtown Savannah. It's a bargain, but most importantly the rooms are all brand new, decorated to the mid-century style of the original hotel, and they have the biggest neon sign I think I've ever seen (say no more!).
Have you ever been to Savannah? What's your favorite mini-vacation spot?

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