The next subject of my Top 5 lists is fabric shopping! Which, let’s face it, is one of the best bits about making your own clothes.
I’ve made a list of my go-to shops, be that online or physical stores, in case anyone has ever wondered where I get most of my fabric and haberdashery bits!
1. Walthamstow Market
Less of a store, more of an area! The market itself has a great fabric stall (the man outside Sainsbury’s) as well as a very well stocked haberdashery stall (a little bit further up from the man outside Sainsbury’s…). I always end up with lots of things from both.
There are also quite a few brick and mortar stores here if the market stalls don’t strike your fancy or if, more likely, the weather is terrible and the stalls aren’t open. To the upper end of the market, The Textile Centre is a great place for bargains. The middle table is full of rolls that are only £1.10 per metre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any fabrics in there that are more than £5/metre. Just remember you’re not paying for quality though.
To the other end of the market, there is Saeeds which is a proper reputable fabric store. Prices are a little higher but you’re usually getting better quality. I’ve gotten some lovely wools and scubas from here.
Next to Saeeds is another haberdashery and a few doors down is another store called the Fabric Store. Original right? This place is full of super cheap rolls of fabric from 50p/metre upwards. Some of the stock here are sample rolls so they’re pretty decent quality and unique.
Walthamstow is not a place to dither and think about your fabric choices. Snap it up before it’s gone!
FYI, there are lots of other fabrics stores in the Walthamstow market area. These are just my favourite ones!
Nearest station: Walthamstow Central
I only discovered this place recently and I already love it!
Owned by the same people at the Cloth House in Soho, this branch holds all the seconds and slightly less fancy fabrics compared to its sister shop in central London. It’s still full of lots of goodies and totally worth checking out. They’re closed until September but I’m sure when they reopen, it’ll be restocked and full of awesome things!
Nearest station: Camden Road
3. Stoff & Stil
I might be missing a parcel from them and a bit peeved about their customer service but I still rate them in terms of fabric quality and diversity.
This danish company has shops all over Europe (not the U.K. yet though!) and ships worldwide. They stock everything and in gorgeous prints and colours. They also sell haberdashery items and sell their own sewing patterns too. I love their sweatshirt fabrics (look under isoli) which are so super soft and lovely.
4. William Gee
For my patternmaking essentials, William Gee is my go to place. With large rolls of tracing paper, pattern masters, French curves and more on offer, this is probably where a lot of budding fashion and design students end up. When I set up my sewing room I did a bulk order from them to stock up on everything!
I also like their iron on woven and stretch interfacings (comes in black, white and a variety of weights) which are some of the most value for money ones I’ve seen.
5. Les Coupons de St. Pierre, Paris.
This is a little further afield but I really love shopping here! At the foot of the beautiful Sacre-Coeur basilica is a fabric shoppers heaven.
There are tons of fabric stores here and my favourite of which is Les Coupons de St Pierre. This is a discount store where they sell precut lengths of 3m. They have tons of fabric here and you can find some real bargains. I always leave with way too much stuff – it’s a little easy to get carried away!!
Honourable mentions:
Minerva Crafts – for all your online shopping needs. Their catalog is VAST!
Malhia Kent – another Parisian delight. This company makes wools, tweeds etc for high end designers and they sell remnant pieces and off the roll at their store in Paris.
Goldhawk Road – I’m not the biggest fan of Goldhawk Roadnbecause it’s just that little bit too hard for me to get to! This is another fabric Mecca and has tons of options for shopping. A1 Fabrics tends to be my go to shop when I’m there.
So these are my fabric shopping secrets! What are your go-to places? I’m always on the lookout for new finds, not that my fabric stash needs to get any bigger!
