Fabric Warehouse is a great wee fabric store tucked away behind Mt Eden Road…read more When I was in high-school and had various school balls to attend, the Fabric Warehouse was a lifesaver. I've never been much of a girly girl and didn't want the same satin style ball gown as every other girl, so instead went to the Fabric Warehouse found the perfect white fabric with black flowers around the hem and had my own 1950s style gown made. Not only was it completely original, but it was also pretty cheap. The Fabric Warehouse is really fairly priced and the lovely couple that work there are more than happy to help you locate the ideal fabrics for whatever project you are working on. A great selection of fabrics, zippers, buttons and threads are available at Fabric Warehouse, as well as a brilliant variety of patterns. My favourite are the vintage Vogue patterns they stock up by the counter - so inspirational, and what better place to be inspired than in a fabric store?! If you endeavour to sew your own clothing or even whip up some cheap and funky curtains or pillow cases - the Fabric Warehouse will provide everything you need!

The stores you would find me lingering in most of my recent days especially last weekend, were…read moreFabric Stores. On the hunt for that perfect light, silky fabric enough to be used at an event to hide other curtains, was definetly a mission on its own. I found walking into Fabric Warehouse, actually a relief because they seemed to have lots of different options. It turns out that the perfect material they had was all I needed except had to be doubled over to do the job. Good thing is that they had a 40% sale on certain curtain materials, and my chosen chiffon just happened to be amongst it. The lady working at the front of the store, her name was Lily, a very helpful Asian women, who was great in showing me as many options as she had in store. I noticed that you had a variety of material options from budget to expenisive so something to suit all tastes.

Best place for variety, quality and price for home furnishing fabrics that Ive found in Auckland…read more They have end rolls of European furnishing fabrics - beautiful patterns and natural fabrics, as well as easy care fabrics.

I always get great fabric here. The staff is kind and helpful regardless of your level of skill…read more GF has patterns and thread on site for purchase as well but no extras like elastic or buttons. The fabric is on the more expensive side but the quality is consistently very good. GF has a blog to get you started with ideas and a newsletter. I highly recommend signing up to the newsletter, you get notifications on sales :)

From the owner: The Fabric Store was first established in 1995 in New Zealand as Global Fabrics with flagship…read morestores in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The first Australian store opened in Surry Hills, Sydney in 2008 followed by stores in Fitzroy, Melbourne and Fortitude Valley, Brisbane in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Our flagship U.S. store opened in West Hollywood, Los Angeles in 2013.

My friends and I were only visiting Auckland for a short stay and HAD to purchase New Zealand yarn…read more (You know how it is. ;) This store had it all, yarn, notions, tools, patterns, and most important, knowledge! In a short time we had everything explained to us, purchased, and were on our way. It's well worth a visit!

An excellent range of NZ yarns, including Outlaw Yarns, Zealana and plenty of merino wool, possum…read moreand local alpaca blends. Heaps of NZ designed and themed quilting fabrics, if you're into that kind of thing. Great to have a place in the city to buy thread and other goodies, too!

Ali Davies is a recently opened boutique fabric store located on Garnet Road in Westmere…read more Unfortunately every time I have passed this store I've been on my way to work, and then when I finally had the time to go inside the store was closed. However, that didn't stop me from having a peek in the window. Doilies, beautifully patterned fabrics (many of which depict classic New Zealand icons like the pohutukawa flower), organic products, crochet cushion covers, great artwork created by local artists and an amazing, bright, vibrant rug made of woven fabrics - everything in this store was gorgeous. What a gem! As well as selling fabrics by the metre, Ali Davies also offers organic waffle cotton tea towels for $10 each and table napkins for $12. The entire store gave off a really homely, kitsch, trustworthy vibe, and even though I didn't interact with any shopkeepers, if their personalities are anything like the atmosphere of the store - Ali Davies will be the complete package! Tip: Thought not officially open on Mondays and Tuesdays, if you contact Ali Davies you can shop there by appointment. A little aside: As I was about to leave I noticed a little Hungry Caterpillar book hanging from the handle of the store's door. I'm not sure whether this was supposed to be there or not- it was a bit strange - but it just fit with the homely, cute and cosy vibe of Ali Davies and made me like this place even more!

