ULTIMATE LIST OF BEST FABRIC STORES AUCKLAND & NEW ZEALAND

INSIDE: Roam the Gnome’s guide to the best fabric stores Auckland, Wellington, and the rest of NZ.

When we travel around, I make a beeline to visit the best fabric stores, the cute craft supplies stores, and the art supplies stores so I can add to my collection of art and craft supplies.

I like to experiment with all kinds of craft, and am always on the lookout for a new craft to learn.

I love to sew too, and cannot resist any opportunity to add to my fabric stash, especially when I find beautiful linens, wool, Marimekko designs, and heavy duty Japanese fabrics.

(My bank account always takes a hit in these shops.)

Take a look below at the best fabric shops in Auckland and throughout New Zealand!

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you. Main image credit: Thomas Timlin via Flickr CC BY-2.0

Image credit: New Zealand Fabrics and Yarn

GUIDE TO FABRIC STORES AUCKLAND NZ

Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in AUD dollars, unless otherwise stated

I’ll be hosting Crafty Travels tours in the next few years, and can’t wait to take fellow crafty enthusiasts to the best shops and crafts workshops from around the world, including some of these FUN fabric stores NZ has to offer! 

Image credit: New Zealand Fabrics and Yarn

THE BEST FABRIC STORE AUCKLAND? 

This is a BIG list of the 9 best fabric and haberdashery stores you’ll find in New Zealand.

NZ has a huge community of handcraft enthusiasts, sewing:

• handmade clothes
• adorable toys
• aprons
• homewares
• souvenirs and gifts

There’s lots of places for where these sewing enthusiasts find their supplies in person.

You can too.

Happy shopping!

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RELATED: The Best New Zealand WOOL SHOPS Auckland & New Zealand

No.1: New Zealand Fabrics and Yarn

New Zealand Fabrics and yarn in Auckland have the ultimate range of high quality quilting calico, fat quarters and panels with New Zealand (and Australian) themes.

In fact, over 200 bolts of New Zealand-themed fabric!

Some visitors think this shop has the best selection of New Zealand fabric in the whole country.

You can also find yarn from NZ heritage sheep, and a large selection of New Zealand yarns including those from boutique producers.

Their wool and yarns come in a range of luscious colours, so good you want to eat them!

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RELATED: Ultimate Guide to the BEST New Zealand Chocolate 

Image credit: Marc Thayer

NZ Fabrics and Yarn sell:

• New Zealand designed and produced cross-stitch, embroidery and tapestry kits
• Supplies for scrap-booking, sewing, spinning and weaving
• A select collection of Australian fabrics and yarns
• Circular knitting needles

The shop staff here are welcoming and friendly too, and if you feel so inclined, you can jump into one of the embroidery, knitting, and sewing classes held weekly or Learn to Knit, Learn to Crochet, and Learn to Spin classes each month.

Visit the shop in downtown Auckland.

It’s close to cruise, ferry, train and bus terminals, and an easy walk from Sky City and most major hotels.

No.2: The Fabric Store Auckland (Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin too)

I love The Fabric Store NZ because it’s orderly and organised, not the usual kind of mess.

The beauty of this store is mesmerising.

Fabrics are stored on tidy rolls, colour coded, and it’s easy to see at a glance what you need.  Most of their range is made from natural fibres so it’s a pleasure to touch and study them before purchase.

Look out for the beautiful New Zealand merino fabric, linens, and their range of leather.

Hot tip: Don’t miss the remnants bin.

There’s a small haberdashery section near the front counter selling buttons, zippers and threads.

It’s definitely not a budget fabric store, but I’m happy to pay a little more for the quality fabric and the elegant experience.

Image credit: Drapers 

No.3: Drapers Fabrics Auckland

Beautiful dressmaking fabrics from all over the world, including Italy, France, Japan and Spain.

You’ll find natural fibre fabrics in silk, cotton, and linen.

