Shopping directory – fabrics

The clothes-press list of favourite UK online fabric shops. There are gazillions of places to buy fabric now so this is a small personal selection rather than a comprehensive list. It’s very much a work in progress! I’ll try to go through and update P&P costs and other information from time to time, but please check details on the shops’ own websites.

For a wider selection of fabric shops and all kinds of unusual options, you might want to take a look at any of these excellent lists:

• Verykerryberry’s UK fabric/sewing shops
• Very Berry Handmade’s big list of UK online fabric shops
• Flossie Teacakes’s favourite UK fabric shops

Another website well worth a look is Classic and Modern Fabrics – an amazing list of traditional suppliers and manufacturers organised A-Z by type of fabric.

Search first!

eBay /Google

• Just a reminder that it’s worth searching to see what’s available – tends to be cheaper but generally less guarantee of quality and samples not available

Good quality dressmaking fabrics

Backstitch

• Good selection – especially like the chambrays and shot cottons, linen-cotton blends, clip-dot lawn and Atelier Brunette prints. Many interesting prints in quilting cottons. Can filter search results by colour and fabric type. Matched thread suggestion.
• Minimum fabric order is 0.25m then 0.25m increments
• Delivery charge is a flat rate of £2.75
• Samples service – up to 5 samples can be sent out free of charge

Croft Mill

• Mostly manufacturing ends and sample lengths from top end and high street designers so stock changes continually – worth a look as prices very reasonable and quality good.
• Minimum fabric order is 1m then 0.5m increments
• Delivery charge is a flat rate of £5.95
• Samples service – 5 samples for £2.00 then 50p per sample

Dragonfly fabrics

• Lovely selection of fabrics in nice colours – particularly like the linens, cotton-linen mixes, cotton lawn prints, Japanese indigo prints, needle cord, boiled wool, and chambray.
• Minimum order is 0.3m then 0.1m increments
• Delivery costs £1.50 for orders up to £15 and £2.80 for orders over £15
• Samples service – up to 5 samples can be sent for £2.50

Higgs and Higgs

• Very nice collection of cotton and other fabrics – highlights include huge selection of cotton poplins (particularly like the vintage florals), 21-wale babycord in a good range of colours, fine stripe chambray, toile, dotted Swiss cotton, and washed linens. Matched thread service.
• Minimum order is 0.5m then 0.5m increments for dressmaking fabrics. Some cottons can be purchased in fat quarters and in 1cm increments if length over 1m is ordered
• Delivery costs £1.95 for orders under £9.99, £2.95 for orders between £10.00 and £49.99, and is free for orders of £50.00 and upwards
• No samples service

Merchant and Mills

• Selected good quality fabrics in subdued colours – linens, cottons, chambrays, wools, nice Japanese indigo fabrics, good selection of heavyweight fabrics. Nice stuff and good customer service.
• Delivery is £4.95
• Minimum fabric order is 0.5m then 0.1m increments
• Samples cost £0.50 each with free shipping

Minerva Crafts

• Huge selection of dressmaking fabrics at good prices. Site is easy to search as you can filter results by colour, fabric type, weight, price etc.  Matched thread service.
• Fabric is ordered by the metre
• Delivery is £2.49 or free is you spend over £20
• Samples cost £0.99 each with free delivery

Raystitch

• Some really nice fabrics – linens, many lovely and unusual cotton prints, Japanese fabrics, cotton canvas. Site is a little difficult to navigate but worth persevering. Prices quoted are by HALF metre.
• Delivery is £3.50
• Minimum fabric order is 0.5m then 0.5m increments
• Swatch packs available for most of plain fabrics (£1.80-£5.00) – see “swatch packs” in fabric type listings. Contact by email for fabric details or individual samples, they don’t tend to do swatches of prints.

Stone Fabrics

• Large selection of good quality dressmaking fabrics. You order by telephone so good for asking advice.
• Samples service – up to 8 samples can be ordered free of charge by sending an SAE (A5 envelope with Large Letter stamp)
• Shipping costs calculated by weight and value of purchase
• Minimum fabric order is 0.25m then 0.05m increments

Truro Fabrics

• Wide range of good quality dressmaking fabrics. Easy-to-navigate website.
• Shipping costs calculated by weight and value of purchase
• Minimum fabric order is 0.5m then can order in 0.1m increments
• Samples service – you can order up to 15 swatches at a cost of £1.20 or £2.40 each (depending on how expensive the fabric is). Half of the cost is then credited to you (as swatch points) which are valid for 6 months and can be redeemed against fabric orders.

Fabworks Online

• Mill shop in Dewsbury and online store – good selection of shirting cottons, jersey and wool fabrics. Also linens, brushed cottons and other stuff. Good descriptions and prices look to be very good value.
• Postage costs £4.99 for orders up to £70 and is free for orders over £70
• Minimum order is 1m then 1m increments
• Samples service – most fabric samples cost £1.00 each – postage is free on all samples orders

Japanese fabrics

Eternal maker

• Large selection of imported Japanese fabrics – mainly cottons in modern prints. Can filter results by colour, type of fabric, designer, brand, theme and width. They also sell other dressmaking fabrics as well.
• Shipping costs are £2.75 for up to 2kg and £5.00 for over 2kg
• Minimum fabric order is 0.25m with 0.25m increments. Quilting cottons are sent as fat quarters if 0.25m is ordered
• No samples service

Euro Japan Links

• Japanese traditional printed cottons – single colour with geometric patterns, multi-colour patterns and indigo-dyed, cottons and threads for Sashiko embroidery
• P&P costs 75p for orders up to £7.50, 10% of the order value for orders from £7.51 to £40.00 and £4.00 for orders over £40.
• Fabrics sold in 0.5m increments, can also buy a fat quarter if just want a small piece
• No samples service

Fabric tales

• Traditional and modern Japanese cottons, rayons and polyesters. Fabrics are divided up by type of pattern.
• Fabrics are shipped from Japan and postage is calculated by order value. Choice of surface air lifted (cheapest), airmail, and express mail service (most expensive). Shipping costs are $4.00 surface air lifted for orders up to $29.99 and a little over 10% of the order cost for more expensive orders. Import taxes and duties might be payable on top.
• Minimum cut is 0.25 yards with 0.25 yard increments
• No samples service

Miss Matatabi

• Huge range of modern Japanese fabrics with lots of cottons and linens in many interesting prints. Some nice-looking corduroys. Can filter results by designer, fabric composition/type, weight, theme/style, colour and manufacturer. Prices quoted are mostly by HALF metre.
• Shipping is from Japan and postage is calculated by weight. Orders up to 2kg in weight are send by Japan Post airmail starting from $4.20 (no tracking or insurance) and larger orders are sent using EMS starting from $22. Import taxes and duties might be payable on top.
• Minimum order is generally 0.5m then 0.5m increments
• No samples service but prints are photographed with a tape measure so you can judge the scale

Specialists

Acorn Fabrics

• Shirting fabric manufacturers – mostly high-quality 100% cotton shirting fabrics. Some very nice stripes, floral prints and checks as well as plains.
• Shipping costs depend on weight, starting from £3.50.
• Minimum order is 0.25m then 0.25m increments. Prices are quoted by metre ex-VAT.
• Samples service

What next?

• Shopping directory intro | Fabrics | Haberdashery | Yarns | Ready-to-wear clothes | Shoes and other footwear