One visit: 2.5/5 The…read morecloth shop is small but stuffed with fabrics. I just wanted a simple off-white cotton and the owner helped me find something suitable. She cut me a generous metre and the price was low so I was very pleased. The HUGE disadvantage: they keep a dog - INSIDE the shop. I don't mind dogs, but I am incredibly annoyed that I am now picking black dog hairs from my fabric. Many people have dog allergies, so it is not only unprofessional but inconsiderate to allow the cloths to be contaminated with dog hair. I am not sure whether I will use the Cloth Shop again due to this dog hair issue, which is a real shame as it is local and the staff were knowledgeable and helpful.

This is a great resource for your fabric needs - and then some. Not only does this shop - which…read morehas been around for 15 years - sell a wide range of special linens by the meter, they also stock stacks of blankets and other fabric furnishings. There are antique welsh, alpaca and gorgeous baby blankets alongside indian silk shawls and lambswool, cashmere and merino wool throws. Their Hungarian grain/flour sacks - in lovely chunky textured linen - and sets of antique linen tea towels always catch my eye.

I can;t fault this place…read more The staff have always been wonderful, whether I've been in there for business or just for me. They have such an extensive range of fabrics, cottons, synthetics, silks. I've come away with so many samples for clients in the past, because they have just so much choice. Rolls, and stands, and so so well organised. Upstairs they have trims, zips, all sorts, you can literally buy everything you need in a one stop shop sort of way, without being limited for options. They are also the sort of wonderful shop, that if they haven't got it (which is rare) they aren't scared to send you elsewhere, with knowledge and directions. Just lovely.

The shop is hiding in Poland Street just off of Oxford St. and saved the delusional Halloween quest…read morethat i throw myself into every year when i decide to make an awesome costume by myself. Usually i'd know where to go and be sorted suite easily, but since i moved from Paris to London i'm always lost when it comes to find good and affordable specialised shops. A quick look on Google and there i am, going to Macculloch & Wallis one day before said Halloween (wouldn't be fun it it weren't last minute). The shop seems quite small but only because it is full of fabric rolls from floor to ceiling. In the middle a staircase leads to the basement where you'll find the haberdashery. It is quite complete and i found everything i needed. Back to the street floor i ask the vendors for advice as i didn't want to lose time going threw everything myself. They were very helpful and sorted me in 10 minutes with every type of fabric i needed. They even took into account that i was making a Halloween costume and referred me affordable pieces of material that matched my desires. All in all, i had everything i needed 20 minutes after i walked in, and i REALLY appreciate efficiency. If you're looking for anything related to sewing and DIY clothing or accessories, this is the place and it is a very good place.

Isn't flock wallpaper really fun, wouldn't it be nice to go and see some "modern flock wallpaper",…read moreyou know, traditional but with heroin addicts hidden in the pattern and stuff, wouldn't it be great to pay lots of money for that and for it to actually be rather, well, underwhelming and a bit basic, as though sketched by a slightly disabled child. Erm, not really. Updating traditional works but when done with a skill. Unfortunately this is all a bit crude, a modern FCUK equivalent. Price - £100s per m

Timorous Beasties is a gorgeous little shop tucked away on Amwell Street, selling beautiful…read morehand-printed fabrics and wallpapers to order. The designs are have a feeling of Victorian grandeur but with a quirky and original modern twist, making you look twice to appreciate the pattern. It's not cheap to order from here but the results look striking. The store is small with only one shop assistant who is helpful, knowledgeable and not at all pushy- and she makes a mean cup of tea. Definitely worth a visit if you're refurbishing your home.

Dear Zara Home, Why…read moreoh why don't you have a store in the USA? I had to travel allllll the way to London to visit you! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I did, but 3000 miles is a bit far to travel for home accessories. And your accessories are beautiful, so of course I want some! And being in your store just confirmed this. You had shelves full of squishy pillows, fluffy blankets, boxes for trinkets, elegant picture frames and an entire wall of colorful glassware. I loved just about everything you had for sale. Please please please open a store in the US, specifically NYC, and I promise I'll shop there regularly. :-) Your American friend, Alyssa P

One of my friends has just had a baby and I've been searching for a cuddly toy for her baby. For…read morethose of you who read my reviews and look at my profile pictures or lists, you'll know that I have high standards for cuddly toys. Having failed to find a suitably cute and squishy cuddly companion for my friend's baby at the usual toy and baby shops, I was starting to feel disheartened when I walked past this branch of Zara Home on Regent Street. Sitting in the window was the cutest little cheeky monkey waving at me. It was love at first sight. Walking into the store, I caught a most wonderful smell - they had samples of home fragrances out on display. The shop was light and airy with the stylish goods laid out in a tempting fashion. If I was furnishing a home, this would be heaven. Monkey was just as cute in my hands as in the shop window and while not cheap at £20, he will make someone a good lifetime companion.

Hub is a bit pricey, but has a good collection of accessories and clothes. I love the shoes and…read morebags in here, though I always find something I like, I often force myself to walk out as its pretty much out of my budget. It never stops me from looking though! They have a sale on every summer, which is probably one of the best shopping highlights of the year. Everything in the store is usually half price or less. I got a great pear of jeans that are like a second skin by now. I love the earrings in here too. Try to look, but be warned, its hard to walk away!

