Fabric-a-brac

A fabric-lovers weekend in Palmerston North

Fabric-a-brac is now a great excuse to get out of Wellington. Grab some girlfriends, raid your coin jar and head on up to Palmerston North to grab some fabric bargains, clean out the local op shops and have a great catch up over some yummy food and coffee. It’s only two hours away (unless you get distracted by the seconds shopping in Otaki).

Here’s some ideas – and I’ve even done a wee fabric-a-brac Google Map

All of the below suggestions except the Herb Farm are no more than 5 min drive from the fabric-a-brac venue.

Shopping delights

Palmy has a disproportionate amount of second-hand and charity shops where you can pick up some real gems. Arohanui Hospice, Red Cross, Salvation Army and a huge SaveMart– they’re all here. See the map for more.

Recyling Boutique on The Square sells second-hand designer and vintage clothing. Lovely staff and a buyer with a sense of discretion mean I rarely leave this shop without having bought something.

Green Hub – brilliant recycled furniture for sale and stock up on environmentally-friendly products.

If you are desperate to buy more fabric The Cloth Shop 48 Victoria Ave has an amazing selection of very cool fabric. Needlecraft does too, and also has all sorts of accessories. 600 Main St, PNorth. Both have classes as well. There’s a big Bernina shop too which sells lots of cotton, sewing machine accessories and parts and do sewing machine maintenance.

My favourite street in Palmerston North is George St. It is short, but it’s lovely, all wrought iron detail and tucked-away little boutiques. It has a lovely little bookshop and some great clothes stores.

Lovely eateries

George St runs into Cuba St, although far from the bohemian Wellington version, it has a Café Cuba that has pretty good coffee and a yummy menu. If you are REALLY on a girlie trip though, you can’t go past Alexandre’s Patisserie and Chocolaterie. I can recommend the Pain au Chocolat myself. You even get a “Bonjour” when you arrive.

Getting crafty

If all the crafty-ness of fabric-a-brac gets your creative juices flowing, why not organize a sess at the Bead shop in George St – come away with your own creations or just marvel at the collection of lovely beads and dream up crazy projects.

Yes, you can get a GREAT coffee

When your poor tired feet need a break from all that shopping, there’s a few good cafes in Palmerston. Great food, ice cream and coffee to be had lovely old building in Victoria House Esplanade Cafe

The Herb Farm café is a wonderful spot about ten minutes out of town. They have an awesome range of beauty products made right there out of all natural ingredients and the café is set in lovely gardens. If you’ve got a group of people you can book a therapeutic body product workshop.

And tea

A café called Barista has just started a high tea on a Sunday. Seems a wee bit odd to me, a café focusing on coffee focusing on tea, but anyway, it is meant to be great, and a good thing to do with a group – booking is a good idea. Entertainment as well. Barista won the NZ Cafe Magazine Award for Best Cafe 2010 Manawatu.

In the evening

Palmerston North’s Centrepoint Theatre is actually the only professional theatre in New Zealand to operate outside the four main centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Te Manawa museum and gallery