Happy Stop

I was referred to this place by my friend who bought the fabric she needed to make table clothes for her wedding from Happy Stop. She raved about the place and I was looking for a good deal on fabric for decorations for an Indian wedding party (Sangeet). I was surprised how much material he has, its like a treasure hunt so be prepared to look through stuff, but you are sure to find what you need. We bought tons of fabric in vibrant hues to make our decorations, and my mother in law even found material to make Indian suits – she was thrilled. You cannot go wrong with $ 2.20/yard which includes tax. After we nearly bought what seemed like half the store, Simon (who is super nice and helpful – and generous with his cuttings, he even gave us a discount on yards that were damaged, we ended up getting like 5 free yards) showed us the «back room.» If you are looking for quality fabric the back room is the place to look, I can see myself buying material to make dresses, a must see!
Suggestions based on my experience:
1. Call ahead, he does not keep normal hours. I started calling him at 10:30am on Saturday and he finally answered at 2:00pm and told me he was open until 4:30pm. When we made it there around 4:00pm he was leaving the store but stayed a whole hour to let us shop.
2. He is very reasonable, if you see something wrong with the material point it out, maybe he will give you a discount.
3. If you are looking for something specific ask, he knows what he has in stock and where to find anything in the piles. If he doesn’t have something you want he will tell you where you can get it.
Good luck! This place is surely Happy!

Last reviewer was correct. It’s no longer open. :(So sad!
(The two stars is only because I wasn’t allowed to not give a rating.)

NOTE: OWNER SAID HE IS CLOSING IN 2 WEEKS. He was very motivated to sell his inventory to reduce how much he has to move.
This is the best deal in town. I recommend going with getting a good deal in mind. This is a great place to stock up for later. He has some really nice suiting material if you have the talent.

Simon, the owner, was very friendly and chatty. Just as all the other reviews say — this place has a zillion knits, and plenty of work-​wear friendly fabric. There’s some plain cotton in there as well, but not nearly as much as the knits! Prices are CHEAP — generally $ 2/​yard. CASH ONLY. I had to head around the corner to an ATM to pick up some cash — totally forgot before heading in. Simon directed me to the closest ATMs. Very nice. He mentioned he will be closing that store in 2 months (End of March, I guess?) Bummer — I’ll make sure to come back before then!

This really is a «happy stop» in terms of jersey knits, sateens and shimery satins! It’s my mecca of jersey knits. Those of you looking for cheap jersey knit fabric to make circle/​infinity scarves with? This is the place!
Whatever you do, don’t walk in like I did, expecting it to look like the fabric section of a JoAnn. I was completely thrown off-​balance by the shelves upon shelves upon shelves of cut up fabric that appear to be heaped in no particular order. Along with the piles and piles of fabric scattered on shelves around the store, there are also bolts of fabric standing upright against the walls of the store.
The place is TINY, but it’s crammed to the ceiling with different fabrics. I was completely overwhelmed walking in and the owner must’ve noticed my stricken face because he was quick to greet me and give me a quick walkthrough of the store and what he carried. Seriously, the man has boundless energy and is quick to laugh and joke with you. If you ask him about a type of fabric, and he carries it, he magically knows where it’s kept.
Every fabric in the store is $ 2/​yard but he does tack tax on at the end once he’s finished up (generously) cutting your fabric for you. Be aware that they’re cash only and that they don’t have an ATM nearby, so have cash in hand when you walk in!
There are also bags (and I mean that they’re literally oversized trash bags) of discount fabrics for $ 1/​piece. You can seriously find full yards of fabric in these bags if you’re patient enough to dig through it all. I found this gorgeous lilac jersey knit after about five minutes of digging!
I will totally be going back, despite the area having terrible parking (it’s all street parking and I swear, every spot is always taken) and questionable morals (I would definitely only come during the daylight hours).

Great place. Be prepared to delve in and root through shelves and shelves of fabric. Lots of blends and knits. If quilting is your thing, this is not the place for you. No notions and maybe a few spools of trims, but Simply Fabric is right down the street-​see my other reviews. However, I walked out today with 3 huge bags of 14 yards of great linens, 6 yards of soft textured sateen-​like, 4 yards of a rose striped soft cotton blend, and 6 yards of a cotton blend lace/​crochet type fabric for $ 43 out the door. Basically, 2 dollars and some change a yard and he’ll always find a reason to give more discounts on top of that. Summer skirts-​done deal! Score!
Always call ahead, because all of the years that I have been going there, the owner lives for his kids and their schedules come first. Can’t fault that. Don’t be afraid to ask. The place looks like chaos, but he knows what and where evrything is. If he doesn’t have it, he’ll gladly recommend who does. Only takes cash. Wish I could give more *s.
Support your locals!

