As convenient as online shopping is, when shopping for fabric, sometimes you just can’t beat the immediacy of evaluating fabric between your fingers in a good ol’ brick and mortar fabric store. Textiles are a sensory experience. The smell of cottons, the sparkle of sequins, the weight and drape of a wool or silk, the quality of a knit… this is missing from the online experience.
Though I dislike shopping in general – especially clothes shopping, yuk! – fabric shopping is all together a different thing. I derive so much pleasure in wandering among the bolts of fabric. You never know where you may find inspiration, so I am always compelled to peruse every inch of a fabric store.
There are many advantages to buying fabric from a brick and mortar store. First off, store shopping eliminates waiting for swatches (that are always too small IMO) to show up in the mail. Store shopping eliminates the risks of disappointment and wasting $$. And, of course, when you buy at a store you are eliminating shipping costs and time.
Shopping local is a nice way to support small, usually family-owned businesses. You know exactly what you are getting in a fabric store, where you can quickly view all the stock available, get your yardage cut, and get going on your project that very day.
That being said, I have to admit I do buy a lot of fabric online as well. For those resources, see my post titled Buying Fabric Online: The Big Wide World of Fabric. However, living in the western suburbs of Chicago grants me access to some very good fabric stores, and the links below are the stores I frequent on a regular basis:
A Treasure Trove for Fabric Junkies
Textile Discount Outlet
This immense fabric warehouse store sits incongruously in the middle of a residential area in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Textile Discount Outlet carries both apparel fabric, leather, and upholstery/drapery goods. If you are willing to deal with a measure of chaos, and take the time to dig around, you can find awesome bargains on some lovely stuff. TDO is a veritable treasure trove for knowledgable fabric junkies.
I’ve been shopping here for years, and for me, it’s fun, but I know some can’t stand it for being too messy, and disorganized. Though I admit in the past I wouldn’t even go down to the dark and dusty basement level, and the second floor was such a mess it was almost impossible to maneuver, lately, the store is tidier and way more organized. Always check the the website or call to verify store hours prior to making the trip. The warehouse is closed on Friday prior to sundown (which can be 1pm in the winter), closed all day on Saturdays for the Jewish Sabbath, and store hours are also affected by the Jewish holy days in addition to standard holidays.
Great Quality & Service and More Than Fair Prices
New Rainbow Fabric
I discovered this nice store when the lot was full at Fishman’s, and I was cruising around looking for a parking spot. New Rainbow has since become a fixture on my fabric route. I really like shopping at this store. This is a family operated enterprise, with a focus on fashion fabric only. New Rainbow is nicely organized and super tidy, and the prices are very good.
When you first walk in, special occasion fabric is front and center with bolts and bolts of lacy, silky, sequiny goods and a huge selection of brocades. Don’t be dismayed though, the second room harbors some real finds – wool suitings, yarn-dyed cottons, linens, African prints, eyelets, quality linings, and lots of jersey knit and woven prints. Most of the offerings is on huge roll bolts, but there are nice young men around who are more than happy to help you take a closer look at anything, and carry your selections over to the cutting tables. There is a small area devoted to notions where they have a nice selection of trims, zippers, and a very good quality serger thread at a reasonable price.
High-end Fabrics For Your Couture Project
Fishman’s Fabrics
Family owned and operated by three generations, Fishman’s Fabrics has been around for 100 years, always catering to customers looking for the best in high-end fabrics. Beautiful, beautiful lovely stuff in this store. Fishman’s can be pricey, but there are some mark-downs and roll-ends to be found that can be a bargain. Definitely the place to come if you are looking for the perfect fabric for that special project.
Tip: the above three stores are close enough together that I usually hit all three on the same trip. Textile Discount Outlet is a short drive to Fishman’s, and then it’s a walk around the corner to New Rainbow.
Other Reliable Resources
Vogue Fabrics
Evanston is a pain in the rear for me to get to, and I don’t go to Vogue as often as I used to when they had their store in the city. I head out that way only when I’m not finding what I need at the above three stores, and that is becoming a rare instance. But Vogue always has a nice selection of quality fabrics, and the new warehouse is easy to shop in.
My local Joann Fabrics
To be fair, I had to include Joann’s. I do pop in now and then to purchase emergency notions – machine needles, elastic, thread, etc. and I will peruse the clearance table and run up and down aisles. The fashion fabric selection here is very limited, basic, and very polyestery. I guess I still harbor resentment against Joann for buying out Hancock Fabrics, which was a decent fabric store, and turning it into Joann. But once in a blue moon, I find something nice to add to my stash and with clever use of couponing, I can find some bargains.
Where about are you located in chicago