Shopping for fabric online

[Glennssister]

I drove 40 miles to Hancocks. They had changed everything. It looked more like a Jo Anns with more craft , quilting stuff, and home decor products, but limited selection of garment fabrics, Lots of fleece. Probably 1/3 or their gaarment section is fleece now. I am so discouraged. I need help on how to shop for fabrics online. It seems it take a far greater knowledge of fabrics and their uses and favorable properties vs unfavorable. Oh how can I continue to sew???? My computer is not giving me true to color images of fabrics. Do many of you shop for fabric online? Do you have any tips for getting satisfactory results??
It seems to me ordering swatches online is not very fruitful and is an added expense and just more clutter. I ordered swatches from Sew Sassy this summer and havn't ordered anything I ordered a swatch for. I cant even tell what they are for because there are no lables on them. How do I go back and order from a swatch that has no ####'s or name ?

I went online this morning and found some coco brown velvet minky. Is it stretchy? Will it work for a knit pattern?? How will I interface it/with what product? I want to use it for some tops for the dgd's and myself. Their tops will be casual pull overs, mine will be a bit dressier pullover with a wide asymetrical stand up collar I think. Will minky work for that collar?
I don't know enough about the fabrics available today.

[DorothyL]

I subscribe to the Vogue Fabrics swatch catalogs. It's a little pricey but worth it to me. I get most of my fabrics from them anymore.

[Shellymoon]

I like fabric.com
They have good selection, good prices and several ways to get information. They have an interactive area like this that you can log onto and discuss fabric and stuff with the staff. You can also call in for help. I've ordered fabric and swatches from them and been happy with both.

I also like fashionfabricsclub.com
They have TONS of fabric. Their swatch service is CHEAP! and the swatches are easy to match with the numbers and are put together in nice collections.

I also get e-mails, (but have never ordered from) equilter.com. Has anyone ever ordered from them?

[Glennssister]

Thank You Shelley and Dorothy. I guess Thats what I'll have to do. Now I am beginning to understand why people develop such a fabric stash.

[esrun3]

I've ordered from equilter a couple of times and have been pleased with their service and quality

[DorothyL]

I've ordered from equilter as well and was always happy with it.

[LeapFrog Libby]

I was really pleased with what I ordered from FabricFashionWarehouse.com or whatever their name is.. I used to get swatches from them once a month.. I still have a piece of black silk I ordered on special introductory offer.. $ 2.00 per yard, and its a jacket weight.. Beautiful fabric.. I've finally lost enough weight that I might just make it this winter..

[bridesmom]

Belinda - in response to the velvet brown minkee, it is VERY stretchy and VERY slippery to sew. And I mean VERY. I tried to sew a binding on a blanket made with the minkee and it was almost impossible to do. I think we had some discussion on it in SwN and it may be in the archives. It is so soft though, I don't think it would work for anything that is structured at all unless someone has a better way to try to sew the silly stuff.

[Glennssister]

Thanks Lura,lyn,dorothy. I appreciate the help.