As I was searching for a black fabric to repair ferret destroyed sofa AGAIN I didn't had much…read morechoice of fabric shops in Altona. As I got there it looked quite promising as it says on the outside that Recep Coban are Fabric Experts. First disappointment is that its kinda like apartment and you can only ring outside, but nobody opens. Luckily a person living in this house came by and let me in. Inside..a lot of buttons, rubber things, threads, needles etcThey also had black fabric I needed, but if you're looking for some inspiration for your prom dress, then even IKEA would be better place, as there is basically no choice .

Hamburg doesn't have a fabric district which is very disappoint for a designer who is looking to…read moreexpand her creativity. Out of all of the ones I been so far, Ernst's store carries more items you ever need. They have a wide selection of buttons, zippers, patterns for garments, trimmings, borders, and fabric diversity. The prices for some of this these can be pricey for an American who is use to purchasing from the NYC& LA fabric district. I won't pay 3 Euros for a 7 inch zipper or 1 Euro for your average button. If you need special thread, I recommend Cohan in Altona. If you need special beadings for a embroidery design on fabric, I don't recommend any store yet. I'm still searching for the one.

Very helpful staff with knowledge of English and the fabrics. The address is 110 Spaldingstrasse…read morebut you must go around the corner and enter from Nordkanal. Lots of wool, knits, cottons, zippers, etc.

This place is amazing. I rang the doorbell on the street and was buzzed straight in. When I opened…read morethe door on the ground floor, my jaw just dropped. There are rooms with shelves stocked floor to ceiling with ribbons of all kinds of textures, colours and patterns. The door on the street really doesn't give any clue to the world of colours behind it. I was after a chartreuse velvet ribbon and I found the exact colour I was searching for, in varying sizes. This shop charges by the roll, which means that the per metre price is so much cheaper than in other shops. The lady working there was so friendly. I loved this place. Fantastic!

UPDATE*** December 24, 2012 12:00 PM After ringing the…read moredoorbell and being buzzed in, I walked up a few steps to the first door on the left. The name on the door says Maudrich Printing (Maudrich Druckerei) which is a little bit confusing. I opened the door anyway. I stepped into ribbon heaven. With jaw dropped open in permanent fashion, I wandered through a labyrinth of inventory shelves stocked floor to ceiling full of well-organized ribbons in every fabric, texture, color, design and width imaginable. To give a real-life example, I was looking for an olive-colored velvet ribbon to make a hanging mistletoe kissing ball for New Years' Eve. I not only found the velvet ribbon I was looking for, I found it in 5 different widths and in four different shades of olive: a silvery sage olive, a olive with gold undertones, a mossy green olive and a darker gray olive. I can only agree with the previous 5-star reviews: Maudrich has every type of ribbon your heart could desire. I think it would even be impossible not to find what you were looking for. The atmosphere of this place is something quite special. It has an authentic 1930s / 1940s feel. Dotted here and there and in between are antique sewing machines, still in use with sharp scissors lying nearby and fresh fabric dust. The font used to print their names on the windows looks like the ones popular in the Art Deco era. The building is old and in some of the rooms you can still see the elaborate decorative stucco plastered on the ceilings and on the top edges of the walls. The two women and the one man I saw working there seem to be almost of retiring age and I expect they've been there since the beginning. They were all very nice to me, allowing me to explore in peace when I arrived. Because it is an older place, there's no credit card machine. You'll have to pay in cash but the prices are excellent. Next time I'm going to ask if they'll allow me to take some pictures. Their selection of ribbon is so comprehensive that I asked the cashier if they manufactured ribbon. The idea popped into my head especially since I saw sewing machines here and there. They don't make the ribbons themselves but they do create magnificent and luxurious bows on order from many florists. When the bows are for funerals, families often request the name and perhaps a Bible quote to be printed on the ribbon. This is the explanation for the Maudrich Printers sign on the front door. * ORIGINAL * December 24, 2012 9:30 AM Someone from the store saw I had tried to call on Saturday and actually called me back this morning. (They don't seem to own an answering machine, but they at least have Caller ID and use it well.) I asked about the opening hours and entered them into Qype and I am now on my way over. So excited!!! Four stars for now for calling back and being nice on the phone