“How can I get my very own Andy?”
That’s the question I probably get the most often. I’m trying to figure out a way to clone, bottle and share him, but in the meantime I can only apologize for snatching him up unfairly and share a bunch of awkward photos of him to help you know he has a disproportionate amount Unstoppable Weird Genes to balance his talent and skill.
The second question I get asked most often lately has been about where to shop for fabric online, how to dig through all the pages and find the good stuff, and how to know where to start.
Word. Online fabric shopping can be super overwhelming. It’s like trying to find a… needle fabric in a… uh, nevermind.
If you’re designing a room from scratch and you’re doing it the easy way (following this easy little formula to a beautiful room), you know that finding a beautiful lead fabric will make this whole process so much easier and give you a solid direction. So how do you narrow it down and find one you’ll love?
This is my process… (And I’m hoping you’ll share your own tips and process in the comments!)
1. Hit Pinterest
Whether I’m hunting for a lead fabric or just looking for inspiration, I always, always start with my Pinterest Fabric board:
Follow Kelly at View Along the Way’s board Fabric on Pinterest.
As I find inspiring fabrics, I save them to that board. I know my pinterest board includes stuff I’m already digging, so I consult it first. Often just starting there helps me save time wading through all the online fabric stores. If you don’t have a fabric board on pinterest, get on it! Get pinnin’! (Or just use mine. I’ll share.)
2. Get inspired
If I didn’t find what I was looking for there, I’ll hit the high-end designer fabric stores online next. That way you hone your eye to know what looks expensive and what will last beyond the short-term trends. You’re basically equipping yourself to go find epic inexpensive fabrics because you’ll know what looks high-end for a lower price.
Best higher-end fabric stores:
3. Get down to business
And now I begin scouring! The fabric stores with HUGE selections can be totally overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to start!
I usually start with these:
To hone things down a little bit and make it manageable, I click on “Home Decor fabrics” and bring up a few of my favorite designers, like these:
Then I might browse a few of the online shops that have more curated designs. They’re a little less overwhelming, have a smaller selection, and most of the fabrics are cute, so there’s no sorting through Piles of Uglies.
If I’ve found something I’m diggin’…
I usually order samples to make sure I love it in real life. I buy several samples at once so I can compare, touch them, get a better sense of the scale and colors and find out if I think they’re just as awesome in person. Anyone who’s ever done internet dating is probably nodding in understanding right now.
I usually have situations like this happening all over my house with fabric samples:
And hey, if you end up with a ton of fabric samples, use the leftovers for this little decorating hack!
When I’m ready to pull the trigger…
I shop around like a ninja! (Here’s my post on how I shop online to get the best deals.)
Once I have the designer and pattern name of the fabric I want, I quickly check ebay and etsy to see if there are any better deals, then go back to the fabric stores.
Fabric.com has free shipping if you spend $35 and free return shipping. I always google “fabric.com coupon codes” before I buy, and often you can find some coupons to knock off another 15% or so. What I really love about fabric.com is that they have free return shipping, so you can just buy whatever fabric you think you’ll like, and if you don’t end up liking it, you can return it at no cost to you.
Fabric Guru usually has good prices, but it’s hard to browse, so I usually only go here after I know what I want.
Online Fabric Store has free shipping if you spend $50, and you can often find coupons online for about another 10% off or so.
If I just can’t find something I’m in love with…
There’s always Spoonflower. You can design your own fabric, or browse fabrics designed by other people. There are some seriously gorgeous selections, and it’s worth checking out.
These are two of my favorite Spoonflower shops:
…or get creative.
Thrift stores can be a treasure trove of unique, vintage designs. Buy sheets, comforters or blankets and repurpose the fabric for your own devilish schemes. We already know Minnie Mouse velvet dresses make awesome drawer liners, and also make any woman look her best! (PSHHHHH MMM HMMM.)
Here’s my complete list, in no particular order.
- Fabric.com
- Online Fabric Store
- Hawthorne Threads
- Tonic Living
- Inside Fabric
- Fabric Worm
- TwentyOne7.com
- Decorator’s Best
- Warehouse Fabrics
- Serena & Lily
- Layla Grace
- Ballard Designs
- John Robshaw
- Caitlin Wilson Textiles
- Calico Corners
- House Fabric
- Lewis & Sheron
- Low Price Fabric
- Fabric Guru
- Marimekko
- Ebay
- Spoonflower
- Joann
- Hancock Fabrics
- Etsy
What online fabric stores did I miss? How do you find fabrics you love?