This gorgeous little space very recently opened up in St Kevin's Arcade on K-Road, across from the…read moreAlleluya cafe. It's a crafting space/cute sewing supply shop, run by the lovely Sarah and her intern, Rosie. Maybe you want to use a sewing machine or an overlocker for a few hours, maybe you want to cut out some patterns, or do some handstitching. Maybe you don't know anything at all about sewing, but you'd love to learn. Or maybe you just want to pick up some gorgeous vintage fabrics, notions, or handcrafted items from local NZ craftspeople. You can do all of these things here, and if you need a helping hand, Sarah and Rosie are more than happy to give you a few pointers. Everything inside is reclaimed/recycled - the machines, the tools, the fabric - everything! The decor is really cute and cosy, with the mismatching stools, and the lovely sewing decorations hanging everywhere. They offer classes on how to start sewing, or how to make skirts/tops, or how to mend clothes you already have, and refashioning stuff from your wardrobe! They also offer knitting classes, all at very reasonable prices. If you order coffee from Alleluya, they'll even bring it over to you in the cafe!

My mom offered to make a quilt to celebrate the birth of my son, and we were going to incorporate…read morefamily photos on the quilt, so we needed the correct materials for the whole process. We stopped by at Smart Dress Fabrics, and we hoped to get all our quilting goods, and they appeared to stock everything we needed. In fact they appeared to stock almost everything in New Zealand. What a painful shopping experience, not because the service was bad or the products poor, in fact it was quite the contrary. There was just too much, I couldn't get my mother to leave. Next time, I'll go the the pub, and I'll let my mom shop at her own leisure...

If you want fabric, whatever texture, colour, or size I am pretty sure these guys will have it!…read moreThey have filled every nook and cranny with rolls and rolls of fabric possible in such a little store (although I say 'little' it is actually bigger than it looks from the outside). I have been into a few fabric shops lately and although the famous Newmarket Centrepoint Fabrics boast to be the largest around, I think this one would do sufficiently for anyone living West of Auckland, plus parking would be far less of a hassle and free! Smart Dress Fabrics also have some patterns available that I noticed some nearby women going through (I have only just bought myself a machine, so I haven't quite got to that stage yet, soon!).

I was looking for a haberdashery shop near me and a year ago found The Remuera Wool shop. The shop…read moreis great with good selection of wools, threads and sewing items. Newish ownership with wonderful staff who also are knitters, crocheters and sewers so they know what they are talking about. On a Monday and Tuesday they have an informal group session where you can go with your project and get advice if it's needed or just craft. during the week they also give advice and will help you. prices are competitive.

I made the trek here last week (and I say trek, because I live in Newmarket and don't have a car,…read moreso I walked) in order to get some knitting needles. I did call first and ask if they had any, and they confirmed they did, so off I went. Firstly, it's a little hard to find, as it's tucked away at the back of a little arcade and the only sign it might be in there is an old Janome sign on the street. It's quite small, but seemed to have a decent range of yarn and sewing machines, fabric and notions. Unfortunately, their selection of knitting needles was quite small, and extremely overpriced. They were selling the same needles in there that I later saw in Knit World, only they wanted about $8 more for them! I'll go back to check out their sewing supplies, since I've heard good things, and hopefully their prices for fabric are more reasonable.

First Scene was my first point of call recently to help deck me out for my first trip to the famous…read moreArt Deco Fesitval in Napier. I did however head to the First Scene on 334a Rosebank Road, Avondale, not this one closer to the city. The Rosebank Road location has a props department, accessories you can buy, and loads and loads of clothes to hire. The lovely Miranda was our special helper (finding attire for four of us), she has worked for the company for well over a decade in several departments and is totally the go-to person! If you can't find what you want at First Scene, you are unlikely to find it anywhere in Auckland.

First Scene is New Zealand's biggest prop and costume hire company and is the first and only place…read moreyou ever need to go to get a great costume, complete with appropriate accessories, face paint and shoes. You can find everything from nurse and soldier outfits, to Mariachi costumes, Big Bird bodysuits to Seashell mermaid bustiers - First Scene is the one stop shop to a brilliant outfit and a good time! It is also possible to hire larger props such as statues, marquees and the like, be it for a themed party or to dress the set of a film. The staff are a heap of fun and love getting involved in sorting you out with the perfect get up. Prices are also pretty reasonable, with the amount depending on how intense the garments you're hiring are. One word of warning - avoid parking in the carpark. It's very small and the angles of the parks are not particularly car friendly. When possible, park on the street or around the block - save yourself the aggravation and embarrassment!