fabric for wearing on your body.

I just got an e-mail from Holly that I was going to paraphrase, but my brain is fuzzy— so here it is. She writes:

"I just listened to your podcast on craftypod about sewing your own clothes.  The part that struck me was the importance of choosing the right fabric.  I have been disappointed by this mistake myself many, many times.  My question, though, is where do you find good fabric that is not quilting cotton?  At my local JoAnn Fabrics the choices are not good and online I don't find too much beyond solids and some uninspiring prints.  Do you know of any online stores that sell nice cotton/lycra/blends?"

Yeah—quilting cottons (think Moda, Freespirit, etc.) are awesome for crafts and quilts but not always the best choice for clothes. There are exceptions, but for adult clothes they can be a bit heavy and stiff for the most part.

Using old clothes (especially wool sweaters, pants, and old t-shirts) for sewing new garments is always so thrilling—and really rewarding. Check Melissa's pants for Sam. I like to raid my own closet to make new clothes for the girls, then I can use just the right knit or other fabrics that are hard to find by the yard (and new garment fabric is crazy expensive!) I have had more luck doing this than thrifting for clothes to take apart and reconstruct—but that works great too, especially if you leave the house, which I don't do much right now. Check the excellent Wardrobe Refashion site for a lot of ideas about this kind of sewing.

For new fabric, I usually buy here in Portland. I need to be able to touch it and see it drape. I sometimes use quilting cottons for tops/dresses/aprons for kids clothes, so I can buy that online—I know how it feels. For linens, rayons, tencel, wool, bamboo, hemp, jerseys, all that, I usually buy in person. Most big cities have at least one high-end fabric shop that sells fabric suitable for clothes. Right? What is the world coming too?

In Portland, for garment fabrics, I shop at:

Mill End Store
Josephine's dry goods
bolt
fabric depot

(Am I missing any Portland shops that sell a decent amount of garment fabric, not just quilting cottons?)

What about online? I don't have a ton of experience buying garment fabric online. I've listed some online shops I have used or that are highly recommended that have garment fabrics (Not just quilting cottons.) Do you all have a favorite online source for fashion fabrics? Especially knits? Please add it in the Flickr comments, because you know what book is coming out soon, right? And it's all about sewing knits.

I don't have hot links enabled in the comments here, so head on over to the Bend-the-Rules flickr group to add a link if you have one. Thank you!

***And Portland peeps, Anna Maria Horner needs your help! Please read and possibly get lovely fabric for your sofa! Free!

 

Comments

[Mary]

I love buying knits and have had great experiences shopping at:
someartfabric.com
sewzannes.com
thefabricfairy.com
buntefabrics.com
banberryplace.com
cry baby's boutique (can't remember URL of the top of my head)
fabrichound.com

[Beth]

Do you mean Mill End Store? That other one appears to be in Minnesota. Or do you buy online from them?

[amy k.]

oops! wrong link-

the mill end store in portland-I just changed the link now-

[amy h]

I got a lovely linen/wool/lycra blend at Candlelight Valley Fabrics. They have really good descriptions of the fabrics, though they aren't cheap.

[willow]

My favorite clothing store for moderately (and bargain!) priced clothing fabrics is Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, Illinois. It is a great store to visit.

( www.myvoguefabrics.com )

[Kirstin]

Slightly unrelated, but along the lines of things I've had trouble finding locally... I just noticed today that a Portland area store now has fabulous wool felt by the yard and in cut squares--the Pine Needle in Lake Oswego. Gorgeous colors and weight, and much more reasonably priced than I've seen other places. Not as much variety as Gossamer, but cheaper and the by-the-yard option is so great. They also have a good selection of quality quilter's cotton, some of which is appropriate for clothing.

[Sarah]

Rose City Textiles in Portland (http://www.rosecitytextiles.com/) has an incredible selection of knits---including lots of sustainable fabrics. I have purchased amazing organic cotton jerseys, bamboo and even fleece made from old pop bottles! The web site is confusing, so if you're local, it's a great place to check out, otherwise you can call them, describe what you want and they'll hook you up.

[beetlegirl]

This all only makes me pine for PDX more. I used to work in downtown Portland and I would walk to the library and then step into Josephine's on my breaks. I never bought anything from Josephine's (but did spend many an hour and dollar at Fabric Depot), but loved to simply gaze at what I used to call the "fabric museum."

[becky]

Also in the Portland area:

Rose City Textiles
2515 NW Nicolai
Portland Oregon 97210
503-224-5666 Phone

They're only open M-F except one Saturday a month. Annette who works the retail shop is very knoweldgeable about the technical fabrics they sell. RCT has lots of nylons, knits (Nike, Columbia and Hanna Anderson stuff), Cordura, ripstop, etc...

Also the Pendleton Woolen Mill Outlet Stores are cool. There's one near Mill End in Milwaukie/Portland and one in Washougal (at the actual factory where the fabrics are loomed.)

