If you are planning a trip to Kenya, if you will have a little time on your hands for shopping, and if unusual African and Indian fabrics and sewing notions are high on your list of desirable acquisitions, this page is for you!
Or, if you live in Kenya, you are tired of fighting traffic to find what you seek and you want to know the best places to find fabrics, notions, tools, equipment and supplies for patchwork quilting or any other kind of needlework quickly, this page is for you, too!
Here you will find a list of fabric and notion suppliers in Nairobi and their contact information, along with my personal commentary about what you might expect to find in each shop.
Shops are generally located in three areas – Ngara Road, Biashara Street and Westlands – although small notions and fabric shops can be found in a variety of neighborhoods. Shops listed here are ones I or my readers know and have visited personally.
More complete listings can be found in the Nairobi Yellow Pages Directory under the headings Fabrics, Textile Merchants, Threads and Yarns, and Haberdashery Supplies. In Kenya, buildings have a ground floor and the first floor is one flight up from ground level. No mail is delivered to street addresses; it all goes to P.O. boxes in local Kenya Posta buildings or rooms, so P.O. boxes will not help you find the shop in question. Street addresses often involve the name of a building, like Government House, SafariCom House and Old Mutual House. Finding out where the Houses are can be tricky and Nairobi is a city on the move, so it is best to ring for directions before you go.
For your personal safety, visit only those shops with off-street parking or on-street parking with security guards. Hours vary; it is best to call ahead. Email in Kenya is still erratic; do not expect a reply from anyone via email.
Many of the shops are family-owned businesses, where reputation and pride of service to customers rank high. If you visit any of these places, please tell the shopkeepers about how you learned of them, mention my name and refer them to this blog.
Check back often, as this page will never be static! As I visit different shops, gain additional insights, discover new places or see that old favorites have closed, I will be continually updating the information below. The experiences of friends and fellow quilters also will be added as they become available.
If you have visited any fabric or notions supply store in Nairobi, please leave the details of each location and your comments below. Please help me make this page a special living resource for anyone shopping for fabrics and sewing notions and embellishments in Nairobi. Thanks!
FABRIC AND NOTIONS SHOPS IN NAIROBI, KENYA
- Amarson’s Collections Ltd., Ngara Road; +254-(0)20-3742951/3743823. Fabulous Indian silks and embellished sari materials in a lovely, mellow shop that oozes luxury; strictly upmarket, but well worth a look-in; will make up saris on the premises. Check out ALL the silks in the front end of the shop for potential quilting and contemporary Western apparel fabrics as well as all the gorgeous sari silks. Don’t miss seeing this one!
- Atul’s General Merchants, Biashara Street; +254-(0)20-2225935/2228064. A must-see, old fashioned Kenya textile and notions supplier, full of character and the most amazing finds! All kinds of sewing notions, some fabrics; kikoys, kitenge and the like; and people to sew curtains and slipcovers, tents – almost anything having to do with textiles.
- Buttons & Bows Ltd., Yaya Centre, Second Floor; +254-(0)20-2714513, mobile +254-(0)722-520957; anila@mitsuminet.com. Small but densely packed fabric and notions shop, carrying a wide range of quilters’ 100% cotton prints. Anila is the always present owner and a member of the Kenya Quilt Guild, well informed about the wishes and needs of quilters, and doing her best to supply us all. Highly recommended! Off-street parking and escalator/elevator.
- Coblantra Retail Ltd., Raja Building, 27 Biashara Street; +254-20-2228299, +254-736-228222,
+254-720-626120. Old fashioned fabric shop now taking a new direction under a change in management, supplies fabrics for local fashion designers who exhibit in Paris and New York; worth having a look-see, especially for household soft furnishings; private parking available.
- Combined Supplier Ltd., Butt Building, Biashara Street, downtown Nairobi; +254-(0)20-251806; also found in Westlands. THE place to go for linen, cotton knits, rather upmarket goods. On-street parking with security guards.
- Fashion Point Ltd., Shan House, Ngara Road, outside the downtown area on the way to Muthaiga; +254-(0)20-3749411/3751984. General stockists – polyesters and blends, gingham, cotton twills. On-street parking with security guards.
- Indigo Boo Ltd., +254-(0)20-883225. Importers of India textile products – bedcovers, apparel, fabrics.
- Kisura Ltd., Biashara Street, downtown, +254-(0)20-2225993. General stockists. On-street parking with security guards.
- Masai Market. These portable open-air markets move from one prominent venue to another, depending on the day of the week. If you’re in Nairobi, ask anyone where is the next Masai Market and on which day it occurs there; almost everyone knows about the one nearest to them. Then, when you find the market, look for Mukasa Irine Kyalikoba (Irene). Irene, a woman from Uganda who now lives in Nairobi, with the help of one of her daughters supports herself and thirteen children by producing hand-made West African style tie-and-dye cotton fabrics and products made from them for sale in the Masai Markets. She will be waiting to welcome you with a warm and friendly smile and plenty of great fabrics!
- Mansi’s Collections, P.O. Box 32667, Nairobi 00600; Ngara Road opposite Ngara Post Office, +254-733-771619; +254-720-080949. “Dealers in buttons, laces, zips, threads, ribbons, beads, mataji chunis, religious books & idols, dress decorations and tailors’ requisite, etc.”