Plus:

• rayon and silk
• a small range of leather
• denim
• shirtings
• vintage wool suitings
• coating
• active wear fabrics

Their small haberdashery has buttons, zippers, and thread.

Image credit: Fabric Warehouse

No.4: The Fabric Warehouse Auckland

Find 3000+ varieties of quality fabrics. You will be blown away by the colours, patterns and designs!

The Fabric Warehouse is a one-stop shop for both hobby sewing enthusiasts and professional sewers.

It’s a smaller warehouse but filled from top to bottom.

They don’t waste space here.

Find fabrics including:

• Woollen
• Silk
• Linen
• Cotton
• Viscose
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Coat fabric

Image credit: Geoff’s Emporium by Wesley Johnson

MORE FABRIC SHOPS AUCKLAND

No.5: Geoff’s Emporium

This is a sewing lover’s dream shop, a veritable treasure chest with bolts of fabric in every colour imaginable, at bargain prices.

It’s a tight squeeze at times if there are lots of other customers there at the same time, but when you are with like-minded kin, that’s ok.

Put on your overalls and go hunt for the good stuff.

There’s fabric, haberdashery assortments and a good button selection.

Plus art canvases, paint, paper, scrapbooking materials, dress up costumes, party goods, and more.

A TREASURE CHEST!  Who knows what else you’ll find.

No.6: The Fabric Shop Otara

The Otara Fabric Shop is a huge factory outlet full of fabric in every colour, material, style, and size, at a price everyone can afford.

Find:

• dressmaking fabrics – stretch satins, rayon, polyester jacquards, printed cotton lycra, and polyester twill. You might even snake skin printed rayons!
• swimwear, and active wear fabrics
• fashion knits
• cotton embroidered fabrics
• natural fibres including merino fabric, cotton knits, and sand washed linens (and linen/polyester combination in beautiful plain pastels)
• dancewear, netting
• curtain fabrics and limited upholstery
• sweat shirt fabrics
• fabrics for formal dress making, including sequinned fabric
• stretch laces
• trims

Their haberdashery stocks elastic, zippers, feathers, threads, buttons, and more .

Image credit: Daisy Braid

No.7: Nick’s Fabrics Auckland

If you are visiting the Fabric Shop Otara, pop into Nick’s fabrics too.  This huge space is a fabric supplier and outlet store filled with rolls and rolls of every kind of fabric known to woman. (or man).

Their claim to fame is that they are the cheapest fabrics in town!

The range is eclectic and there’s a bit of everything in all colours, designs and prints.
They stock:

• All furnishing fabrics
• Upholstery, drapery, and taffetas.
• Dress fabrics including polyester georgette and wool blends. (Too many to list.)  Prices start from $4 per metre

Find the merinos, silks, and cotton flannels hiding in amongst the rest!

No.8: Spotlight Auckland

This is your back up fabric shop if everything else fails.

No.9: Bolt of Cloth Auckland Newmarket (CLOSED)

Unfortunately, Bolt of Cloth at 2-8 Osborne St, Newmarket, Auckland 1023 has closed for good.

GUIDE TO FABRIC STORES HAMILTON

No.1: Moreland Fabrics

Moreland Fabrics is the largest fashion fabric retail chain store in New Zealand, with five stores in the North Island.

Family owned and operated, they have been in business for over 40 years, and because of that, have access to fabulous fabric suppliers from around the world in 20 countries, including an exclusive range.

If you are looking for Bridal fabrics, this is your go-to fabric shop as they stock Bridal lace, chiffons, silks and accessories, Mother of the Bride and evening fabric for all occasions.

Find:

• dress fabrics
• crepe, cotton, chiffon, calico, body mesh, polyester, poplin, organza, viscose, rayon
• felt and wool fabrics
• denim
• vinyl
• furnishings, curtain and upholstery fabrics
• Christmas fabrics
• safety gear fabric
• lace
• stretch fabrics
• dance fabrics, taffeta, netting, tulle,
• quilting fabrics and fat quarters
• trims

No.2: Backstreet Bargains Factory

New Zealand’s biggest selection of fabric rolls, remnants, and fabric by the metre.

