Textile Clearance House

It may not look like much from the outside, but Textile Clearance House on Fraser (5550 Fraser Street) is a crafter's dream. If you've ever wanted to sew something with fabric printed with superheroes, tiny ninjas or roaming moose-this is your place to buy fabric. How could you not love a place that offers $10 or less a meter?

I visited on a gloomy Saturday afternoon, and discovered that for a five-dollar membership, I could get major brand name patterns (McCalls, Butterick, Vogue, Simplicity, etc...) for an incredible discount. Having to elbow with my fellow shoppers for a turn at peeking at the pattern books, I picked up a couple of patterns for handbags and tank tops by New Look off a rack, and purchased them for $2.99 a piece.

The range of fabric was extensive. Textile Clearance House has everything from quilting cottons to upholstery fabric to spandex. Many of the prints were wacky (think reptile print, dancing cats and poker cards), and the sales rack had tons of appealing leftovers-if you can stomach what "unidentified fibers" means for you and your loved ones.

With Halloween swiftly approaching, I also wanted to check out what was available to me for costume making. I'm so disappointed that the Parade of Lost Souls will not be held this year, that I've decided to hold a costume party. I was impressed with what the store had to offer. Textile clearance house has a solid collection of Halloween costume patterns, craft felt by the meter, beaded trims and brocade. There were cottons with pumpkins, spider-webs and skulls. Not a bad selection for Halloween, or making something crazy for any time of the year.