- Memsaab Ltd., Corner Plaza, Ground Floor, Parklands Road, Westlands; +254-(0)20-3750541/3748409/3753513; memsaabkenya@rediffmail.com. One of my favorite places – silks, linens, blends, fancies, notions available in a large, light, clean and modern shop with off-street parking and excellent service.
- Palak Fabrics Ltd., Bhatt Building Ground Floor, Biashara Street; +254-(0)20-222360. On-street parking with security guards.
- Poojah Textiles Ltd., Ngara Road; +254-(0)20-3741534/3745211. General stockists, large shop with reasonable lighting and a huge selection of materials. On-street parking with security guards.
- Rainbow Fashions Ltd., Ngara Road, +254-(0)20-3749713. On-street parking with security guards.
- Saree Palace Ltd., Corner Plaza, Ground Floor, Parklands Road, Westlands; +254-(0)20-3742791/ 3745310. Off-street parking with security guards, same building as Memsaab Ltd. A proper sari shop – embroideries, laces, beaded and sequined fabrics, and a reasonable supply of solid color silks in a couple of different weaves. Excellent service and reasonable prices. A must-see! If you buy their fabrics for apparel, ask for a referral to a “fundi” (tailor), someone else to sew it up. That will leave you with more time for quilting, sightseeing and shopping!
- Scooper Ltd., Biashara Street; +254-(0)20-2225264. Large, light modern shop well stocked with remarkable notions – beads, sequins, trims and other unusual embellishments as well as threads, buttons, zips and elastics. On-street parking with security guards.
- Spinner’s Web, Getathuru Gardens off Peponi Road below Sarit Centre; +254-(0)-020-4181121 or 020 – 2072629; spinweb@wananchi.com or spinwebkenya@gmail.com. One of Nairobi’s finest craft and gift shops, Spinner’s Web is also the exclusive outlet for the wonderful Kenya Weaverbird handwoven fabrics, wall hangings, cushions, throws and apparel fill the shop with color, style and luxury. Against that backdrop, you can find handmade pottery, glass, wood, metal and other medium crafts including jewelry, home furnishings, accessories and even African traditional arts.
- Text Book Centre, Sarit Centre First Floor, Westlands; +254-020-3310699. Not a fabric shop, but definitely the place to go for most art supplies. Fevicryl fabric paint and fabric glue, artist’s acrylic paints, paint brushes, sketchpads, other stationery supplies useful for quilters. Occasionally, you can even find a book there about needlework or quilting, or perhaps for one of those times when you would rather do something besides quilting!
Text Book Centre, Sarit Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
- The Woman Shop, Sarit Centre Second Floor, Westlands; +254-(0)20-3748374. A large, clean modern shop with a wide selection of fabrics, some sewing machines, quilt books, some notions and other miscellaneous goodies. The owner’s wife and co-worker, Kundan, is a staunch member of the Kenya Quilt Guild and is very well informed about quilting in general and is always very helpful.
The Woman Shop, Sarit Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
- Utamaduni Craft Centre, Bogani East Road off Langata South, +254-20-268-8187, +254-722-205028, +254-737-613815. More handicrafts than fabric, you can still find some specialty cloths there. Kikoys, kitenge, kanga and some upmarket tribal textiles from other African countries can be found. It’s worth the trip, as Utamaduni stocks some of the best handicrafts in Kenya. They may even have patchwork! Shop online before you go so you know what you want, or save the expense of a high-priced safari and have your goods shipped to you!
- ViTENDI Ltd., P.O. Box 422, School Lane, Westlands, +254-20-4443286, FAX +254-20-4443285, info@vitendi.co.ke. A sophisticated home decorating shop that features window treatments and eco-friendly water grass and natural cane furniture (nice!), ViTENDI also stocks mosquito netting and lace curtain fabrics along with all the hard- and soft-ware needed for home decorating. Check out their Accessories page for more information. You might as well call in; you’re bound to be in Westlands at some point in time!
Quilter Blogs & Store Search
Thank you! Have been looking for some in-the-know places to buy fabrics for curtains, bedspreads, wall hangings and throws! This is great!
You’re welcome, Elizabeth, but the page needs work. There are plenty of other places as well, and the places I’ve mentioned here are not very well described. I’d be delighted to receive any feedback from you about any shops in Nairobi that you visit. Help keep us all informed, won’t you, please?
I just returned from Nairobi and purchased some 10 meter lengths of batik cloth from Tanzania at a craft shop that our tour guide took us to. This was a collective of about 16 different shops under one roof and one of the shops upstairs sold beautiful lengths of beautiful cotton batiks for about $20 USD per piece. I bought 5 pieces. I know that it was on the outskirts of Nairobi as it was a bit of a drive from the Norfolk hotel. The receipt says “Friends of Africa” and the Telephone is: 891798 Langata, Nairobi. I plan to make dinner napkins out of my fabric. It was a safe location, quiet, no pressure and the staff were very helpful. Also other hand crafts galore!
I found the name of the craft center in Nairobi. It’s Utamaduni Craft Centre, Friends of Africa Ltd. Tel: (254-20) 890464, 891798, http://www.utamadunicrafts.com. Hope that helps.
Carol, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with my readers! I know Utamaduni very well, but I’ve never thought of it as being a good source for fabrics. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been there. I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in town. It sounds like you enjoyed your time in Nairobi. Next time you’re around, let me know. We’ll meet at The Verandah for tea, shall we?! Cheers!