My favourite is their range of New Zealand themed fabric and Kiwiana, including Buzzy Bee fabric, New Zealand flowers, New Zealand birds including Fantails and pukekos, New Zealand flowers,  sheep prints, funny Kiwi prints, and Maori designs.

Plus a giant haberdashery selection.

Find:

• cotton fabrics
• lace material
• linen
• curtain fabric
• satins
• wool materials and silks
• dancewear
• lycra

GUIDE TO FABRIC STORES WELLINGTON

No.1: Quilters Lane, Masterton

This is the shop to visit if you want to make a beautiful quilt from New Zealand textiles.

There’s the full range of quilting fabric, plus classes from beginner to advanced levels.

Stocking:

• all the colours and patterns of fabrics including Christmas fabric, fabric bundles and pre-cuts, and blocks of the month
• quilt batting
• Limited edition patterns and fabrics by well known designers including Anna Maria Horner
• threads
• quilting and sewing books
• tools
• sewing machines, and more.

They are also the accredited Janome and Brother Sewing Machine Dealers for Sales, Repairs and Parts in the area.

No.2: Other Fabric Stores in Wellington

• Spotlight
• Moreland Fabrics in Lower Hutt
• The Fabric Store Wellington

Image credit: Miss Maude Sewing

GUIDE TO FABRIC STORES GREYTOWN

No.1: Miss Maude Sewing

This is a delightful shop that will thrill handcraft lovers and sewers with a passion for good design too.

They sell divine fabric in all the colours, as well as beautiful simple patterns, and pattern books.

• corduroy (my favourite winter fabric ever)
• cashmere
• tweed
• merino
• tencel
• stretch woven cottons
• oilskins
• silk
• gauze
• wool
• denim
• linen
• cotton
• knits

Plus a range of organic cotton canvas, cotton poplin and organic cotton knits.

Their haberdashery range includes piping, buttons, labels, scissors, ribbon and trim, elastic, zips, bag making equipment and a range of vintage notions too.

If you are wondering what to buy in New Zealand for a crafty friend, check out their range of stationery, including the divine MAKING Magazine.

Image credit: Bolt of Cloth

GUIDE TO FABRIC STORES CHRISTCHURCH

No.1: Bolt of Cloth Christchurch for Marimekko Fabric

If you love Marimekko, you will adore this fabric store filled to the brim with Marimekko fabric, and topped up with Marimekko homewares and home decor items including bags, aprons, totes, pillows, cards, small handcrafts and more.

Most of the fabric is thick, heavy duty cottons, quilting fabric, and canvas ideal for homewares, curtains, quilts and pillow covers.

There is a smaller range of light cotton and linen fabrics for aprons and clothing.

PS: The Tui and Puhutukawa flower fabric at the top of the page is from Bolt of Cloth here.

Fun Fact: You can visit the Marimekko outlet store when you visit the real Santa in Lapland, like we did! 

Take a look inside the Marimekko fabric outlet store in Finland here. 

No.2: The Fabric Store Christchurch

There’s also an outlet of the Fabric Store in Christchurch too.

They stock a curated range of designer ends, mill overruns & exclusive fabrics for the creative community.

Image credit: Chris via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

MORE FABRIC STORES IN NEW ZEALAND

No.1: Spotlight Stores

You can find the list of Spotlight stores in New Zealand, and their address, opening hours etc, here.

There are 19 Spotlight stores in New Zealand altogether in:

• Albany
• Christchurch
• Dunedin
• Hamilton
• Hastings
• Henderson
• Invercargill
• Kapiti
• Nelson
• New Plymouth
• Palmerston North
• Queenstown
• Rotorua
• Sylvia Park
• Tauranga
• Wairau Park
• Wellington
• Whangarei

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