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Santa Fe Fabrics is six months old, and what a surprising and gratifying ride it’s been. Little did I know that people were so ready for beautiful, unique fabrics, patterns, buttons and trims. Thousands of thank you’s to each of you, for supporting this little and growing enterprise. As time goes on, Santa Fe Fabrics will get even better, with your input and suggestions. I love sourcing gorgeous fabrics and will continue to grow our collection of hard to find treasures from around the world. I’ve sewn my own clothes and have been fabric-obsessed since I was 8, so doing this for you comes naturally to me, and each time you buy something it allows us to replace it with something just as great or even more wonderful. My tastes in fabric vary from vintage to exotic to heirloom to designer to subdued to wild, and that is why Santa Fe Fabrics is so many boutiques in one. There are fabrics from many countries and cultures here, in all price ranges, in many fibers, weaves and colors. Almost everything in our shop can not be found in chain stores. Some are organic, some are handwoven, some are on sale, some are great for quilting, some for decorating, some are one of a kind. And yes, it’s true that it may be worth the trip just to see our buttons.

New Arrivals: Summer here in the Southwest means voiles, gauze, stretch cottons, flowy skirts, organdy and organza, georgettes and chiffons, even more rayons, linens, cottons and silks. Flowy, sheer, open fabrics of many types. Flowers are springing up in gardens and in our fabrics. There are Liberty of London cottons, new Balinese ceremonial Ikats, seersuckers, plisse, tencels, and eyelets. No-see-um/mosquito netting. Lots of whites and natural colors in all types of fabric. Cotton gauze in several weights and many colors, $6.00 - $8.00/yd.

A summary of what you’ll always find at Santa Fe Fabrics

Organic/Sustainable fabrics: If we could, we’d have everything in the shop organic. Organic cottons alone or blended with hemp, bamboo or, (even softer), soy. Several hemp/silk blends in different colors, weaves, knits, weights. Many jersey knits that you could absolutely live in. Organic fleece in cotton or bamboo in several colors. Hemp/silk charmeuse that is gorgeous. Organically grown heavy weight cottons from Mexico with woven stripes. Hemp canvas and many other hemp fabrics. Organic linen, and hemps that feel and perform like linen in several weights and colors including indigo. As the industry grows, we hope to add organic cotton prints at some point.

Silks: We have so many silks we can’t list them all. Many weaves, colors and types, from many different countries. Charmeuse, dupioni, noils, silk cheesecloth, wild silk tussahs, taffeta, mud silks dyed by burying them in the river bank, vintage silks when we can find them, china silk/habotai, jacquards, prints, brocades, blends…

Vintage Kimono Panels from Japan. Mostly silk, a few wools and cottons. They are works of art, no two alike. Mostly 14” wide, and various lengths, these beauties can turn into anything from scarves to wall hangings or table runners. Beautiful when pieced into jackets, blouses, quilts, handbags. Gorgeous.

Velvet: Most are silk/rayon in rich colors, and white for dying. Several stunning hand-dyed burn-out velvets.

Texture: I have a huge weakness for fabrics with unique, beautiful textures, so you’ll find them throughout the store in all fibers.

Color: Ditto with color. Here you’ll find some of the best colors that the textile industry offers. I am always scouting for the very best, unique, rich, becoming colors, whether they are ‘in fashion’ or not. Some of our fabrics are hand-woven and/or hand-dyed. When available, I try to get any good fabric I can that is un-dyed and PFD (prepared for dying) for you to dye your own.

Lace: Laces from USA, France, Africa, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Many colors and widths. Some ruffled, some stretchy, some beaded, some crocheted. An exceptional collection of French natural cotton laces, mostly natural or ecru, some with pale grey or natural flax tones.

French fabrics: Authentic cottons from Provence in traditional patterns and colors, for only $12/yd., mostly 50-60” wide. Also, several reproductions, still all cotton but 45” wide, not quite as well printed, but only $9.00/yd.