Utamaduni has new phone numbers:
(020) 268-8187
(0722) 205-028
(0737) 613-815
Sorry, the correct web address is utamaduni.com. Thanks.
Hi Dena,
I was so excited when I came across your website. My son and I will be traveling to Nairobi this coming December and will be volunteering at the Marafiki Global Aids Ministry and Mother’s Love Outreach. I live just outside Philadelphia, USA. I have been making fleece blankets using a knotting technique. It doesn’t require anything except fleece, and scissors to make them. I thought it would be a great trade to teach the children while we are there. I was wondering if you know of any fabric stores in Nairobi that carry fleece. It would be easier for me (and probably less expensive) to purchase the fabric when I arrive in Nairobi, rather than me traveling ½ around the world with it.
Please let me know!
Blessings,
Jessica
Helo, Jessica. The Woman Shop have fleece material in stock. Our contact. 1ST. FLOOR SARIT CENTRE. NAIROBI. TELEPHONE NO. +254 20 374 8374 OR MOBILE NO. + 254 734 394820.
Jessica, thanks for your inquiry. I do not know of any fabric shop in Nairobi that carries fleece. I think it is not a popular fabric here. Nevertheless, you can contact the shops listed above for more information, as I do not use fleece in my work and would not necessarily know even if someone had it here. Good luck with your project!
Dena
Hi
I leave in Kampala and have failed to get Aida Fabric here. i kindly wanted to enquire where i could possibly purchase Aida Fabric for cross stitching possibly at a cheaper cost. i hear they are in Biashara steeet but i dont know the particular shops yet i wanted to send someone there to buy for me and send it to me. thank you.
Sandra, you will find Aida at The Woman Shop and at Buttons’n'Bows. Good luck!
Hi Sola if you have not yet bought the fabric I would like to help you get one as I would be traveling to Kampala soon so if you want to the you can contact me so we can see how I can be of help
Thanks for this information.i was looking for those shining stones that look like diamonds for my buibui pliz tell me where i can find them.
Try Bini’s on Ngara Road. There’s another place a few doors down from there that sells such things as well, but I cannot remember the company’s name at the moment. Also, try Atul’s or Scooper on Biashara Street in downtown Nairobi. Good luck!
has anyone found fleece fabric in Nairobi i am coming in a couple of weeks. i am working at the village of hope in Kissumu teaching sewing. i bring the quilt tops and then have the ladies knot the fleece to them. i have them work on that while i teach the sewing machines. if i can’t get fleece another backing that is 60 inches wide would be required. thanks so much
Karen, I really think you will have a hard time finding fleece in Kenya. Instead, why not plan to obtain some plain cotton sheeting. I recommend you try Industry Stores in Nakuru on your way up to Kisumu. Whatever you buy, be sure to wash it several times; most of the fabrics here shrink a lot! HTH.
Hi, I have some fleece fabric in case you need some
You will find fleece material at The Woman Shop in Nairobi.
Hi.
I am doing some artworks for a friend in Nairobi in January and I need a good canvas supplier. Would you be able to help me?
Best Regards.
Tanja.
Sure, Tanja. I have never seen in Kenya the kind of pre-fab canvas stretchers I knew in the US. However, you can get canvas board here even at TextBook Centre shops. Otherwise, you can order frames from a frame shop and stretch your own canvas or have them do it for you. Check out Tazama Galleries (there are several in Nairobi) and Unik Frames in Sarit Centre. HTH.
Hi Dena,
I have been looking in the internet for canvas boards made by Kilifi. I saw paintings with that name printed on the side, and thought it would be easy to find the shop in Nairobi…I bought Windsor canvas boards in the Sarit centre, but they were expensive!
I would appreciate suggestions, thanks. Mariana
Hi, Mariana, and thanks for asking. Did you try searching for the product on the Web? That’s probably how you found my blog, right?
You can check with some of the art gallery folks located at Sarit and YaYa. I think they sell canvases and boards for local painters and they are very knowledgeable about what works best over time under local conditions. There’s also BJ’s in the Karen Duka complex, outside the Crossroads shopping center and in the Tana Building next door.
Be careful, though, what you buy, Mariana. I have seen painters working on all kinds of cheap, and I do mean cheap not necessarily inexpensive, surfaces in Kenya. Masonite, stretched cotton homespun and press boards of various thicknesses come to mind. If you’re doing practice work or you’re on a really tight budget, try working on some of the specialized art paper tablets that can help you capture an image well but less expensively, especially if you are working with acrylics.
If you want your work to last more than a few years in the tropics, you will be well advised to purchase only top quality supplies. We have a wonderful painting that the artist produced in acrylics on an unprepared (no gesso), canvas about 40 years ago. The painting is chipping off the fabric now due to the changes in the cloth’s stability caused by ambient humidity and the plastic medium’s deterioration exacerbated by tropical heat. If you do not want that to happen to your work, go for the best!
Good luck!
Thanks Dena, I will do a bit of research and maybe ask artists too.
cheers, Mariana
Hi
Thanks for the information at least now i know more places to get my fabric but another problem is still unsolved is where can i get a really good tailor who is up to date and can do challenging designs, is there someone you can recommend to me because i desparately need a tailor. Thanks alot.
