The Who and the Why of The Drapery

Hi there! We're Fiona and Jane, proprietors of The Drapery, a bricks-and-mortar fabric and haberdashery shop in Adelaide, South Australia, opened in April 2013.

308A Glen Osmond Rd, Fullarton SA 5063

We met when our children went to the same local school and kindy. We also connected through the world of blogging. Fiona was one of Australia's crafty blogging pioneers with Hop Skip Jump, and her book of toy making by the same name was published by Penguin in 2011. Jane was a relative blogging newcomer with Lempo Bee, which she started in order to share her sewing (mainly clothing) with the online community.

We soon discovered a shared passion for sewing and using natural and sustainable materials to create things of lasting quality. A casual conversation about our 'dream fabric store' turned into a plan, and after many, many cups of tea and months of research and investment, The Drapery was born. After all, no-one else in Adelaide seemed to be about to open that dream shop for us!

We believe there is a rising wave of people committed to reducing their environmental footprint. Good people are thinking twice about mass-produced, disposable clothing, toys and home textiles. We feel there is a resurgence of interest in home sewing and crafting. When people take a close look at the workmanship and materials in mass-produced goods, they will realise that with a little practice, they can actually do a lot better and make something far more meaningful. Something beautiful, made of natural materials, that will provide pleasure or service for a long time. And when its lifetime is over, can naturally decompose rather than becoming landfill.

Of course, terms like 'eco-friendly' and 'sustainable' are much bandied about and open to interpretation. However, we feel that every step in the right direction is a worthwhile step. So whilst some of our cottons are not organic, and some of our tools are plastic, and there's even a worthy argument for using no new fabric at all, if you dig too far it is easy to feel overwhelmed, shrug your shoulders and make no changes at all.

So go on. Sew something. Enjoy a beautiful, flowing cotton voile. Snuggle under a quilt made with pure new Australian wool batting. Make a beloved soft toy with corn-fibre stuffing. Use a pattern by a talented independent designer. Wear linen and hemp because they are more sustainable as well as texturally divine. It all helps. And it makes your life lovelier, too.

- Jane & Fiona
xx