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Today, we're continuing our global fabric shopping series with a look at Melbourne, Australia. Liesl started this series with her Fabric Shopping in Madrid post, followed by my guide to fabric shopping in Minneapolis. Now, it's Shelley's turn to share her insights on fabric shopping in Melbourne.
Before we dive in, I want to remind you about Sewing Translator, a fantastic resource created by many of you. Available in 14 languages, it's designed to help sewists navigate fabric stores worldwide. If you own an iPhone or iPad, you can download the app to use offline. It's completely free and available in the Apple App Store.
Now, let's hear from Shelley about her favorite fabric spots in Melbourne.
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Hello and welcome to Melbourne! To make the most of your fabric shopping experience, I recommend starting early—there’s so much to explore!
Melbourne is a vibrant city with nearly four million residents spread across almost 10,000 square kilometers. As you might expect, Melburnians are fiercely loyal to their neighborhoods, and their recommendations for fabric shops often reflect this local pride. While I couldn’t visit every single fabric store, I did check out several of my regular favorites, confident that you'll find what you need among them.
Let’s begin our journey in the bustling Central Business District, or CBD. Known for its charming laneways, street art, and café culture, the CBD also has some hidden gems for fabric lovers.
The Nicholas Building stands out as a must-visit. This historic building houses an eclectic mix of artisanal shops and craftspeople. Although the manual elevators are long gone, the building itself remains a sight to behold. On the first floor, you’ll find Maria’s Beads and Trims, a shop specializing in tiny, sparkly embellishments perfect for children’s dresses. Upstairs, L’Uccello offers an enchanting collection of cotton fabrics, embroidery threads, ribbons, and vintage buttons. It’s a shop that inspires creativity and adds flair to even the simplest projects.
Kimono House occupies another corner of the second floor, offering exquisite Japanese fabrics and materials for sashiko embroidery. Though Buttonmania has relocated outside the city, its legacy lives on. Their personalized button consultations are legendary—no matter how tricky your request, they always seem to find the perfect match.
If you walk along Flinders Lane, you’ll soon encounter Tessuti Fabrics. Located in the heart of Melbourne’s former textile district, Tessuti sits alongside high-end couture boutiques. Their selection leans toward luxury fabrics, but don’t worry if you feel you’re splurging—you’ll appreciate knowing that a Chanel equivalent would cost significantly more. Tessuti also stocks its own patterns, and samples are often available for trying on.
A few years ago, the Job Warehouse closed its doors after decades in the industry. However, its vintage fabrics are now available through Crossley Job Lots. It’s worth checking out someday!
Now, let’s head north to Sydney Road in Brunswick for some budget-friendly fabric finds. This area boasts four shops in one block, each offering a wide array of fabrics including wool suitings, ITY knits, laces, and ethnic-inspired textiles. These shops frequently surprise shoppers with incredible deals—sometimes as low as $2-$3 per meter for fabrics that feel far more expensive. And yes, the neighborhood’s Mediterranean heritage ensures you’ll enjoy great coffee and baklava during your shopping spree.
For a slightly different shopping experience, visit Eliza’s Fabrics in the western suburb of Sunshine. Despite its flashy exterior, the interior hides affordable linens, denim, and wool, along with an impressive variety of lingerie elastics and trims. Unfortunately, the owner rarely smiles, but her stock more than makes up for it!
Back eastward lies Rathdowne Fabrics, my go-to spot for knit fabrics. Their extensive range includes both plain and printed options, ensuring you’ll find exactly what you need. In addition to knits, they offer quality cottons, denims, wools, formal fabrics, and even furnishings.
Further east in Fairfield, you’ll discover GJ’s Discount Fabrics, Melbourne’s ultimate destination for quilting cottons. With a vast showroom featuring pristine bolts and delightful quilt samples, GJ’s also carries a substantial selection of spandex knits. Pro tip: mentioning you’re making a costume can earn you a 10% discount!
Ivanhoe hosts The Cloth Shop, another beloved local favorite. Their modern, fresh fabrics come at reasonable prices, and the staff are experts at helping customers choose the right combination of patterns and textiles. Samples of popular patterns are often displayed in-store, giving you a better sense of how the fabrics will look.
Not far from here, you’ll find one of Darn Cheap Fabrics’ three locations. Known for their broad apparel fabric selection and trim offerings, their inventory varies between stores. Occasionally, a particular fabric gains immense popularity, leading to a “Darn Cheap craze.â€
Returning closer to the city, we arrive in Collingwood and Fitzroy, hubs of hipster culture. Here, coffee brewed by baristas sporting impressive facial hair tastes unparalleled. One of my all-time favorites is Jimmy’s Buttons, a treasure trove of buttons, ribbons, elastic, and other notions. Its chaotic layout might intimidate neat freaks, but trust me—it’s worth braving the clutter for the sheer abundance of possibilities.
Across the street, The Fabric Store presents a stark contrast with its immaculate, well-lit interiors. Originating in New Zealand, this chain now operates in multiple Australian cities and Los Angeles. Famous for their merino wools, they also stock linens, Liberty fabrics, and luxurious dressmaking materials. Their leather selection is ideal for bag-making enthusiasts. Sign up for their mailing list to catch their periodic sales events.
Adjacent to The Fabric Store, ClearIt serves as an outlet for samples and second-quality fabrics from fast-fashion brands. Upstairs, you’ll find a decent selection of designer remnants and surplus stock, particularly useful for lining coats and dresses. The apparel fabrics rotate regularly, so it’s always worth stopping by.
South of the Yarra River, residents might protest about overlooked gems. Let’s address that by visiting Phillips Shirts in Malvern. Once located in the CBD, they’ve downsized their fabric stash since relocating. Still, knocking on the door on weekdays grants access to their impressive supply of shirting fabrics. Cotton dominates, though linens, Liberty prints, and a modest knit section round out the offerings.
After selecting your fabric, step next door to The Button Shop for an array of closures. A short stroll brings you to d’Italia, where European dressmaking fabrics await discovery.
By now, you might be feeling overwhelmed—but that’s the beauty of Melbourne! Each neighborhood reflects its unique character, influencing the fabric shops accordingly. My own suburb, shaped by post-WWII Italian immigration, Vietnamese influxes, and recent Sudanese arrivals, offers a microcosm of global diversity. From African wax prints to Italian imports, Melbourne caters to every stitch of your creative vision.
That’s my Melbourne!
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June 03, 2025