Tina, tailors are abundant in Kenya; good ones are hard to find. A seamstress myself, I have only met one in 20 years that I would trust to work for me, and him only with direct supervision! You will find tailors on the fringes of any mitumbaa market. Don’t go there alone, but take along a friend or two – safety in numbers. As for finding one who does good work, don’t believe it until you see it! Good luck!
Hi,
Can you tell me of shop apart from the Women shop when i could buy a sewing machine and do the sewing machine sellers offer a maintenance service in Nairobi. Thanks
Hello,
Yes – try General Machines on Kijabe Street. There are other vendors of Singer, Swan, and other off-brand treadle machines, and perhaps a few of them offer low-grade electronic machines (few of them computerized due to heat and dirt and lack of maintenance), but General Machines has good facilities for servicing. They do all of my machine service work. They also sell Brother electronic machines, and will happily order something fancier for the right price. Good luck!
Thanks a lot. I found them them with no problem and i now the proud owner of a new machine.
Congratulations, Anita! Well done!
Hi Dena,
I am making a trip with my husband to Nairobi/Kisumu to visit his family in 1 1/2 months and would like to purchase some fabric to take home with me to make clothing for myself and my husband. I’m looking to get apparel fabrics that are contemporary, but still very Kenyan (not too westernized) and other fabrics to make into pillows, napkins, etc for our home. Can you suggest any stores that would be in those areas (Nairobi and Kisumu)?
Thanks for any help you can give me,
Rosella
In Nairobi, fabric shops are clustered in three areas that are safe to visit: Ngara Road, Biashara Street, and Westlands. You can find more details about shops in these areas on my blog page Shopping in Nairobi, Kenya at http://www.denacrain.com/blog/?page_id=657.
I have only passed through Kisumu once and that was many years ago, so I’m afraid I cannot help you. However, once you’re there, go to any kind of central place, a major hotel, one of the country clubs, or even a large grocery shop, and ask the locals. In fashion typical for Kenya (I suspect it’s that way in India, too, from where many of our retailers originated), you will find a group of fabric shops all elbow to elbow.
Happy shopping!
i have recently moved to Nairobi and am looking for black suede fabric. if anyone knows where i can find suede as most stores I contacted only had velvet fabric and not suede.__any help will b appreciated. thnx.__
Marissa, I think you'll have a hard time finding "suede" fabric, unless you visit Tile and Carpet Centre on Mombasa Road and find something in their interior decorating materials that will do. In Kenya, most of us who want suede look for real leather. There's a place in Lenana Forest Centre on Ngong Road on the way to Karen (name escapes me at the moment) but you might check there if you're interested in the real thing. I think there's also a handbag place in The Junction that might be able to direct you. Good luck, and let us know if you have any success!
Good morning. I am now in Nairobi, Mombasa for 2 weeks holidays. I am looking for Kenyan designer clothes shops to get some clothes for my self. Also some shops that sell khanga or lesso or ankara. Pls can you help. Tks.
Hello, and thanks for your inquiry. In both Nairobi and Mombasa you will find "Biashara" Streets. "Biashara" in Kiswahili means "business." These streets are home to many of the local fabric retailers, so have a taxi driver or safari driver take you there to look for khanga, kikoy and other yardage materials. For "Nairobi radical chic," check out Kiko Romeo at http://www.kikoromeo.com/. Happy shopping!
Thanks so much.. coming to Kenya from Uganda next week to shop for a new lodge and your site is most helpful. Any clues on good quality sheets or sheet material apart from Kenya Drapers??
Thanks! X
You’re welcome. Sure–try Industry Stores in Nakuru. I get lovely heavy homespun cotton from them in various widths. Cotton is so very much nicer to sleep on than polycotton blends! Trouble is, you’ll need a “fundi” to sew the material into sheets, but they will be ever so much more authentic . . .
Good luck! And let me know about your new lodge when you get it operating. I’ll be happy to blog about it!
I’m going to Nairobi and other parts of Kenya with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson in January 2011. I’d love to have them let us visit some of these shops, especially ones that offer handcrafted fabrics. Can you suggest special ones I should hope to look for?
Thanks, Nancy
Nancy, we at the Kenya Quilt Guild are working with Jim West, the coordinator of the Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson Kenya Safari. We hope to make your visit to Kenya a most wonderful experience. Stay tuned for further information, and keep checking my Fabric Shopping in Nairobi blog page for coming updates and additions. Thanks!
Hi Dena,
Great website! I have a very specific question. Have you seen any Sunbrella/Dickson outdoor cushion fabric anywhere in Nairobi? Lazy Daze has it, but they don’t sell the fabric alone – they will make the cushions I want, but for an exhorbitant price. The fabric is sun and water resistant. I haven’t actually looked anywhere else yet, but thought I’d ask. Perhaps Memsaab.
Thanks for any tips you might have!
I’m not familiar with the fabric, Lisa, but thanks for asking. You might try Beach and Bush, although they may want the same kind of arrangement. Also, check with Nishit. If anyone has the fabric and will sell it outright, Nishit would, I believe. Otherwise, you might have to order online, and the shipping will be prohibitive, I think. Good luck, and let us know how you make out. Thanks!
Batik Heritage – Muindi Mbingu Street, Close to Biashara Street. They sell Khanga, Kitenge, Kikoy and African Inspired Art. They have ready-made wrap around skirts made from leso or batiks at about 900/- to 1500/-. Very colorful and definitely great to wear in the summer:-)
Dear Dena,
Your website was very helpful. Thanks for putting it together.
