hard to find dressmaking fabrics

annamosullivan

Hello all

Does anyone find it difficult to get good quality fabrics near them? I seem to be able to get threads, and other notions more easily than fabric, as shops seem to be quite thin on the ground outside the cities. What type of fabrics do you find hard to get?

Blacey

I find it hard to get any cotton fabric that isn't quilting weight. I'd love to work with cotton poplin, lawn, seersucker, crepe... I see some gorgeous creations using these fabrics in the sewing blogs, in beautiful prints and patterns. I would just give anything to be able to buy them in a shop near me. It's too much of a risk shopping online when you want a specific hand and drape.

annamosullivan

Thanks Blacey, at least I know I'm not alone trying to find fabric. Know what you mean about shopping online.

wmpdd3

I havent bought much online either,only linen etc.

Tripto Dublin or London seems to be the way to go. It's just so hard to organised these days.

looksee

If you are willing to travel and got a cheap flight to birmingham from Waterford, within easy walking distance of the station in Birmingham is http://www.fancysilkstore.co.uk/
more fabric than you have ever seen. Four floors of rolls packed ceiling height. And the prices are reasonable. They do not do mail order, in fact they are a bit tecky challenged, but the fabrics are amazing.

Stheno

Material World in Naas have a very wide range for anyone in that area.

annamosullivan

Did anyone ever try buying fabric or dressmaking/craft stuff online? How did you get on if you did? I'm thinking of the likes of etsy.com. I don't want to travel, if possible, given that buying online is very easy with the likes of amazon, ebay, etc. I'm wondering if buying online would be any cheaper than travelling to fabric shops, given that I'd be cutting out parking/transport costs by shopping online at home. I wonder though if I'd have to wait very long for my fabric if I shopped online. I'm amazed that it's so hard to buy fabric online given that you can get other arts n crafts stuff online relatively easily.

looksee

Its easy enough to buy stuff on line, one issue is the weight of fabric for postage and the other is that no matter how good the photos are, you can't really tell what you are buying unless you send for samples.

wmpdd3

Agree, I ordered fabric for a Christening gown, the descriptions and pics were fine but when it arrived it just didn't 'go' together.

annamosullivan

When you went online, were you able to get samples of fabric off suppliers before buying? Didn't think that would be possible. Was the whole process not quite time consuming, buying fabric online? It seems to be way easier to get crafts fabric than dressmaking fabric on the high street which is quite frustrating.

Jellybaby1

Shops closed down because crafters buy a lot of stuff online from UK and USA. The reason I don't buy much from shops here is that its too expensive and I can't afford to pay the prices.

cuilteanna

Threads of Green in Kilkenny are wonderful about sending samples. I got some gorgeous wool for a jacket that was nothing near what I had in mind originally, but as I told them a bit about what I wanted they sent out a few samples and I fell in love with that one.

Jellybaby I agree about the US / UK! Very often things I want aren't even available in Ireland (or they may possibly be sold by someone without an online shop so I'd never know) so I get very used to looking elsewhere. At least craft fabrics are much easier to buy online than fashion fabrics.

annamosullivan

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I get so frustrated looking online and on the high street to see such a poor range of dressmaking fabrics. All I see for sale is crafts/bridal fabrics/notions, few of which are practical for everyday wear. I'm amazed that people turn out such great garments with such a narrow range of fabric to work with. I've found that the quality of fabrics on the high street is not the best, and value for money can be quite poor, when compared to shopping in fabric shops in London's Berwick Street or even NYC's garment district. Is it unusual to get swatches/fabric samples from fabric shops if buying from far away, ie from Dublin/London/US if based outside Dublin or other cities? I always thought that one only got samples of products in supermarkets.

