Universal Fabric Center — Local services in Houston

Some BEAUTIFUL fabrics here, like couture ball gown kind of beautiful, but holy moly they are expensive! I couldn't afford most of the fabrics, but if I was trying to match something very particular or obscure this would be the place to do it. There was a stunning variety! I've never seen so many options in one store. It looks like the Mood Fabric warehouse from Project Runway, I'm not even kidding.

The buttons, trim, and hardware all appeared very reasonably priced so I asked the staff to help us find some gold trim options. An Asian lady showed us gold trim in 2 places in the store and was very helpful and polite.

I also got: some elastic cording by the yard that was cheaper than it would be on Amazon, a dozen military style buttons for a cosplay, and an assorted bag of ribbons I think I can use for bias binding.

There's some bargins here if you're willing to dig and some swoon worthy fabric if you're willing to splurge.

The staff was nice to us probably because we were nice to them. I support businesses that let their employees match energy.

The only downside: it is not handicap accessible. The aisles are narrow. You would have a difficult time with a cane or crutches; a walker or wheelchair is completely impossible to...

So I was excited to check out this fabric store I had never been to. I checked the hours on the website before going and saw they closed at 4:30pm, I got there a little before 4pm. No one was at the front of the store when I got there but I just started browsing. Only about 5 minutes after I walked in the lights turned off, so I started walking to the front of the store thinking that was weird. Before I could make it to the front of the store (I'm 7 months pregnant and SLOW) I heard the door click so I started panicking and going faster. When I got to the front door all of the security gates on the windows and door were closing!!! I saw the lady walking away from the store and started pounding on the glass door but she didn't hear and kept walking. Thankfully my boyfriend had been waiting in the car right in front of the store and quickly got her attention, but all the security gates completely closed and I was standing in the pitch black locked store while she came back to open it. When she got the door back open, the lady said NOTHING to me, just walked past me back into the store, so I quickly got in the car and left. Really...

Amazing quality, huge selection of top quality fabrics, trims, notions. Old-fashioned service; I recommend you tell the proprietor what you are looking for and allow her to help you or direct you to what you are looking for. Because many of the fabrics are exquisite (and priced to match), I resist pulling rolls and bolts out -- and I have a college degree in costuming plus 45 years of sewing. If you are prepared for the experience, it is lovely. I'll admit, the first time I was...reprimanded? for pulling out a bolt, I was taken aback -- but that goes hand-in-hand with the proprietor's passion for textiles. (I was honored when she eventually told me I may remove bolts from the shelves.) I go here first; I've never been disappointed. I like being able to immediately get a seam ripper that has a fine point, holds an edge, and doesn't break -- in other words, not Dritz. I find the prices appropriate for the quality. Where else can you buy double-cloth linen? Where else do you have so many choices for gold braid --...