About us

Fringe Fabrics is San Diego’s local, independent fabric store. We specialize in high-end, sustainable apparel fabrics, indie sewing patterns, and everything else you need to create your own wardrobe. Our name represents our geography and philosophy: We’re living on the edge of the Californian southwest, pursuing a fringe craft, and doing it with style.

If you're not local, no worries! We ship anywhere in the United States.

Our values

Style

We know good fabric, and source from some of the world’s finest mills, designers, and artisans. Our shelves are lined with cotton, linen, viscose, silk, and technical fabrics in gorgeous colorways.

Substance

Sewing is a hands-on activity, and we think it's important for our customers to see how our fabric drapes, moves, and feels. That's why we love it when you visit us! But if you can't make it in person, our online shop is full of high-quality photos and detailed descriptions.

Sustainability

We care about the planet and the people who make our fabrics. That’s why we prioritize sustainability and ethical production processes in our sourcing. Most of our fabrics are made from natural fibers and GOTS, Oeko-Tek, or BCI certified.

Meet the owner

Hi there, I’m Jacqui, a fabric and vintage enthusiast living in sunny San Diego, California. I learned to sew as a kid and picked the habit back up in my mid-twenties in an effort to explore my personal style and stick it to fast fashion. I blogged all about it at Birds of a Thread.

Since graduating from UC Berkeley many years ago, I’ve held titles like high school English teacher, communications manager, UX writer, and, most importantly, mom. Once I hit the big 4-0, I knew it was time to build a business of my own. I wanted to combine my love of textiles, design, and community-building to create an awesome place for San Diego sewists to shop, learn, and enjoy each other’s company. And so, Fringe Fabrics was born.

As a fourth-generation San Diegan, I’m stoked to be a part of the city's small business community (incidentally, the shop is just a few blocks from the bakery my great-grandfather owned in the 1930’s). I could chat all day about fabric, design, and San Diego history. So come by and see us sometime!

Hours and location

3457 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, California 92104
(619) 230-5442

Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Closed Sunday - Monday

About the space

Fringe Fabrics is part of a nearly century-old building on San Diego's historic El Cajon Boulevard. If these walls could speak, they’d do it to the soundtrack of 1970’s vinyl recorded at Circle Sound Studios, or the underground ska and punk bands that played at the Rock Palace in the 80's. Much of the building sat vacant for decades, waiting for a new crew of dreamers and entrepreneurs to bring it back to life. We’re proud to do just that, along with our neighbors Torque Coffee, Divine Theory Barbershop, and Elite Madness Fitness.