Vien Dong Fabric & Sewing Machines

If you need shiny fabric this is the place. Everything is in disarray, so be prepared to dig. I saw nothing that made me want to dig or return. As a professional seamstress, I was excited to try this place after reading other reviews. A big disappointment.

I love it here. It’s messy, disorganized and cramped but the sewing finds are invaluable. I took a trip today to a supposedly comparable fabric store in takoma park and the prices were 75% higher at that store

Still a great place to go, prices have changed a bit and more people are there. There’s some pre-​made items around but it’s still a gem for the sewing community up here!

Tight messy space, but the selection is Devine. Take your time, there are gems all around. Oh, and the prices are unbelievable most fabrics I picked were $ 2 a yard.

Lots of variety, great prices! The store is very cramped, unorganized, and messy. There is also the language barrier with the workers there. However, the selection and prices are unbelievable so it’s definitely a go to spot for me.

by far the best arts/​crafts find i’ve had all year!
i totally tried to haggle with one of the Vietnamese grandfathers running the shop today and failed, but loved it anyhow! who can beat $ 3/​yard on so many beautiful types of fabrics!!!
i wish i could shop there every day!
also wish i could be sure i still know how to use my sewing machine… but heck, at $ 3/​yard i can totally mess up a little and be ok!

Wonderful store! Lots of fabric to choose from, along with trim, notions, etc. They had just what I was looking for, at a fair price.

I have been holding off writing a review on this place because frankly, I’m a greedy little B* and I don’t want the place flooded with people. Well, for the sake of the small businessman/​woman: This place is great! It is packed with everything — boucle, suiting, charmouse, lace, etc. Its not Chanel, but when you’re paying $ 3 — $ 7/​yd, who cares?! You have to dig, although the fabrics are organized by type, there is just so much inventory that you need to take time to look. There is also a bit of a language barrier, but I’ve never found it to be prohibitive in finding what I want. Perfect place for apparel fabric, no so much on the home decorating side. There is a notions section, but I haven’t investigated… yet.

Come dressed comfortably n be prepared to spend at least an hr here. If ur claustrophobic don’t bother to stop by. Left here with several pieces of Organza, Boucle, and Metallics. This was my second trip here while on a biz trip with my husband to the NOVA area. Looking forward to stopping here on my next trip to NOVA.

What an interesting, fascinating place! I absolutely LOVE these types of local fabric places (unfortunately, this is the only well-​rounded one I’ve found so far… all the other local fabric stores are for upholstery or décor only… no apparel fabric).
You definitely need patience and time when you come shop at this place. I do believe they try (somewhat) to keep the fabrics organized, but most of the time you really have to dig and look everywhere to find something that may interest you. Usually the workers themselves don’t even really know where certain types of fabrics are… so be prepared to hunt. Sometimes you need to squeeze in ridiculously narrow places to continue looking. but you’ll never know what you may find!
That being said, the prices for the fabrics are fantastic. They carry some particularly great quality suiting and wool fabrics for coats and outerwear and there’s a ton of chiffon, basic cotton solids and silks available.
There are no prices on any of the fabrics. Their pricing pretty much goes like this:
1. First they look at the bolt/​fabric width. Usually, if it’s 45″ or less, it’s $ 2.50/yard (at least that’s what it was for some awesome Alexander Henry graphic cotton that I found tucked away… screamin’ deal!). If it’s more than 45″, it can be anywhere from $ 3 and up per yard.
2. Then they touch the fabric to determine what kind of material they think it is. I got various kinds of cotton, linen and linen/​rayon blends (which were AMAZING quality) and they were ALL $ 3/​yard after she noted the bolt width and material type. I assume they do this mainly to make sure the material isn’t silk (and therefore need to charge more). One material she said, right off the bat, was $ 6/​yd. I just pointed at it again and «$ 6 per yard for this??». She said, «let me go see if I can get a discount» (aka go ask her husband) and dropped it down to $ 3/​yard.
Just the way they do this pricing makes it easy to negotiate if you feel comfortable doing that. They didn’t seem to have a problem with it at all. I love coming here to roam, browse and touch all the fabrics. I usually don’t come here with anything particular in mind (although I have yet to find any rayon or cotton jersey knit fabric here at all), but if something catches my eye, I know I can probably afford a couple yards :)

This store is a gem! I live in S.E. D.C. and drive out there pretty often at the drop of a dime. I love stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls so digging is not new to me. He has so many different types of materials and so many different textures, colors and designs that I sometimes get overwhelmed. Some advice: Leave the large pocketbooks at home, they just get in the way. Invisible zippers are $.75 — $ 1 and the regular zippers are less. The thread is also very very cheap as well as the buttons. I go there for almost everything.

This shop is one of my best kept secrets when it comes to buying fabric and notions. You pretty much have to trek through aisles filled with bolts of fabric to look for exactly what you want, especially because there’s no signage whatsoever… but you can’t beat the prices because it’s at least 50%+ cheaper than other fabric stores such as G Street or Jo-Ann’s! I bought a few invisible zippers for $ 1 each when they was $ 5 for 1 at G Street! Although the store may seem messy, disorganized, and cramped… it’s definitely worth trying out because the prices are THAT good.
Vien will help you if you ask, but you should have a general idea of what you want before going in the store, or bring fabric swatches so he can better assist you.

I am a fan! Disclaimer, this placae is packed with fabric, there aren’t a lot of helpers and music playing in the background BUT WHO CARES. I am 100% a customer service type of girl, bu the quality of some of his wool and the prices to match are incredible. You are getting over a 100% discount from places like G street. If you don’t live in VA, pack your check list and drive on out. It is definitely worth it.
Vien’s english is not the best, so I took swatches and he just pointed me in the direction of the fabric. Worked for me… He also has buttons, zippers and scissors at a cheaper rate than the usual fabric shops.

I’d say 3.5
I came in yesterday with my boyfriend and his mom. The place is literally packed with fabric, sewing machines, and other supplies. Some sections require you to squeeze by to get to more fabric. The variety of fabrics is amazing (disclaimer: this is not a hobby of mine so walking in here and seeing so much fabric was suprising — other fabric stores may have more but I wouldn’t know). They ended up buying enough fabric to make 6 work pants for about $ 60 which sounds like a good deal to me! I’ve posted some pics up for the business.