I was running some errands a few weekends ago and driving down 93, when it suddenly hit me:
I live in Massachusetts. Like, full time, for real.
Some grad students pass through town and spend two years hiding out in their university neighborhoods without ever really getting to know the city. But I’ve lived here for over 5 years now (yikes) and the city feels like home. I have school friends, but I also have friends who just live here. Full time, not transitory, with no intention of moving. Somehow in the past 5 years, I’ve made the city my own. I have my favorite bars and restaurants, I know my way around the suburbs, and I know never to walk down Prospect St in the heavy rain if I want to be dry when I get to work.
The one thing I haven’t found, however, is a good fabric store. I pester my friends in a desperate search for cheap fabric in the Boston area every year. Jo-Ann’s is fine, but Burlington is a haul. Sewfisticated in Cambridge and Winmil Fabric in Chinatown are okay, but their stuff isn’t always the best quality. Sew Low shows some promise, but I think you are really, truly underestimating how frugal I am.
Fortunately, I have an incredible mother. A mother who took me the Mecca of fabric in Stone Mountain, GA*– FABRIC WORLD, INC..
*{The good and noble town of Stone Mountain, GA was vilified in the 4th season of 30 Rock. In SAT terms, Stone Mountain : Atlanta as Newton : Boston. Please do not believe everything you see on TV. Yes, we sort of have a park that seems oddly fond of plantations and The War of Northern Aggression, but Stone Mountain has more country clubs than farms, people.}
Taking a crafter to Fabric World is like taking a 5 year old to Disney Land. There’s so much to take in. Buttons for 1¢ a piece, endless rows of bolts of upholstery fabric for $3.99/yard, and apparel fabric for $1.99-2.99/yard. They have cheap solid cottons for 88¢/yard too. These are normal, every day prices, not sales.
There are literally thousands of buttons here
I’m just saying, you can go to Jo-Ann’s and they will make you pay $2 for a button.
During the sales, you can do much, much better. I got 6 yards of thick upholstery fabric for $3.99. Total. 5 yards of cream jersey knit? $1/yard. I’m making a backboard from my friend’s dartboard and I got a yard and a half of velvet to upholster it for only $5.
I will admit that sometimes you have to do a little digging to find what you’re looking for, but that’s okay. Because your friend just paid $15 for that jersey scarf from American Apparel and you made one for $2.
I’m not going to lie– I wouldn’t go to Atlanta for a vacation out of the blue. It’s the kind of city where you’d love to live, but it’s not super exciting to visit. But if you are going for a conference, or to visit family, or you have a long layover, bring an extra suitcase and fill it with fabric. Correct me if I’m wrong (I would love to be wrong!), but there’s nothing in Boston that compares.
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Too funny. I live about 20 min. away from Fabric World in Stone Mountain, I see their ads in the paper, I am an avid seamster and I have NEVER been there. Keep saying that I am going to go and then promptly forget! Thank you for your review.
Thanks for the info! A friend told me about this place and I was googling in hopes of finding their website but came to yours first. I just couldn’t believe the deals she was telling me about. It looks like it’ll definitely be worth the 40 minute drive!
I also just discovered this store after a tip from a stranger I bought a couch from on craigslist. I live in midtown Atlanta so it takes me about 25-30 minutes to get there, but it is so worth it. I haven’t found the perfect upholstery fabric for my couch yet, but not for lack of trying. i have been there several times in the last couple weeks, because theie inventory changes daily. Great store! Now that i have found it, there is no way I can buy fabric from my project elsewhere. I am also a frugal girl:) I am confident I will find the perfect fabric at Fabric World. On a side note: the same owner has another store (on Memorial Dr. closer to Atlanta) called Discount Fabrics with same low prices, and often has sales : $1 per yard for any fabric in the store. I keep buying fabric I don’t need. At this price, how could I pass it up?
I love this blog your wealth of information gives me inspiration for future projects
They always have these fantastic fabric stores down south. My parents live in the Greenville, SC area and the creative types seem to have endless options. If I could have a Hobby Lobby and Fabric World 100 miles from me I would be ecstatic!
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