Q: Is there a place in Montreal which would sell left over bathing suit fabrics from brands like Nike, Speedo, Tyr, etc?

A: Yes, Les Textiles Bon-Mar ( 8448 boul. St-Laurent) sells new generation fabrics worn in athletics – swimwear, gymnastics, windsurfing, aerobics and also for theatrical events. Their products go from keeping you warm to cooling you off.

When Cirque du Soleil, figure skaters, dance schools and synchro teams need sequins, fringe, netting, jungle prints, holograms, tiaras, costume hats, etc., this is the place where they get it.

Other hard to find items are the Wonderflex and Fosshape for mask making, Scotchlite and high visibility fabric, reflective tapes and bejewelers for rhinestones and Swarovsky crystals. A new division called canucme.com offers luminescent T-shirts which light up in the dark, keeping you safe at night.    www.bon-mar.com

Also in my book is the Tyr Outlet, 160 St-Viateur E., suite 602  and you can ask them about leftover fabric

Q1: Today you want to talk about Montreal’s fabric district, where is it?

We are lucky in Montreal to have a fabric district. St Hubert Street, north of Jean-Talon, which has evolved from the 1940’s to the 90’s from a couple of stores to two dozen or more great places to find any fabric you could need. Where fashion fabrics once were its mainstay, nowadays with all our cocooning, the split is about 50% fashion fabrics and 50% for the home.

Q2: Who’s shopping here?

The typical buyers are fashion designers and design students, decorators with their clients and without clients (then they can charge much more because they can mark up more), theatrical productions, mothers of skaters and of course, you and me.

Q3: So this is where you would go to find fabrics if you want to have clothes made to fit you perfectly or if you are redecorating your home.

Outside of North America, it is still quite popular, no matter what the income bracket, to have your wardrobe made by the neighborhood seamstress. It makes life so much easier that way, and for those of you who hate to shop, this is the ultimate way to never have to buy clothes again. The clothing will always fit your body properly and you will have the colors or fabrics that you like. For your home this is a treasure trove of designs.

Q 3: If we don’t have the time or patience to go into all 2 dozen shops, can you give us some of the highlights?

Starting at Jean Talon and going north on St. Hubert, here is a small menu of what is sold in the fabric businesses on that street:

7186 – Ultratext (514-271-9929) – ribbons, boas, sequin trimmings, elastic, buttons, fringe, peacock feathers, beads, styrofoam balls, boxes of  zippers
7193/5 – Saratex/Sam – one side dedicated to home fabrics and the other side to fashion fabrics. With its very organized huge inventory chock full of a rainbow of colors and kind, you can find it all – including vinyl, beaded ones, bridal and tassels, and they also can make drapes and slip covers. On the 2nd floor there is a liquidation center with bolts as low as $2.99-$9.99 a meter.
7194 – Draperies Georgette (514-270-2045) – made-to-measure  draperies and bedspreads, upholstery, lace
7196 – Draperies St. Hubert (514-274-0364) – fabric for draperies, sheers, laces and made-to-measure
7207 – Myrlene Decor – sheers, cottons, panels, strings, valences, bedspreads made-to-measure
7234 – B.M.Z. (514-272-4334) – inexpensive fabrics and clothing
7254 – Textiles Debouk (514-276-3278) -this is the little store that grew, and it now encompasses enough floor space to satisfy most of your sewing needs. For re-upholstery, you can choose jacquard, moire and cottons, and pick up foam and Dacron for your cushions. For fashion sewing, the newest fabrics with lycra, stretch leathers, vinyl, and wools, Chinese silk, camouflage and netting and Italian light wools are all here, along with curtain panels, boas, buttons and a room of plastic coated textiles.
7282 – Goodman-Carlyle – Quality fabrics at very low prices (90% off) await you here amongst the 1,000’s of bolts in stock (and more in warehouse). The chock full selection for fashion, home and the theatre includes lots of  glitter and shine, there’s an upholstery room, another room of  woolens including cashmere,wool crepe,boiled wool and jacquards  from England, France and Italy. The rest of the store is full of  brocades, lames, lurexes and sequins and then velvets, Italian linen in all widths, cottons, silks, satins, taffetas, corduroys, nylon, stretch lace, fake fur, polar fleece, plasticized fabric, airfoam, and outerwear fabric all piled 10′ high.
7334 – Joliette Textiles (514-276-5444) – small, one aisle inexpensive fashion
7348 – Beads Planet (514-223-1000) – beads to make costume jewelry
7360 – Textiles Riatex (514-271-6050) – huge store full of fashion and upholstery
7361 – Textiles Couture Elle (514-271-1608) – imported fashion fabrics (related to 7399)
7363 – Rubans Boutons – endless display of buttons and 1,000’s of ribbons
7381 – Trim Cite (514-272-7733) – neat, lots of ribbons, beads, cord, appliques, collars, fringes, lace, sequins, tassels, beaded trim
7390 – A.C. Textile (514-279-6201) – 3 rooms lots of fashion fabrics
7399 – Tissus St-Hubert (514-277-5945) – spacious, airy neat, higher end lines (related to 7361)
7432 – Boutique Bilal (514-278-8007) – ribbons, lace trim and collars, all sizes of  zippers, buttons, interfacing, elastic, labels, fringe, boas
7442 – Tissus Tueni (514-277-4785) – neat, party fabrics, jacquards, wool, silk, laces, men’s suiting
7454 – Accessoires de couture St-Hubert (514-278-9416) – tons of trimmings, costume jewelry, buttons, zippers, appliqués, ribbons, large rolls of sewing machine thread
7479 – Fleche Verte (514-278-8507) – beaded trim, pearls for bridal, appliqués, button covering
7488 – Matar Textiles (514-277-6462) – fabric and trimmings, interlinings, buttons, zippers, closings, belt buckles
7498 – Decotec (514-927-5890) – upholstery, tassels, cord, sheers, drapes, foam, re-upholstery and shop-at -home available
7500 – C & M Textiles (514-272-0247) – granddaddy of street, middle to high end for fashion and home. Upon entering, you are assailed by the luscious selection for gowns and bridal wear: guipure, laces, taffetas, embroideries, organzas, silk shantung, tulle and netting. Then there’s silks, woolens, microfibers, linens and sequins. For upholstery and drapery, check out the racks of samples from the mills of Europe and the chenilles, velvets, damasks, tapestries, cotton prints, lace curtaining, ultra suede, outdoor fabrics, blinds & shades. cmtextiles.com
7515 – Le Marche de Textiles “Elzein” (514-271-6017) – fashion and curtains
7541 – Chaton Beads (514-278-8989) – beads, rhinestones, buttons, pearl trimmings, bridal headpiece parts, frogs, satin flowers, sea beads (see book listing for more details)
7609 – Kava (514-271-2888) – giant spools of threads, some notions, zippers, lace trim

