Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market: Embroidery

Hyundaism B176

I found myself wandering around in Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market again today. As I was heading to my usual embroidery vendor on the 5th floor, I happened upon Hyundaism. This place is bursting with embroidery material!

It is the first embroidery vendor I've happened across that sells both Anchor and DMC brands of floss. For those who are starting serious projects, you can purchase floss in boxes of 12 as well. This stand was bustling with customers yet the staff was still very helpful. I may consider sticking with this one for my embroidery needs!

Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market: Embroidery Vendor

Art Cross Stitch: B5210

This little stand took some searching to find, but it was definitely worth it! Located on the 5th floor, Art Cross Stitch has everything you need to embroider. The couple who run the stand are very friendly, though their English is limited. You can find DMC 5 & 25 in the full range of colors here.

Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market: Finding A Vendor

This takes time. A lot of time. If you are going for the first time, make sure you have at least a couple hours to burn and comfortable shoes. The first time I went, I was completely overstimulated. The market is bustling with porters walking sideways in the narrow passages and shoppers negotiating prices. The best way to get a feel is to go in with a goal - so you don't lose focus and turn into a zombie - and to be keep an eye out for things that interest you. That being said, there is a general order to things, though don't expect everything to be divided neatly.

Right before entering the building, you may see a guide to the market. It lists only the floor and the approximate materials available on each, but it does help a bit. Here it is with my personal notes added in italics.

B1: thread, bedclothes, handicraft, curtains, crochet material, sewing essentials, canvas

1: bedclothes, handicraft, curtain, vessel (this turns out to be kitchenware), suiting

2: silk goods, curtains, fabric subsidiary materials, cotton, linen, blends

3 & 4: fabrics, stuff (yes, it actually says "stuff."), denim, satin, twill, muslin

5: clothing accessories, beads, jewelry making material, jewelry, felt, quilting material, artificial flowers, embroidery material, leather, belts

Once you've found a vendor that you like, make sure to take a business card. Keep track of which card is which by writing what you got at each store on its card. Even if you can't read the Korean, you can always show someone the card and ask for directions next time you go to the market!

Here's a sample of my growing collection:

Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market: Prep Work

The Fabric & Craft Market is really a crafty person's dreamland. You can pretty much find anything there, but it does take a little more elbow grease than going to your local Joann's. The best way to get what you need in a situation where the sheer volume of stuff is overwhelming and you don't speak the language, is to put in some good prep work. With a little preparation and determination, let the crafting begin!

Prep Tip #1: Bring a notebook and a pen
I am a big fan of nonverbal communication. My boyfriend hates it, but in situations where the parties involved don't have a common language, it works. Draw a picture or make a gesture. And don't be afraid to repeat yourself a few times. Persistence, it pays off.

My trusty notebook and pen.

Prep Tip #2: Bring a sample or at least a picture
The best thing to do is to bring a sample of what you want. Bring a scrap of the cloth you want, or a bit of the thread. If that's not an option, download a picture of what you want onto your handheld device. Just remember that the vendors can show you something that looks the same, but it's up to you to judge whether it has the right texture or weight.

Prep Tip #3: Translate your shopping list
Go online and get your list of materials translated into Korean.  Google Translate does a pretty decent job of this.

Some drawing that helped me communicate.

With these things together, you'll be as prepared as you can be! Onward to finding the right vendor!

Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market: Getting There

It was back to the Dongdaemun Fabric & Craft Market for some more crafting supplies yesterday. I picked up some more embroidery floss, some elastic, and some very cute pink felt. I really love this market that is just bursting with possibilities. Suddenly all the crafts that I have been thinking about seem at my fingertips! So I've decided to do a series of posts about the Dongdaemun Market in hopes that you all will be able to experience the joy too!

Getting There:

Dongdaemun Market is located northeast of the city center, right by Dongdaemun, or the Great East Gate. The area is chock full of wholesale markets, but I am focusing on one particular building which I will refer to as the Fabric and Craft Market. You can reach the market by subway (Line 1/Line 4, Dongdaemun stop, Exit 9) or by taxi. All taxi drivers know Dongdaemun.

When you come out of Exit 9, walk towards the building directly to your left. There are several entrances on this side of the building. 

View Dongdaemun Market in a larger map

Getting to the market is the easy part. The difficult part is finding the item you are looking for and communicating what you want. But don't worry, I'll walk you through it. 

Embroidered Rug

One of the many projects I have begun to pass the long afternoons when I'm not teaching privates is a rug that is supposed to lay out in the sitting area. I picked up the materials for this rug out in the fabric market by Dongdaemun. It started out very simple. I love the look of jute rugs like this one found at Ikea.

Tarnby, Ikea

It is just too expensive! So I found some woven hemp fabric, much like what I imagine sackcloth to be like, and bought enough to cover my small floor. The stand also sold some thick twill strips that you would normally find as handles for tote bags and bought enough to trim the fabric. Attaching the two turned out to be very simple with the help of a handy dandy hot glue gun. I simply laid out the fabric, right side up, put some newspaper under the area I was working on, and hot glued the border onto the fabric. The corners were a bit tricky, but if you leave a few extra inches on one of the strips that meets in the corner, you can fold it over neatly and it looks quite nice. 

On the underside, you can still see where some of the newspaper got stuck; but I don't think anyone is really going to flip a corner to scrutinize.

Unfortunately, the hemp is pretty slippery against my floor. While tackling that problem, I decided that the very simple rug might be too simple. Picking up some embroidery floss I had laying around, I took a needle to it and came up with this:

This warranted another trip to Dongaemun - which is fast becoming my favorite wonderland - and I'll be working away at this for quite some time. This is one of the projects that I most enjoy, though, and I can't wait to see it finished!