Fabric Shopping

10:57 am

I haven't done much fabric shopping lately, not much at all in fact. That's what happens when you stop working I guess, no spare cash for fabric indulgences. Luckily for me, I do have a fair sized fabric stash to keep me going for some considerable time.
Anyway a few people have asked me lately where to buy nice fabrics, where I buy my fabrics, so I thought I'd add a list of my favourite stores, some are local, but most are online. The sad fact is that despite living in an area that was once thriving with cotton and silk mills, locally produced fabric is now nigh on impossible to buy.

So real bricks and mortar shops first:

Leons, on Barlow Moor Road, in Manchester is a total Aladdin's cave of scrummyness. I don't get there as often as I'd like,but I highly recommend it, especially for good basics, woollens and bridal fabrics. (They also have a sister store in Birmingham, called Barries. I used to shop there as a teen, when I was bunking off school....shhh!)

Abakhan I've shopped in the Manchester ,Chester and Mostyn branches, and the Mostyn one is my fave, I usually pop in on my way to visit the mil once or twice a year. TBH it can be a bit hit or miss, but the hits are usually really worth it. I've bought ex Boden fabric at ridiculously low prices from there before.

Then to Online Shopping, I tend to buy mostly from US sites, as the prices are just so much better, even often considering postal charges, and even customs charges.
So in no particular order below are some of my favourite sites to buy from:

Fabricshack Great store, they squash an amazing amount of fabric into a global priority envelope, and split large orders over several envelopes if necessary, which keeps postage costs down, and often avoids customs charges. (though you should always be prepared for any customs charges you might get)

My Blue Bamboo As above, this company are super reliable and ship using global priority envelopes, which generally arrive in about a week.

La Chakra Yuki is amazing! She has the most glorious fabrics in stock, she's fast, efficient, well priced, and again ships in global priority envelopes. She can stuff around 9 yards of cotton print fabric in one envelope. I can't recommend her highly enough.

Sew Love Fabric on Etsy, is another great seller. She often has fabrics in as soon as they are released from all the hot designers, like Anna Maria Horner, and Sandi Henderson. She's fast and once again ships in global priority envelopes. (can you tell this is my fave shipping method?)


There are other sellers I could mention, but honestly these are my total faves, the ones I head straight to if I need a fabric fix right now .
I hope they help anyone out there looking for a fabric fix, and hey if you want to recommend me a new place to shop, leave me the web address in the comments.

Don't be shy, say hello!

15 comments

  1. I've just found a 'new' one in Warrington - well it's been there years but I didn't know!! http://www.tptextiles.co.uk/ looks rather large - am hopign to go for a rummage with a friend next week :). Have you been?

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  2. Ohh thanks Sam, no never been, let me know what it's like.

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  3. Ahhh Abakhan! Quite a few of my childhood memories consist of rummaging at Abakahn. I've arranged to go have another rummage this weekend thanks to you - I haven't been for about 10 years!

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  4. Have you ever been stung with extra tax and handling charges when shopping from US? I got caught last year and on top of $40 shipping then got charged £32.00 from customs and excise this end!!!
    Needless to say I've been put off since!
    My MIL raves about Abakahn!!!

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  5. Awesome! Thanks Jeanette :D

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  6. I like Hawthorne Threads. They used to be an etsy shop, now they have their own web store. http://www.hawthornethreads.com/home

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  7. San, the websites I've listed I've never got stung with customs, but it is something you have to consider. I don't shop at fabric.com anymore because they ship using UPS and I get stung for customs every time.
    Actually the customs charge isn't really the problem,it's the extortionate handling charges I object to.
    Jen B thaks for the link.

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  8. I've used sew love fabrics, great service and very helpful too

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  9. fabric.com will use USPS if you keep your order under 3 yards .
    I like emmaonesock.com - the owner is also super friendly and happy to squish a lot into envelopes etc!

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  10. Oooh yes, how could I forget emmaonesock! I love that site.

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  11. Could you post on here what the warrington one is like?

    I mainly source from charity shops or re-purposing old clothes. I love recycling into something I will use.

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  12. I will have to leave looking at the links until after my craft challenge (not to spend on new stuff for 100 days eek!)

    I have been to TP Textiles. It is not as big as the photo on the website suggests, they are only the upstairs bit above a gym. You have to have a bit of a rummage, there isn't much organisation to the place!

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  13. thanks mary, i will only go 2 warrington if passing en route to my 3 monthly ikea binge!

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  14. oooh Jeanette! What a dangerous post LOL ;)
    Thanks so much for sharing, I am droooooooling looking at your links!
    S xxx

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