bolt cheaper then fabric depot?

not my experience.

maybe if you factor in the gas money and the hours spent browsing some really shitty fabric.

but jeez, the sale rack at fabric depot is usually about 50% off on top of their usual 30% off the entire store.

Scary places? Fbc Vd on N. Lombard at Portsmouth. It used to be called Fabric World until the letters fell off and apart. Wear your coat, there is no heating, but it's chock o' full of ancient trim. Ssshhhh. Don't tell anyone.

george--
It's true that Fabric Depot has 30% off the entire store pretty much always, but they raise their prices to compensate for some of it.

And maybe Bolt lowered their prices a bit, because when I went in there a few weeks ago, everything in there seemed completely reasonable.

The Fabric Depot outdoor sale that happens every summer RULES HARD, though. That's when I stock up on thread, zippers, and various notions.

Lelo--
Ancient trims?!?! *swoon* Thanks for the tip :)

also - i like to check out Mill End every once in a while even though it's kind of a trek. If you get on their mailing/sale list, they'll send you a pink postcard every month or so letting you know about their amazing sales. It really can get cheap, with patterns for .99 and extra 25% off on certain types of fabrics.
It's toward Oak Grove right off hwy 99 (sellwood area).

yeah, I vote for Mill End, they seem friendly/local and have an awesome discount section and those pink cards ROCK! Plus it is right next to the bins where you can score some really cheap shiznit.

I have to add the Pendleton Woolen Mill Annex on McLoughlin. I've scored deals on wool, rayons, linings, buttons, blanket binding. There's also some stuff at the store in Washougal.

Sewer-sewist.com has a great blog entry on a recent visit.

there is a great store on 24th and hawthorne called Cool Cottons. They have really great fabric and pretty much everything in the store is $9/yd. Even the fabric that sells for more elsewhere. And the women who run the store are WONDERFUL! So nice and helpful and love hearing about your projects. They even have a frequent buyer punch card, fill the card and get $25 off your next purchase.

Did you know you made it on the Craft: Blog?

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/01/best_places_to_shop_for_fabric.html

I will definitely check out Mill End! I've seen it off the highway about a billion times on my way out to the bins.

Akimbo--I didn't even think to check out Pendleton Woollen Mill Annex. Thanks for the info!

Trina--I just recently spotted Cool Cottons on Hawthorne, and have been wanting to check it out. Now I'm even more excited to do so. Thanks!

Banana Lee Fishbones--I have been knee-deep in work all day that I had no idea this made it on Craft! Holy smokes!

I agree about cool cottons - they may not be the cheapest, but they are priced reasonably (and just had a big sale that made about 2/3 of the store about $6/yd) and the women who run it are so nice. They remember my name and are very nice about wandering, pulling stuff off the shelves randomly.

Mill End, I agree, is awesome. The Pendleton Woolen Mill on McLaughlin has lots of notions at excellent prices, and I've found GREAT stuff at the Pendleton outlet in Camas, WA. (wool for $8/yd? Seriously? Yup) For technical fabrics (cordura, wickaway), Rose City Textiles is great.

But, because it's close to work and because it's got some awesome stuff, I have to second Fabric World on Lombard and Portsmouth in North Portland. I'm pretty sure most of the stuff in there has been there for 30 years or more, but they have some great stuff. The buttons alone are pretty amazing. Just be aware, you'll have to wash anything you buy three times to get rid of the vintage store smell.