So, after reading all the rave reviews on Unilocal (5-​star average across 30 reviews? that’s almost unheard of for a fabric store!), I decided to give Happy Stop a try today.
My goodness. I can’t imagine a better name for this store. Piles and piles of fabric for only $ 2/​yard! The owner cuts yardage very graciously so that you always get some extra. I bought super-​soft jersey in a rainbow of colors, beautifully shimmery cotton sateen, and a fascinating satin with a soft, brushed back. If you’re looking for knits, like I was, you must come to Happy Stop. There is also a huge range of other fabrics, from comfortable, structured suitings to bright, floral gauzes.
Lastly, the owner was super-​friendly and energetic, and had a fantastic sense of humor. Even though this was the first time we’d met, we chatted it up like old friends, and needless to say, I’m looking forward to my next visit!

As said — Mountains of fabric! Oh, ye of little faith… Serious mounds of fabric: cottons, soft jersey, linen, etc… a buck, then there’s the yardage. The gentleman that owns the place is top-​notch and super nice.
Just a word — he doesn’t carry notions. But it is fabric heaven…
Edit Feb 4 11:
Wow, seriously, I just can’t get enough of this place gave an extra star, heading back out — with the amount of money and prepared to spend, and NO MORE (kind of like Vegas). Ready for some awesomeness and stash rebuilding.

Need fabric? Like a bargain? Happy Stop is a nonstop fabric bargain extravaganza… In a space the size of my «cozy» studio apartment.
But did you hear me? A fabric bargain extravaganza!
Everything is the same price per yard out the door. And there are tons and tons and tons, and literally tons of fabrics to choose from. Many are already cut up and no longer rolled up, but if you’ve got time, you’ll likely find several large pieces of the same fabric on different shelves in the shop.
I decided to make my own curtains. They seemed easy enough and I wanted to save on cash. I came here looking for one type of fabric for all of the curtains in my (then new) place and needed about 11 yards. I found one piece that was 8 yards long. Searched, and found the same fabric 4 yards long. Score! I didn’t need the extra yard, but I got it anyway because it was so cheap. I was bound to make a mistake (and I did, actually, but I think it was a matter of opinion).
Left the place feeling super happy about all the beautiful fabric I got and all the money I saved! Spent a good couple of hours there just browsing and imagining all of the sewing projects to come, inspired by prints I’ve never seen anywhere else. So grateful to Unilocal for leading me to Happy Stop!

Happy Stop=Mountains of Fabric EVERYWHERE!
SUPER CHEAP!!! $ 2 a yard!!!
I bought about 7 yards of fabric here and spent $ 15. The owner, Simon is a really chill guy. He lets you dig around in the Employees Only Section for fabric if you ask. He has tons and tons of different fabrics. Great for making clothes and upholsteries. I came here looking for fabric for a quilt I was making and I was able to find a warm, soft fabric for it. Fabric comes in bulks here.
The store is very messy, but it’s kind of fun digging around. It’s like digging for hidden treasure. The fabric isn’t some cheap material either. If you’re looking for fabric, this is the place to go.
Bring your cash and get on over here!

Needed black fabric to skirt a portable drum riser. I had been here before and they didn’t have what I needed (can’t exactly recall what it was now) but I just knew this was the perfect place for this project this time.
Walked in, told the man what I was looking for, and he found it in about 3.2 seconds flat. I needed 5 yards — he found a piece a little over 2 ½ yards and another one a little over 3 ½ yards (two pieces works fine for me) and gave it all to me for $ 10. Literally in and out of the store in 5 minutes flat.
And yes, parking sucks… but come on bay area… let’s get our butts walking a little further… there’s plenty of parking if you’re willing to park a couple of blocks away!

This is a great store for jersey and polyester– it’s not really a «fabric» store. With that said, the deals are great, $ 2/​yard.
If I knew how to sew with jersey, rayon and polyester-​chiffon, I would visit here all the time. But my preference for cotton will keep me shopping at other fabric stores most often.
Service was nice, store was dusty and unorganized. Neighborhood is rough. Deals are great!