Japanese fabrics: Japan is well represented at Santa Fe Fabrics, mostly in woven cottons and silks. Prints and solids, both traditional and contemporary. We also carry all-cotton velvet ribbons from Japan, that are napped on both sides and are absolutely delicious.

Australian aboriginal cotton prints: Sent to us from Australia, these fabrics are wondrous. We like the strangeness of them, the animals and dreams represented. The organic, gooey shapes and great colors.

Guatemalan: We have quite a few classic, beautiful Guatemalan handwoven cotton stripes. These are fair-trade fabrics, from a co-op of women weavers who are being pulled out of poverty with our help.

Southwestern fabrics: Many designers, many prints. An always-changing selection of prints with Native American symbols and colors. Also vintage reproduction Western/cowboy/cowgirl prints for kids and adults.

Tencel: Tencel can be hard to find and once you wear it you’ll probably love it. Similar to rayon but usually heavier and sturdier, it has a very soft hand and great drape. It takes color beautifully and most people find it very comfortable to wear; it almost like a very airy, light suede. We usually have quite a few Tencels including some unique weaves. We also have a jersey that is wool blended with Tencel for softness. And a Merino wool/Tencel blend, botton-weight woven.

Locally designed fabrics: Terrie Mangat, George Mendoza, and always more New Mexico artists’ fabrics. Mostly cotton prints. Usually vibrant desert colors but also some abstract, unconventional themes.

Linen: Always many linens, from many countries. We love the new solid color linens from India; they are coarse, yet soft, in rich deep colors. We also have linens in many other colors and weights from Ireland, China, and Europe. Linen is a great fabric for even beginning sewers; it’s easy to sew.

Wools: Many types, colors and weights. Look for our wool collection to grow per your suggestions.

Metallic fabrics: We have several fabrics that are mostly woven metal, mixed with a little silk. Generally for high fashion and experienced sewers, they are very beautiful and very Santa Fe. Most are very open weaves, some are crinkled. Hard to describe.

Muslins and solid color cottons: Bleached and unbleached muslins in several price ranges based on thread count. Also the new “aged” muslins – not sure how they do it, but they look almost tea-dyed or stained. And, quite a few solid colors of cotton, inexpensive workhorses we can’t live without.

Oilcloth and laminated cottons: Some of the best patterns in classic oilcloth, 47” wide and $8.00/yd. Also, 57” wide laminated cottons, lighter in weight and in contemporary prints from Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler, $15.00/yd.

Books: A growing and already pretty-good selection of sewing books on everything from pattern making to baby clothes, embellishing, beginning to couture sewing, many other subjects. There are some with CDs included that have patterns for many of the styles discussed in the book. We carry Threads Magazine, too.

Patterns: We have the entire lines of Folkwear, Loes Hinse, Sewing Workshop, Decades of Style, Collette. Also, Amy Butler, Indygo Junction, LaFred, and a few others. Soon, we’ll have Marcy Tilton/Vogue. Our patterns lean towards unique and hard to find.

Colcha Cloth: For our traditional Colcha embroiderers here in New Mexico, thank you for keeping this lovely artform alive. We will always have your Colcha Coth. $9.00/yd and it does sometimes go on sale.

Burlap, but not what you’re thinking. We have 100% European Linen burlap as well as 100% silk burlap. Must be seen, and felt. We do have classic Jute burlap, in the perfect, hard to find sage green.

Designer Ends: We always have a kickin’ selection of designer ends, of all types. Most are all or mostly natural fibers, and they can be extraordinary. Look for overdyes, jacquards, charmeuses, rich colors, unique weaves, wool and silk blends; you never know what you may find.

Heirloom Cottons: Batiste and Sea Island cottons in whites and pastels. Luscious, sweet, the best. Also used for linings and inter-linings, they are smooth, soft, high thread count, from Switzerland and Japan. Coming soon: Entredeux and other laces/trims for heirloom sewing, of the highest quality. We’ll have a variety of colors (mostly white and ecru), widths and types.