Can I find good upholstery fabric and nailheads in some of the stores you’ve listed?
Regards,
Njambi Njoroge
Thanks! You might try Nishit in Westlands near Sarit Centre. There’s also Tile and Carpet (?) on the Mombasa Road. Good luck!
hey,
i want to buy a hand sewing machine or a small sewing machine.
Where can i buy in nairobi and roughly how much would it cost??
Please give me details of any place i can go to.
Thanking you in advance.
Kui.
Thanks for posting a comment on my blog, Kui. I suggest you try General Machines on Kijabe Street near the Globe Roundabout end. Talk with Pierce Parmar, and be sure to tell him I sent you! Good luck!
hi, am looking for black and white polka dot organza fabric to make a flower girls dress for my niece. anyone who knows where i can get that fabric from asap?
Jambo Dena, I was very excited to “stumble” across your website. I am going to be back in Kenya this year working on a project involving knitting yarn into beanies. I automatically thought of producing it from the raw fleece, because when I was living in Nairobi last year for a few months I think I only ever saw one yarn store – in Sarit Centre. What I was wondering, are there other yarn stores in Nairobi, other than the one I saw? Also, in Ksh, what sort of price would I expect to pay for a 50g cheap ball of yarn?
Asante sana,
Denise (New Zealand)
Denise,
Have you heard about Kenana Knitters? You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenana-Knitters-Ltd/173586355765, and at http://www.kenana.co.uk/. My good friend Paddy Nightingale took over working with the women there many years ago and turned what was a cottage industry into an international manufacturing concern; well worth checking out! Perhaps Paddy would be willing to supply your group with yarn, and if she will, I’m sure it will be far less expensive than anything you could buy in Nairobi.
The other source for yarn, probably the one you mention above, is the Spinner’s Web, http://www.spinnerswebkenya.com/. They have moved from Viking House off Westlands roundabout to Peponi Road. I have not yet visited their new shop (shame on me!). They will be able to supply you with dyed yarns of good quality. Email Jacque Resley, the owner, for more information; use the contact on their website.
Whatever wool yarns you use, be sure to test them for shrinkage!
If you’re looking for cotton crochet yarns, there are any number of fabric shops on Biashara Street and Ngara Road that can probably supply you. At the very least, you will have fun shopping for the products you need!
Where are you in New Zealand? I’ll be there in Taupo for the quilt Symoposium in 2013. Keep in touch, and perhaps we’ll meet up either here or there!
Thanks so much for your advice and information. No I haven’t heard of Kenana Knitters, but I will most certainly check out the website. I know the area around Bishara Streets and I loved poking around there.
This knitting project of mine has actually snowballed out of a very simple email to a few family/friends requesting handknitted beanies to give out when I return to Kenya in June this year. Last year I was given donations of all sorts of things to give away and amongst it were quite a few beanies. Unknowingly they were hugely popular with both kids and adults, hence my email request for this year. Now, over 500 beanies (and still counting…) later, I’ve decided to utilise the volume and start a cottage industry with a group of 3 Kenyan women. I thought it would have to be a project starting with raw fleece then teach spinning, dyeing, knitting etc… but now I’m wondering if it will be just as cheap to buy the yarn already processed.
I live north of Wellington – Taupo is 3 hours from where I live. I would love to keep in touch with you, for sure. I will be in Nairobi from June – September and will be living in Lavington. I can’t wait to return to Kenya!!!
Thanks again for your help.
Cheers, Denise
Denise, it sounds like you’re well on your way to creating a great project! Well done! Yes, we must definitely get together when you come to Kenya. Lavington is practically next door to where I stay in Langata. And I will be teaching in Taupo, so making friends with you is a MUST!! Let me know when you’ve arrived and settled in Kenya, and we’ll make a plan to meet! We’ll have Kenya Quilt Guild meetings in June and July, although that’s a quiet time in Nairobi, with so many ex-pat families taking annual leaves abroad, and kids home from school and out on safaris, and there is no meeting in August, but I’m sure our Guild will be interested to hear about your knitting project. Keep in touch, won’t you, please?
Denise, I am enchanted by your posting. I wrote Dena several months ago for advice on where to find assistance getting teachers for crochet work in a remote Kenyan village we serve. Dena was so helpful and I will be visiting Kenana in a month. And I will be going to New Zealand later this year, Auckland. Are you anywhere near Auckland? I’d love to chat about your work with the Kenyan women. I’m doing that as well and need lots of wise guidance! Blessings, Linn
Hi. I just came across your website while searching for shops that sell sheer curtains. Any idea where I can get good quality sheers there in Nairobi or Mombasa. Plus pretty wall hangings and home decor. Please advice.
Each city, Isabel, has a street called “Biashara.” The name is “business” in Kiswahili. I’m not familiar with the shops on Mombasa’s Biashara Street, but in Nairobi, look for Nairobi Drapers. For home decor, see an interior designer, and for wall hangings? Well, why not one or more of my quilts?
Dear Dena, it was a very great pleasure for me to come and see you and the lovely ladies at the meeting. I really enjoyed it. We will keep in touch and I will let you know about the project. Thanks a lot. Hope to see you again soon. Bye for now, Anke.
