If you’re in the NY Metro area of NJ and want to find someplace to spend your money, here are a few of my personal favorite spots.

Up here in the Northeast corner of NJ, we really do have a lot of good stuff besides easy access to New York City. Of course, my favorite stores are fabric stores!

My favorite bargain spot, though, is Fabric Warehouse, with a location in Belleville off Main Ave, (973) 759-8080. (The Clifton location closed a while ago.) Sign up for their mailing list, and go nuts when they have sales.  Twice a year you get 50% off, and I come out of there with rayon challis for $1 a yard, cottons for 50 cents. . .and polar fleece for $5 a yard.  Can’t beat that.  

If you head on over to Hackensack, there’s New York Trims on 193 1/2 Main St.  (201) 342-2171.  It’s an old family business, and I don’t think they’ve ever thrown anything away.  You can get Guterman thread there, and nearly any kind of button (the nice ones in tubes, again) you could imagine.  There are all kinds of trims, new and old (I told you, they don’t throw stuff away) and beads and glues and beading needles.

We were very sad when we lost Fabricville on Watchung Avenue in Montclair, but now I’ve Got a Notion has moved into part of the old space, and it’s a great source for Guterman thread, all the zippers they always seem to be out of stock on in JoAnn’s, and JHB and Swingline buttons, and a growing selection of trims.  (973) 744-0079.  

And you can’t forget Acme Country Fabrics on 24 Newark-Pompton Turnpike, (973) 696-1784.  They’re our serious quilter’s store.  The fabrics are beautiful, and arranged by color.  Lots of quilting supplies, notions, and classes.  They also sell Bernina sewing machines and sergers.  Very nice folks!

A bit more South and West is Fabricland,  in North Plainfield, with loads of home dec fabrics and accessories, Bernina machines, and lessons.  Their other store is Nassau’s, in Paramus, and that’s all home decorating, and also design services.