Abakhan

For the crafter, embroiderer and tailor in us all
This is the last haberdasher in the city centre and here you’ll find fabrics, wool and yarns, craft supplies, buttons, threads and findings. I’ve found the perfect shirt buttons here, oil cloths, craft supplies — the jumble sale atmosphere can throw up the perfect bargain or inspirational oddment. Service is brisk but not overly friendly.

the Holy Grail for fashion students, can get all you need, the service was hit and miss, but everything else you can find here.

Holy Habadashery Batman! This place is a crafter’s paradise! The place was absolutely buzzing when I popped in at about 4 p.m. My senses were overwhelmed by the patterns and colours of all the fabrics. On the ground floor, the fabrics are pre-​cut remnants, for bolts of fabric, you must trek upstairs.
I didn’t make it upstairs on this occasion as I spotted the yarn and basically everything else didn’t matter. Baskets upon baskets (literally) of yarn! And they are organized by brand and colour… it is really a thing of beauty. Unfortunately they didn’t have the type of yarn that I needed to finish my blanket (Stylecraft Life), but other than that, they seemed to have a wide variety of yarns. It is also the only place, thus far, where I have seen more than three colours of the giant Aran skeins. I was tempted to get a few, but I have been known to hoard yarn, so I thought I should be good and finish my projects first before starting on more.
At the back of the yarn section, you can find crochet and knitting supplies. I was pleasantly surprised (and will most likely be back to purchase) to find a small selection of Tunisian Crochet hooks. IF a place carries them, they usually one carry one or two sizes, but it looked like they had about four or five sizes! I didn’t see much for patterns, but I don’t usually get my patterns out of books… I usually look them up online so that wasn’t really a problem for me. I will have to update the next time I visit as I will have to get upstairs to see what is there… if I don’t get distracted by the yarn again!

This place is a complete goldmine for fabrics of all kinds, with a small yet extensive haberdashery upstairs. Most fabric is sold by the kilo so you can get some mega bargains. I love this place I have to be dragged from it on many occaisons.

Yep. This place is basically amazing. Its so popular that even though I went in early on a Saturday morning when everything else on Oldham Street was dead, this place still has loads of customers leafing through the multitudes of fabrics on show and keeping the knowledgeable sales staff really busy.
The main floor is quite a mess, with the fabrics spilling out of the shelving and containers and onto the floor.
Downstairs a couple of steps at the back of the main shop takes you to the knitting area which is a much more orderly affair. There are yarns in every colour of the rainbow and lots of complicated knitting and sewing accessories that I will never understand.
Next time my mum comes to visit me, I’m taking her here. She would absolutely love it at Abakhan.

If you can’t afford the outfit you want from Retro Rehab, Oxfam Originals or American Graffiti — you can always get your ass over to Abakhan Fabrics, buy a couple of yards and make your own!
Spread over two floors, it’s a fabric paradise with dozens of crates filled with off-​cuts, cheap rolls and unusual fabrics. As well as kitsch, quirky and colourful cottons, there’s fake fur, nylon, denim and all kinds of material. Upstairs and in the room at the back of the shop, they also sell patterns, buttons, zips, rolls of cotton and everything you’d need to make your own cat-​suit or hot pants!
Even better, almost everything they stock is cheap as chips.

If your an art student, into arts and crafts, fashion, sewing atc this is the place for you. Huge variety of fabrics and cut offs.
A word of warning: make sure you know what your looking for or have a vague idea otherwise you will spends hours sifting through what looks like a little bit of a jumble sale.
Prices are really decent and staff are really friendly and willing to help you choose/​measure any number of rolls/​cuts.