Mystery fabric store?

A reader recently sent me this picture asking me if I knew where this fabric store was.

Mystery store?

Now I thought I knew pretty much where all the fabric stores in Manila were, but I don't know this one. It looks too big and new for Divisoria or Tutuban. I think it could be a Fabric Warehouse judging by the amount of fabric as well as the "messy" way everything is displayed but it's not the ones in Megamall, Libis, Glorietta or Greenhills. 

So, maybe one of you can enlighten my reader and let her know where this store is? Please leave a comment!

More fabric shopping in Manila

Many people in the Philippines have their clothes made by the local sewing lady/gentleman, so there are still many fabric stores located all around the city. Most malls have at least one or two stores carrying a wide range of fabrics, from chiffons for evening wear to (man-made) wool for men’s suits. So whether you sew yourself, or plan to have your clothes made, there is plenty of choice. That said, you will find higher end fabrics such as pure silk, wool, cashmere etc. harder to find.

Unfortunately, the staff in most fabric stores are not very well trained, so will really have no idea what they are selling. Fabric content is rarely marked on the rolls. For instance, if you are looking for silk, the staff may show you a lot of fabric which may look like silk but is actually polyester or some other man-made fabric. So be slightly skeptical about what you are buying: if it doesn’t feel like silk, it probably isn’t. It doesn’t help to argue with the staff about it, as they generally won’t have a clue what you are talking about! Some stores have abysmal customer service anyway and too few staff for the busy hours. Carolina’s and Fabric Warehouse are probably the most guilty of this, so if I can’t find what I want elsewhere, I try and go early during the day, when they are not so busy. It also helps to actually talk to sales staff and ask (and remember!) their first name, so that next time you come, they will also actually remember you! Stores in malls are normally fixed price, but if you are buying alot of fabric and the owner is around, strike up a conversation with him or her, and you may get a few pesos off. In Divisoria, Taytay and Kamuning, you can try to haggle a bit as they sometimes raise their prices if they see someone they perceive to be rich (i.e. a "foreigner"!). But the discounts won't be that big unless you are really buying a substantial amount. 

These are the places I shop the most:

SM Megamall, Ortigas 
The basement on the Shangri-La side has 5 or 6  fabric stores in a row next to each other so it is one of the most convenient places to go for fabric! There is also a Carolinas (one of the only shops outside of Divisoria where you can get sewing notions such as lace, ribbons, buttons, zips, threads etc as well as mainly evening wear fabric) on the second floor. You can also get some sewing notions in the SM department store next to the lingerie department.

Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas
2 quite nice fabric stores: Bloomingdales and Expressions. They both also have branches in other malls and seem to be part of the same "family" as you sometimes find the same fabrics in both stores. Bloomingdales is the only store in town (that I know off) which sells special knitted wicking fabric for rash guards and sportswear, as well as waterproof/repellant raincoat fabric.


Market Market, Taguig /Fort
Cotton Touch, (a sister company of Cotton Depot) which sell the biggest selection of printed cottons in town: a huge range of florals, but also a lot of fabrics suitable for children's wear including car prints etc for boys and good for quilts as well). A small Carolina's and a couple of smaller fabric stalls including one which sells some pure silks.Metro Department Store also has a very nice fabric department on the top floor and a good selection of sewing notions.  

Glorietta, Makati
Quite a few fabric stores, including a big Carolina's, a huge Fabric Warehouse and a big Cotton Depot (Parttimehomemaker posted some photos here). They used to all be on the top floor of Glorietta 5 but now many have moved to the new Glorietta building, so I'm not 100% sure where they all are yet. The Cotton Depot seems to have stayed on the top floor of Glorietta 5. 

Greenbelt 1, Makati
Fanbi is the only fabric store in this mall but well worth a visit! They have some really nice fabrics as well as a good selection of men's shirts and suit/pants fabrics. There prices are higher than some of the other stores, but some of their more uncommon fabrics are also worth it.


Carolina's in Dian Street, Makati
This store is not air-conditioned but is less full than the other Carolina's stores, so I always drop by if I am in the neighborhood. There is parking right in front of the store which is also good to know!

Greenhills, San Juan
There is a Fabric Warehouse here as well as Designer Prints which although a bit more expensive than other stores, has a really good selection and is well worth a visit.

Fabric Warehouse Libis / along E. Rodriguez opposite Eastwood
Fabric Warehouse has quite a few stores all over Metro Manila, but it can be incredibly hard, if not impossible to find anything, just because the stores are too full. The name "warehouse" actually sells it all! The biggest Fabric Warehouse is along E.Rodriguez in Libis (although the new one in Glorietta is also large) but parking can be difficult as the few lots in front get filled up quickly. They do have a huge selection of all sorts of fabrics and as they have more space than their stores in Megamall or Greenhills, it's a little easier to find what you are looking for. Haute Fashionista posted a photo of the store here.