Anke, I too was pleased to make your acquaintance. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your time in Kenya, and that we will meet again soon!
hi i would like your help on where i can find glue that is safe to use on fabric thank u in advance
Hi, Edna, and thanks for your inquiry. An Indian company called Pidilite makes a fabric glue under the brand name of Fevicryl. Be sure to read the instructions for using it! You can probably find the glue at Text Book Centre shops in Kenya. Good luck!
Hello Dena, can you please advise if you know where I can purchase dressmaking patterns in Nairobi? I haven’t come across them and want to buy a couple of basic patterns to make school uniforms for a school we are setting up here. Many Thanks. Denise
Denise, you have asked a good question!
I have never found any dressmaking patterns in Nairobi, except in one shop where someone was selling used ones. In general, our fabric shops cannot obtain such patterns at a price that makes them marketable, nor is there sufficient demand for them here. Most people who buy fabric in Kenya do not do their own sewing! We have many trained “fundi’s” who cut and sew without patterns. Frequently, they are copying designs, but some are talented enough to cut freehand and make virtually anything you want.
There are merchants in all major cities who specialize in making school uniforms (a big business here!). Any shop that has “uniform” in its title probably does that. You will not likely compete with those specialists, either for quality of construction, convenience, or cost of labor. If you buy in bulk and pay cash, you will probably come out ahead!
If you want trendy dressmaking patterns, your best bet is either to bring them with you when you travel, buy online, or turn to magazines like Burda and Bernina’s “Inspiration.” These magazines publish the paper patterns included with the photos of their designs, so you have the pattern and can see exactly what it’s for. The magazines are expensive here, as is everything that has been imported. I have yet to find the Bernina magazine in Kenya, but BookStop in Yaya Centre carries Burda.
Good luck with your project, and let us know how things turn out, won’t you?!
hello,
please advise if, and how, i can purchase cross stitch materials, some magazines and threads from you as i reside out of Nairobi, but in Kenya.
thank you
Hello, Ann. I would suggest you touch base with The Woman Shop in Sarit Centre. We also have a Kenya Embroiderers Guild functioning now in Nairobi. Use the Contact Dena form in the sidebar to send me an email about it, and I will put you in touch with the chairman, a personal friend of mine.
Thanks for this; i dont know fabric glue existed in Kenya. Thanks!
You’re most welcome!
Hi there
Do you by any chance have any information on wholesale fabrics.
I am looking at buying rolls of kanga fabric for importing.
Thanks so much
Regards
Carla
Carla, I have never had much luck sourcing wholesale fabrics in Nairobi, but perhaps that has to do with never needing to buy masses of fabric for re-sale. Why don’t you take a look at my Fabric Shopping in Nairobi page? There you will find links and contact information for two companies I can think of who might be willing and able to assist you. Contact Mr. Pattni at The Woman Shop and Mr. Kunaal at Coblantra. Both shops are retailers, but I’m sure they know the wholesale market far better than I do. Please be sure to tell them I sent you to them; it might help!
Good luck!!
Thanks so much, Ill do that!
You’re welcome!
hi i wold like to know where i can find a rug hooking kit in Kenya. i have been looking for a while now and i cant seem to fine them anywhere. i also need a latch.
Juli,
Have you tried The Woman Shop? Otherwise, I would suggest you order online, maybe through one of the local Kenya shopping services.
Good luck, and thanks for posting your question here!
hey am gettin married n would like to make dinner napkins what do u advise?shops that sell dinner napkins or fabric shops
Try Spinners Web: http://www.spinnerswebkenya.com/. Great shop full of hand-woven fabrics from Kenya Weaver Bird and lots of top quality locally made household furnishings.
Best wishes!
Hey Dena..love, love your site..i am from Kenya and i would love if you could help me locate a shop that sells craft felt fabric in Nairobi..been searching everywhere but to no avail..thanks.
Thank you! Try Atul’s on Biashara Street. You might ring them first. It’s been many years since I’ve been there, but I do recall that they sold some felt. You should also check with The Woman Shop. Both companies are listed on my Fabric Shopping in Nairobi page. Good luck, and be sure to let us know where you find any felt, thanks!
Thanks for the reply and will surely let you know if i get the felt fabric.
You’re most welcome!!
Hi Carol,
Thanks so much for this. Are any of the places along Biashara St. likely to be open on Sundays? Also, is this a safe area for a young female to walk around on her own, keeping in mind I will have money and a cell phone with me at least (I would hope a camera too, but I have heard things like these are easily stolen…)?
Most shopping centres in Nairobi are open on Sundays. That would include The Woman Shop at Sarit Centre and Buttons ‘n’ Bows at Yaya Centre. I have never tried shopping on Biashara Street on a Sunday, so I can only suggest that you ring any shop you want to visit in advance. Also note that many shops in town used to close for lunch every day from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Best to check that as well! You don’t want to be left standing on the street for an hour and a half with all the shops closed!
As for security, if you stay on the main section of Biashara Street (your taxi driver will know where when you tell him you want to visit fabric shops), there are lots of security guards along the street. Each shop maintains its own guards, so you’re pretty safe there. Each shopkeeper appreciates your presence and if you have any difficulty at all, you can feel safe about reporting it to the shop owner or manager.
Don’t wander around that neighborhood off Biashara Street. You won’t know the territory nor how to get help and you can get into a bad neighborhood without realizing it.
