Back again with another installment of our global fabric shopping series! Today, we're thrilled to have Gayatri from Sew She Writes joining us. She previously shared her favorite Oliver + S patterns with us, and now she's taking us on a fabric shopping adventure through Singapore. Thank you so much for being here, Gayatri!
Navigating fabric shopping in a foreign country can be tricky since sewing terminology doesn't always translate smoothly. To help out, we created the Sewing Translator, which many of you have contributed to and find incredibly useful. It's now available in 14 languages, and if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download the native iOS app to use it offline. We hope it proves helpful during your travels! You can find the Sewing Translator in the Apple App Store—it’s completely free.
Welcome to Singapore! Often referred to as "The Red Dot" due to its small size on most maps, this city-state might not immediately spring to mind as a prime fabric shopping destination. However, having lived here for nearly five years, I've uncovered some hidden gems—both by chance and thanks to recommendations from fellow bloggers. Let me share some of my favorites with you today.
There's one branch of an Australian fabric store called Spotlight here. While it's not my top pick for fabric shopping in Singapore, it does offer decent options for trims, elastics, Guterman thread (the only place I can find it locally), and quilting supplies. If you're feeling adventurous and want to explore the city more, there are plenty of other spots offering better value and service at lower prices.
First stop: Arab Street. Stretching between Beach Road to the southeast and Victoria Street to the northwest, this area is lined with fabric shops and tailoring boutiques, interspersed with places selling Persian rugs and Middle Eastern knick-knacks. Arab Street is ideal if you're looking for special occasion fabrics or high-end materials like French lace, luxurious silks and wools, Egyptian cottons for tailored shirts, chiffon, silk crepe, and Italian designer fabrics. While bargaining isn't common in Singapore, a bit of negotiation seems acceptable on Arab Street. I don't visit often because I'm not typically in the market for silk, chiffon, or lace, but it's fun to stroll through occasionally. With some digging, you can uncover great deals. Most shops are long and narrow, some even spanning two levels, so it pays to explore deeper. Initially, the salespeople might be overly enthusiastic, but assuring them multiple times that you're just browsing usually gets them to leave you alone!
One of my favorite places to shop for fabrics is in Chinatown. Most of the fabric stalls are located in the People’s Park Complex market (don’t confuse it with the People’s Park Centre across the street, which also has fabric stores). While the shopping experience here lacks sophistication (no air conditioning!), the prices are fantastic. For $6 SGD per meter, you can choose from a wide selection of Japanese cottons. A bit more will get you linens, denims, wool blends, and some silks. If you're in the market for tulle for a fabulous tutu, you'll find every shade here. Sparkly fabrics and sequins? Chinatown has got you covered. The only downside is the limited selection of knit fabrics. And nothing opens earlier than 11 am!
Here’s a quick rundown of my top picks:
- **Malin Textiles**: Offers very friendly service and a great selection of Japanese cotton, canvas blends, crepe, lightweight wool, and polycotton blends—all for just $3 SGD per meter. Perfect for testing out designs.
- **Lye Nai Shiong**: Your one-stop-shop for notions like zippers, threads, elastic, interfacing, trims, laces, buttons, needles, and more. The service can vary, and the store is always bustling, so it’s not ideal for browsing unless you know exactly what you need.
- **Terence and Sylvie**: A small boutique with a solid selection of European fabrics like linens, suitings, and voiles. Not the cheapest, but worth checking out.
- **Brighton House Accessories**: A more eclectic option compared to Lye Nai Shiong, offering unique trims, sewing tools, and an impressive range of buttons (sold individually). They also stock a nice variety of Japanese cottons in different weights. Occasionally, you’ll spot some Cotton + Steel fabric here too.
You know it’s on the pricier side when the stores are behind glass doors and have air conditioning! Two such stores are **Nicole Xavier** and **Fabricity**. Nicole Xavier primarily stocks Liberty Tana Lawn (current and previous seasons), along with a few high-end European fabrics. While not cheap, it’s a delightful place to admire the beautiful prints. Fabricity also offers stunning fabrics, though the selection is smaller. The service is exceptional, and you can sometimes snag a bargain.
Finally, let’s talk about **Sing Mui Heng**. They operate two locations—one in the People’s Park Centre (opposite the shops mentioned earlier) and a larger warehouse in the Outram/Tiong Bahru neighborhood. The warehouse store is housed in an unusual 15-story building filled with home furnishings and antiques. I stumbled upon this fabric store purely by accident, but what a lucky discovery! Most of their fabrics are woven, but they’ve recently expanded into knit fabrics, minky, double gauze, and flannel. Their woven cotton selection is extensive, featuring brands like Robert Kaufman, Riley Blake, Tilda, Leicen, Art Gallery Fabrics, and others. They also carry interfacing, trims, buttons, quilting supplies, and have started stocking Liberty fabrics. Everything is well-displayed and organized, and the staff are quite knowledgeable. Not everyone speaks English fluently, but there’s always someone on hand who can assist you in English. It’s hard to leave this store empty-handed!
Whew! That’s quite a roundup. For such a small island, there are surprisingly many options to keep any fabric enthusiast satisfied. Thanks for joining me on this journey!
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