They sold me too much fabric for a dress. They could have recommended less. Ended up paying for an…read moreextra yard.

We went to the SM Southmall branch to buy fabrics, and this guy with a beard (who looked bored with…read morehis job) 'assisted' us. We were having second thoughts about the color he gave us--it was way different from the sample we had. When we asked if there was any other fabric that matched the sample, he just shrugged us off and went to assist another customer. He was rude and definitely not helpful. When we finally chose the fabric, he charged us for both fabrics.

The mom of Carlo is a "suki" (loyal customer) here. So, when he said it was time to buy the fabric…read morefor his suit, his mom knew where to go and when. Yes, we went here the morning of Chinese New Year! There were so many people! But, there were discounts in all the stores. :) To get to the shop, you have to squeeze your way to the Yangco Market building. Once you're inside you have to walk to the very end. The shop will be right in front of a Barong and Jusi shop. The reason why we went all the way to this shop (honestly, this section of Binondo is the fabrics and textiles area) is because Carlo's brother bought his fabrics for his wedding at this same shop. So, of course, we expected discounts! The fabrics here are of very good quality and, from what the owner told us, is sourced from the "original" fabric warehouses. Not sure if that's true but, I felt the quality in the fabrics he showed us. Note: we made the mistake of saying that we were making a suit for the groom. The fabric price for a groom's suit to a normal suit is way higher. We did get a discount but, seriously the same fabric was Php200 less when you say it's a normal suit.

Very bad customer service!!! I called them on their landline, and they say the signal is bad he…read morecan't hear the material i was looking for. I texted the materials to their company number and gave it a couple of mins before calling them again. And when I called he was so rude saying he didnt get the text yet and for me to call back. I wouldnt have mind if I have to call back but the way he says it. And I called again and still got the same arrogant tone. Even scolding me for asking a question. Is that how you treat customers??? The arrogant staff is named William. I hope management will do something about the situation.

I have a love-hate relationship with this Carolina's branch. Don't get me wrong. It's conveniently…read moreplaced in my turf (Ayala is my territory, don't argue). In recent times, they have been improving the shop, like adding more stocks and re-arranging the stuff for easier access. It's small, so a smarter way to organize the items should be in order from time to time. It's actually pretty convenient that in theory, it would take me an hour to drive there, buy what I need and get back to working on my dresses...given that the staff would actually accommodate me. I don't know if it was me being insensitive to the amount of work the staff here are doing but it takes like ten minutes to have your order cut for you. That's sort of frustrating time-wise because what if I just need a yard of one ribbon? It's been known in the fashion world that the service here has a little bit of attitude, but maybe they just need to hire more people. A lot of customers need service at the same time here after all. Overall though, its existence worked wonders in my life, especially when I have some emergency fashion supplies needs. I guess the saving factor in this branch is the occasional (and pretty much unannounced) super sale. They lay out two huge bins filled with older stocks that are still in good condition and you can buy them in bulk. That's actually how I ended up with a mini Carolina's of my own at my workshop!

Carolina's Lace Shoppe is the lazy, city-dwelling, crafty girl's solution to immediate fabric and…read morecraft needs. A lot of craft places require you to venture out to Divisoria, Recto, and Quiapo, and it's quite inconvenient if you're not located near those areas. Carolina's is like your craft convenience store. Yes, prices will be a bit higher, but saves you time, energy and transportation costs. They've got a good selection of fabric and clothes-making materials, so this is a good place to get stuff for those one-off projects, or if you're personally sourcing out fabric and materials if you're having custom clothes tailored. If you make accessories and jewelry, they have a good selection of beads, locks and chains. If you're looking for crochet threads and yarns, they've got a ton of colors to choose from as well. It's great how the existence of Carolina's in malls and other more accessible locations really inspire crafters and make it easier for them to keep on creating despite a grueling, 9-5 day job. Small conveniences such as these go a long way!

This is one shop I never not go to whenever I'm in Tabora, especially when I'm looking for…read moreembellishments that I need in bulk. Like when I did a gown of Elsa for a client before. That little sumb'ch needed more than a hundred snowflake-shaped sequins. If I bought them in Carolina's smaller packs, I probably would've spent around 500 pesos. But I actually saw a better version here from their wide selection of bulk sequins. One pack was just 85 pesos. Talk about huge savings. I also love the way the store's semi-complete. This is where I buy my fusing 'cause they have the usual thickness that I needed for gowns, among others. They too sell a lot of yarns and ribbons here, which I normally have zero use for, except for DIY cat toys.

very helpful!! quick service, good prices, so much to look at, extremely smooth process! salamat po!read more

This place is a costume and dress maker's wonderland because they have everything you can…read moreconcievable need to make that costume or dress work. Not only do they have fabrics of all types and colors, they have enough buttons, beads and sequins to dress all the religious statues in Manila. They have lace and trimmings, all sorts of yarn and thread and all sewing accessories. They have crochet needles and patterns, embroidery boards and patches. It comes in pretty handy when a trip to Divisoria is a little bit too difficult.

This shop is like a refuge from the unforgiving exo-divi atmosphere. Usually, when I Tabora…read moreshop-hop, I end up in Everson (and Wellmanson) towards the end, cause it's kinda near the end of the street. So when I enter, the super relieving air-conditioning was some sort of unhealthy rejuvenation from all the sweat bestowed upon you by the sun. I guess this shop is more for the crafty people and not the sewing people. But I still frequent it, looking for stuff I can invest on, like swarovsky-looking beads. They always work well in gowns, and they come really cheap. And then, I leave when I'm all freshened-up. They have a lot of cute ribbons though, and those little flowerettes you can glue on your scrapbooks. They have those in rubbon form though, so you have to cut them individually. But that's the fun of it, don't you agree? This shop is a must visit for all you thrifty crafters, and for those who wants an aircon break from their divi quest. The latter is free!

