The Best Places to Shop for Fabric + A Few Tips for Choosing Good Fabric

Outfit Details:

Chambray Bell Sleeve Embroidered Top
Dark Wash Jeans
Similar Leather Tote Bag

A few years ago I did a blog post about my favorite places to purchase fabric. Since then, I still get a lot of questions…especially on how to shop for fabric online.

So today I wanted to share my favorite places that I consistently shop for fabric, and HOW I choose fabric when I’m shopping online.

Ready?!

1. Mood Fabrics.
   • If you watch Project Runway, you know about Mood. It’s the go-to place for super high quality apparel fabric. Their prices are higher, but their selection of good quality and beautiful designer fabrics is unmatched. I could spend all day sifting through their gorgeous linens, rayons, lace, denims, knits, and more. They also have a great selection online at Moodfabrics.com.
2. Fabric.com.
   • Fabric.com is currently where I get most of my fabric. They have a huge selection, and although the site is a little overwhelming, it’s categorized pretty well and is easy to find what you’re looking for. My favorite thing about their site is that each fabric has a description that tells you how heavy or lightweight the fabric is, and also what the fabric is best used for (curtains, skirts, blouses, jeans, etc). That’s super helpful for me when shopping online. They also show the fabric next to a ruler so you can easily determine the scale.I found my white linen there for this ruffle sleeve midi dress, this black lace for my holiday dress, this blue stripe linen for my cropped wide leg pants, and so many more.
3. JoAnn Fabrics.
   • They definitely have the smallest apparel section, and it tends to be higher price than similar quality at other shops, but I have to mention it because it’s incredible convenient and every once in a while I find a gem. I found this quilted sweatshirt material there a few months ago and made my midi shift dress, and I’ve found a few other good ones that are currently sitting in my stash. Also I get almost all my notions from JoAnns — zippers, thread, buttons, etc. Also make sure you sign up for their texted coupons – I get one for 40-50% off every other week or so and use them frequently!
4. Michael Levine.
   • This is one of my favorite locations in the Los Angeles Fabric District. It has a large selection with good prices (similar or slightly higher to JoAnns, but better quality). They also have a large home decor fabric store in the fabric district, as well as ML Loft (across the street on the second floor), which is where they toss all their scraps. You have to dig through the bins of fabric, but it’s weighed and sold by the pound, so you can find amazing fabric for super cheap. And even though it’s “scraps,” you can still find decent yardage. Plus, they also sell solid knits here as well, also sold by the pound. If you don’t live in California, Michael Levine is all online at lowpricefabric.com!
5. Spoonflower.com
   • This is a really fun online fabric shop full of fabric designed by indie designers. Anyone can upload their designs to the site, so there are literally thousands of options ranging from modern to funky. You choose a design, and then you can have it printed on cotton, jersey, chiffon, velvet, or any of their other types of fabric.I use their fabric to make my chiffon peonies-print Easter dress, my eucalyptus velvet and lace Christmas dress, and my floral boxy shift dress I made a few years ago.
6. Rifle Paper Co.
   • I’m sure you’ve heard of Rifle Paper Co. — they’re known for their gorgeous paper goods, and everything they do is absolutely gorgeous. They came out with a line of fabric last year, so of course I had to use it to create my Easter dress last year. They have a new line inspired by the Amalfi Coast, so you know that’s going to be good. I haven’t tried the cotton fabric from the line, but the rayon is buttery delicious, not a bit sheer, and perfectly medium weight.
7. Angel Textiles
   • I have to mention this one because it’s my favorite place in the Los Angeles fabric district. It’s a little hole in the wall place, and has no website or online shop, but if you go to LA and head to the fabric district, you have to stop by Angel Textiles. They have floor to (very tall) ceiling apparel fabrics — denim, knits, chiffon, and more, and all for really good prices. Like $2-4/yard. They’ll also usually discount or negotiate your price with you if you pay with cash.

Now here’s a few tips for shopping for fabric online:

1. Order a swatch. If you’re not in a hurry to receive your fabric, it’s worth ordering a swatch to make sure it’s what you want before you commit to several yards.
2. Look at the description. Typically the description will give you information about the weight of the fabric, what projects it’s best for, etc. This is really helpful when choosing your fabric.
3. Trust the fabrics you know. 100% linen, 100% cotton, 100% rayon — these are fabrics that are easy to shop for online because you know exactly what you’ll be getting. With polyester and knits and other blends that are 40% of something and 60% of something else, it’s really a guessing game as to what it will be. So unless I’m sure of the blend or the material, I’m really cautious to order unknown fabric online. It really stinks when you think you’re ordering one thing and something completely different shows up. So stick to what you know when ordering online, and order swatches or look in stores for the rest.

If you have any other tips or favorite online fabric shops, leave a comment and share!