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
You are my hero! This is all I’ve done for the last 3 days. Great advice on ordering samples. I never considered that! Thanks for the help. I’m on fabric overload.
Really a damn good place for seeking good advice to shop fabric online.
Sarah’s Fabrics in Lawrence, KS, is hands down the ultimate fabric store. http://www.sarahsfabrics.com
A place that I’ve found with beautiful fabric is brickhousefabric.com. They’re not the cheapest, but it’s good quality.
Thank you for this post, because now I have LOTS of other places to look as well, as soon as I find and follow you on Pinterest 🙂
Great post! I can say that I have used everyone of the sites listed and they all are great options… I would also say be a little flexible. You may never find the fabric you are looking for in your price range, so be willing to change it or pay more…. but usually I can always find something that will be amazing!
Usually I end up unwilling to compromise and paying more than I expected. 🙂
I mostly just google “squirrel fabric” ;). I love spoonflower, but it totally overwhelms me. After 5 minutes there, I no longer have any idea what fabric I like anymore. But I still go there lots.
fabulous comprehensive list!!! thank you for sharing!
Glad to find some new sources here as well as my favorites!
You’re awesome. I love that you wrote this post! SO helpful… I have a problem with fabric samples in that I spend way too much money on them all ($1.25 a sample adds up, yo). Saving this for later!
Truth! I’d hate to calculate how much money I’ve spent on fabric samples over the years
This post is fantastic!! I get so overwhelmed when it comes to choosing fabric (which is why I’ve followed through with it exactly twice). I’m definitely gonna check out that Domesticate shop. Those two-toned ikat prints are dreamy as all get-out. 🙂
Oh me too! I start to go cross-eyed after a while!
This is so awesome. I always write down when I find new fabric places to buy from. So far I have only bought at JoAnns and Fabric.com, but I can’t wait to check out all your other sources. This is awesome Kelly. Thanks!
Three cheers for Fabric.com!!! I have been ordering from them for years but now that I am currently living in Germany a little bit has changed. The fabric here is not very pretty and ultra expensive so online ordering is a must. The shipping is fast, I get my boxes in about a week, and they are great about shipping to and Army Post Office even get the free shipping over $35. Some companies won’t do this because it requires a customs form. Fabric.com is my new best Friend!! I have introduced some of my German friends to the site and even with international shipping it’s still a great deal! I am also a big fan of Warehouse fabrics but have not tried them since our move. I will have to check out some of you other sources since I am a fabric junkie!
Nice! yay for fabric.com for taking care of our army’s overseas fabric needs. 🙂
Just discovered your blog Maggie–look forward to following along! 🙂 -Abbey
Love this post Kelly! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and tricks. I need to get on Spoonflower more, sometimes I just can’t find what I have pictured in my head.
Wow… this was timely! No kidding, all morning I have been thinking that I really need to get on it and find some fabric for curtains, and I thought I will just read my blog list before I start searching. Awesome! You just made my life easier. Thanks!
Awesome sources Kelly!! Thanks for sharing them 🙂 xo Kristin
This post is such a great resource! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but if you stay within these guidelines your sure to find something rad. Now do one on wall paper please 🙂
Oooh I so needed this! And {confession time} I have actually already stalked your fabric Pinterest boards when I’ve been looking for the perfect pattern. Love your taste! Thanks so much for sharing, friend!! Pinned!
~Abby =)
Another problem solved 🙂 Thanks for sharing all the great tips. Its so true that shopping for fabric online can become overwhelming.
Fabulous tips Kelly!! Thanks for sharing! Fabric shopping is my least favorite thing to do for some of the reasons you mentioned! It’s overwhelming and having to sort through the uglies is not fun! 😉
Nancy
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this blog post. I have been searching for solid gray upholstery fabric for 2 months and have struck out. Now you’ve given me about 20 more sources. Bless you!
