Melbourne fabric shops
So, you want to do some fabric shopping in Melbourne? Here’s some suggested places to visit, grouped by location. I haven’t included Spotlight or Lincraft, and I’ve focused on everyday apparel. Also keep an eye on social media for warehouse sales and markets.
This is by no means an exhaustive list – I live in Melbourne’s North, so that’s what I know best! Also, Shelley wrote a fantastic guide to fabric shopping in Melbourne a couple of years ago. Read that first! It’s really comprehensive, and includes photos.
Please keep in mind that new businesses pop up and existing ones close, opening hours vary, addresses vary, and types of stock vary. Google before you go!
North
- The Cloth Shop, Ivanhoe
- Darn Cheap Fabrics, Heidelberg
- GJs Discount Fabrics, Fairfield (mostly quilting and dance but some apparel)
- Cutting Cloth, Fairfield (mostly quilting but includes lovely linen and Liberty)
Inner North
- Jimmy’s Buttons, Fitzroy
- Clear It, Fitzroy
- The Fabric Store, Fitzroy
- Super Cheap Fabrics – Collingwood and Fitzroy
- NSW Leather, Collingwood
- Rathdowne Fabrics, Brunswick
- Sydney Road, Brunswick – EK Fashion Fabrics, Unique Fabrics, Anne’s Discount Fabrics, Super Cheap Fabrics (all in the same block)
- Astratex, Richmond
West
- Eliza, Sunshine
- Leffler Leather, Footscray
- Fabric Deluxe, Footscray
- Fibresmith, Yarraville
- Darn Cheap Fabrics, Port Melbourne
City
- Tessuti
- Nicholas Building (Kimono House, L’Ucello)
South of the Yarra
- Franke Stuart, Hawthorn
- Silk Trader, Hawthorn East
- d’Italia, Malvern
- Darn Cheap Fabrics, Elsternwick
oh Lara…why didn’t I ask for your suggestions a month ago! I was in Melbourne for 4 days on holiday last month. I knew of Darn Cheap at Glen Huntly and went there, having accidentally discovered that on a previous holiday. On my way to Rathdowne Fabrics, which I found by googling, we drove past Super Cheap Fabrics and had to stop! I had a really gratifying shop in there. I blew all my $600 budget in those 3 shops in the one day so perhaps it’s just as well I didn’t know other places, least it became necessary to re-mortgage the house…
Love this. Haven’t visited Melbourne in quite a few years and lived there long enough ago to remember Buckleys and Nunn’s wonderful fabric department. But I always envy your fabrics now interesting to read where you shop.
Thank you for the list. I was in Clear It a couple of weeks ago and the shop assistant told me that they’re winding down the fabric section of the store. They’re not getting in any more new stock and once the current stock is gone, that will be it.
Thank you Lara , We need to support our fabric stores . Too many have closed .
There is also a good Haberdashery/button shop at 36 Glenferrie Rd Malvern for those of us in the Eastern suburbs .
wow you have a lot of shops to choose from! and you always find such interesting things.
Thanks for this Lara – I’m in Melbourne in July, looking forward to getting to a few of these shops.
Great list Lara thank you! I think I saw another fabric shop opening in SydneyRd, in the same block as the rest! There is also a great Indian Fabric shop near the post office in Glenroy, it is a treasure trove of gorgeous fabric and trims!
Hope all is well and you are still sewing. I did read somewhere that Eliza’s is shutting down at some stage.