Paradise Fabrics — Local services in Suitland

I was overjoyed to discover Paradise Fabrics! The prices are excellent and the selection of fabrics is so diverse that it is almost overwhelming. I spent an hour or more just browsing and still had questions about dye methods of the hand-dyed fabrics that were expertly answered by the store's owner.

The selection of African Batik prints is vast and the pricing is probably lower than fair. The Wax prints come in 6 yard segments or other print methods come on bolts. There are the most gorgeous true Indigo died Senegalese prints that I've come across.

If you're looking for Classic Chinese prints, Senegalese prints or Central African Batiks, this is your place. If you're looking for Cotton, Silk or blend Sari fabrics, this is your place. If you're looking for deeply saturated colors of died linen fabric, this is your place! If you want gauze for curtains or lightweight summer-wear, this is your place! If you want African Mudcloth for traditional festival garb, go here.

At first, I didn't see any vinyl for re-upholstering my outdoor chairs but when I asked for vinyl the owner took me straight to a nice selection of backed vinyl. There was nothing we needed that we couldn't find for the best prices in the Metro area.

It's super easy to get there from Virginia, Maryland or DC. Just go out Suitland Parkway to Silver Hill Rd. It's about a mile from Suitland near the large NOAA & Federal Complex in a small strip mall. Super easy to get off Suitland Parkway and right back on.

If you go, give yourself plenty of time to...

The store has a lot of fabric, but the space is too small for the amount on display. There is a lot of afro centric fabric and the majority of the fabric is reasonably priced. The fabric against the wall is hiding other fabric and bolts of fabric are falling down making it hard to get to what you want. Because there is so much fabric in such a small space, getting around in the store and finding what you want can be extremely challenging and it makes the store look messy. Some of the fabric has been there for years, while other fabric goes quickly. The owner can be passively aggressive in his comments to you when you leave if you don't find what you what. Also the owner will start cutting your fabric, but will stop to help another customer that is either from his country or someone he knows. After he has helped them, then he comes back to continue helping you. The experience in this store can be very disappointing because of the attitude of the owner and the dirty look of the store. After getting fabric from this store for over 15 years, I WILL NOT buy anything from this store again.

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO A POST MADE 3 YEARS AGO. The store is still packed with fabric, but the owner's wife has taken over since the owner passed away in February 2023. The wife and family are very nice and it seems they are trying to slowly organize the store for a better customer experience. I am shopping here again because there are no more rude remarks or behavior...

Not a very positive experience. The store was scorching and the older male employee was rude. When I stated the store was hot, the manager told me that it was not hot in the place, it was hot outside. The manager proceeded to badger me to come feel the heat outside and compare it to what I felt inside. Prior to stating the obvious about the heat, a customer whom he was checking out was drenched with sweat and made the statement, "Its HOT in here, I don't know how he can stand it." Also, during my fabric browsing, an employee came to work and told me that she almost "died" yesterday from the heat and that the AC was broken. The manager continued to press me to feel outside and compare it to inside the store. He then began to tell me that he was a "healer" and he healed a woman with a bleeding disorder for 11 years in a New York Mental Hospital. He began to ask me about my credentials (what kind of degrees I had) etc....The relevance of his questioning, to the heat in the store, is beyond me. I told him his attitude towards me was bad, he was making me uncomfortable, and that I was ready to leave and not buy a thing. He finally stated the obvious, "The AC is broken" and said he will not, "ever speak to me again". It was a totally bizarre experience that I do not welcome the next time. Disappointing because there are such great reviews here and I was hoping for a better...