I only know of three fabric shops in Halifax that sell fabric on bolts: Fabricville, Abby's at Bellisimo, and Chintzy's. The selection at these stores is not the best. I would rate Abby's the highest because they do have the most contemporary selection and a few unique prints, and Bellisimo is one of those stores I wish I lived in. Fabricville has amazing deals but it would be really rare for me to find something I love - the selection is a little meh. And honestly I haven't set foot in Chintzy's since it moved from its location on Birmingham St. to Oxford St. a few years ago so it is possible I am missing some treasures there.
Halifax is also home to a growing number of interior design shops (e.g. 31 Westgate on Agricola) that have swatch books you can peruse and select special order fabrics from. I am not a fan of looking through swatch books. There are just so many, and the prices are never listed so you often have to choose all the ones you want and then go ask for the prices. It's just not an easy way to shop for fabric, and the fabrics in the books can be pricey.
So a couple of years ago when I was thinking of tackling a slipcover for an old chair but couldn't find any nice, affordable fabric options, I turned to the internets for help. I love, love, love Sarah Richardson and she always seems to find her fabrics in a giant store where she just whisks through rows and rows of samples and pulls out something amazing. After checking out the source guide for her show, Design Inc., I noticed that a lot of the fabrics she was using came from a store in Toronto named Designer Fabrics. I checked out their site and was happy to find out they lend out swatches for free.
I really recommend that you test out your fabric choices with swatches before taking the plunge. The computer screen can do funny things and fabric can sometimes look wayyy different in person. At Designer Fabrics you pay $4.00 for shipping each way and you get to keep the swatches for three weeks (side note: do NOT keep the swatches longer than you are allowed - they will charge you for them).
This opened up a whole new world of interesting fabric for me. Take a look at some of the pretty prints they are carrying right now:
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After searching the interweb a little more I eventually came across a little online fabric boutique, also based in Toronto, called Tonic Living. Tonic Living is an amazing store with a big selection of fun and interesting home decor fabrics. Tonic Living's swatch system also allows me to indulge in my swatch-hoarding pastime (I also have a paint fan deck hoarding issue but will leave that for another day). You get to purchase a swatch for $1.00 and keep it FOREVER. The swatches are a good size - often about 6"x6". I am well on my way to amassing a collection of swatches representing all the fabric that Tonic Living carries. Check out some of these beauties:
Source Source SourceThe prices are great - I think the most expensive fabric is under $30 a yard. The drawback is you won't find many super heavy-duty woven fabrics, but for projects like slipcovering, pillow shams and draperies the selection is perfect. In the coming months look for fabrics from Tonic Living and Designer Fabrics in many of my room "refresh" projects.
I would love to hear any Halifax fabric-finding secrets that you may have. Am I missing out on any fabulous fabric sources?
Update: I can't believe I forgot to mention this. Amazing textile artist, Jesse Harrod, recently told me about Spoonflower. It is a site where you can design your own fabric or choose from thousands of fabrics designed by others. You can have it printed on the fabric weight of your choosing. If you create a design and someone buys it, Spoonflower will give you a commission on the sale. I'm not crafty enough to design my own fabric but there are some amazing and unique designs available. It is almost overwhelming how many there are. I am going to try it soon and will report back on the experience.
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