Here is a good solid gray upholstery fabric:
http://www.texassusannie.com/Dyed-Solid-Storm-Gray_p_2739.html
I fell down that rabbit hole.
Spoonflower is actually my new favorite! I love that I can get the pattern printed on, like, 172 different weaves, which just makes life easier. It’s kind of pricey per yard if you want to do something big, but for small-ish stuff I heart it big time.
Just wondering if you have checked out quiltbasket.com? They are undergoing a web design change but I would suggest them as well!
I love the list that you made! It shows a lot of work…Fabric.com was my favorite all time until recently. Other than that, I recently bought some superb block printed Indian fabric along with some cool home decor fabrics from an Indian shop.
mamtamotiyani [dot]com
There was no need for any coupon as the prices were already competitive along with free shipping as there was no min. purchase.
Other than that, Calico Corners has such a wide variety to choose from..that sometimes..you get lost!! 🙂
I can’t stop laughing at the idea of bottling up your cloned husband.
Seriously – genius.
Thanks so much for sharing these tips. I’ve recently made the choice to make my own pillows and have been extremely overwhelmed on the websites. Perfect timing to find this pinned today.
Please don’t forget to visit your local fabric /quilt shops. A lot of them have gone out of business due to online fabric stores. It may cost a bit more, but their expertise is very valuable.
Nick of Time Textiles has what I couldn’t find anyplace else and the prices are fantastic.
Kelly, I have to know where you got your amazing entry rug???? I have never seen anything like it. Please share.
Thanks! Here are all the details: http://viewalongway.wpengine.com/2013/08/new-turkish-kilim-rug-pukes-glorious-color-all-over-my-foyer/
Love, love, love Fabricworm.com. Thanks for the info!
How about the Fat Quarter Shop? I love to shop there! http://www.fatquartershop.com/
I like mahoneswallpapershop.com too. They have all of the designer fabrics like Robert Allen, Schumacher, Thibaut and tons more. They also carry Duralee and Greenhouse. They have some free shipping and a discount on their Facebook page. They will match prices from other sites too most of the time.
We really appreciate you including us in your round up Kelly–thank you!! 🙂 -Abbey, Social Media Manager, OnlineFabricStore.net
Take a look at Connecting Threads (connecting threads.com) They have great quality quilting fabric at very reasonable prices. You can get some real bargains in the Clearance section.
Have you checked out buyfabrics.com. They have a great selection.
Thanks for the tips! I like the site Create by the Yard ( createbytheyard.com ). Great fabric selection without being overwhelming!
Thanks for the tips! I’ve been looking everywhere for discount fabrics for my home renovations (and mild fabric-addiction). Sadly, many of those websites sell designer fabrics at high prices… just found this new website http://www.firstrendfabrics.com/shop seems like they have good prices in their clearance section. Check it out! Love your blog, long time reader/first time poster! Cheers xo
Great information! Thanks! You should also try my new website http://www.designerfabricsusa.com We guarantee the lowest prices for designer fabric online! Direct form the source.Free shipping over $99.00, and if we don’t have it online we can still get it for you with our quote form. We are a small women owned and operated business and we operate strictly in the USA. Take a look at our site…I hope it is helpful! Thanks again!
Thanks for all the info! I also shop at eQuilter.com and Hancock’s -Paducah.com . They have large selections of quilt-weight fabric, good search modes, and excellent sales periodically if you are willing to wait. Their wish lists make it easier to navigate your faves.
Fabric Depot! Its the best fabric store I have been to. You can shop on line too and they have the best sales!
Goodwill.com is a searchable auction. Fabric as a searchterm brought up many results and I haven’t even tried sheets yet. Cheers!
Try thousandsofbolts.com. Great prices! 🙂
Hi Kelly…. Love your blog, thanks. One more fabric resource to add. We are a family owned discount home decorating fabric store in Boston, selling first quality designer fabrics direct to the public. We buy from all major mills, and jobbers- offering great prices and a huge selection. We are happy to quote on your readers requests- always with prompt responses!
Hi Janet – What’s the name of our store and its URL?
Thanks for the inquiry… where is this coming from ???
I wrote in over 2 years ago ???
