January 30, 2020

We're in for a treat this week!

While "Pearl" fusses over the exact amount of above-belt blousing needed in the bodice for our COMING SOON new FREE pattern for subscribers, "Lee" is taking over newsletter duties — with an account of local fabric shopping, doll sightings and other travel goodies in JAMAICA!

That's Jamaica, the tropical island and not Jamaica, Queens — which might also have interesting fabric stores but far fewer charming beaches, particularly in January.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Did you know that Lee's husband is half-Scottish and half-Jamaican, and has family in both places?

Recently, Lee and her husband and son visited the Jamaican half of the family, spending a week at Moon Palace Resort in the small, north coast city of Ocho Rios.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

The resort was very nice, as you can see. But it's also right in the city, so a little off-site exploring was in order. And with Pearl sending helpful search results by text message every hour or so, that exploration was likely to include…

Shopping for fabric in Jamaica!

Let's get the story in Lee's own words —

Lee & Pearl patterns and fabric

Hi guys! Lee here.

I am thrilled to report that home sewing is quite popular in Jamaica. Just walking around, I spotted sewing machines set up on verandas, and sewing machines advertised as rewards in supermarket incentive plans. Doesn't that sound like a great incentive to shop?

There are also, according to the web, many fabric stores on the island. There appears to be something like a garment district on Princess Street in the capital, Kingston. But even in far away, sleepy Ocho Rios, I was able to find two fabric stores within easy walking distance of the hotel.

Here's the first — this is Ping's.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Ping's is a good-sized and well organized store, part of a small local chain. It occupies the second floor of the Champion Plaza and sells decorator fabrics and household linens as well as fashion fabrics (Pings's, Champion Plaza, Ocho Rios, 876-616-0564).

At the front of the store, they have bins of discounted remnants — and just like you, I find a discount bin hard to resist, even when on vacation with limited luggage space.

With Pearl live on Facetime helping to choose, we settled on six yards of this luscious "shattered glass" holographic pattern raspberry/purple lycra blend swimsuit fabric, which was only J$150 per pound. That worked out to about $12 (US) for the whole piece!

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

The second shop, Unique Fabrics & Accessories, is on the first floor of the Ocean Village Shopping Centre, next to a useful supermarket (Unique Fabrics & Accessories, Ocean Village Shopping Centre, Ocho Rios, 876-346-8020).

Unique is a much smaller store than Ping's, but it specializes in fashion fabrics — our favorites!

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

The selection at Unique is lovely, with textiles I wish we could find at the average JoAnn back in the states. The prices were comparable to American prices, so this is a fairly upscale local store.

We were absolutely out of space in our luggage at this point, but I was sorely tempted by these beautiful British tropical weight wool suitings, which would have been lovely for doll clothes. Maybe on the next visit!

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Lee & Pearl PDF Patterns for 18 Inch Dolls

Along with fabric shopping, one of my favorite things to do when traveling is visiting the local supermarkets.

If you find yourself looking for groceries in Ocho Rios, there are two American style supermarkets near the resorts: General Foods, in the Ocean Village Shopping Centre next to Unique Fabrics, and the even newer Progressive Foods a few blocks further away in the 8 Rivers Town Centre (that one is a taxi ride from the resort).

Here's a pro-tip: if you want to buy jerk seasoning or Blue Mountain coffee — and you do — they are cheaper at the local supermarkets than at the resort gift shops. Just be sure to put your spices and coffee in your checked bags as the carry-on rules are super strict at the airport.

And here's a necessary word of advice when exploring any country — or city — you are unfamiliar with: take precautions and stay alert. It's fun to get away from the all-inclusive resorts for a day, but do a little urban research first, go with friends and keep your eyes open.

Lee & Pearl PDF Patterns for 18 Inch Dolls

Dolls in the Mountains!

Along with exploring Ocho Rios, we also took a trip into the Jamaican interior to visit Bob Marley's birthplace and burial site at Nine Mile.

I do have to issue a mild warning about this site — it's run by the Rastafarians, and is the first museum where I was ever offered marijuana as part of the tour.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

My husband's maternal grandmother came from the same cluster of small mountain villages, so this was also a trip to show our son where his father's family came from.

The drive up from the coast is dramatic, rising 3,000 feet up into the mountains through forest and meadow and small towns on a narrow and winding road. Our driver was great, and so was our local tour guide!

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

The Bob Marley birthplace has been built up into a little complex, with restaurants and gift shops and both his and his mother's tombs.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Marley's childhood home is also preserved, and for sewists and doll-lovers it contains a sweet and unexpected surprise — dozens and dozens of Jamaican art dolls!

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Bob Marley's mother, Cedella Malcolm Marley Booker, was a doll artist who supported herself, both in Jamaica and later in Delaware, by making these beautiful heritage dolls.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

The museum displays dozens of the dolls, as well as two of Cedella's sewing machines — both a treadle machine and the more modern electric machine that she used after electricity was expanded into the mountain villages in the 1970s.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

This was truly a delightful place to visit. Wouldn't it be lovely if more museums placed the objects on which the art was MADE right next to the art? (And then maybe sold versions of those objects in the gift shops...?)

We’ve got a newsletter treat this week! Join Lee in JAMAICA as she goes fabric shopping in Ocho Rios and finds sewing machines — and beautiful dolls — in the mountains at the Bob Marley birthplace museum.

Well that's all for this newsletter. Lee and her family are back at home now, planning crafts and looking forward to spring!

And Pearl is still fussing with that bodice.

See you next time!

Lee & Pearl PDF Patterns for 18 Inch Dolls

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