Fabric Shopping in Paris

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Do you look for fabric when you travel? Here’s some info on fabric shopping in Paris.

Due to various reasons, I ended up taking this past summer off which was very unusual for me: I did no crafting and no sewing. I have never had a summer off before. But it was good because it forced me to take a break. I also had a wonderful opportunity to go to Paris.

Even though I was taking the summer off from sewing, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do some fabric shopping in Paris.

First, a Little Bit About Paris

Regardless if you want to go fabric shopping in Paris or not, Paris is an amazing city to visit.

Paris is such a beautiful city. There is just so much to see and do. While shopping is a big thing for me, there are many sights to see and equally wonderful is the food and just sitting in cafes and people watching.

Paris is divided into neighbourhoods, called “arrondissements”. The first arrondissement is located in the centre of Paris and then it spirals out into the other arrondissements, all the way up to the 20th arrondissement.

Ideally, each arrondissement deserves time to explore both the sights and shops. Each one has hidden gems.

The main sights in Paris are kind of all over the place. They are not clustered. For instance, the Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th arrondissement while Notre Dame is in the 4th arrondissement. Likely, on a trip to Paris, you’ll be visiting various neighbourhoods. Thankfully there is a great Metro system, as well as plenty of public buses, taxis and bicycles, and scooters to rent.

Fabric Shopping in Paris

I expect that any major city in the world would have some fabric stores. Paris would be no exception. It is just a matter of knowing where to go.

The main place to go fabric shopping in Paris is located in the 18th arrondissement. Here you will find one of the biggest fabric markets – Marche St. Pierre.

Marche St. Pierre is huge. We’re talking 5 floors of fabric! They carry everything from cotton to athletic wear and linen. You can find everything from making clothes to household linens here. It truly is one-stop shopping.

That said, I wouldn’t say that prices were necessarily better than what I have access to here in North America. So for me, it had to be something pretty darn special. In many instances, it could be considered to be more expensive than what is offered to me at home due to the exchange rate from Euros.

So if you are a bargain hunter like me, you’ll want to dig through the tables on the sidewalk. That’s where the deals are to be had. You’ll find many are already cut at 3 metres. If you’re in the mood, it will be worth digging around.

Don’t limit yourself to Marche St. Pierre. There are lots of fabric stores in this area. Simply cross the street to find more. Again, check out what is on the tables on the sidewalk if you are looking for bargains.

Be sure to check the hours of operation. I went on a Sunday morning and they opened later than I expected. It just gave me an excuse to sit in a cafe for an hour and enjoy a cafe creme.

Sight Seeing in the 18th Arrondissement

Since you’ve made the trip out to the 18th arrondissement, you might as well check out the neighbourhood. Here in the 18th, you’ll also find Sacre Coeur. This Roman Catholic Church is architecturally very beautiful. There is no admission to enter the church and view the inside. There is a dome within Sacre Coeur that does have an admission fee that has one of the most beautiful views of Paris, as Sacre Coeur is situated on a hill.

Also in this neighbourhood is the Moulin Rouge cabaret. Known as the birthplace of the modern can-can dance, you can stop by to see the windmill that is outside of it. You can get tickets to see a show at the Moulin Rouge – keep in mind that the show features topless dancers. I don’t want you to be surprised.

Be Safe in the 18th Arrondissement

Since this neighbourhood is quite popular, especially with Sacre Coeur, it can also be very crowded with tourists. With large crowds of tourists, you need to be aware of pickpocketers. Not to alarm anyone, but just be aware of your surroundings. This is obviously not just for the 18th, but anywhere you go. I used a cross-body travel purse with locking zippers which gave me peace of mind. You can read about that here.

As mentioned, I went first thing on a Sunday out to the 18th arrondissement. I actually went too early, but that’s okay. Getting there was easy as it was only one metro train from my hotel in the 6th arrondissement, followed by a short 6-minute walk.

I will say that that short 6-minute walk took me through the not-so-nice part of Paris. It wasn’t the typical tourist streets of Paris. I did feel a bit nervous, but thankfully since it was first thing in the morning, it wasn’t too crowded. It was similar when I was done my shopping and was walking back to the metro station. Interestingly, this also seems to be the same neighbourhood if you are planning to get married as there were several wedding and tuxedo stores in this area.

My Conclusions About Fabric Shopping in Paris

I didn’t spend too much time in this area as I also had tickets for a timed entry to La Galerie Dior – an amazing gallery/museum featuring the history of French haute couture and Christian Dior. So limited time did not allow me to go digging too much.

After cruising all the floors of Marche St. Pierre, I concluded that the best place for me was the bargains on the sidewalk. That said, I was not able to find anything that caught my eye. I don’t really know what I wanted but was hoping that something would catch my eye. But with any shopping, I could go again another time and find some great things.

Do you know what else is great to shop for in Paris? Skincare. Be sure to check out that post.

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