Mall of Asia, Pasay
The only fabric store I know of here, is a small Cotton Depot selling mainly cotton fabrics. It's above the Nido Science Museum.

Divisoria
Where do I start? Divisoria merits a post all to its self! Tutuban Mall has fabric stores if you want to shop in air-conditioning! Otherwise there are hundreds of small stalls in Divine Market, the building between Ilaya and Tabora ( enter behind the stalls which line the streets). You'll also find a lot of fabric sold on Ilaya street (literally on the street as the rolls are all just piled up on the ground!) along Ilaya. These stalls often sell misprinted fabric as well as dirty (no wonder!!) fabric so check when they measure and maybe buy a little extra. The fabric is so cheap here, that it won't hurt much to buy a few yards more. There is another building on the north side of CM Recto with a lot of fabric stalls too, including some which sell cut lengths of washed denim. 

Taytay
I love Taytay as it is the only place in Metro Manila where you can find a lot of cotton and cotton mix knitted fabrics. They sell mainly roll ends from factories and you have to take whatever they have as they usually won't cut off just a few yards for you. So sometimes, when you really can't use 30yds of one fabric, you just have to walk away, but there are plenty of smaller cuts to choose from too. Fabric is sold by the kilo and last time I went, the average price I paid worked out at around P70 per yard for fabric up to 180" wide. The fabrics stores are along Rizal Avenue. Turn right when coming from Jollibee. Parking is no problem here as you can just park along the street. There are also a couple of stalls which carry woven fabric by the yard and I've even seen a small stall along one of the alleys selling really short roll ends for bathing suits. They were not long enough for a bathing suit for me, but if you want to make a bikini you could easily find enough fabric here!

Kamuning
I've never actually been here, but I am told its a good place to shop for fabric. There are even tailors here where you can have men's suits made. Bespoke Man documents his experience on his blog. My lawyer also told me she has her business suits made in Kamuning, so I think I need to take a trip there too some time.



I am sure that I have missed other places with good fabric stores, and if you have any recommendations, or favorite fabric stores, please let me know in a comment. I always love to discover new places to shop!

Marking fabrics

When sewing, there are always pattern markings you need to transfer to your fabric. I grew up using dressmaker's carbon paper, tailor's tacks or chalk but since working in the garment industry where they used pens with disappearing ink, I became converted and ever since used special pens sold for quilters such as this one. Needless to say, they are not available in the Philippines, so I always had to buy them abroad.

One day, it occurred to me to test the washable markers sold for children's art. I bought 3 packs at National Bookstore, draw some lines on a piece of white fabric I had lying around, ironed it (heat sets some dyes making them more difficult if not impossible to wash out)  and threw it in the washing machine. I was really happy to find that all the marks washed out! 

Now, not only do I save quite a bit of money as I don't have to buy expensive quilter's pens from abroad, but I also have a selection of different colors. This can be really useful if you are having many fitting challenges, and aren't sure which was the latest change. I use a different color every time I have to mark a new sewing line so always know which was the latest adjustment! 

WARNING: Even though I have been using washable markers on all sorts of fabrics for some time now, I still test every new pack I buy and would highly recommend you do the same before drawing all over your beautiful fabric with them. You never know if a manufacturer may change their ink recipe, or if an ink reacts to the heat from an iron differently on some fabrics. I also keep my pens separate from my daughter's art supplies and mark them with some colored tape, so I don't accidentally use one of her permanent markers!

Pattern review: Giraffe print dress, Knipmode

Pattern Description:

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #3 08/2008 sleeveless dress with cut-on standing collar, pleats at shoulder, elastic waist with tie belt

Pattern Sizing:

European 38 to 46. I used a size 38 at the top and 40 for the skirt.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I omitted the tucks on the skirt and wore the dress buttoned all the way up!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

KNIPMODE magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s very comfortable and cool for our tropical weather.

Fabric Used:

A cotton print from Bloomingdales in Shangri-La Plaza.  They still have it in a slightly darker brown and I have seen a navy blue version in one of the smaller fabric stores in Glorietta. I really like animal prints and found this giraffe print slightly more unusual. I pre-washed the fabric and to my surprise I found that the print bled. Usually prints are pretty colorfast, but this one bled quite heavily into the white, so the white looked a bit dirty. If you buy this fabric, I would therefore recommend washing it separately by hand (don’t leave to soak!), rinsing in vinegar, wringing out as much of water as possible ( wringing in between 2 towels generally helps remove most excess water) and drying in the sun so it dries quickly without the print running into the white areas. As the fabric is quite thin, I lined the skirt with thin white cotton from Fabric Warehouse.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I removed the tucks from the skirt, as I didn’t think they would be very visible in this fabric.  I also added in darts and the shoulder to stop the back armholes gaping.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I would as it is a very easy dress to make. I’d probably make it in a solid color and put the tucks back in again maybe with contrast top stitching.

