Crafters' delight

Los Angeles' Fashion District is the home of the largest selection of textiles and notions in the United States - or so it's claimed. Over 200 vendors selling everything from cheap polyester to the finest silks and leathers are concentrated in the blocks between Eighth Street and Olympic, along Maple Street, Wall Street and San Julian Street. Most vendors sell to both wholesale and retail customers, although they may require you to purchase a minimum amount of yardage.

On a clear spring day, you can stroll past bolts of fabric displayed on the sidewalk, brilliant in the sun. Everything displayed on the street is usually priced to sell.

These bolts of raw silk were priced at $5 a yard.

And how about these colors, at $1.50 a yard?

The day I went exploring, I didn't have a project in mind, so I wasn't buying. I'm thinking about a future upholstery project, so I checked out the Michael Levine upholstery fabric store.

Michael Levine has two stores across the street from one another on Maple. The one on the east side of the street has fabric for apparel and quilters; on the west side it's upholstery fabric and in the second floor loft, discounted polyester knits sold by the pound.

I still don't know what I want to do with my project, but I really liked this roll of cotton toile - on the discount table at $6.00 a yard.

They carried a lot of patterns of Sunbrella, fabric that resists fading from exposure to sun. They weren't on sale, but I thought it sounded like a pretty good buy at $18.00 a yard - wouldn't you like a slip cover or a set of cushions in one of these luscious tropical prints?

Levine also carries a great selection of polished cotton prints, like these.

I adore browsing through the stores that sell lace, braid, ribbon and other trims. Some of these shops are tiny, and crammed floor-to-ceiling with racks filled with spools of beautiful things. Some shops spill out onto the sidewalk, they have so much stock. Look at these selections:

Tempting, huh?

Back to upholstery fabric - these silks and damasks in pale blue and chocolate brown were pretty. Here a braid tie-back with a tassel shows how elegant this color combo can be.

Of course, there are lots of colors to choose from.

A coppery silk sheer.

Classic blue toile, chintz, or ticking.

There are stores here selling furniture, too - rococo and "Oriental" imports, some pretty, some hideous, and some over-the-top outrageous. Like this faux-victorian couch, clad in a tufted beige vinyl.

I'd never buy something like this, but with all those amazing fabric choices nearby, it got my creative juices flowing. Wouldn't it look cool upholstered in some of the patterns above? What fabric would you use to transform this ugly duckling into a swan?