Where to buy fabric in Toronto

Twelve fabric shops across the city, what each end of the trade is good for, and the questions to ask before you buy six metres of something you have only seen on a roll.

Fabric is one of the last things in Toronto you genuinely have to buy in person. Colour photographs lie, drape cannot be photographed at all, and the difference between a fabric that hangs and one that sags is something you learn with your hands in about four seconds.

There are twelve fabric shops in this directory. That is a small enough number to visit all of them, and people do.

The shops

What to bring with you

• The pattern envelope. Not a photograph of it, the actual envelope, with the yardage table on the back. Staff will read it faster than you can explain it.
• A swatch of anything it has to sit next to. Lining, a jacket, the chair you are recovering. Shop lighting is not your lighting, and the only reliable test is holding two things together.
• A tape measure, even though they have one. Measuring the roll yourself is not rude, and nobody minds.

Questions worth asking at the counter

1. What is it actually made of? "Silky" is not a fibre. Ask for the content and, if it matters to you, ask to see the bolt end where it is printed.
2. How does it wash? A fabric that has to be dry cleaned is a fabric with a running cost. Better to know before you cut.
3. Will there be more of this? Ends of roll are common and cheap, and they are a disaster halfway through a project. If it is the last of it, buy the extra half metre now.
4. Can I take a swatch? Most places will cut you a small piece. A shop that will not is telling you something about how confident they are.

On Ankara, wax print and the difference

A great deal of what gets sold in Toronto as "African print" is wax-look polyester, printed on one side, and there is nothing wrong with it, it is cheaper, it is lighter, and for a lot of garments it is the sensible choice. But it is not the same cloth as real wax print, which is dyed through so the pattern reads the same on both sides.

The test takes two seconds: turn the fabric over. If the back is a pale ghost of the front, it is printed. If it is nearly as strong as the face, it is wax. Then decide which one your project actually wants, and pay accordingly.

If you are specifically after Ankara or African wax print, we have a closer guide to buying wax print in Toronto, including how many yards a full outfit takes and how to keep a group order matching.

Getting there

Fabric shopping is a destination trip, not an errand. Ring ahead if you are going for something specific, stock moves, and the person who answers the phone can usually tell you in ten seconds whether the drive is worth it.

Written by See The Six · kept current from the directory, last checked 2026-08-24