Thanks for those great tips! I do a ton of online fabric shopping! Some great stores you missed are Fort Worth Fabric Studios- they have awesome sale prices; Fat Quarter Shop- they have the latest quilting fabrics!; Fabric Shack- they have a great selection at good prices! The Quilted Castle has some hard to find prints and a great sale section; Pink Castle Fabrics had a great selection of Japanese fabrics. Southern Fabric and the Missouri Star Quilt Co have Daily Deals that are amazing discounted prices!
Great list of fabric stores. I love all the variety and beautiful ideas you can find on these sites. it is really inspiring to see these wonderful ideas of things you can do with a great fabric store. http://www.lakestmercantile.com/online-store.htm
If you love precuts I always use Missouri Star Quilt Company! They are great!!
Fabric Fairy and Mood Fabrics are great sites as well. The list you created is big help!
My favorite online fabric shopping is FABRIC DEPOT in Portland Oregon. The store is as big as a Wal-Mart building! Thorough website: http://www.fabricdepot.com
I get stuff from thefabricexchange.com, you may want to check them out too! Love your blog <3
I usually for get my fabrics website and that is a bad thing now I took time and wrote them down to make reference of it Thank so much you are good God Bless.
I used to buy fabrics form home fabrics online, I had great experience with home fabrics online home decor store. There are wide range of quality fabrics from most of all popular brands with low price. I prefer home fabrics online to shop.
I really, really miss shopping at Fabric Depot in Portland, OR. Heck it’s worth a trip, well not quite perhaps, from Texas. I often shop at 1000 Bolts and 1 Nut, excellent prices, great customer services and so many choices. Just discovered Fabric.com. I wonder if the VA Med Center, or social security, would consider quilting as Occupational Therapy?
What about http://www.5bucksayard.com? Nothing over $5!!!!
Just stumbled across this article, but it’s GREAT! I love the idea of being able to make our home look nice on a budget. I found some good deals on PatioLane.com recently. They had some free samples so I was able to get my hands on a few swatches and actually SEE how they look in my house. Plus, I know on their Facebook they offer some good discounts from time to time. Thanks Kelly!!!
Try barnfabriccenter.com for great prices and service. Mom and Pop shop – I used to work there! If you don’t see what you are looking for give Gary a call and he will see what he can find if you are looking for quantity.
I buy fabric here frequently – great selection, very fast service & great prices! Where else can you get 54″ drapery fabric for $5 a yard? They beat everyone else!
Thanks so much for sharing all this awesome info! I keep shopping at the same few stores so it’s nice to have more options to branch out to. Also, those pics of Andy were cracking me up. I was LOL’ing at home like a fool. 😉
I like www. equilter.com for fabric. Their design board is usually spot on for color matching and their service is top notch. Plus you know before you buy if it is in stock. They have a couple of great sales each year too.
A friend of mine just opened a really unique online fabric store that has reasonable prices and a large selection of fabrics. Check it out if you get a chance: FabricGeek.com
Michael Levine’s in Los Angeles’ garment district is the best place I’ve ever found to buy fabric. They have three stores: the regular store (where brides shop and costumers for Dancing with the Stars, the LA Opera, various theater and movie companies), the home decor, etc. store across the street and finally the Loft (upstairs from the home decor store) where they sell ends of bolts etc. for $3 a pound. They also sell online and have daily specials. Look for them at http://www.lowpricefabrics.com. Look in the left hand column under “regular store” to see the daily specials. If you get on their email list, they’ll notify you of online specials.
IndiaFabs makes high quality fabrics and soft-furnishings. It specializes in fabrics like silk, woven, polyester, plain or with embroidery for décor and apparel.
Every new development at IndiaFabs is a creation of hard work, innovative insight and market forecast. It has created new weaves, combining yarns to make blends that are much appreciated by large global apparel brands, interior and dress designers, boutiques and garment manufacturers.
View our catalog and buying online on http://www.indiafabs.com
IndiaFabs makes high quality fabrics and soft-furnishings. It specializes in fabrics like silk, woven, polyester, plain or with embroidery for décor and apparel.
View us online : http://www.indiafabs.com
IndiaFabs makes high quality fabrics and soft-furnishings. It specializes in fabrics like silk, woven, polyester, plain or with embroidery for décor and apparel.
