This place was one of my favorite new discoveries in New York: Pearl River Mart. (Many thanks to Nicole for the suggestion! This and many other great New York suggestions!) This place is also located in Soho, at 477 Broadway, really close to Purl Soho. (If you are going to New York, Purl has this really cute map of Soho featuring some of the highlights close by.)
UPDATE: Pearl River Mart has moved to a new location! Check out their Facebook page for info and address.
This store was so much fun! Full of tons of fabulous imports from China.
Awesome collection of funky, nylon shopping bags. My favorite was this kitschy "First Lady of Fabulous" with Michelle Obama on a swing next to a cutesy deer with the White House floating away on a parachute. You can order a First Lady of Fabulous bag for yourself at the Pearl River website. By the way - the Pearl River website is amazing. It has all their amazing stuff at great prices, is really well organized, and just may test your will-power. I'm excited about it because I loved all the paper lanterns they carried, but worried about getting them home without getting them ruined. Now I'll just order online when I want some!
Another favorite thing for me was their ginormous collection of rice bowls. Why do I love these so much? Maybe it's just their endearing, petiteness. The children's collection was adorable. I loved this little froggy guy.
Their fabric collection: lots of incredible Chinese silks. Also (top left-hand) rolls of great oil cloth prints. I was sorely tempted, until I remembered I had only brought one carry-on size suitcase.
But, I didn't walk away totally empty-handed. Too many fun, cheap things, like fans for my girls, or rubber, squirting puffer fish for my boys. And I succumbed to some of those pretty rice bowls.
I also brought home this pretty stack of Chiyogami paper. A big, fat stack for only $3.95. I love the prints. I wish some of them were fabric. Don't they look like quilt squares?
And these are the rice bowls I bought. That turquoise lotus? Couldn't resist. Also, the one with the tomato! The other's have a purpose as well. I'll give you a hint:
See? There had to be some sewing tie-in.
Monday I'll show you how I made this cute little pincushion.
UPDATE: the Pearl River Mart store is temporarily closed, but still has an online presence.
Happy weekend!
Sarah Craig says
Wow! I'll have to go to this place the next time we're in NYC! For now I'll check out their website. Love your pincushion. And FYI, you can always mail fabric home!
upstateLisa says
great photos!
Leslie says
this place looks amazing...i have heard of it before but have never been. that rice bowl is too cute
Sylvie says
Wow! I wish I could find all these items near my place! Lucky you!
Char @ Crap I've Made says
These field trip posts are going to force me to go back to NYC (only not with my sister....she just wanted to go to the MTV store and the wax museum).
Kim Walus says
Wow! I have loved all of the posts that you have done on your trip to New York. The places and pictures were inspirational to the quilter and shopper in me. So fun!!!!
Paula Louceiro says
I am enjoying your tips about New York. I'm planning a trip to next year and reading your posts, I'm already anxious! Thanks for sharing. A hug.<br /><br />Paula louceiro<br /><br />Sorry if I made any mistake in the language, but I do not speak English very well.
Jannie says
Love the posts about your trip. The pictures are amazing and very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
"B--- says
Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing the website link! I love Asian items and it's hard to find them for a good price online. ANd thanks for sharing all those pictures, I too love rice bowls and chopsticks (and 100 Yen stores). I blog too on my wee website, please stop by sometime 🙂 http://www.CraftinessbyB.webs.com
Rae Ann says
I sure wish I could have been a little mouse in your suitcase and gone along with you on your spectacular trip to New York... but just seeing your wonderful pictures made me feel like I had been there. <br />I love all that you bought! Thanks for sharing!!!
pinksuedeshoe says
Um, that first pic of parasols (or whatever the Asian version of them is called) is AMAZING! I loves it!!! And I hope you have a lot more field trips planned. I love this about Fridays!
Gale's Goodies says
I have been to that store and it is fabulous! Seeing your wonderful pictures makes me sorry I did not visit it during my last trip to NYC in December. I will be checking out their website!<br /><br />Recently Pearl River Market was the featured shopping venue for HGTV's Next Design Star contest. They had to decorate a bedroom using only $500 worth of items from PRM.
Quilted Cupcake says
Thanks so much - we're heading to NYC for vacation, and I'll be checking this place out for sure!
Melissa says
Another place to add to my list when I get to NYC next.<br />I got some cute childrens rice bowls in Epcot in Disneyworld of all places, they look very similar to the ones in your photo, they were too cute to resist.<br />I love your Field Trip friday's!! Keep posting them.<br />It was good to talk to you last week! It's so nice to get to know the people behind the "blog"....<