Hi Everyone!
A week ago I was contacted by Alex from Sewrendipity, who is running a very interesting project to build a directory of fabric shops around the world, as written by sewing bloggers and sewing lovers. She has invited me to contribute with a guide about Vilnius’s (Lithuania) best fabric finds and I gladly agreed to do so, as I have a wonderful spot I love to shop at and would like to share with you as well!
Though Vilnius is approximately a hour away from city where I live, I visit it every two-three months, solely to buy fabric for upcoming projects. As some of you might already know from my Instagram, I don’t like clutter, thus I try not to stock on fabric or threads (or anything without purpose, for that matter) and every fabric in my stack has a garment planned already – that’s why don’t mind visit fabric shops rarely, as it keeps me away from temptations, ha!
Year and a half ago I very accidently stummbled upon fabric store Danesa (located in Vilnius, Lithuania) and it instantly became not only my favourite store, but only store I buy my fabrics at!
The thing I love most about Danesa is that they have everything any dressmaker needs: thousands of different fabrics in different colors and prints (cotton, wool, knits, faux furs, sportswear fabrics, etc.); any imaginable color of thread, ribbon, button, zipper; mannequins; hardware for sewing machines; beats for decorating; appliques; scissors; and the list goes on and on – they seriously have everything! Their wide selection allows me to quickly pick everything I need for the project, while big assortment of fabrics allows me to get lost there dreaming of what to make next.
I also like the staff there: not only are they friendly and helpful, but they are also very fast – though the store is always filled with people, I never had to wait longer than a minute to get my fabrics cut! Admitedly, it’s a very big plus (anyone likes to stand in lines? No? Thought so, same here).
As for the prices, I can put it like this: you can find some cheap fabrics, you can find some expensive fabrics and it all depends on what you want. My purchase basket ussually falls somewhere in between and I pay something like 11-15 Euros for a meter on average. I always leave happy with my purchase, so I would say it’s a fair price to pay for quality, good selection and helpful staff!
I know a picture says a thousand words, so I took a few photos of Danesa during my last trip there – let’s take a look around!
Couples of aisles in Danesa, heavily filled with fabrics – it’s just a part of what they have, as there are probably 12-15 aisles like these:
They carry a spectacular assortment of faux fur (took a photo of my favourite ones, too):
You should see the assortment for threads – it’s stunning! Two big walls of big cones, each around 2.5 meters high; five or six walls of regular threads – if you cannot find a matching thread there, I don’t where to look else!
And of course the zippers (just one aisle out of two made it to the photo, though):
Hopefully you liked this short review and I am glad I had a chance to share my favourite spot with you! Thank you Alex from Sewrendipity for the idea!
Best wishes, Julie