Pacific Fabrics

What Pacific Fabrics does

Pacific Fabrics is a family-owned, single-location specialty fabric retailer operating out of a 13,000 square foot flagship store in Seattle's SODO district (2230 4th Avenue South). The business traces to Pacific Iron & Metal, founded by Jules Glant in 1917, with the fabric division established in 1959 as Pacific Iron's Fabric World. The store serves a diversified base of consumer makers across quilters, fashion sewists, bridal customers, knitters and crocheters, youth/families, and local designers/businesses, anchored by six core product categories: quilting fabrics, fashion/apparel fabrics, bridal fabrics, sewing notions and tools, yarns, and home decor/indoor-outdoor fabrics, sourced from major designers including Moda, Free Spirit, Riley Blake, Hoffman, Thula Pink, and PBS Fabrics.

The business model is fundamentally physical-retail-led, complemented by a layered service and community ecosystem. Service revenue streams include adult and kids sewing classes ($30-$375 per class) and PDF pattern printing at $5 per page with online upload plus USPS fulfillment. Custom embroidery services (personalized holiday stockings), gift cards in $25-$100 denominations, and a tiered community stack — Quiltbound Chapter #206, Made Sewing Studio partnership for kids programming, the Designer Partner Program (20% ongoing trade discount with business-license verification), the Insider Perks newsletter, and a textile recycling program with Project Linus — drive repeat traffic and engagement.

Distribution remains overwhelmingly tied to the Seattle footprint: phone and email orders supplement in-store shopping, and online channels are limited to gift cards and pattern printing. The company has positioned itself to capture demand displaced by the 2025 Joann closures through a dedicated welcome campaign, while extending its marketing reach through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and a class/event calendar. Pacific Fabrics is privately held with 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding, and remains inside a single retail box on its founding site.

Name

Pacific Fabrics

Legal name

Pacific Fabrics

Website

https://pacificfabrics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Fabrics is a family-owned specialty fabric retailer operating a 13,000 sq ft Seattle SODO storefront since 1917, serving quilters, fashion sewists, bridal customers, knitters, families, and local designers across fabric categories, classes, custom services, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Fabric Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913), Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

General Fabric & Textile Stores (CRALADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quilting & Patchwork Shops (CRALADAB), Upholstery & Decorative Fabrics Retail (Fabric by the Yard, Slipcovers) (CRAIALAF), Notions & Sewing Accessories Retail (Thread, Needles, Zippers, Buttons) (CRALADAG), Pattern & Sewing Instruction Retail (Patterns, Books, Classes) (CRALADAH)

Keywords

• Fabric retail store
• Sewing supplies
• Quilting fabrics
• Sewing classes
• Bridal fabrics

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Fabric Sales: In-store sales of fabrics including quilting cotton, fashion fabrics, bridal fabrics, home decor/upholstery, yarn, and sewing notions. Physical retail is the primary revenue channel.
2. Class Fees and Workshops: Revenue from teaching sewing, quilting, knitting, and garment-making classes. Classes range from beginner to advanced levels, with multi-session courses and summer programs for kids.
3. Custom Embroidery Services: Custom embroidery service for personalized stocking cuffs and other items. Customers visit store, select fabric, and order personalized embroidered pieces.
4. PDF Pattern Printing: Large-format PDF printing service at $5.00 per page. Customers upload patterns online and pick up or receive shipped printed patterns.
5. Gift Cards: Online gift card sales in denominations of $25, $50, $75, and $100. Digital gift cards for any occasion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pacific Fabrics operates Seattle's largest fabric retail destination from a 13,000 square foot showroom in the SODO district, selling quilting fabrics, fashion/apparel fabrics, bridal fabrics, home decor and outdoor fabrics, yarn, and sewing notions. The store also offers educational sewing classes for adults and children, custom embroidery services for personalized stockings, and large-format PDF pattern printing. Revenue is driven primarily through in-store retail product sales supplemented by class fees and service-based offerings.

Product overview

Pacific Fabrics is a single-location brick-and-mortar fabric retailer offering a comprehensive range of sewing and crafting products and services. The core product offering centers on fabric categories including quilting fabrics, fashion/apparel fabrics, bridal fabrics, home decor and outdoor fabrics, and yarn. These are complemented by sewing notions and tools, custom embroidery services for stockings, and PDF pattern printing. Educational services include sewing classes for adults across quilting, garment making, and embroidery, plus summer programs for kids through a partnership with Made Sewing Studio. The store also operates community programs including Quiltbound Chapter #206, a Designer Partner Program offering trade discounts, and a Textile Recycling Program partnering with Project Linus. Additional services include gift cards and free downloadable project tutorials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quilting Fabrics Extensive range of quilting supplies including premium cottons, batiks, flannels, and specialty fabrics, along with notions such as rotary cutters, rulers, and specialty threads, for quilters of all skill levels.
• Fashion Fabrics Comprehensive collection of fashion and apparel fabrics for dresses, pants, and other garments, including rayon, linen, silk, cotton, Challis, denim, chambray, jersey, ponte, poplin, French Terry, corduroy, gauze, and outdoor apparel fabrics.
• Bridal Fabrics