Q1:  Fall is a time to start new hobbies, and with beaded jewelry all over the fashion pages, there’s been a huge resurgence in the desire to learn how to bead

For about last 7 years, the making and wearing of beaded necklaces and jewelry has been hot. Think about it, for both men and women, the adornment of beads for ornamentation goes back to ancient civilizations.

Besides the beauty of the beads and the finished items, “more and more people use it as a tool to relax”, says Ruth Shine, former owner of the grandmamma store of them all – the Bead Emporium – which had opened in 1974 (and recently closed). Beading can be repetitive, so it is soothing. It is also a hobby that doesn’t take up much space.

Q2:  Is it just beading necklaces, or are there other ways, this hobby is taking off?

– Beads are also moving out of the traditional stringing them on a string routine. For instance, they have been fashioned by Pandora in Denmark as charm bracelet items to be given one at a time for special occasions.
– Beads  are being used to make art cards.
– Beads can be a history or geography lesson, if you want to learn where they come from.
– Shine also uses beads as the theme of escorted vacation touring in Mexico.
– Rare bead specimens from all corners of the world are also bought and sold to collectors.

Q3:  Is it hard to do?  Where can we take lessons?

Bead Box, 17B Cartier Ave at Bord du Lac, Pointe Claire. Phone: 514-697-4224. Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a passion here for teaching beading, so that you too can create beautiful jewelry. For those who are looking for something special, it’s their unique beads and colors that follow the fashion trends which makes their customers happy.

This is the store which sells the Pandora charm bracelets from Denmark. You can add silver, gold, semi-precious and Murano glass beads to it. Beginner courses start at $40 (plus materials) for two hours, and then you can go on to crocheting with wire thread, wire wrapping and looping, peyote stitch and more. Looking at the rainbow wall of beads (natural, semi-precious, Swarovski, pearls, resin, silver) and displays of finished work which will entice you to sign up.

Club Bead +,  65 Cremazie Blvd. West at St. Laurent Blvd. Phone: 514-389-1616. Hours: Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This treasure chest is full of seed beads from China, Czech Republic fire polished ones, crystal beads (the whole line of Swarovski) along with wood, bone, horn, cat’s eye, golden coral and semi-precious stones in special shapes.

Titanium and aluminum jump rings in wild colors and colored copper wire can be purchased. The club has the largest selection of English and French books on beading, and offers workshops. The beginner artisan workshop lasts five weeks, and you learn the basics of beading and jewelry making for $125. Club membership is free with your first $100 purchase and after that, if you spend over $50 you’ll get your 30% discount.  www.clubbeadplus.com

Q4:  You always seem to find a place to buy it for less, do you have one for beads?

Frabels, 5580 Pare St. at Devonshire Rd. Phone: 514-842-8561. Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you’re into making jewelry, this wholesaler has sixty-four years of knowledge. Hy Stern started the business back in 1942 after being introduced to the Swarovski crystal beads by F.B. Allen, so they were the first to sell them here – and you can still check out their sparkling Swarovski wall.

Their airy bright new showroom is oriented to the retail trade (you must spend at least $200) and is packed with findings, beads, rhinestones, pearls, semi precious stones and resin beads for jewelry-making. All kinds of rhinestone trim, tools, chain, wire, leather cord, etc. are here along with catalogues you can look through to find exactly what else you might need.

You will discover things here that are not found in the other businesses mentioned – perhaps large crystal pendants, donuts (semi-precious discs) or even crystal chandelier components. www.frabels.com