N.Y. Elegant Fabrics 222 West 40th Street nyelegantfabrics.com Although less than ten years old, this store has an enormous collection of fabrics, in mountains piled over ten bolts high. The owners travel everywhere looking for the most beautiful and also the most unique yardage. The most exquisite fabrics here can be priced at $200/yd plus.
Food Match: Head a few blocks east to the Bryant Park Café, which sits in the shadow of the N. Y. Public Library, and soak up the atmosphere looking out at the park. Or, if it’s chilly, keep heading east to Grand Central Station and try the oysters at the famed Oyster Bar.
308 Canal Street pearlpaint.com Located in Chinatown, this store has five floors of discounted art supplies. There are rooms for specialty papers and watercolors, walls of markers and paints, and shelves of instructional and blank books. Behind the main store are the Frame Shop and a Home Decor & Craft Center. They have a wonderful selection of color sample paints, not only the chips but also small jars for testing or using on a small project.
Food Match: Have dim sum (Chinese brunch) in one of the restaurants nearby. If you’re veggie, play it safe at Vegetarian Dim Sum House ( vegetariandshouse.com) on Pell Street.
464 Broome Street kiteyany.com A favorite of mine is this beautiful Japanese shop; all items in the store, including the architecture, are made by Japanese craftsmen. A feast for the eyes and an inspirational experience, Kiteya’s craft supplies include washi and origami papers, fabrics, ribbons, handmade glass beads, and scarves for wrapping your special gifts in traditional Japanese style. They also carry handcrafted purses, painstakingly created using a traditional technique of multicolored dyeing and gilding. They also have occasional demonstrations covering traditional Japanese crafts.
Food Match: Since you’re in SoHo, have a drink and steak frites at Balthazar ( balthazarny.com) and imagine you’re in 1940s Paris. Afterward, stroll over to Sullivan Street and check out Purl SoHo for knitting supplies.
Diana Eng is a fashion designer who designs with technology. Known as the “fashion nerd” from Project Runway: Season 2, her interest in sewing began at an early age, when she created stuffed animals with her grandmother. populartransit.com
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