Delectable Mountain Cloth

Ever since my first visit to this store a couple of years ago, I have been dreaming of going back...

And dreaming of getting to photograph the store for you because it's so wonderful...

Luckily, I planned a considerable detour on our drive back home from Maine so I could do just that.

Destination?  Delectable Mountain Cloth in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Listen, it doesn't matter where you live or how far you have to travel.  This place is worth the trip.

And Brattleboro is a charming, artsy mill town on the banks of a river.

Packed into this one beautiful store is the most exquisite and unique fabrics and embellishments that I've ever seen compiled in one location.

Every now and then, I will travel to New York's Garment District to do some specialty shopping.

But this place beats New York for quality, selection, desirability and personal touch...

That's due to the exquisite taste of the owner, Jan...

She's passionate, lovely and tireless in her pursuit of the world's most beautiful textiles.

Jan used to work in the garment district in New York and has a practiced and discerning eye.  All of the fabrics in her shop are made with natural fibers.

I'm not kidding.  This place is a destination in and of itself...

Taffeta, velvet, peau de soie, organza, brocade, faille, tulle...all in silk.

In every color of the rainbow...

Her selection of whites and ivories is unparalleled.  And the sheers!

Still my beating heart...

Should I ever be considering making a dress for a wedding or special occasion, I would make a trip here first.

And I haven't even mentioned the laces...

And the buttons...

All laid out by color...

Each in their own little antique salt dish...

Jan also sells the most beautiful scarves and jewelry, all unique and of the highest quality...

She is a treasure hunter extraordinaire and goes out of her way to find and buy the most precious bits of loveliness...

But they don't last long.

Some of the country's best quilt artists, doll makers, milliners, and costume designers are only too aware of her discerning eye and travel from all over to make buying trips to her store.

If you live close by, there is a 20% sale currently going on for walk-in customers...she just bought soo much silk that she has to make room in the store for it.

If you can't visit in person but are still looking for something special, you can call her directly.  She often sends me supplies and fabrics by mail.  Her service is exceptional and she will send snips of this or that for me to evaluate.

She also sells these pre-packaged quilt bundles of superlative splendor...

I have never been disappointed in the quality or quantity I have received for the price.

In fact, I wrote a blog post about a few of her quilt packages I purchase before here.
Exquisite.  Exquisite.  Exquisite.

And no, I wasn't paid by Jan in any way to say all this delectable things about her shop and her services.

I just really believe that it is getting harder and harder to find high quality supplies.

My local "great" fabric store has increasingly reduced its line of finer fabrics...even my trips to New York are turning up fewer options.

I was looking for a silk brocade as a backing for a special embroidery and went to Mood Fabrics in NYC thinking they would have a huge selection.

Hardly anything.  Jan had more options than all the stores I visited in NYC combined~

And I just want her business to thrive.

I need her.  We all do.

You can visit her website here though she readily admits that she's not as website savvy as she'd like to be.  That's part of her charm.  It's best to call her directly, (802) 257-4456, and get that good, old-fashioned personal customer service that also seems to be fading from our modern life.

She's great at that.

Happy Monday everyone!