[Vibeke in Oslo]

Check out the compilation at this adress. I'm trying not to add to my stash at the moment, but lots of resources for knits - some of them even have Marimekko cotton jersey. (Love your blog).

http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/sewingclasses/board.pl?t=2903

[Heather]

I just wanted to tell you that I made the quiche the other night and my daughter loved it. Which, by the way, doesn't happen often. I asked her if she would eat it again and she said yes and when she gets to be a mom she is going to eat one hundred thousand of them everyday.
Since I love bread and you are some kind of food guru now in my house I got the Bread book you mentioned. Hoping this works out good for me too.

[meg]

I am brandy new when it comes to sewing garments and though all these links are very nice, what I really want to know is: how do you know what kind of fabric will work for a certain garment? When you see it and feel it do you just know? There is so much out there. Where do you start getting to know your fabrics?

[Kathleen]

Ooooh, I love Josephines. I bought the fabric for my wedding gown and bridesmaids outfits there. Not only do they have a great selection of "garment" fabrics, the patterns they have in stock are excellent.

[Lisa]

This isn't relevant at all to this post but just had to say Thanks! I downloaded your emailorder 8 as I was looking for something instantly crafty to get me back into the swing of things. I am now hooked on papercut! Have you seen this website: http://www.misterrob.co.uk/ Any plans for more patterns?

[Ula]

I'll second the suggestion to get fabrics online. That's been my best way of finding real quality. My faves are:
http://www.sewzannesfabrics.com
http://www.thefabricfairy.com
http://www.crybabys.com
http://www.reprodept.com

[Ula]

Sorry, that last link should be http://www.reprodepot.com

[Rebecca]

Meg - You might check out Sandra Betzina's, "More Fabric Savvy - A Quick Resource Guide to Selecting and Sewing Fabric." It lists a ton of different fabrics, what they are good for, what needle, thread, stitch length, presser foot you need, covers seam finishes, closures, hem, pressing, preshrinking, etc. for each fabric...great book to have on your shelf to refer to esp. while learning the ins and outs of garment sewing.

Thanks so much for everyone sharing links!! I used to live in Portland and now live in DC. EVERYTIME I'm visiting the Rose City I stop by Bolt, Fabric Depot, The Pine Needle, Josephine's, and Uwajimaya (for Japanese books). It's actually easier for me to find garment and upholstery fabrics here in DC than to find awesome cottons but www.moodfabrics.com and www.myvoguefabrics.com (mentioned above by Willow) are good for garment fabs. And even though http://volksfaden.de is cotton fabric centered its too fun not to mention.

Thanks Amy!!

[Samantha]

Thanks for all the info. I am just starting to enjoy sewing for myself. I have been into heirloom sewing for children so long that this is like a whole new world!

[Kim]

Amy, in the past you have mentioned SuperBuzzy.com for fabrics, and the Japanese cottons she carries are superb: soft with a lovely hand that will work for many garments, I think. For other Asian-influence fabrics in cotton and knits, also try Fabrictales.com

[Samantha]

Thanks for all the info. I am just starting to enjoy sewing for myself. I have been into heirloom sewing for children so long that this is like a whole new world!

[Ahava]

Since you're so close, I wonder if you know where would one go in Seattle for apparel fabrics?

[Magpie Ima]

One Portland area fabric store not to be missed: Ruthie's Rags on NE 106th and Sandy. She has a beautiful selection of natural fiber fabrics including linen and silk. And great buttons, too!

[Frida Berglund]

I really like the vintage picture on the cover of this pattern!

[Sally McEntire]

I'm just starting to sew clothes and need all the help I can get! I'm going to go and listen to your podcast, Sister Diane is so great! And now I know all these great stores to visit when looking for fabric. Thanks!

[mama in chitown]

Try Harmonyart.com

[bea]

UK readers might want to check out http://www.dotsnstripes.co.uk/
for lovely European fabrics a la Ottobre. Great for kids and adults.

It's worth noting, if you don't know, that ordering fabric from the US will earn you a hefty customs charge when it arrives in Britain. I have a stash from Reprodepot which looked cheap (thank you, exchange rate) but ended up so expensive I'm scared to cut into it!

[Amy L.]

I know I'm a bit late to jump on this train, but I second the comment about Ruthie's Rags. A bit further out from "city center" but well worth the trip if you are local. She has a large selection of natural fibers. Yummy.

[Charity]

Thanks so much for the post. My MIL and I make a pilgrimage to Portland every few years. There is nothing decent here in Alaska so I have to plan ahead and then stock up. We love Mill End, Josephine's and Fabric Depot. We had skipped Rose City Textiles because we heard it was mostly recreational fabrics, but will give it a chance after reading the comments. Bolt is also new to us and we'll have to try that.

Just down the street from Josephine's is a fabulous little button shop that also carries the nicest vintage trims. Definitely worth a stop.

Charity

[Angela Roth]

Samantha-
There are only two independent fabric store in Seattle that sell garment fabric-Nancy's Sewing Basket (Queen Anne) and Stitches (Cap. Hill). Nancy's will send swatches all over for free and they have an axtensive selection of fabric and trim (ribbon room). Stitches is small but has awsome selection for its size.

[Mary]

I have 4 yards of gorgeous sari fabric that is going to be sewn into a wrap dress. If there are any local Indian fabric stores, they are definitely worth checking out too...