Most importantly, try not to look like a nerdy tourist.
That means don’t wear any expensive jewelry; wear some inexpensive local jewelry if you can. That tells people you belong there.
Don’t wear smart, fashionable new clothes or safari clothes; they reek of “tourist.”
Wear sunglasses so know one can see that innocent look in your eyes and no one will know whether you are watching them or not.
Above all, do not wear a bum-bag or any other apparel or device common to tourists–backpacks especially! That stuff just screams “TOURIST” and makes you a walking target.
Carry a quiet leather shoulder strap bag with your hand in a vice grip on it at all times. You can put the strap on the opposite shoulder, but straps can and are cut remarkably easily. Don’t carry anything in your bag that you would not want to lose, especially passports, travel tickets and credit cards. Carry your bag, if you like, and put your money into an inside pocket of your clothing. A thief will more likely go for the bag.
Don’t carry a ton of cash with you and don’t be surprised if the shops do not accept credit cards. If you find something expensive you cannot live without, leave a deposit with the shopkeeper to hold it, go and get the cash and come straight back to that shop and make your purchase. That way, you will not be walking the street with a lot of money in your purse or pocket.
Fabrics in Nairobi run from about 150/= for Tetron 65/35 polycotton solid color blends to 400/= to 600/= for western style quilting cottons to about 2,000/= or more per metre for fine silks. Know what you want and take only about enough cash to make that purchase. Don’t go loaded and do a lot of impulse buying. Not all the thieves are working the streets!
Keep your eyes and ears open and avoid crowds.
Otherwise, relax and have a great time! Welcome to Nairobi!!
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Normally, I would dismiss such a comment as unsolicited spam, but I actually believe what this poster says is true. If the products help you, so much the better!
Also, I’m of the opinion that the best way to go green is to stop buying, and ultimately stop manufacturing, plastics!
Hello Dena,
I really love your website! i recently moved to Nairobi and i found the information on yourwebsite very useful when furnishing the house! Thank you!
On a different note, i am very keen to take seamstress classes, beginers level, mainly for the basics. I live in westlands. Would you by any chance know of a place that might offer these services? Any help will be very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Olivia
Hi, Olivia, and welcome to Nairobi–karibu sana! I don’t know of anyone teaching introductory sewing classes outside of the government system of university home economics programs. Why don’t you call in at The Woman Shop in Sarit Centre and meet Kundan Pattni? She might well be able to point you in the right direction.
And then, there’s the Kenya Quilt Guild. Our next meeting is on January 19. You might like to join us then! Full details on our blog.
Good luck!!
Thanks ever so much Dena, asante sana! I will pop into The Woman shop tomorrow, i’ll let you know how i get on. Also i have made a calender note with regards to the January 19th. I hope to see you then!
Thanks again,
Olivia
You’re welcome, Olivia. I hope you find what you’re looking for, and that we see you at the Guild meeting in January!
Hi Dena, would you kindly connect me to a lady friend abroad who frequently visists kenya… Eldoret in particular. I need a friend who will be buying cross stitch materials and threads for me as it is hard to get everything in the shops you mentioned. Any help will be appreciated, thanks.
Rahab, thanks for your inquiry, but I’m afraid I do not know anyone who travels to Kenya from outside the country with the express purpose of visiting Eldoret. Have you tried purchasing your supplies online? I’m sure there are shops in Kenya that do stock what you want, but perhaps you find the prices too high? The trouble is that our merchants have difficulty sourcing and buying at wholesale prices. If they must pay full retail price, shipping, duty and retailing overheads, the prices can be higher than what many of us want to pay. This is particularly true for any imported goods. I believe, though, that if you keep shopping around, you will indeed find a supplier locally. Have you visited The Woman Shop? I know they carry embroidery supplies. Also, you can make contact with the Kenya Embroiderers Guild via the Kenya Quilt Guild. Good luck!
hello dena i would like to know where i can find a microfiber terry fabric that has high absorbency or any material that can work the same. does cotton flannel have high absorbency? which other fabrics have high absorbency? thanks so much for your blog
Hello, Makoneno. Cotton is one of the most absorbent materials in the world. That’s why we use it for bandages, facial wipes, nail polish removers, and many more useful purposes. Try The Woman Shop in Sarit Centre. If they do not have cotton terry cloth, they can probably source it for you. Be sure you ask for 100% cotton; even a little synthetic material included will substantially reduce absorbency. That’s why some towels won’t get you dry! Good luck, and let us know how you make out, won’t you?
Thanks for this fabric information. My son is visiting Kenya for a year (mission work) and he’s promised he’ll pick up some fabrics for me.
You’re welcome, Bonnie. I hope he knows his fabrics. Shopping in Kenya is not like shopping the fabulous open air textile markets in Ghana and Nigeria. If you want some nice locally made tie-dye cottons, tell your son to shop at one of the Masai Markets (Yaya Centre on Sunday mornings, Westgate on Tuesdays, and Village Market on Fridays, I think (but he should ask around to make sure) and ask for a vendor named Irene. He should tell her I sent him so she gives him a good discount!
Hello,
I’m visiting Nairobi on Friday for the next two weeks and would love to come back home to Poland with some Kenyan fabrics appropriate for quilting. Is there one place better than the other? I’d like all cotton if possible, of a decent quality and definitely in with a Kenyan look.
