Masons

Masons is an undeniable gem of a sewing store in Abingdon. It has a rather jumble sale feel to it, with dozens upon dozens of fabrics spilling over each other. But they’re easy to access and most of all, good value: I picked up some corduroy here for an excellent £3.75 a metre. The service is reasonable, and Masons also sells haberdashery and a few sewing machines. Its chief attraction though is its fabric, which is certainly worth travelling to see.

This review is for the Masons location at 20 Bath Street, OX14 3QH. This location offers an overwhelming selection of fabric. There is also a location next door, at 22 Bath Street, that seems to have more embroidery and decoration type stuff.
First, I think its important to note that I don’t know anything about fabric, fabric shops, or anything else fabric related. At all. While those might seem to be significant hurdles when it comes to buying fabric, I was able to pull it off thanks to the helpful staff at Masons.
The store is sort of like a big closet stuffed full of fabric. There were all sorts of weights and patterns, but after a while I picked out a couple that seemed like they would work. I asked one of the clerks whether she thought the patterns matched and she said that putting them together looked like an ugly motoring accident. Armed with this colorful advice, I found some less offensive patterns and was on my way.
Even for a novice, navigating the store was fairly easy and I would go back if I ever had a need for more fabric.

The Mason’s shop in Stert street is part of the group of shops in Abingdon all owned by the same family.
This one sells curtain and upholstery fabrics and materials, wool and yarn for knitting and a huge selection of knitting patterns.
Like all the Mason’s shops, this one is a bit cluttered although not as bad as the fabric shop in Bath street! At the far end of the shop there are big baskets of wool down the middle which make it difficult to get past if someone else is standing in the way. I have been in there a couple of times when someone has a buggy in there, and it is almost impossible to get to where you want!
The staff are lovely and helpful, with lots of good advice and suggestions.