Hub is a great little boutique for stylish, simple day wear from some cool brands. Catering to a…read morefairly broad spectrum of ages, you could happily shop here any time from your 20s to your 50s although probably most happily and extensively around the 30-something mark. There are also great accessories and jewellery and staff are friendly and helpful. They also do some attractive and inventive window displays at different times of year.

If IKEA had a threesome with Bed Bath and Beyond and The Container Store, this would be their…read morelovechild. From housewares and apparel to bedding and even prepackaged food, this place has it all. This particular store is three floors. The first floor has candles, scented oils and aroma diffusers, cosmetic and travel containers, bath and skincare products, writing instruments, acrylic photo and document frames, and various travel necessities including packing cubes and suitcases. The bottom floor contains housewares such as cooking utensils, bedding, and even prepackaged food. The top floor had a small variety of clothing and apparel. I was elated to sign that this shop carried something I've been looking for for a long time: makeup blotting papers. As someone with oily skin, these are a necessity. Before departing for London, I checked all of my favourite cosmetics stores and no one seemed to have them in stock. Thankfully, the shop has plenty, although I would hardly think to look for them in a place like this. If you love writing instruments as much as I do, be sure to spend a little time with the writing tools. They have a wide variety of ink colors, pen sizes, and pen styles to fit every hand. There are even basic fountain pens and fancy mechanical pencils in stock.

As much as I love all thing Muji (I mean... they're Japanese! How could anyone not love Keroppi,…read moreNintendo, or Vampire Hunter D?)... ... I've gotta say that I still feel gouged every time I make a purchase here. A silicone ice-baller for whisky for £7.50 and basic bento sets running close to £25 make my wallet sad. Still, their simple clean designs and the obvious utility of each product can't be argued with. If nothing else, I can be sure that the numerical figure that comes after the currency symbol will be less than the translated number in Yen. Le sigh.

This store is middle age signed, sealed and delivered in one room. I don't even know what half the…read morestuff they sell is, but I found myself, literally minutes away from Christmas, neck deep in a credit crunch and scrabbling around trying to buy an £18 colander. They do sell lots of lovely house hold bits and bobs but until I have a house, Labrador and a child called Mimi Fifi Orchid Clooney (a girl can dream) I wont be buying anything from here. It's a personal thing, possibly connected to being a huge consumerist ass hole whilst having a huge problem with consumerism. For me, buying a £300 pair of shoes is wrong but necessary, where as buying two plain white enamel breakfast bowls for £16 seems ridiculous. I am aware that this statement is ridiculous in itself, in fact, I just don't want to talk about it anymore. I will say though, that this shop is lovely, but I prefer Ikea.

I've been meaning to visit Labour and Wait ever since I read an article sometime ago in The…read moreGuardian profiling couples who had started up new and innovative businesses in the East End, and the L&W concept really struck a cord. You can be assured the new shop in Redchurch Street sells the same functional products for the kitchen, home and garden as the existing shop on Cheshire St, however I believe L&W are moving from Cheshire St to Redchurch St in the not-too-distant future. For too long, consumers have been lulled into a false sense of security with large, "convenient" hardware stores such as Homebase and B&Q etc. who unfortunately have, over the years got away with cheap replicas of good quality homeware goods. L&W moves away from this methodolgy and focuses fully on sustainable goods made in enamel, stainless steel and wood, rather than plastic and throw-away alternatives. The shop is minimalist in style, but all the products are displayed in a creative and alternative way, which I'd liken a little to the layout of Muji stores. As most shoppers today, I am mindful of what I buy having an effect on our environment and planet, but love L&W's ethos. I especially love the enamel kitchen sets, glass jugs, butter dishes and stainless steel buckets and watering cans. True classics! Now, don't get me wrong, you can't get anywhere near the vast selection (though often poor and low quality) of hardware and homeware products from L&W that you get in chain hardware stores, but what you do get (as the blackboard outside the shop and web home page state!) is "high quality, traditional goods for the home", with the added bonus of browsing a low-tech shop and experiencing a low stress retail experience. Now that has to be worth a trip to Shoreditch any day of the week!

The name of this place, and the shop itself, would undoubtedly make as many people go 'urrrgh!' as…read moreit would 'aaah!' but it's definitely useful if you want a last-minute mini-gift, or stocking filler, with a high cuteness quotient. The small fake-fur inhabitants here are just £4. Most little girls (and some larger ones) would fall head-over-heels for the baby pink leopard. Sporty boys would enjoy the snowboarding bear or the England rugby frog. If you desperately need a new outfit (!) for your favourite fake-furry friend you'll be spoilt for choice here.

Written by my 11 year old daughter!…read more I absolutly love it here but when I want to buy something I can't buy it because it is far to expensive and then when I do buy it ,it is rubbish it dosn't fit or it breaks. I thought that they wanted to make children happy but all they do is make children cry because thier item that they saved up for has broken.