Haberdashery and cake? Sign me up!

On a tip off from "Katy Who Knows Literally Everything" at my day job, I wandered down Essex Road, Islington on Friday and found Ray Stitch. A place where pleasant folk hang out, it turns out. Behind the counter, or drinking lattes outside in the morning sunshine, everyone was super cheery and just lovely friendly.



And of course, the winning combo of cake and haberdashery cannot be beaten. Thrilled to have another sewing mecca so close to home. However, due to vast quantities of champagne drunk last weekend I am seriously broke, so I couldn't buy anything.







They stock some very lovely organic cottons, a good range of useful haberdashery and the usual Amy whatserface quilting cottons (can take or leave them if I'm prefectly honest) but they also had that very cool sewing utility brand Merchant & Mills.



The packaging is just heavenly. I love the graphic black and white and utility feel. So much craft stuff is girly and twee and this is brilliantly masculine and I was tempted to buy and just display the packaging at home. Alas, that will have to wait until pay day.

The brand came onto my radar just the other day when I stumbled upon Not Another Bill; an excellent idea to have a bit of creative stimulation through your letter box every month. The idea is that you pay £15 a month and get sent something gorgeous. Check it out, past presents have looked amazing. I reckon it would make a lovely gift for someone for 6 months or so. Just lovely.