Ecommerce platforms have made it easy for us to shop for almost anything. Right from apparel to electronics, grocery to furniture, pet supplies to medicine — everything is just a few clicks away. Now you can even shop for fabrics online.
Whether it’s the current pandemic that has forced you to stay home or you don’t have enough time to visit a fabric store yourself, online fabric stores solve your problems. These stores offer you an array of fabric options.
But buying fabric from an online store is easier said than done. Finding a reputed online fabric store, understanding the scales, and not feeling the fabric against your skin may create some problems. But, owing to the current situation, it is much better than physically visiting the store.
If you want to buy fabric online, these tips might help you.
- Research the store before you buy
The first step to buying good fabric online is ensuring that the online store is genuine and reputable, and more so, if you want to place a bulk order.
To know the reputation of the online store, check the reviews of other shoppers. See what’s their opinion about the website. Did they receive satisfactory services? Was the fabric quality fine?
You can also get leads through online sewing forums. Once you find a good website, ensure to check out its policies.
- Buy fabric as per your sewing project
Online fabric stores provide you with a wide selection of fabrics. Finding so many options may overwhelm you. Hence, be clear about what kind of fabric you want for your sewing project.
If you are a beginner, opt for an affordable cotton fabric, easy to sew, and available in almost every color and pattern. You may find different options like quilting cotton (a stiff variant ideal for quilts) and apparel cotton (cotton lawn, Chambray, cotton velvet, etc.).
Linen is a great sustainable option for clothing, curtains, bedding, and tablecloths. For formal wear, go for silk or velvet. For supple garments, opt for a knit fabric, like a jersey.
Other options that you will find on an online fabric store include polyester (clothing), rayon (clothing), satin (clothing, bedsheets, and furnishing), denim and canvas (outdoor furnishing, totes, etc.), felt (home décor, craft projects, and hats), fleece (blankets and stuffed toys), and flannel (blankets).
Determine your requirements before buying fabric online.
- Buy a width conversion chart
Your entire sewing project will be doomed if you land up with a fabric with the wrong width. Hence, buying fabric with the correct width is imperative.
But, how do you know the width of the fabric? Here, a width conversion chart comes to your rescue.
Every fabric comes with a different width. A width conversion chart will help you determine the width required for your sewing pattern, helping you buy the suitable fabric.
- Don’t miss the product description
Most buyers happily hit the buy button upon checking the pictures of the product. They don’t take the pain of going through the product description and often end up with a substandard or altogether different product.
Reading the product description is necessary to know the weight, length, width, and stretch of the fabric. The specification list entails a lot of information, like stretch level, dimensions, weight, spandex percentage, color, etc. Plus, it also includes shrinkage warnings and washing instructions.
Go through the written information before you buy fabric online.
The bottom line
Whether you are starting your sewing business or want to sew a perfect dress for your best friend’s wedding, buying fabric can be a hard nut to crack. We hope these tips help you in finding the best fabric for your sewing project.
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