View our catalog and buying online on http://www.indiafabs.com
Great info! Check out barnfabriccenter.com. They have a great selection. Of drapery & upholstery fabrics at incredible prices! Great customer service too!
http://www.farmfreshfabrics.com has really reasonable prices!
Just wanted to let you all know about a Online fabric store I stumbled across called http://www.endoflinefabrics.co.uk/ – they are a designer fabric outlet with designers from Anna French, to Swaffer, To Fryetts and more but at up to 80% off the retail price. I found a material i liked, so order a free sample which was with me the next day, then I ordered it that day and had my material delivered to me the following day, I had ordered over 30 meters of material and it only cost me £4.95 in P&P, which is fantastic and the material was exactly what I wanted, I shall definitely use them again and i thought i’d share the love on this one. Happy Shopping.
Thank you for that I was trailing through this awesome post and the v.helpful comments for something UK based. <3 I'm situated in Italy and they are awful for fabric shops that isnt just for houseware (and if you do find one the distance you would have to travel to one would make it financially not worth it) and I have to buy from the UK to get a good decent choice that isnt stupidly expensive.
I love to get my fabric from Offset Warehouse who sell the most amazing ethical fabrics and they sell salvaged fabric unwanted by design houses, currently in love with their hand woven Ikats!
love your tips and ideas!!!
Hello! We are a a fashion fabric retail website offering high end fabrics in limited quantities. Check out our website, boutiquefabric.com for your next sewing project!
If you wish to sew organic, let me present you our website http://www.only-organic-fabric-shop.com
We sell only GOTS certified fabrics and ship worldwide
I buy most my fabric from http://hancockfabrics.com/ and http://www.marshalldrygoodswholesale.com/. I love http://www.joann.com/ for the assortment but they are just to pricey. I can’t afford expensive material. I watch my sales.
nice list of fabric stores on line! Another one to add to your list is Mood in anew York. The show Project Runway goes shopping there. I get their emails. Check it out! Happy sewing.
Thousandsofbolts.com. Especially when I need yards and yards for backings.
Connecting Threads is also a wonderful resource for fabric, including quilt backing in 108 inches!
Another wonderful fabric resource is Connecting Threads. Many coordinating fabrics plus quilt backing in 108 inches!
This post was perfect. It really shows how easy yet complex it is to pick out a good fabric. The tips are super helpful.
My goodness! What a list of online shopping stores. I’ve only used JoAnn’s and Fabrics.com and I spend a bundle. These are going to cost me big timer! Thank you so much for sharing – I can’t wait to try them.
This is a great resource! I would also add TopFabric.com to this list though. They have the best selection of high quality fabrics at low prices. So many colors to choose from, you can find exactly what you need! And the customer service is wonderful as well!
I live in Ontario Canada and find the store online fabric-fabric.com or fabric-fabric.online .com
they have best price and I got my fabric next day
Hey Kelly! I know how tough it is to find just the right fabric sometimes. Have you ever checked out weaveup.com? You can customize the designs to perfectly match your color vision and even adjust the scale of the print for different effects!
I love this list! Amazing. I found another good one last night, angelfabric.com
I stumbled on this post waaaaaay in the future (hello from 2017). This is an extremely helpful resource. I’ve just ordered tons of samples from your great sources! The internet is a big place and this helped narrow down my search.
Cheers,
Emily
To decorate our home we firstly we think about bedroom curtain & bedsheets…..Bed sheet is an essential part of everyone’s life as you sleep or spend average minimum six to eight hours on it & how it feels if it is not comfortable, obviously you can not have proper rest or sleep & incomplete sleep may become cause of many problems like you can’t function 100% at any task so we came with set of six cotton bed sheets from Darvi which is made up of 100% cotton and very comfortable at bed. Every single bed sheet is unique in color and designed according to our culture and its pillow cover is matched beautifully to it.
We sincerely keep our focus on its size, these bed sheets are full in size which can cover your bed completely, These bed sheets are easily washable and it will give an enhanced look to your bedroom and we are giving a worth buy it. Each color is different so you can use it as a regular bed sheet or even on the special occasions.
You did not mention Thousand of Bolts. $4.95 for most of the fabrics and they have a large selection. I have bought many different fabrics there. Most of it is designer fabrics. I am in love with that place.