There is definitely something wonderful about shopping for fabric in person. I can spend hours touching, comparing, and dreaming up all of the fabric possibilities. But, the reality of my current situation of having two young kids, no car, and living in NYC city makes that a rare occasion. I do make it down to the garment district once every few months when a friend is visiting though. That's always fun and you can see my
favorite garment store picks here.
By far, most of my fabric and notion shopping is done online though. I have a bit of a system now of what I get where, and since "Where do you buy fabric?" is one of my most frequently asked questions, I thought I would make a little list for you all today of where I shop online.
I am only going to list places that I have personally ordered from, but please know that there are ton of other great shops out there too.
Etsy shops:
Felinus Fabrics - I recently ordered a bunch of fabric from them. I havn't finished the projects so I don't have anything to show you, but I was so impressed with their customer service. I needed a private listing and they emailed me back within minutes. The package was sent the next day and the shipping was less than expected so they refunded me the difference! All that aside they have some great fabrics for apparel sewing. I also grabbed some buttons and lace yokes. Lots of great stuff here.
Stevie Saint Fabrics - They carry a lot of rayons and crepes, especially with a bohemian vibe. I used some of their fabric for my
southport dress sewalong and loved the fabric. They have tons of great prints and seem to update often. Also, great customer service and fast shipping.
PeggySueAlso Leather - This is my go to leather store. I love that they have so many bright colors and that they offer the option of small scraps for smaller projects. I have found that their
12 x 12 inch Divine Cowhide is the perfect amount and weight of leather for a
pair of moccassins for a baby shower gift.
Independantly Owned Shops:
Blackbird Fabrics - Caroline is not only a great person, but she has amazing taste. I love that she took the leap and opened up her shop. She went to school for, and then worked, in the fashion and textile industry so she really knows how to choose her products. I used here fabric for both
this kim dress, and this
white and black linden sweatshirt.
Imagine Ghats - I was recently on the hunt for some Nani Iro fabric that was in short supply in her shop. After contacting her she was able to look through some extra stock and find me just enough for my project. I feel like that is the best thing about independent shops - a person to talk to. She also has started carrying some other great apparel fabrics such as rayon challis and swimwear fabric.
Girl Charlee - They are especially known for their knits but they also carry a lot of woven fabrics too. Their prices are really cheap so this is a good place to start for those who are wanting to try out knits for the first time or play around with some flowy wovens such as crepe or challis.
Hawthorne Threads - If I am looking for some quilting cotton or similar fabric for something for my kids they almost always have the new stuff and tons of options. They also carry a wide range of
Robert Kaufman which is a go to for me. I just bought some of their rayon chambray through them which I am pretty excited about.
Wanderlust Fabrics - Another small, curated shop with good taste. Whether it be knits, wovens, or pom pom trim, the shop seems to reflect the style that the owner is feeling at the time. Couple that with fast shipping and friendly help, it makes for a great little shop that I check out often. I used her fabric for my
hudson pant sewalong, and my
mandy boat tees.
Michael Levine - I recently tried this shop for the first time when I was on the search for the perfect ikat for my
Alice dress and found it here. After browsing around a bit more I saw that they have tons of other great apparel options too.
Larger Retail Stores:
Fabric.com
- I shop here a lot. It's easy, usually very affordable, and they accept returns! Which is huge since sometimes things appear different online than in person. If you are new to sewing, this is a great place to start.
Jo-Ann Fabric - Let's face it, they've got great sales. I just had a 50 yd bolt of muslin delivered to my door from here using one of their 60% off coupons. A couple of times a year during their big sales I stock up on stuff like muslin and fusible interfacing. And of coarse if I am ever out of the city I try to drop in and see if they are having one of their pattern sales.
Wawak - This is the best / cheapest way that I have found to buy notions. Especially when I am working on a new pattern so I know that I will need a ton of one thing like
buttons,
elastic, or
bias tape, I buy it here in bulk at a fraction of the cost. I have also bought all of my
patternmaking rulers and supplies for school here for much cheaper than the schools bookstore. I like to stock up on their large spools of
Gutterman thread too as I seem to always be running out of black and white.
OK, that's it. As I mentioned before, there are tons of other great fabric sources out there. Feel free to add your favorites below in the comments. Hope this helps those of you who are looking for more online options.
