Discount Fabrics
525 4th Street
discountfabrics-sf.com
Located in San Francisco’s SOMA (South of Market)
district, this Discount Fabrics location (one of three
in the city) has the largest fabric variety of anywhere
I’ve been. Shop like a fashion or interior designer in
this industrial warehouse setting, where large rolls
of fabrics are stacked on metal racks. With wholesale prices to the public, your wallet will thank you.
You’ll find everything you need in upholstery,
cotton prints, Asian silks, felt, and wool. It’s a great
place to stock up on fabrics and supplies for special
events such as a party or wedding.
The store also features all you need for sewing,
including notions, ribbons, zippers, bias tape, and
threads in all colors. The selection in the store
changes weekly, so stop by often for sales or surprise
fabric finds.
Flax
1699 Market Street
flaxart.com
Boasting 10,000 kinds of paper from around the
world, art and design store Flax will reinvigorate
your love of paper. Your heart may skip a beat in
the paper room as you open the multitude of flat
file drawers, exposing the most beautiful sheets
of paper imaginable, much of it handmade.
Flax also carries an array of sketchbooks, photo
albums, and stationery goods, as well as pens,
pencils, and watercolor paints that will keep your
creativity flowing. Shop online at
flaxart.com.
Ambatalia Fabrics
1 El Paseo, Mill Valley
ambataliafabrics.com
Take a 30-minute scenic drive outside of San
Francisco to sunny Mill Valley and experience a
green, sustainable fabric store, Ambatalia Fabrics.
Proprietress Molly de Vries spreads her craft love
in all aspects of the shop, which feels like a cozy
cottage with handmade pieces and antique décor
adorning all nooks and crannies.
Ambatalia features a wide array of organic cotton,
hemp, soy, and bamboo, as well as rare fabrics from
France and Japan. In addition to special events and
sewing classes, check out Ashley Helvey’s class on
how to wet-felt a stylish laptop bag.
Read more about Ambatalia and green crafting at
ambataliafabrics.blogspot.com.
Food Match: Head on over
to the District wine bar
(
districtsf.com), located a few
blocks down on Townsend
Street, for a glass of wine
and a small cheese plate.
Food Match: Grab lunch at
Zuni Café (
zunicafe.com) for
one of their famous brick-oven, flatbread pizzas.
Food Match: For a quick pick-
me-up, get a slice of dreamy
carrot cake and iced coffee at
the Depot Bookstore Café
(
depotbookstore.com).
