apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Try the Discount Fabric Warehouse at 2121 21st Street in down south in Pilsen/Little Vilage. Huge selection of garment and decorating fabrics at super-low prices. I haven't shopped anywhere else since I found them.
Two items of note: they are not open Saturdays and you don't get pricing until you get to the cutting table.

Does anyone know anything about a garden store or nursery on Grand near Western? It looks rather large so I'm assuming it has a good selection, I'm wondering about prices. I've only seen it driving by...

Hello!
What a great blog...
One question: what are the good stores for buying fabrics in Chicago? Something with discount fabrics and lots of remnants would be good!
Thanks!
Ana

Fishman's Fabrics on canal (I think) Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt... That whole area has quite a selection of fabric warehouses...

Yes! Grand St. Gardens. Prices are pretty average in my opinion. Everyone who works there is friendly & knowledgable & their selection is decent. I took a container gardening seminar one Saturday a couple years ago and it was $20 and outstanding. Check them out!

I have a big lumbering dresser that I love for sentimental reasons, but seriously dislike for visual ones. It's solidly made, but it's covered in some sort of wanna-be-wood laminate.

I'd like to paint it a soft silver color, so I bought a silver shimmer paint. Should I prime it first? Also, how (or with what) do I paint so that it doesn't leave brush strokes?

I'm decluttering. Does anyone have any advice on where to donate books?

does anyone know where to get any alexander calder merchandise? I am looking for home versions of his mobiles (can be paper, aluminum, anything, just cheap).

johanna:
AT:NY did a post on mobiles that are totally Calder inspired. Just go to AT:NY and search for Julie Firth.

The "museum of modern design" section on Amazon has a very cute Calder inspired stabile (tabletop mobile). Click on my name for the link.

Alyssa,

I recommend the public library or you can contact a hospital to donate to the patients' book cart. A couple years ago I donated a load of books to UIC Hospital.

Alyssa,

Local libraries accept donated books for their stacks or they will occasionally sell donated books to raise money.

Areas hit by last years hurricanes are still trying to rebuild their libraries. There are also several programs that accept book donations for U.S. soldiers stationed overseas or for children of service people. There are also programs that give books to prison inmates.

click on my name for book donations!

http://deweydonationsystem.org/

Johanna -- many museums with strong modern art collections (especially museums with a calder piece on display) carry these mobiles and others like them:

http://tinyurl.com/hlmdx

this one is from the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, which just happens to be the place i first saw these. i wouldn't be surprised if the Art Institute or other Chicagoland museums carried something similar. these are in the children's section of the Met's shop, and if i remember correctly they also have variations with elephants and other more kid-friendly figurative themes. But the abstract ones would be lovely in a space designed for any age.