Most people think you have to ride into Midtown Manhattan to find good fabric in New York. That is simply not true anymore.
From Kingston to Buffalo and over to Sunset Park, a group of reuse shops and nonprofits are rescuing fabric, yarn, and notions and selling them at fair prices to anyone who sews, knits, or crafts. These places keep good materials out of the trash, teach classes, and build real community around old-fashioned skills like mending and quilting.
If you love a bargain, care about waste, or just want a fun reason to explore your own corner of the state, this list is for you. Each stop has its own personality, its own hours, and its own reason to visit.
Save it for your next project, or send it to the friend whose craft room is always overflowing.
1. FrugalFabrics, Kingston, NY
Second chances come in bolts and skeins at this Kingston shop on Morton Boulevard. FrugalFabrics calls itself a creative reuse shop, and everything on the shelves is second-chance fabric, yarn, and accessories.
The stock changes often, so the yarn and fabric you see one week may be gone the next. Buttons are a big part of the fun here, and the mix leans unique rather than predictable.
I like that the shop goes beyond selling. It runs bi-weekly classes and workshops for beginner and intermediate sewists, knitters, and crocheters, which makes it a smart stop for anyone picking up needles for the first time.
The space is small and welcoming, the kind of place built for a quick, satisfying browse. Plan around the hours, though.
It is open Monday 11 AM to 5 PM, Thursday through Saturday 11 AM to 6 PM, and Sunday 1 to 5 PM, and it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
2. SewGreen, Ithaca, NY
Eighteen tons. That is how much material SewGreen’s resale fabric program rescues and returns to circulation every year, a number that is hard to picture until you see a full store of it.
The Ithaca shop started in 2007 as a nonprofit. With steady support from loyal customers, it grew into a self-sustaining business while keeping its reuse mission front and center.
What sets it apart is presentation. Everything is cleaned, checked to be worth buying, and artfully displayed, so secondhand never looks like leftovers.
Fabric and yarn are the core, but the stock now includes just about anything you would find in a new sewing store. That makes it a true one-stop shop for Finger Lakes sewists.
You will find it at 112 W Green St #5. Hours run Wednesday through Saturday starting at 11 AM, with Sunday hours from noon to 5 PM, and it is closed Monday and Tuesday.
3. SewGreen Rochester, Rochester, NY
Rochester crafters have a West Main Street address worth knowing. SewGreen Rochester is a nonprofit fiber arts and sewing center that pairs affordable craft materials with educational classes.
The shelves rotate frequently, offering fabric, sewing notions, yarn, and other supplies for the fabric arts. Prices are kept low on purpose, which fits the center’s community mission.
It is a friendly, personal kind of place. The center is LGBTQ+ friendly and a transgender safe space, with a gender-neutral restroom and Wi-Fi on site.
Practical bonus: free street parking nearby. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM, so this one works well for a weekend errand before lunch.
4. Up-Stitch, Albany, NY
Blink and you might miss the open hours at this Albany stop, so mark the calendar first. Up-Stitch opens Wednesday from 10 AM to 1 PM and Saturday from 1 to 4 PM.
Those short windows are worth catching. The shop is a small business devoted to recycling and repurposing craft and sewing supplies at affordable prices.
Quilters will spot plenty of fat quarters and remnants. There are also yarns, notions, books, and patterns, all kept well organized so browsing does not turn into digging.
Getting there is easy, with a free on-site parking lot at 28 Essex St. The shop is LGBTQ+ friendly and also offers in-store pickup, a handy option given the limited hours.
5. Stitch Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Western New York has exactly one comprehensive textile arts center, and it sits on Plymouth Avenue on Buffalo’s West Side. Stitch Buffalo runs award-winning programs that blend social impact, cultural preservation, and personal expression.
Shoppers get two things in one visit. There is a marketplace of handmade textile goods, plus a supply area stocked with sustainably sourced fabric and gently used fiber craft items.
The newer location is spacious and easy to navigate, and the staff is known for being helpful. The handmade work on display is functional art, made right here.
It also serves as a community learning hub. The center is LGBTQ+ friendly and a transgender safe space, with a gender-neutral restroom and a free on-site parking lot.
Visit Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM, with Wednesday open later until 6 PM.
6. FABSCRAP Brooklyn Warehouse, Brooklyn, NY
Fabric by the pound sounds like a deal from another era, and that is exactly what this Sunset Park warehouse offers. FABSCRAP is a nonprofit recycling center selling unwanted, donated fabric.
Scrap fabric has been sold for $5 a pound, and salvageable clothing at the same rate, though prices may change. Yardage is available by the yard, and there are plenty of notions too.
The location adds some Brooklyn character. It sits inside the Brooklyn Army Terminal at 140 58th Street, Building B, with a free parking lot.
I would save this one for a big project or a fabric stash refresh. Beyond shopping, FABSCRAP also offers volunteer opportunities, and it is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
7. Brooklyn Creative Reuse, Brooklyn, NY
Fabric is only the beginning at this Industry City spot. Brooklyn Creative Reuse is a nonprofit center for donated arts and crafts materials, and the range goes well past sewing.
Alongside a large variety of fabric, the shelves hold papers, stickers, ribbons, yarns, stamps, pens, and markers. Much of it is gently used, and plenty looks close to new.
Donations are accepted too, so it is a good place to drop off extra supplies and leave with something fresh. That two-way flow keeps the stock changing.
Find it at 254 36th St, Space C244. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 7 PM and Friday through Sunday from 11 AM to 6 PM.
From the Hudson Valley to Buffalo and back to Brooklyn, these seven shops prove that thrift, skill, and community are alive and well in New York. Bring a tote bag and an open mind.
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