Which fabric and where to buy?

Which fabric should you buy for soft furnishings projects and where can you buy it?  

These days, buying fabric for your projects has become a mainly online task; there just aren’t many actual shops where they have rolls of fabric for you to look at, to feel and then buy.  So online we must go!  Having said that, I seem to have lots of fabric in my stash which I have picked up from trips on holiday or just happen to find somewhere with an end of lines basket, so it doesn't always have to be online!  

I’ve put together a short video here, to show you some of the fabrics I use in the projects I teach, so have a look and hopefully it will help you! 

Fabric shops local to Stratford upon Avon. 

The Fabric Hut which is located at 28 East Green Drive, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 9HT. Specialises in interiors fabric. The shop is set back off the road and looks like it wouldn’t be there as it is in the middle of a load of houses. 

They have a limited selection of curtain/roman blinds fabric ‘on the roll’ and they also have a selection of remnants of this weight of fabric in one of the rooms to the back of the shop. The remnants are worth looking through as they are handy for soft furnishing sample projects. 

They also sell some light cotton in fat quarters (50 x 55cm squares) which can also be useful.  Some PVC on the roll too. 

 The Quilter’s Den in Smith Street, Warwick.  Mainly light cotton for quilting, sold off the roll or in fat quarters. 

 If you find yourself near a John Lewis store, they have a limited selection of soft furnishings fabric on the roll.  Also PVC on the roll. 

 For most of the projects you make and for curtains and blinds you will need a heavier weight of fabric suitable for curtain-making rather than dressmaking.  This kind of fabric is made by a wide range of producers and is supplied by a number of key suppliers which specialise in soft furnishings fabrics. 

I have listed some of the suppliers I use but there are others too.  Most suppliers offer a sample service so will send out samples either for free or for a small fee.  Simply to check the look and feel in your home I strongly suggest you use this service to check out different fabrics before ordering.  This takes a little time but is well worth it before buying metres of fabric which may look fine online but turns out to be a different shade when it actually arrives! 

To start your search for fabric for a project, you could google a particular colour of fabric or a style eg  green fabric with flowers suitable for making curtains or cushions. 

 If you don’t have a particular colour or design in mind you can go straight to one of the following websites which are companies which supply curtain/blinds/cushion fabric.  I have ordered fabric from all these companies and have had a good experience with them all.  You do, however, need to give them at least 7 days to fulfil any order! 

Textile Express - www.textileexpressfabrics.co.uk 

This is a lovely family run shop in Oswestry, Shropshire with a great selection of fabrics for soft furnishings and dressmaking. 

 The Millshop Online - www.the-millshop-online.co.uk 

Soft furnishings fabrics often at great prices as they get end of rolls. 

 Britannia Rose - www.britanniarose.com 

Very competitively priced and good service. 

Terrys Fabrics - www.terrysfabrics.co.uk 

Again, competitively priced and good service. 

 If you fancy choosing something a bit more specific, you can start to look at some of the gorgeous soft furnishing fabrics which are designed and produced by a large range of fabric designers here in the UK.  Some of these are large organisations and some are individual designers so prices vary greatly.  It will also depend on the name of the designer and whether the fabric is printed or woven. 

 Here is a very short list of some of these for you to look at.  They range from cheapest to more expensive so will give you a wide range to look at.  There are many others which you may find as you search: 

Clarke and Clarke 

Sanderson 

The Pure Edit 

Prestigious Textiles 

Ian Mankin 

Vanessa Arbuthnot 

When you google any of the above designers/fabric producers you will probably find their specific website or their fabric offered by a different website which will be a supplier of those fabrics. 

The actual design houses don’t sell their fabric direct to individuals; they sell it through suppliers. 

Once you find a fabric you like on their website, next google the name and colour etc of that fabric and you will find it comes up with prices from various suppliers.  Prices will vary a lot, so have a good look through the choices.  The suppliers will be mainly the names I have given you earlier in this post.  Choose a supplier and order directly through them. 

Enjoy your search and do get in touch if you need any extra help!