i love to shop for fabric. and fortunately for those of us with a fabric addiction, there are several online fabric shops that offer some of the latest designs and hippest patterns at reasonable prices. in this week’s bird*buzz, i’m going to tell you about my favorite online fabric shops and offer some tips for shopping for fabric online.
aside from thrift stores and the local SCRAP, i purchase most of my fabric online. i do love fabric stores, but i don’t have time to get out to them as often as i’d like, so shopping for fabric online is perfect for me. one of my favorite online fabric shops is cia’s palette. their selection isn’t huge, although it is growing, and i have never visited this shop and not found something special. for example, right now they are carrying the new line of denyse schmidt fabrics. they also carry most of the whimsical heather ross prints, and great japanese prints.
i also love repro depot fabrics. the best thing about repro depot is their gorgeous selection of big, bold, colorful modern prints and mid-century reproductions. they carry both lighter cottons and heavier linens and barkcloths for upholstery.
if you love coordinated collections, then the fat quarter shop is for you! they have beautiful pre-cut collections for purchase. i just got an amy butler collection and it came so beautifully folded that i almost don’t want to use it! they are also carrying the new denyse schmidt line, which you can buy in a coordinated bundle or individually.
and, finally, there’s equilter. what’s amazing about equilter–besides the fact that luana rubin started this shop in her basement seven years ago and that she donates 2% of all purchases to charity–is the selection. it’s enormous. and there is something for everybody. to navigate equilter, it’s important to know what you are looking for or have a lot of patience. i have found some amazing stuff on equilter. scandinavian-inspired prints, large contemporary prints, and cool novelty. i love to use their search engine to see what they’ve got. i’m known to type “trees” or “wood” or “dots” or “modern” just to see what falls into those categories. and sometimes what comes up is pretty awful (to me), but i rarely shop there without finding something delightful. their selection is always changing and growing. and each package comes personally signed by the person who put it together for you with a color receipt so you can check your order. i love equilter.
shopping for fabric online is not the same as shopping for fabric in a regular store. so here are some tips:
:: read the description next to the thumbnail. it’s hardest to gauge the size of the print. usually shops will tell you the size of the swatch that the thumbnail represents. get out your ruler if you have to and picture the real size in your head. that way you won’t be as surprised when you open the package and the print is bigger or smaller than you’d hoped for.
:: make sure you really want a whole yard. most online fabric shops, except shops that sell fat quarters, will sell you nothing less than a half yard. some will only sell by the yard. to pay attention to what you are ordering before you make the commitment.
:: check out what’s on sale. equilter is having a huge sale right now and have some great prints available for around $4.00 a yard!
:: check the return policy. most do take returns, but there is a limit to how long you can keep the fabric before you return it.
:: if you have questions about the color, thickness, durability or washability of the fabric, email customer service and ask. it’s important to treat this transaction in the same way you would if you were shopping in a store. since you can’t actually see or feel the fabric you are buying, good shops should do their best to help you know what you are purchasing before you put down your credit card.
:: if you are looking for a particular print, check all the major fabric shops before you buy. prices can vary and there are frequently sales on particular prints or collections on some online fabric shops.
enjoy your online shopping!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks for the fat quarter shop link! i just ordered a set of amy butler fat quarters. i was drooling over fabric online yesterday but just couldn’t justify buying 1/2 yards.
oh and i love your blog! it’s very inspiring :-)
Thank you so much for those links. The Denyse Schmidt fabrics are absolutely great and I also love the Amy Butler´s. A pitty that shipping to Germany is so high, but on the other side the fabrics are cheaper than here in Europe.
I found Cia’s Pallette through your website and adored the fabric and the service. My bundle arrived wrapped in tissue with a darling kitty sticker holding the ribbon binding. A true present to myself!
Also great experience with equilter and fatquartershop. I have used My Blue Bamboo and Contemporary Fabric with success as well.
But my favorite site is equilter because of they user-friendly design wall.
Last but not least, I love whipup.net! Inspiring and entertaining and educational. Thank you and all the contributors for your time and effort.
just discovered your blog – and love your fabrics and quilting – i am a seamstress and love unusual fabrics for bags and skirts and other random clothing items – not much of a quilter, but i feel a little inspired to make a log cabin pillow with some of those Denise Schmidt fabrics from fatquartershop. can’t wait to see what you do next :)
Great links! It’s so easy to forget websites. My bookmarks thank you even if my wallet doesn’t!
I have purchased fabric from both Cia’s Palette and the Fat Quarter Shop in the past and not only do they have great selections of fabric, but both have wonderful customer service. My various emails to both companies have been responded to promptly and they ship quickly. Nice to see them mentioned on your blog!
Great tips! I just opened a store a couple of months ago, and we’re still growing, but we hope to make your list of favorties some day ;-) I just wanted to add that when in doubt, you can always ask for a swatch. We mail up to four swatches for free. Other stores usually have a swatch policy too, although it may be informal.
I’m in trouble now. I have purchased from Equilter before with great success, but now that you have directed me in other directions! Oh, no!!!! Love you site.
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