Knits: Knits from Sewing Workshop/Linda Lee, designer ends, Telio in Canada, many others. All types of knits, all fibers.

Moda: We always have plenty of Moda’s flash-from-the-past cottons, usually yarn-dyed, many with great textures. We also love their toweling, and always have many different ones on hand, with woven borders or stripes, or printed vintage reproduction patterns with cherries or flowers. And the new giant buffalo plaid towelings are great.

Alexander Henry: We always have many of these silly, funky, artsy prints, of great quality medium-weight cotton printed in Japan.

Unusual zippers: always on the lookout for unique zippers, we have zippers from Japan with scalloped, super-cute zipper tape instead of the normal boring tapes; these you sew on the outside of the seam for beauty. We also have zippers with rainbow-colored or crystal teeth. And yes, lots and lots of normal zippers in all styles, colors and lengths.

Bias tape, webbing, cording, elastics: Many types, colors and widths. Webbings and twill tapes of all cotton and hemp.

Contemporary designers: We always have some Kaffe Fasset, Michael Miller, Joel Dewberry, Tina Givens, and others. We love their style.

Trims galore, including all-cotton ric rac (yes, you read that right) in many colors and sizes. Our trims are fantastic; you’ll want to start embellishing everything you own with wonderful ribbons and delights from around the world.

Interfacings: Hair canvas, cotton batiste, sheer and opaque knits both fusible and sew-in, cotton organdy, buckram, and several others. Belting and boning.

Buttons: Always expanding, a never ending source of joy and wonder. Of all materials including stone, leather, many metals, glass both new and recycled, ceramic, crystal, corozo, hand-carved wood, shell including almost natural conch shell and giant to tiny abalone shells. We have many hundreds of buttons. Oh, and metal concha buttons from small to large, some with turquoise inlays. Many of our buttons are hand-made by artisans I work with directly, some come from little button companies I find at trade and craft shows; some come from Dill in Germany, all are sold by the ‘each’ and not on cards.

Rayons from Bali: Lovely solids and hand-dyed batiks and other prints. The classic, comfortable, washable rayon, perfect for warm weather but many wear it all year; it does seem to be warm when the weather’s cold and cool when it’s hot out.

Bemberg Rayon Linings in many colors. Flannel-backed satin coat lining.

Tracing paper/cloth: Preserve, duplicate and test your pattern by laying this non-woven, see-through material over your pattern and tracing it. It’s even sewable – the texture is similar to a non-woven interfacing. So your pattern can become a muslin to test the pattern. Simple genius. Pattern Ease, $2.19/yd.

Seam binding in rayon and bamboo, many colors.

Texture Magic: When sewn onto your fabric then steamed, it shrinks and puckers and the puckers stay, creating a brand new puckery fabric.

Notions including all the basics, plus Gingher shears, unique pincushions, fancy sewing kits, many Guterman threads including Sew-All, Cotton, and Silk, patternmaking supplies such as clear rulers, French curves and needlepoint tracing wheels.

Pillow forms: Several types including Feather/Down, Bamboo/Poly and Polyfill. Most sizes in stock.

Sale Fabrics: We currently have dozens of cotton prints on sale for $4 - $5/yd, as well as some winter fleeces, and decorator fabrics for 15-20% off, sale fabrics come and go, so be sure to look for the bright pink ‘sale’ tags for some great deals.

Note: Our passion is keeping the store stocked with amazing fabrics, trims, and buttons, not with keeping the website updated. So, use this site as a rough guide only, and come shop in person for the real fun! Every day we get new things. There is much more than is described here. Come to our fabric paradise.

Thank You for visiting Santa Fe Fabrics!

Nancy Arnold
Owner, Santa Fe Fabrics

Nancyarnold2006@gmail.com