I usually refer to this shop as "the awesome button place at divi" my entire life, until now, when…read moreI had to dig deep into my stacked receipts just to know its name for Yelp purposes. I kid you not, this is one amazing shop that will make you shake your head and realize that you will never ever see a place with so much buttons in your life. Possibly even ever again. (Unless of course, you'll go to another shop equivalent in India, hah). I just cannot stress over how much buttons they have in stock here. And it's not just buttons you would see in your everyday garment. They have buttons for ANY kind of clothing you can ever come up with in your head. I'm not exaggerating. The selections of colors, designs, shapes, and sizes of buttons here is CRAZY. Whenever I go here, I just awe at everything. In fact, I already memorized the placing of the buttons, like for example, this side has the golden Victorian-ish ones, and this corner has the ones with gems in them, or this side has the boring plastic ones. It's just a really fun experience for any crafting or sewing enthusiast, or a button-hogging dork like me. You can buy a really "mayaman-looking" button here for 4-5 pesos each. Sometimes, when the button design gets complicated, you can get them for 8 pesos and above. But seriously, I don't even care. There's probably no shop out there I can get those for way less, anyway. I button-hoard from here. A LOT. I just regret never really taking a picture of the shop's interior or exterior, or the beauties for sale. Most of the time, my face is just tightly glued against the glass and nothing can ever pry it off.

THE place for beginners and experienced crocheters and knitters alike! They have a wide selection…read moreof yarns to choose from and some that are hard to find even online. When you buy a skein they can spin it into a non-knotting ball (its helpful, trust me). Special orders are easy! Maybe because the crochet/knit crafting scene is small in Manila, there are too few local yarn shops. There are many online stores but, it is still good to have a feel of the yarn before you pruchase it. Also, having a shop that has a steady flow if the one particular yarn you need for projects is important. So, Dreams Yarnshoppe is my go-to yran shop! The shop carries a fine selection of designer yarn and brands not available at big box stores. The store is tiny but stocked and the employees are helpful and knowledgeable knitters. This store carries high-quality yarns made of natural fibers instead of mostly acrylic yarn. Cotton, bamboo, and all the new blends are here to feel. Sock yarn, striped yarn, and all the notions and patterns you could hope for. Even if you like to buy online, there is something about touching your materials that is helpful. Plus, they have lots of sample projects to inspire you!

I recently learned how to crochet, and I've since become obsessed with it. If you're surprised,…read moredon't be - I'm actually a billion years old, with the personality of a five year old. Plus, crocheting is great! I decided that this year, instead of hand-making my Christmas Cards, I'd make everyone scarves instead. Because really, who doesn't like a giant, fluffy scarf? If you said nobody, you'd be spot on. But to the point - after a ton of research, I found out that there were only three physical stores in Manila that sell yarn/crocheting needles: National Bookstore, Carolina's Lace and of course, Dreams Yarnshoppe. After having visited the first two and being thoroughly disappointed, I decided to venture out to Glorietta 5. And although Glorietta is a maze to navigate through, the Dreams Yarnshoppe made it well worth the effort! Although tiny, this store has most things you'd be looking for as an crafts person. If I had a cat (eww, but I've got a point, I swear), it would have had a field day because this store is basically catnip. SO MUCH YARN. SO MANY COLOURS. So many sizes! After being repeatedly met with sad, dull looking 4 ply yarn and tiny cotton crochet hooks, this store made it seem like I'd hit the jackpot. I ended up buying 4 skeins of yarn and 2 sets of Susan Bates crochet hooks (10 hooks in total) for PHP 2960 i.e. $65. Which, if you think about it, isn't cheap. Each skein of Lion Brand Homespun bulky yarn was PHP 495 ($11) which is about $4 more than it retails for in the US. The skeins of Big Wheel by Cascade Yarn were PHP 490 each, but that's approximately how much they retail for. The two sets of crochet hooks were marked up by $1 which, in the grand scheme of things, is negligible. Pros: + Yarns of all different plys (4, bulky, super bulky) + A ton of different yarn fibres (merino, cashmere, acrylic) + A great selection of colours + Crochet hooks that range from 1-11 mm, in a variety of materials (aluminum, wood and plastic) + The women working at the store were extra knowledgeable about the amount of yarn I would need to crochet a scarf and helped me buy yarn accordingly + Friendly service + They also sell DMC embroidery thread (although, if you really need some you should go to the dedicated store - DMC Creative World at SM MegaMall) Cons: - Expensive for Lion Brand yarn - Bright fluorescent lighting in the store. I really dislike fluorescent lights. - CASH ONLY Word to the wise: STAY AWAY FROM THE WOODEN CROCHET HOOKS! I was unsure about which kind of crochet hooks to buy, so the ladies working at the store let me try the different kinds of hooks with the yarn I was already buying. The yarn kept catching on the wood crochet hooks due to tiny splinters. They've also got a local/cheaper alternative to the Susan Bates aluminum crochet hooks; the prices aren't too different, but there's a world of difference in the quality, so I went with the Susan Bates ones. P.S. If you're considering making scarves for everyone this Christmas, you might want to reconsider because of the significant impact it's going to have on your wallet ($20 per scarf).