Fabric Stores in London

Madasafish_Customer_Care · 30 August 2005 at 2:43PM

Does anyone know of any fabric stores in London that have good prices and a good selection on cotton/calico fabric? I've been going to John Lewis but it's been getting really expensive.

squeaky · 30 August 2005 at 3:15PM

You might try the I Wanna Board - there's bound to be someone who has a favourite shop, or three, in London

Badgergal · 30 August 2005 at 3:18PM

There is a place in Tooting that my friend swears by if that's any help? It's on the main high road going towards Tooting.

It is in Sarf London though...I know lots of people see that as the back of beyond (not me!)

Katgoddess · 30 August 2005 at 3:39PM

Green Street in Newham has lots of cheap indian shops that sell fabric etc. Worth a look .

http://www.newham.gov.uk/content/Leisure/see_do_newham.jsp?sectionNumber=2

SnowyOwl_2 · 30 August 2005 at 9:18PM

There is a really good one in Harrow Wealdstone on the High St. Unfortunately I can't remember what it is called (I moved away a year or so ago). It looks a bit scruffy from the outside, but it is absolutely stuffed full of bolts of fabric, and is bigger inside that you'd expect from the outside.

Southall and Alperton would both be good for Sari fabric, lots of fabulous silks in gorgeous colours.

What about Ikea? They are usually very reasonably priced for cotton fabric, though I don't know if they have any calico available.

ChocClare · 30 August 2005 at 10:28PM

Badgergal, are you talking about The Pak Cloth House on the Balham/Tooting border? On the left hand side coming from central London going towards Tooting? A jolly marvellous place - all sorts of absolutely appalling garish rubbish, but also very cheap cotton prints, Laura Ashley end of lines etc etc. Decorated two houses from there - 20 yards of (seconds) Laura Ashley fabric for £20. Can't say fairer than that. Then if you continue into Tooting, there is a selection of other Asian shops selling cheap fabrics, and, of course, Tooting Market. If you want to stay in central London, Madasafish, and you particularly want calico, then you could try McCulloch & Wallis (opposite John Lewis in ???Denham Street??? - sorry - can't remember, but they've got a website) - they are very cheap for habadashery and (I seem to remember) calico though more expensive for other fabrics. Also, when I was doing an interior design course, the teacher told us to try a theatrical wholesaler (people who make scenery etc) in central London, as you could get very wide calico very cheaply. I can't for the life of me remember the name - all I can think of is Angels, and I think they just do theatrical costumes (they're in Shaftesbury Ave). The people I'm thinking of I'm pretty sure began with a B and it was a Jewish name - ending in stein, maybe??? (It will probably turn out to be Smith, now that I've said that!!) They were in central London - Shaftesbury Ave or St Martin's sort of area. Sorry to be so vague, but if it rings a bell with anyone, they were apparently the cheapest supplier of calico anywhere in the country. Hope this helps!

itgirlinuk · 30 August 2005 at 10:50PM

Thanks for these posts! I need some new curtains and these messages are very helpful. Just out of curiosity, do you get your stuff tailored somewhere nearby or do you make the furnishings yourself?

Badgergal · 31 August 2005 at 9:40AM

ChocClare, that could well be the one I mean, it was pointed out to me as we were in the car one day so I never got the name...

ChocClare · 31 August 2005 at 11:01PM

Speaking for myself, itgirlinuk, I've always made all my own soft furnishings, and been to upholstery classes, interior design classes, tailoring classes to learn how - all at adult education and very useful. However, my current house has twenty-seven - count them, twenty-seven - windows (as I discovered when my daughter had to count them in Year One as part of a "My House" project). I've made curtains for all of them BY HAND - all interlined and lined. My idea of hell is now very clear - there are no flames or demons with pitchforks, just an eternity making curtains. If anyone can suggest a good source for you to get them done, therefore, I'd say GO FOR IT!!!

maryb · 1 September 2005 at 10:38PM

ChocClare wrote:

Speaking for myself, itgirlinuk, I've always made all my own soft furnishings, and been to upholstery classes, interior design classes, tailoring classes to learn how - all at adult education and very useful. However, my current house has twenty-seven - count them, twenty-seven - windows (as I discovered when my daughter had to count them in Year One as part of a "My House" project). I've made curtains for all of them BY HAND - all interlined and lined. My idea of hell is now very clear - there are no flames or demons with pitchforks, just an eternity making curtains. If anyone can suggest a good source for you to get them done, therefore, I'd say GO FOR IT!!!

I feel for you having just finished 6 floor to ceiling curtains lined and interlined.
I muttered 'I hate cutains' so often, my DDs started saying it for me when ever they heard me sigh.

recently made curtains for a pair of French windows and decided to use the blind hem foot on my sewing machine for the top curtains before doing the lining. That saved a huge amount of time. But I don't think you could do it if you were interlining the curtains as well

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Fabric Stores in London

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