Toronto = crafty

Being a crafty gal myself, I know I have many crafty friends reading this who are heading to Toronto in just a few. short. weeks (!!!) I haven't done a thorough research of every little crafty detail there, but I want you to know: Toronto = Crafty.

If you enjoy fabric, head to Queen Street West. There are several blocks from Spadina to Bathurst where there are tons of fabric stores. You'll find everything from home dec to fashion to quilting fabrics. There are also several stores selling notions, beads, and buttons. I wish we had a district like this in SF. I don't have specific links, but just go down there, start heading down the street and you'll see the fabric stores.

There are also many shops for the yarn lovers. If you're on Queen Street checking out the fabric stores, stop in at Romni Wool -- they have a huge supply of yarns and they're having a big sale for the month of July. (Danger! Danger!) There is also Americo -- they make their own hand-dyed and hand-spun yarns. Gorgeous stuff.

Your friend Google can help you find additional yarn stores in the area, but one great place to look is the Yarn Harlot's Toronto Yarn Crawl post, which includes reviews and photos of the shops.

If you like paper crafting, check out The Paper Place -- it's also on Queen Street West, but further down. Either take a long walk, or hop on the street car that goes down Queen. If you have the public transit Day Pass, just show that to the driver and you're good to go.

In addition to shops, there is the Textile Museum of Canada. My mom and I went there last month and really enjoyed the exhibits (and gift shop!) there. If you've got a bit of time to spare and you like textiles (fabric, yarn, clothing, thread, etc -- it's quite comprehensive), I would recommend it. It's near the corner of Dundas and University -- about a mile's walk from the Hockey Hall of Fame area (in the direction of Queen St. W, if you were already over that way) or take public transportation to the St. Patrick station (map here).

A good resource for check out other crafty goings on in Toronto is Toronto Craft Alert. They have crafty happenings listed there, as well as links to many crafty shops (selling both supplies and handmade goods).

Sorry this post is not a more comprehensive guide, but, um... wow! We're getting married in less than 3 weeks! Just wanted to give the crafty peeps the heads up: There is much craft to be found in TO!
-kelly