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quality Sewing and VacuumcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Quality Sewing and Vacuum provides sewing machines for classes and demonstrations. All class sewing machines are generously supplied by Quality Sewing, a trusted name in the industry.
• Made Sewing StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Made Sewing Studio for kids summer sewing classes. Made Sewing has offered quality sewing classes focused on elementary school-aged children since 2010. Classes designed with children in mind for fun, creative, and safe experiences.
• QuiltboundcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPacific Fabrics hosts Quiltbound Chapter #206, a local quilting club. Quiltbound is a creative quilting community for adventurous makers offering monthly badge-based challenges, tutorials, patterns, and local chapter meetings. Pacific Fabrics offers exclusive member discounts.
• Cascade YarnscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive selection of Cascade Yarns offered at Pacific Fabrics. Cascade Yarns, a family-owned yarn distribution company established in the Pacific Northwest in 1987, provides over 90 different yarns worldwide. Pacific Fabrics features free patterns and yarn information.
• Local Designers and BusinessesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesigner Partner Program offers local designers, business owners, and non-profit organizers an ongoing 20% discount on regularly priced merchandise. Applications reviewed for approval.
• Project LinusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFabric donations collected at Pacific Fabrics are passed to Project Linus volunteers who transform them into blankets for children in need. Continues the sustainable recycling legacy of parent company Pacific Iron & Metal.
• Fabric Brand PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarries products from major fabric brands including Windham Fabrics, Timeless Treasures, Riley Blake Designs, Thula Pink, PBS Fabrics, Rifle Paper Co., Moda Fabrics, Northcott, Hoffman California Fabrics, Free Spirit, and many more.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Made Sewing Studio: Seattle-based kids' sewing education studio and Pacific Fabric's partner for youth summer camps since 2010. Comparable as a Seattle sew-focused service provider and as a feeder channel for young/beginner sewists who eventually purchase fabric.
• Strawberry Fabrics: Online-first specialty fabric retailer carrying quilting, apparel, and home décor textiles. Comparable on product mix (quilting cottons, notions, patterns) and on serving home sewists, but operates without a flagship physical destination.

Direct peers

• Mood Fabrics: Independent, multi-category fabric retailer with flagship NYC store, broad selection across fashion, bridal, and home décor fabrics, and active education/community programming. Closest analog to Pacific Fabrics' positioning as a destination specialty fabric store with classes and brand cachet.
• B&J Fabrics: Midtown Manhattan specialty fabric store known for high-end fashion, bridal, and designer textiles. Comparable on bridal and fashion-fabric assortment depth and on serving design professionals and home sewists in a metro market.
• Harts Fabric: Large-format independent fabric superstore in California with broad quilting, fashion, and home décor assortments plus in-store classes. Compares directly on store size, multi-category fabric breadth, and class-led retail model.

Regional players

• Mill End Textiles: Pacific Northwest–based regional fabric chain with multiple stores and broad quilting/apparel assortments. Comparable on geography (PNW), assortment breadth, and mix of quilting and fashion fabrics, though multi-store vs. single-store footprint differs.

Broad incumbents

• Joann (formerly): Former national big-box fabric and crafts chain that recently underwent store closures, creating the acquisition window Pacific Fabrics is actively courting. Historically the dominant broadline competitor across quilting, fashion, and notions retail — comparable assortment, with materially larger (now-shrinking) footprint.

Others

• Cascade Yarns: Family-owned yarn distributor and Pacific Fabric's exclusive yarn partner since 1987. Adjacent supplier partner providing wholesale yarn selection; comparable as a Pacific Northwest heritage textile brand and ecosystem participant rather than a direct retail competitor.
• Project Linus: National nonprofit providing handmade blankets to children in need; Pacific Fabrics donates fabric to its volunteers. Comparable as an adjacent community/sustainability ecosystem player that channels textile donations into craft output.
• Quality Sewing & Vacuum: Specialty retailer of sewing machines and vacuums, supplying class equipment to Pacific Fabrics. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest sewing-industry partner and equipment channel rather than a direct retail competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP8hU4khoW4Xv8yGYlE8pOg
• Facebookfacebook.com/pacificfabrics
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificfabrics
• Xx.com/PacificFabrics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Fabrics