We will be staying with a family in Nairobi and the wife knows her way around. My husband will be teaching so we will have some time during the days while the men are busy.
That Woman’s Shop sounds interesting. I’ll print out your post and take it with me since I know nothing about the city at this time. I’ll check back for any answers if you happen to see this before we leave Friday morning.
Hi, am soo glad to find this site. Am soo interested in Tapestry, where can i buy the fabric with the printed design on it together with the sewing kit in Kenya?
Try The Woman Shop in Sarit Centre. I believe they have embroidery kits for sale, along with all the right yarns, needles, hoops and frames you will need. Good luck, and have fun!
Oh, and be sure to ask for information about the Kenya Embroiderers Guild!
Hi! Do you know if the Textbook Center has a site to order from?
Have you visited their Web site? They do not seem to have a facility there for ordering, but you might try contacting them. If they cannot or will not order for you, try the BookStop in Yaya Centre. The owner is a genuine maven with amazing resources for finding and acquiring just about any title you can request. Good luck!
Hi,
Could you kindly advise me whether I get suede material for my sofas? I really like to have somewhere with a wide range to chose from.
thanks in advance
Veronica
Veronica, try Tile and Carpet Centre. There’s one on Mombasa Road and a new one, TACC, on James Gicheru Road in Lavington. They are great places to find relatively inexpensive home decorating fabrics. There’s also Nishit in Westlands behind Sarit Centre, but expect them to be a bit more expensive. Good luck, and be sure to let us know how you make out!
Hello,
I am looking for Canvas Art stretchers (wooden bars). Would you by any chance know where I can get these from in Nairobi?
Thank you,
Hi, Mustafa! Any of the art galleries and frame shops in Nairobi can supply you with stretchers. They likely won’t be the well-made kind you would expect from any western gallery or frame shop, interlocking at corners with tabs for straightening and squaring them, but they will do. Check Tazama Gallery at Yaya Centre and there’s another gallery on the ground floor of Sarit Centre (name escapes me at the moment) that is very good. Good luck, and be sure to let us know when you have a showing!!
if i could ask, where do i find heavy canvas fabric in Nairobi?
The answer to that question depends largely on what you intend to do with it. There are several grades of canvas and it may be that some retail outlets stock some but not others.
Canvas for tents and outdoor furniture can be found at Tarpo near KATE Freight and Travel, off Enterprise Road on the airport side of the Industrial area, best accessed from the Mombasa Road where there’s a signboard for Sameer Industries (left turn going out of the city). Tarpo has eight telephone numbers listed in the Nairobi Directory, but it’s probably easier for you to find them on the Web at http://www.tarpo.com/.
If Tarpo does not have what you want, you might try Tile and Carpet Centre, also on the Mombasa Road.
Gosh, it’s nice that businesses in Kenya are finally getting clued up and setting up Web sites!
Good luck with your search, and let us know how you make out, won’t you, please?
Dear Dena,
This was a time saver indeed. I thought it was getting impossible to find things and started to think about bring things back from the states.
If you can shed some light on a quest I have, I would like to have leather machine sewn. Do you have any recommendation on equipment, tailors, fastening, …
Thank you for a great article.
Good! I’m glad this page helped you. There is much more available in Kenya these days than there used to be, I can assure you. You’ll be surprised to discover that even some really special items can be found here. The trick is knowing where to look for them!
For leather, I would suggest you try SoleMates on the ground floor of Sarit Centre in Westlands: 0723-618070, 0736-648617, solemates.ke@gmail.com. They make leather shoes and do all kinds of leather repair work. They would have access to the kind of sewing machines needed for sewing leather. And if the job you have in mind is more than or other than what SoleMates can handle, they will be able to refer you to local fundis who would be willing to help you, I’m sure.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on with SoleMates!
Hi Dena,
Thank you for the comprehensive list.
I love to try different crafts and I am at a loss sometimes on where to get materials like fabric, paints, frames and such.
This post is of great help. Your work is amazing.
Njeri
Thank you, Njeri! for the compliment. I hope you and your friends will indeed find my blog helpful.
Hi Dena,
Thanks for a very useful site. I am looking material for curtains. Looking for good quality linen and heavy cotton (to keep out light). Since the our house is more windown/French doors than wall, I am thinking it will be best to buy the fabrics and take it to a good tailor. I selected some from your list above (Atul’s, Combined Supplier Ltd. etc…) I am on the right path? Can you suggest a good tailor who can make the curtain once I find the fabrics?
Many thanks,
B
Betty, why not also take a look at ViTendi in Westlands? They specialize in window treatments, and right next door is Nishit, my favorite place to go for home decorating fabrics (either there or Tile and Carpet Center, depending on the quality and price I want–Nishit is generally more expensive but better quality than TACC).
I do not try to keep tabs on anyone who sews. I do my own sewing, after several failed attempts at trusting local “fundi’s.” ViTendi and Nishit have their own people, well supervised I’m sure. Even the shops on Biashara Street have people they use regularly. Just ask the shopkeeper; they will be happy to help you.
Dena,
Many thanks, so useful and quick response. Very well appreciated, I will go to ViTendi and Nishit also try Tile & Carpet.
Have a blessed week,
Betty
Great! Glad to be of help! Let us know how you make out, won’t you? Your comments can help others. We’ll “pass it forward,” ok?!