If you love a good fabric store, today I have a treat for you: a guide to my favorite fabric shops in LA!
After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, I spent a lot of time driving around the city, visiting all the fabric stores I could find. I was experimenting heavily with printing on locally sourced fabric, experiments that would eventually lead to founding Cotton & Flax. At the time, I was just beginning to get to know LA (let’s be honest, I’m still getting to know LA), and all the awesome creative resources it had to offer.
I take pride in the fact that I still source the majority of my materials for Cotton & Flax from local shops and fabric distributors. I’d love to share some of my favorite LA fabric stores, so that locals and visitors alike can enjoy these fantastic shops!
Edit 3/6/18: Sadly, many of these amazing fabric shops have shut their doors since I wrote this post a few years ago. I’ve made some edits to reflect those changes.
Michael Levine + Fashion District Fabric Stores
There’s certainly no shortage of fabric shops to choose from in downtown LA’s Fashion District, but my favorite remains Michael Levine. It’s great for folks just beginning to explore the neighborhood because it’s well organized and features hundreds of options from quilting cottons to fashion fabrics. Los Angeles hosts the largest textile district in the United States, so you’re bound to find what you need in one of the dozens of fabric stores in the neighborhood.
Mood remains a shopping destination for fashion fabric, made famous by visits from Tim Gunn and Project Runway contestants at their NY location. A great spot to visit if you’re interested in sewing clothing, or if you need to pick up a zipper or three.
A brand new fiber arts store that opened in 2017! Located in Montrose, this shop carries fabric, yarn, and lots of DIY project supplies. This shop was previously owned by a more traditional quilter, but the new ownership has a passion for modern quilting, and loves to organize classes in the revitalized space.
A few other local places I have heard great things about: Super Buzzy, Purl Soho’s Warehouse in Tustin, and French General Store.
Great fabric shops which are now closed:
Closed 2018 – This beautifully appointed shop in West Hollywood carries high quality designer dress fabrics and specialized in imported designer fabrics from New Zealand. They carry a wide range of fabrics, including quality basics like silk chiffons, cottons, and linens, as well as specialty pieces like New Zealand merino knits and leather hides in rainbow hues.
Closed in 2017. A well stocked fabric store in Torrence, this shop specializes in imported Japanese fabrics, as well as gorgeous quilting cottons and notions. On my visit to Momen+, I was particularly drawn to their selection of indigo dyed fabrics and sashiko embroidery threads. Momen+ also offers sewing classes in the shop, so check out their offerings and learn something new!
Closed in 2016. Nestled in the adorable Mission Street neighborhood of South Pasadena, Common Thread has long been one of my favorite fabric stores. I’ve taught a couple classes there in the past, and while their fabric yardage offerings aren’t the most comprehensive in LA, they have a selection of gorgeous quilting fabrics, as well as fantastic sewing classes for all skill levels.
Closed in 2016. Sew LA was one of the first fabric stores I visited when I moved to LA, back when it was still at it’s original Silverlake location. The second shop in Atwater Village is much larger, and has a wonderful sewing studio in the back. They’ve recently closed their retail fabric shop, to focus on events in their sewing classroom and creative workshop space. Still a great place to check out if you’re interested in learning to sew.
Closed in 2016. 🙁 A favorite fabric store in West LA, Sew Modern also hosts meetings of the LA Modern Quilt Guild! I’ve loved my visits to this shop, they stock the cutest quilting fabrics, and their rainbow wall of solid color fabrics is one of the best I’ve seen.
Another awesome local resource is the LA Modern Quilt Guild. Founded in 2009, the LA Modern Quilt Guild was created to offer a place for non-traditional modern quilters to connect and share their work. This is a great place to meet other people who are passionate about sewing, and pick up some tips and resources to bring back to your own sewing studio.
You may also want to try out an online sewing class! My friend Christine Haynes has a great class through CreativeLive, where you can learn to sew a dress.
