Wednesday, July 6, 2011

How do you buy your fabric???

Do you do it by the Internet? The color charts and hope it is what you want? I sold fabric for 18 years and I have handled fabric for over 50 years and I like to touch. How about you?

This is the type of fabric store I would frequent. All the bolts lined up in a row and every imaginable color and pattern available to touch feel and purchase because I know it is what I want. When you get a cut fabric online if you haven't felt the fabric before or the line of fabric how many of you are disappointed that it isn't what you thought it was and feel like you were taken? Other fabric sales people and I know several out there know what I am talking about, The fabric is printed on different weights and counts of thread. Some fabric lines are printed on several weights of blank fabric and not every store gets the same quality. If you have every tried to match fabric because you ran out you can be surprised at the quality and weight of a yard of fabric. Some of the Big Box stores get a medium quality fabric and that is part of the reason it is a lower price. The other is the sheer volume of a line of fabric sold to a Big Box store can cut the shipping and handling plus the cost of the bolts. Cheaper isn't always better. This is why I like to touch and feel what I buy. I have found very good quality fabric at Walmart believe it or not and yet I have gone to a high end quilt shop and got a well know designer fabric and I was really upset with the quality.
So are you a snob like me and want quality and the thrill of the feel or do you like what ever you get in the mail? Let me hear from you. The last picture was taken on the net from a website called www.diaryofaquilter.com. I do not know even where they exist or have I purchased from them. Chris


4 comments:

Katie M. said...

Because the nearest fabric or quilt store is 50 miles away, I will purchase fabrics on line. Whenever I'm considering ordering from a new on line shop, I will only buy a minimal amount so I get an idea of quality of the fabric as well as the service. So far I've really been fortunate in my on line orders! But yes, I do also like to caress fabrics when I have the opportunity.

Beth@IHaveANotion.com said...

Like you .... 'before' I would have to touch feel a fabric... and see the fabric. Now, however, I live overseas (1 year now) and I have been disappointed as often as I have been surprised. Another factor... is shipping time, I don't know why it sometimes takes a month to ship a yard of fabric, (1 store)... I am learning!!! though.

Umm-Yara said...

Thank you for these interesting facts! I had no idea!

Unknown said...

Which are the best online fabric stores