Fabric stores

[tisana.livejournal.com]

What are some good local fabric stores? ("Good," in this case, meaning reasonable prices with wide selection.) I have a car, but I'm fine with taking the T and lugging a bag home.

I'll be doing some belly dance costuming, so funky fabrics might be necessary. I already hit Sew-fisticated, which can be limited in selection, but cheap, and will be heading to Sew-Low later.

Or should I look farther afield than the Somerville area and just head to Chinatown?

Comments

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

I also like Fabric Corner in Arlington (Mass Ave. and Mill St.).

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

They're not very strong in the funky fabric department.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Well...some shiny embroidered fabrics would be funky enough. Or wouldn't they have that?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

They don't have much of that, or at least not this month. Their "fancy fabric" section is very small. They're full of quilting fabrics, and a wide variety of very very lovely printed cottons from all over the world. They're gorgeous, but they're not what you wear when you're belly dancing.

[nchanter.livejournal.com]

They are primarily cottons and decorating/apolstry fabrics. You're much better off going to Chinatown or The Fabric Place

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I like Win-Mil Fabrics, which is on the outskirts of Chinatown near Downtown Crossing.

[journeystar.livejournal.com]

amen...great, interesting fabrics. check out Windsor Button for notions

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

My internet searches found recommendations for a particular place in chinatown, but I don't remember what it is. I think googling on fabric stores boston will tell you more. Aside from those two locations you've mentioned, the few other fabric stores I've been to seem to be heavy on the quilting fabric and light on everything else. You could call and ask what kind of selection of fancy fabrics they have, or google for where Indian women in boston find fabric for their saris.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Ooh--good idea on the Indian fabric.
Yes, I've noticed the tendency towards quilting fabrics. Confused the hell out of me years ago before I knew anything about quilting. I wondered what the hell anyone would make out of them. My bad for thinking all fabric was for costumes. :p

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

Yeah, spooks me too. Fabric stores where I grew up were mostly fabric you would make clothes out of, not fabric you'd make quilts or baby clothes out of. I think it's a craft-fad, and I hope it passes.

JoAnn's on rte 9 had some selection of shiny things, but it still had less than the sew-XXX's in Cambridge did when I frequented them.

[sasha-bee.livejournal.com]

if quilting is a fad it's one that's been going strong for 300+ years!

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

That doesn't mean it can't be a fad. There's quilters, and then there's "my god, everyone is quilting these days, aren't they."

[sasha-bee.livejournal.com]

no offense, but that kinda makes me a giggle a little :-)

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Kinda like knitting, lately.
Two recent crafty fads I'm trying to avoid. Not because they're a lesser craft--they really do produce some cool projects--but because lord knows I don't need another crafty hobby taking up my space and money and creating a fun new obsession for me.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I was addicted to knitting as a child. I've been avoiding it too, since I'd never get any writing done. :-)

[tisana.livejournal.com]

It's tough to avoid, especially if you end up at Spark Crafts for the open studios, and find yourself fondling the Malabrigo wool, wondering what you could do with it.

[grammardog]

I think the very word "fad" suggests that it's something that's only popular for a short time. My great-grandmother would get a kick out of that. :)

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Yes, but lately, a lot of younger, trendier people are into it, too, whereas the stereotype a few years ago of someone who quilted was older, probably a spinster with no life or a grandma. Knitting is similar--people in their 20's all over the T with needles and yarn, now, and they don't get funny looks. They get other yarn geeks asking what they're working on. :)

[nchanter.livejournal.com]

But how do you think all of those older people got into it? Many of them had been doing it since they were in their 20's. Also, before the women's lib movement it was an acceptable way for women to be artsy and creative. Whereas fine art and actual construction things, like woodworking, were male domains. I think there was a backlash against it in parts of the culture because of that, and now, well, as our generation is a little more removed from that, it's kinda acceptable again.

And dude, I was just reffered to as "trendy" That's so ODD.

And, if you want to wait until Sunday (I have no time before then) I'll go up the The Fabric Place in Woburn with you. Last time I was up there I was still dating darxus.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Sunday I have plans, but I could probably stand to take another trip there after this weekend--I'm sure this won't be my only costuming weekend between now and the performance in June, and I'll figure out all sorts of things I need after I get home the first time. ;p

[nchanter.livejournal.com]

you know, 100% cotton is useful for things other than just quilting.

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

It certainly is. But when it's surrounded with QUILT FABRIC signs, and is in patterns that would make a lovely quilt but not a terribly lovely skirt, well, it's mostly quilty fabric.

I guess you could make teddy bears out of it, a bear might be cute in a purple-paisley-with-stars-and-moons pattern.

[crazykimmy.livejournal.com]

I made a great skirt out of quilting fabric once--actually an entire show. It was simple and needed the structure of cotton to maintain the lines.

[timemachine.livejournal.com]

Most fads do last a few hundred years.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Fabric Place
http://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/store_locator.asp

Good selection, good prices, lots of variety, lots of interesting fabrics.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

The Fabric Place in the Woburn Mall has a very good selection of embroidered fabrics.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

I was hoping to not have to go to Randolph, but they really do have a great selection... Haven't tried the other locations, though.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

Woburn is easy to get to from boston and has a great selection. it's also right off the highway.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

I keep forgetting that I live north of Boston instead of south of Boston. Duh. It's only been two and a half years. Yes, Woburn is far easier to get to, now.

[lena-a-mermaid.livejournal.com]

Head to Chinatown. Its easy to get there on the T and then after you're done shopping you can get tasty snacks at nearby eateries.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Going to Chelsea?

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Er...yes?
But not to get fabric. It's for something related to belly dance, where costuming may be part of it.

...Why do you ask? Cuz that's kinda creepy.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Because I knew :P

[tisana.livejournal.com]

But no one who's in the tribe on LJ mentioned it, as far as I can see. And I don't think you know the others. So how did you know that?
Is this another small world thing?

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

Sew-Low is in Inman Square. The 69 goes right by there from/to Lechmere. Also, in the shopping plaza with the big Shaws and the brand new Marshalls on McGrath Highway, there's a place called Sewfisticated.

Sew Low is not a huge store, but it's full from one side to the other and up to the ceiling with reasonably priced fabrics. (probably a fire hazard, but it's fun to go exploring!)

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

And if I had read more carefully, I'd have seen that you've already got these covered! You'll love Sew-Low.

[rikchik.livejournal.com]

Don't know about funky fabrics, but for costumes I usually hit Goodwill or Garment District for cheap clothes I can cannibalize.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Martin's House of Cloth in Manchester NH is pretty good for fancy fabric. They have the advantage of being right by my work.

Van's on Beech St. ChinaTown has a ton of silks and if I'm not mistaken quite a few Saris hung up from the ceiling.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Many people find what they're looking for at the fabric store at the Twin Cities plaza (off of O'Brien-McGrath / 28, in Cambridge, has a Shaw's and a McDonald's near 28.)

It's not far from Union Square.

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Sew-phisticated.
Not bad place, prices are good, selection okay, the owner is really mean to her customers.

[simply-juniper.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes she is. Which is why I won't go there now.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Ah, that wasn't just a random occurence? It wasn't to me, but she was really cranky, and loud about it, when I went this weekend. Thought it was an odd thing to do--making fun of customers in front of other customers.

[somesuch.livejournal.com]

There's a new-ish place called Aaron International on Brighton Ave. in Allston.
I've been by on the #66 bus, and it looks like it has some funky fabrics.