I love visiting Raystitch – my wallet however, does not.

It’s well stocked with an excellent selection of beautiful cloth from all over the world. They have some of the best quality fabrics you can buy, so you wanna be sure your sewing is up to scratch so you don’t waste your time and money.

They have started to create their own fabrics and host excellent guest teacher workshops too!

Big range of haberdashery and patterns too!

Selection – A+
Quality – A+
Service – B
Shop – B
Price – £££££

These babes are joyful!

Selling deadstock designer fabric and notions, so you wanna make sure you purchase enough cause it may sell out never to be restocked!

Massive variety of all sorts of cloth.

They are only open on Saturdays 10:30 – 4:30 but its just alongside Broadway Market so make a day of it!

Selection – A
Quality – B
Service – B
Shop – B
Price – £££

A warehouse filled to the brim with absolute shit. It’s not my fave, but its cheap, and an occasional golden nugget can be found

Many synthetic fabrics and blends good for costumes and toiles.

They label their fabrics as ‘deadstock’ but I’m dubious as they have the same stuff every time I go in…

Take cash and their ‘fibre content’ labelling with a pinch of salt too.

They do however cut extremely generous lengths. So if you need 2.3 mts buying 2 is probably enough.

Selection – C
Quality – C
Service – C
Shop – F
Price – £

Tucked away on Ridley Road Market a gauntlet of erratic stimulation.

It’s a bit rough and run down and crammed to the rafters with little info about the fabrics or the price, so be prepared to walk around the store with the dudes asking questions.

A bargain can be found, but its not a pleasant  shopping experience as they often shout with and over customers.

A very large selection of  buttons though.

Selection – C
Quality – C
Service – D
Shop – F
Price – £

Take a train to RYE and check out Merchant and Mills. The nicest shopping experience hands down.

All of the cloth is excellent quality, they know their stock inside out, and have a catalogue of matching threads for every fabric!

They have many samples made up that you can try on, to see the fit and style! Extra cool!

Selection – B
Quality – A+
Service – A+
Shop – A
Price – ££££

Located on Kingsland Road, its a real workhorse of haberdashery.

Stocking an extensive range of interfacings, threads, zips, and equipment for technical work including pattern blocks and drafting accessories.

Looking a little worse for wear, and majority of the stock is in the warehouse ( which you can’t access) but if you know exactly what you need, its easy!

Its an uninspiring shopping experience, but that means you wont get distracted and buy things you don’t need…

Selection – B
Quality – B
Service – B
Shop – C
Price – ££

Not one, but a whole bloody street of insanely discounted fabrics!

Lots of shops stock similar cheap fabrics, and it can be overwhelming but it’s a great day out for some serious bargains and  haberdashery shops too!

Selection – A
Quality – F – C
Service – ?
Shops – D – B
Price – £-££

Again, you wanna take your packed lunch and head here for the day!

A long street of (mostly) in store only fabric shops – this means that it really is cheap cause they don’t have to pay for website overheads (trust me this shit adds up)

Some really high end shops of silks and evening wear fabrics and then lots of basics and classic fabrics too.

Selection – A
Quality – F – A
Service – ?
Shops – D – A
Price – £-£££