Where in Scandinavia is the Selfish Seamstress headed? How bad will her jetlag be and how many times will she fall asleep in her all day meetings? Will she have time to go to Marimekko despite her all day meetings? Will she once again refrain from buying Pieni Unikko fabric on account of the fact that she doesn’t know how to handle the strong horizontal and vertical elements of the print in a garment she’d want to wear? Will she spend her entire three hour stopover in Frankfurt going to every newsstand looking for issues of Patrones and La Mia Boutique? How about on her return trip? How many fried muikku can she fit in her mouth at once? Why isn’t there an English Wikipedia page for muikku? Oh, I guess there is. Since when is “reindeer” just another word for caribou and why don’t they look anything like the animals that pull Santa’s sleigh? Will she be able to find the long skinny fruity licorice ropes that Dan wants even though she can’t even find a picture of them on the web? Is it going to be as freezing cold as it was last time she was there? Do any of you know of other good places for fabric in Helsinki?
Find out the answers to some (but not all!) of these questions and lots more about when the Selfish Seamstress brings you “The Selfish Seamstress: Helsinki Edition“! Just because she’s not sewing in Finland doesn’t mean she’s going to stop yapping.
[And, ugh. While I'm in transit and without means to engage in online blog warfare with my foes, can someone please head over to Male Pattern Suckness and kindly tell Peter that lies, libel, and polyester hair are all extremely unbecoming? Seriously, what is that guy's problem?? Maybe try to use the words "jerkface" or "doodyhead"? If anyone would be so kind as to defend my honor as a selfish b, that would be just super. Thanks!]
20 comments
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May 19, 2010 at 7:42 am
Danielle
Greetings Selfish Seamstress,
Regarding your internal strungle to refrain from purchasing the Pieni Unikko. I ask of you one simple question, why be good when it feels so good to be bad? Just buy it already, you know you want to. Then when you decided you should have left it behind you can send it to me and I will selfishly hoard it.
P.S. I have an award for you, so stop by my OneGreenTomato blog to pick it up! Eventhough sunshine is not really “SS” appropriate I have yet to come across a grumpy rain cloud, so sunshine and flowers it is. Just deal with it.
Danielle
May 19, 2010 at 7:56 am
Juliet
The main department store is open until about 8pm & has a food department, magazines & fabric.
May 19, 2010 at 8:12 am
Beangirl
Frankfurt main terminal, second floor, newstand that may or may not be above and/or below a McDonalds. They have much pattern magazines.
How’s that for vague, tantilizing helpfulness?
I aim to please.
May 19, 2010 at 8:53 am
Victoria
Dear Selfish Seamstress – just wanted to let you know that I made, and blogged about, my first coffee date dress and used one of your photos – I have credited you and linked to your blog. Hope that’s ok. And thanks for the great pattern!
Victoria
May 19, 2010 at 9:21 am
Justiina
My family’s been telling me that it’s summer there, suddenly, around and above 25 degrees Centigrade, so you shouldn’t be freezing. Although you never know how long it will last. You can find the liquorice on Kauppatori, the market place in the harbour. There’s a nice, very, very expensive fabric store on Pohjois-Esplanadi, near the Akateeminen Kirjakauppa (huge bookstore), you shouldn’t miss that! You can also get many international pattern magazines in Akateeminen Kirjakauppa.
May 19, 2010 at 11:10 am
Marita
As far as I know there is no such store on Pohjoinen Esplanadi anymore, there used to be years ago, actually about 10+ years ago.
However there is a great but very expensive fabric shop called Villisilkki (mainly insane expensive silks from around world) on Yrjönkatu and my faveorite store called Eurokangas (most of my fabrics are from them, they carry Armani, Cavalli, D&G etc. in knits and wovens) on Yliopistokatu.
You can find the Marimekko fabric in Stockmanns ( a department store).
Since you don’t have time to hop around the whole town, I suggest that you go to Stockmanns where you can find the Marimekko fabric and Patrones+La Mia Boutique and then head to the Eurokangas, they are both within a half a mile radius.
..and remember this is Helsinki, there is nothing really cheap in here, no 1.99 bargains but you will get your mags for sure.
May 20, 2010 at 8:51 pm
selfishseamstress
Ooh. I walked by Eurokangas today (it was already closed) and it looks delightful. Definitely on my list for Saturday afternoon! Thank you!
May 19, 2010 at 11:19 am
Bron
Well, it´s mainly furnishing fabrics but how about Finlayson? There are two in Helsinki: http://www2.finlayson.fi/myymalat
As for the unikko, well I made a simple stright dress out of the mini unikkon in red last year and it has had plenty of complements and that is with me not being as skilled a seamstress as you, so I would go for it.
May 19, 2010 at 11:43 am
Tasia
I have nothing to suggest but am dying to see any fabric you buy during your travels! Do share! (Photos, of course, we’d never expect you to share your FABRIC.)
May 19, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Hatty
Eeeh, girl, are you crazy? Watch out for all the ash!
May 19, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Sue
So jealous you are in Helsinki. Say good’ay to my cousin if you see her and I look forward to seeing what you get. I did manage to get magazines at Stockman’s when I was there, but can’t advise about fabric stores.
May 19, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Karen
You seem so lucky for someone who is sooo selfish! Hmmmm. I guess we can forget all about the good karma/bad karma debate. So, anyway, did you look at Maija Isola / Kristina Isola Madison, Wi. That fabric looks usable.
May 19, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Lily
Finland is not part of Scandinavia!
May 20, 2010 at 8:47 pm
selfishseamstress
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia
May 19, 2010 at 10:39 pm
anilin
Oh, if you should have more time, you should visit Marimekkos outlet store in Herttoniemi, Kirvesmiehenkatu 7. You can take the metro to Itäkeskus and walk 10 minutes and you are there. They can have really good fabric there for bargain prices.
May 19, 2010 at 10:49 pm
anilin
The nearest metrostation is Herttoniemi not Itäkeskus.
May 20, 2010 at 3:58 am
Martine
Dear Abby,
Is it just frikkin typical and selfish that SS goes to Helsinki and stops in Frankfurt without so much as a wave at Blighty? What do you think? Should I stop loving?
Signed,
Lovelorn in London
May 20, 2010 at 8:50 pm
selfishseamstress
Dear Lovelorn:
Why you gotta be that way? Come back to me, baby! Ditch that Englishman. You and I were meant to be together!
Love,
Selfish
P.S. Frankfurt and London are not that close to each other. But I wave at you every night in my dreams.
May 20, 2010 at 10:14 am
Shona
Lucky girl! Happy travels.
I know you have had disagreements with Male Pattern Boldness but I am sure that somehow you are going to get something out of it!
May 21, 2010 at 10:15 am
Miku
Tervetuloa Helsinkiin! Welcome to Helsinki!
Thank you for all the good ideas, here are a few tips to get around.
You will find the licorice ropes at the Helsinki market, Kauppatori. Ask for “Metrilaku”. Try Google also, you will find some pictures at least.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104860555224988830776.0004871d8f328a54c63a9&ll=60.16759,24.952596&spn=0.002306,0.008256&z=18
The city center has one big fabric store, Eurokangas
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104860555224988830776.0004871db6e31ba6c2e69&ll=60.169834,24.946861&spn=0.009222,0.033023&z=16
You should go to Stockman, the biggest department store in Helsinki. Finnlayson is a Finnish brand (like Marimekko) that has fabrics which are a bit more toned but are as “Finnish”
Hope you have a nice stay!