Paris is known for its fashion, and this area is the place to find the fabrics to make something spectacular.


(If you want to skip straight to the photo set for this article, just click here)

It just so happened that my mother was in Paris the other weekend, and she is incredibly talented when it comes to making things with her hands; knitting, crochet, cross-stitch… she can do it all. As she loves making stuff, I knew she would like the area around the Halle Saint Pierre. It’s just at the bottom of the gardens that run down from Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, and the area has a whole bunch of huge shops selling the most incredible fabrics. It’s like stepping back in time!

We started off at Moline, a reasonably-sized shop on just one floor (whereas the others all have four of five!), and it turned out to be our favourite. Lush satins and silks aplenty, plus loads of other great striped and embroidered fabrics. We spent almost an hour in there, and the staff were very friendly. Definitely not to be missed…

Next up was Dreyfus. Five floors (or more?) of different fabrics, upholstery and furnishing accessories, but less luxurious than chez Moline. Also, the staff were pretty mean to us (they refused to let me take photos, but I did anyway), and the store is full of old-school signs with negative messages saying things like “when buying fabric you cannot leave less on the roll than it would normally take to make a coat”. What on earth?! They also had some fairly hideous displays and gaudy colours…

Go to the upper floors however and the ambiance changes radically. It’s calmer, more sophisticated, and they have the most amazing terrace view onto Montmartre. What a shame you can’t go out there! Those chairs did look inviting…

Next up, just over the road, is Reine, another venerable establishment on several different floors. The staff there weren’t very keen on me taking photos either (perhaps they have a lot of problem with fabric spies!) but I managed to get quite a few in anyway. Reine has a good selection, plus a well-stocked mercerie, and we found the miniature mannequins in miniature dresses quite kitsch!

In the same area as these three giant stores, you’ll also find small shops selling all sorts of craft materials and wool. I loved the old packaging on these poppers, and generally the whole atmosphere of the place made it feel like something from a time gone by.

There are also some bargains to be had in the area. If you’re just looking for a small bit of fabric for making, say, cushions, you should try and get some offcuts or coupons. One shop is even specialised in them, with huge piles of small pieces of fabric for you to rummage through.

Unfortunately, by this time we were completely exhausted! We had spent a really good afternoon in the area though. It was wonderful to see the detail and work that is put into some fabrics still, although this obviously comes at a price. And most of the shops were full of people; it’s good to know that people still take pleasure in making things for themselves.

If you are good with your hands, be sure to check out the area. You could even do it on the same day as Montmartre, as they’re just next door to each other.

We have a whole set of lush photos to show if you click here. They’ll help you get a better idea of the huge choice of fabrics and the strange retro ambiance of some of the shops. And here’s the map. Nearest métro station is Anvers (line 2). Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Bigger map here