Fabric.com

[kaitlinnegan]

I recently ordered some linen from Fabric.com: Medium Weight Irish Linen (in avocado green, which is really more of a light spring green), and Dorothy D. (ddreev) asked me to post how I liked it. It's in the wash right now, so assuming it doesn't self-destruct in there, I'm very happy! I placed my order on Sunday and the fabric arrived yesterday. You can order swatches of many of their fabrics for a small fee, so I had ordered many swatches of different colors and weights of linen before I decided on this one. The fabric is a really nice weight for my purposes - not heavy but not too sheer, and the quality seems good. The fabric will be used for a pair of wide-leg pants, a twirly skirt, and a bolero jacket. I haven't decided yet if I will line the pants and skirt (leaning towards lining the pants but not the skirt), but the jacket will be lined, probably in cotton batiste. I guess that's a lot of light green -- hopefully I'll still like the color by the end of the summer!

Also, I ordered 5.5 yards, but they include an extra inch with each yard. I just measured it before washing and it seems to be about 5 3/4 yards.

Anyway, has anyone else ordered from Fabric.com? How was the quality of the fabric and the service?

[DorothyL]

I believe I ordered from them years ago and was happy with the product and service -- but it was several years ago so I'm not sure. I get most of what I need from the place in Chicago because I can call them and tell them what I need. It is just friendlier than the Internet to me.
And I like the swatch catalogues they send for wonderful impulse buys.
Dorothy

[ddreev]

Thanks for letting me know. I have looked at that site numerous times . The prices seem to be very good for linen (one of my favorite fabrics) and Sunday to Thursday is fast shipping. I will be looking forward to seeing your outfits made from it.

[Pudge99]

The three years I lived in Germany 95% of my fabric came from Fabric.com. They were the only online fabric store that would ship to APO addresses. I love that they offer every customer a generous yard. I love buying their grabbags, great stash builders! I don't order form them near as much now as I have lots of fabric store choices but if I ever live somewhere with limited choices they will be my lifeline again.

[Alexalter]

I have ordered from Fabrics.com and have always been very happy with quality. It is always fast service and I don't think that the colors are all that far off of what the monitor looks like.

[AndreaSews]

I ordered once from fabric.com and had a mixed experience. One of the pieces arrived with an extremely jagged cut edge. It looked like it had been scrunched and then chopped with a single blade. Very unusual. So I sent them some feedback about it, telling them that the fabric is fine and I'll use it, but that I'll probably go back to my local retailer for the long haul. I had no expectations, just wanted to let them know. Well, they mailed me a whole new length of that fabric, no charge! And, the day that I had sent them the feedback, I cc'd it to my local retailer, telling them "I cheated, but it was only once and it meant nothing to me." All of this was just to amuse myself, honestly. But do you know what? They got a big kick out of it and then mailed me a $10 gift certificate! So I really did well on that initial purchase from fabric.com! It is never a bad idea to provide customer feedback, positive or negative.

[DorothyL]

Andrea --
When you say local retailer are you speaking of an independently owned, local business?
Dorothy

[AndreaSews]

yes. They own 3 or 4 shops within an hour of my home. Their associates have a wealth of information to offer, so you don't just get your yardage cut; You get advice on fabric selection, linings, layout, techniques, etc.

[kaitlinnegan]

Interesting experience you had, Andrea! Sounds like it came out pretty well in the end -- good to know their customer service is good even if they did screw up the first time around.

[sewlgl]

Dorothy- What is the fabric shop you use in Chicago? Just curious. I've never ordered any fabric online, always afraid I'll be disappointed when it arrives.