Happy stop is not your conventional fabric store… it’s more of a fabric maze, but I love it. I came here looking for that perfect striped orange and off-​white fabric for my dog’s salmon nigiri halloween costume :) It was to be my first solo sewing project. The owner here is a sweet man — helped me navigate through the mountains and shelves of fabrics to find what I needed and at super low prices!
An important note is this place accepts cash only. I just barely had enough to pay for my fabrics, and as I was scrounging up the cash, the owner even offered to put it on my tab and have me come back to pay later… and this was my FIRST time there! Don’t any of you go taking advantage of his generosity though ^_~!

If you do Dickens Fair [
], you need to know about this place.
Want those 9 yards of quality-​weight plaid fabric that you need for a new dress to cost you less than $ 20?! Here ya go! Now you have $$ to spend on more expensive trim…
Plus, quality service, to boot.

Holy piles of fabric, this place is something.
I’ve lived here for over 12 years and have been sewing the entire time, and I JUST discovered this place last week. I am soooo sad about all the bucks I’ve spent on nearly identical fabric elsewhere. I spent $ 17 and had enough fabric for a dress, a pair of pants, and two skirts. Where else you gonna find that?
The owner is happy and chatty (hence, Happy Stop). «It’s only $ 2 a yard!»

I’m just going to go ahead and add to the numerous 5-​star reviews for Happy Stop, because This. Place. Rocks.
I was initially annoyed, after driving by during their Saturday business hours and seeing the front door open, but then parking a block away and walking up to find the lights off and the door locked. After knocking a few times and trying to decide whether to give up and leave, I called their number and got Simon on the phone (who is just as wonderful as everyone says he is). He had stepped into the back for a few moments and came immediately out to unlock the door and let me in.
The inventory is crazy huge, the prices are crazy cheap, Simon is awesome, and it’s a good thing he didn’t show me the back room (MORE fabric) until I was all paid up and ready to leave — they’d probably be discovering my skeleton back there in 10 years — still clutching fabulous discount fabrics in my bony hand.
Thanks, Happy Stop!
— — — — –
note: ca$h only

This place is AAAWWWWWSSSSOOOOMMMMMEEEE!!!
$ 2 a yard for mid to high level quality fabric… if you go to the back room, it’ll be $ 4 a yard for the special knits and prints. He is extremely forthcoming about his business model — warehouses sell him excess for cheap so he gets a TON of loose fabric. When you want larger yardage, the rolls are in the back room and there is a LOT to go through so make sure you have time on your hands. It will be worth it and you will be guaranteed to come out with a find or five.
I’m going to be making a pencil skirt (there’s a ton of nice suit fabric), slacks, 2 vacation sun dresses, some go-​out blouses, a few scarves, and whatever else i can muster out.
Cash only.
I love this shop. Give yourself at least an hour. It’s on the far edge of Chinatown (in the un-​gentrified part of town) and nearing International’s hispanic enclave.
Shop closes between 4 – 5 and is closed on Sundays so Simon can hang with his kids!

This is a fabric only shop. No buttons, no thread, no zippers, nothing. But it is the BEST. If you’re looking to pick up more then 5 yards Simon will bring you in the back room and let you grab from his stock.
The quality is amazing and Simon is not hiding anything. Some of his pieces are top grade samples and he’ll show you where there’s a small bit of writing. It’s all $ 2.00 for a piece of fabric that any where else would easily cost upwards of 15 – 20 dollars a yard. I plan on taking fashion students here and he is in complete support!
He also sells some plastic Popsicle makers that may be a good deal on a hot day but I’ve never asked the cost. Here, it’s all about fabric.

The owner «Simon» is very charming!
The prices are unbeatable.
This is not a full service fabric store. There are no notions or patterns. The parking is tricky. Only street parking, so you may have to park across the street or on the side streets.
Make sure you have time to shop. Lots of colors and prints to choose from.
Not high quality fabric but for $ 2 a yard what do you expect. Most of the fabric is the width of 54 inches wide. Huge bang for your buck. Perfect of every day clothes, costumes, etc.
I am a little picky when it comes to textiles and I was quite satisfied.
I only spent $ 20 and left with enough fabric to make 3 business skirts, one blouse, and cordoroy to make 4 doggie coats with contracting cordoroy lining.
WOW… Definitely worth it!!!

Nothing much to say… Just that this shop has been consistent & incredibly awesome.
100% addicted. Damn. Why do I have to live so close? I’ll spend a fortune in here & freak out there’s no place left to put everything except on my walls and ceiling.