Pattern Review: panel print dress

Pattern Description: 

KNIPMODE magazine pattern #2 08/2008 sleeveless dress

Pattern Sizing:

European 34 to 42. I used a size 38 as this looked wide enough to go over my size 40 hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

yes, considering I changed the front neckline

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Knipmode magazine instructions are very minimal and as I am a pretty experienced sewer, I rarely refer to them except if it’s an unusual construction.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

It’s incredibly comfortable, but not that flattering, as the pattern pieces have a slight balloon shape, narrowing to the hem. This gives a lot of extra weight around the hips. The pattern actually also includes pockets in the side seams which I did not include as that would have added to the hip widening effect! The straps are also well placed to cover bra straps although the back view shows, that I should have shortened the right strap a bit to compensate for a lower shoulder on that side.I also just saw from the photos taken this morning, that placing a panel print with a big flower right on your bum is probably also not a good idea! It just goes to show that no matter how much you think about pattern placement, there are always surprises lurking somewhere. …

Fabric Used:

A rayon crinkle from Expressions in Glorietta which I actually did sew up immediately after I purchased it, but am only blogging about now. It is quite transparent, so I lined it with a very thin cotton from Fabric Warehouse in Libis (near Eastwood). I’ve worn and washed the fabric many times now and the black print is starting to fade. A print like this can fade due to abrasion in the washing machine and the strong sun, so really should be washed and dried inside out. Like most rayon’s, it does crease a lot, but actually lining it has helped to lessen that a bit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I changed the front neckline to a U rather than square as I thought the corners would be weak, as well as a U being more flattering for my skinny chest. I added a lining as especially the lighter portions of the fabric was rather transparent. I also moved the zip to the side seam, as with the panel print I didn't want to be fiddling around matching patterns up the centre back.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I will as it is a very comfortable dress for Manila heat and doesn’t look too much like a muumuu! I would straighten out the side seams though.

Conclusion:

I’ve already worn this dress a lot and even though its not the most flattering dress I own, it is one of the most comfortable in hot summer weather.

More than a year later.... a fabric purchase

This certainly is not the only fabric I have purchased in over a year, but I think I will start with this one as I bought some last week and had to go and get more today. It's a panel print (one huge flower) and the first piece I had bought, did not quite have a full panel on the second flower, so I could not centre it on the back. Had to go and buy another yard today.

Fabric: probably some sort of viscose/rayon with a crinkle effect
Cost: P350/yd ( one panel is about a yard)
Where: Expressions 245 Glorietta 4, Ayala Centre, Makati. ( There is a row of about 4 small fabric stores near the toilets, below the cinemas)
They have another store in Shangri-La but I didn't see this print there. If you need to make a animal costume for Halloween, both stores have very nice tiger,  leopard and zebra fake fur with a short pile. If I lived in a colder country, I would have bought some to trim a coat!

Now, hopefully having posted this fabric here, I will now actually so it up with a reasonable amount of time!

Fabric shopping in Manila

I’m often asked where to find good fabrics in Manila, and usually tell people to go where there are the most fabrics stores in one place so you have the most choice in one trip. This is either the basement of Megamall or the top floor of Glorietta 5. However, if you are in the Greenhills area (buying pearls or fake handbags!), do stop by a small fabric store in Virra Mall called Designer Prints. 

They are opposite McDonalds (which is now being either demolished or rebuilt – I wasn’t sure which one when I was there last week!) and Krispy Kreme. They have a small window facing the street with a few bolts of fabrics in them so you can find them quite easily. The shop is in the same alley as Fabric Warehouse but about 5 or 6 stores further down. Designer Prints carry a very nice range of fabrics all imported from the US. It’s an excellent place for cotton piques as well as cotton twills. Not necessarily the cheapest place in town, but a slightly different collection makes them well worth the visit! Like most fabric stores in Manila, they have much more stock in their shop than they really have room for, but the staff and owners are very friendly and are happy to dig out rolls from the back of the pile for you! This time, I saw a beautiful cotton border print pique, some very nice printed cotton jerseys (have to go back for the aqua striped one which was still on the boat from the US!), even some solid real silk chiffon ( and real silk is not that easy to find in Manila!) as well as solid linen and some beautiful evening dress fabrics. I restrained myself once again and only came home with a yard of this printed cotton stretch twill 60" wide for P390 / US$9.20 / Euro 6.39 for a skirt.