worcesterhippo

Hi, I may be moving to Riyadh if my husband goes ahead with the job offer. I love to make my own clothes and understand that there is a good supply of quality fabric available. Does anyone know if I can buy a sewing machine and overlocker in Riyadh or would it be worth bringing my old ones with me?

Thanks.

nottmbantam

Although I've never gone out and looked for one, I would imagine there are plenty of places you can get both machines from. Only found a few fabric / textile shops, but I'm sure there will be more when you look harder than I did.

Riyadh ( and Saudi in general ) is quite odd when it comes to shopping, as all the shops selling the same product(s) tend to be concentrated in the same area. Although they are called a souk, they are not as one might imagine, an outdoor market. So, the Mobile Phone souk is full of exactly what it suggests, then there is the Paint souk, Computer Souk, Car Souk etc . I'm sure there is a textile souk and will probably even be sewing machine souk....

Millsyisland

They sell sewing machines in Carrefour here in Abu Dhabi so I would suspect they're fairly readily available in Riyadh too.

Don't know what an overlocker is though - I had a locker at school but I've not knowingly encountered an overlocker.

nottmbantam

An overlocker is a machine that stitches over the cut of the material and kind of 'seals' it. Then when you hem the garment, it gives a tidier finish and less likely to fray.

I thank you.

Blue Cat

never had you down as a seamstress ...

Alexa

You will easily find both types of machines there. Although I do not know if they would be more expensive than in England. There is, as nottmbantam said, as souk that specializes in everything connected to sewing. It is close to the women's souk on "chop chop" square.
And you will also find a vast array of fabric...good quality and not so good quality.
Ask around on your compound ,(if you live on one) the ladies will know where to go. There should also be a shopping bus taking you there.

Happy sewing.

worcesterhippo

Thank you for your replies.

lockers? The overlocker is the machine that sews with 4 threads at one time two zig zag (you still awake ) and two straight stitches. so it puts a nice edge on the fabric and stops it fraying. If you have a sweatshirt or tee shirt you will see the sewing where the neck or sleeves are sewn on. or not.

I will probably leave the machines behind and buy more up-to-date ones.

Bahtatboy

And if you've got an old-fashioned Singer-type, it may be worth bringing that over. Last year there was a rumour running round Saudi that they contained the elusive element Red Mercury (elusive coz it doesn't exist), and apparently they were changing hands for ridiculous prices.

nottmbantam

A bit handy with an old manual Singer. Me Mam was a seamstress though, worked for years as a sewing machinist, about the only job she could get as non 'skilled' immigrant coming into the UK in 1970. Learned all my sewing skills from her. Bless.

Aha, got one those back in Blighty. Made a very quick and simple curtain just before jetting back in the New Year to the highlife in Saudi....

nottmbantam

I just said that! ^^^^^

Blue Cat

did your family come from India or Africa?

nottmbantam

Both !

Long story short....Family originally from the Punjab region of India. At the time of The Partition ( 1947 ) instead of going to the newly created Pakistan, the family migrated to Kenya. My Mum was brought up there, Dad was already there as his family had made the move a few years previously, and it's where both my sister and I were born.

kittycat1

Hi Hippo,

In Dubai (so may be useless reply as you are looking in Saudi) you can't get the full range you can in UK of domestic machines but you may be able to pick up industrial machines quite cheaply. Price wise the machines I have seen seem cheaper than ones in the UK but I haven't seen the same model I have in the UK for an exact comparison.

And just to be pedantic an overlocker can be a 3 thead, 4 or 5 thread machine depending on what fabric its sewing.

Kittycat
xxx

Bluelionesse

Sewing machines are not made as well as they used to be! I bought a Singer machine (sold on licence in the middle east) and it was rubbish, wouldn't sew three layers of medium thick fabric together. If your sewing machine and overlocker are a few years old then I would definitely take them. I ended up buying an second hand industrial brother lockstitch and a yokohamo overlocker, these were much cheaper in the UAE than the uk, unlike the domestic machines.

Blue Cat

I have a friend here with the same history! I suspected yours might be similar, to be you are just a tall dark handsome stranger surrounded in a mystical history