Goddo

I don't know where you are living, but there is a shop in drogheda, co.louth, called The Crafty Fox, they sell dressmaking fabric, really nice designs too

http://thecraftyfox.ie/love-crafts/products/fabrics.html
:-)

curious18

Hi,
Totally agree, there is nowhere that you can buy proper fabric or at least have a proper choice in Ireland. I recently bought online from www.fabric.com
Choices are amazing on this website and material is very cheap. I ordered on a Friday and I had all my fabric by Wednesday. Very fast delivery, only problem was that I had to pay a customs charge of €34! That really put me off but I am still happy with my purchase. Someone should start up an online shop for fabrics in Ireland.

bisset

CraftswomanFabrics in Carrickfergus has a large selection of fabrics. Their Web site doesn't seem to be working but if you have any occasion to be near Belfast it is well worth a look

Boombastic

annamosullivan wrote: »

Did anyone ever try buying fabric or dressmaking/craft stuff online? How did you get on if you did? I'm thinking of the likes of etsy.com. I don't want to travel, if possible, given that buying online is very easy with the likes of amazon, ebay, etc. I'm wondering if buying online would be any cheaper than travelling to fabric shops, given that I'd be cutting out parking/transport costs by shopping online at home. I wonder though if I'd have to wait very long for my fabric if I shopped online. I'm amazed that it's so hard to buy fabric online given that you can get other arts n crafts stuff online relatively easily.

I got a few good pieces off ebay, but as others have said, it's nice to feel the fabric before buying!

Clonmel has 2/3 good fabric shops..it's worth my journey over there. I got some lovely Wool Fabric and nice cottons.

annamosullivan

Boombastic, whereabouts in Clonmel did you get your fabric? I was in O'Dwyer's, Clonmel and they didn't have the wool I was looking for to make a new jacket. They were the only ones I could see around the place, apart from the knitting wool place on the main street. Are there any others around Clonmel, as they'd great household fabric shops when I was there a couple of weeks back. Any time I'm in a fabric shop it's either household, craft or evening wear fabrics or acrylic/polyesters. Would really prefer to look at fabrics before purchase to see if it's suitable for my pattern. Ideally, would prefer not to have to go abroad or to Dublin, as that would make my purchases even more expensive, and online doesn't sound so good.

Boombastic

annamosullivan wrote: »

Boombastic, whereabouts in Clonmel did you get your fabric? I was in O'Dwyer's, Clonmel and they didn't have the wool I was looking for to make a new jacket. They were the only ones I could see around the place, apart from the knitting wool place on the main street. Are there any others around Clonmel, as they'd great household fabric shops when I was there a couple of weeks back. Any time I'm in a fabric shop it's either household, craft or evening wear fabrics or acrylic/polyesters. Would really prefer to look at fabrics before purchase to see if it's suitable for my pattern. Ideally, would prefer not to have to go abroad or to Dublin, as that would make my purchases even more expensive, and online doesn't sound so good.

I got the wool fabric in the Place beside the courthouse 'Clonmel Fabrics' on Nelson Street - They have some lovely Stuff

The cottons etc I got in a shop opposite the new Showgrounds - Not in the show grounds, across the road, I can't remember the name of it off hand but I'll let you know when it eventually comes to mind:)

Edit: ^^^ Tangled Yarns on Davis road for the cottons

annamosullivan

Hello, what kind of fabrics would you like to see in any new fabric store if one were to open up near you tomorrow? I wish someone would stock better wool mixes, and linings for trousers, skirts as they're very hard to find outside of Dublin/London. Has anyone ever tried buying online from Magee's in Donegal?

Margaret Greene

annamosullivan wrote: »

Hello all

Does anyone find it difficult to get good quality fabrics near them? I seem to be able to get threads, and other notions more easily than fabric, as shops seem to be quite thin on the ground outside the cities. What type of fabrics do you find hard to get?

Hi, yes I find it very fustrating not being able to buy dressmaking fabric, it seems Hickeys have it but they are in Dublin and I am in Wexford. They will post out dress patterns and have curtain materials on line but when I enquired about dress making fabrics I was told they don't them on line!!!!!!
So silly, now I have to order from England and they all now have a mimimum delivery charge of at least £10.99 which is very high for maybe 2 meters of light material. I think the only way is to try and open a fabric shop myself!

annamosullivan

Hello Margaret Greene, I see where you're coming from about Hickey's, but they don't have the best range or quality of dressmaking fabrics. How do the crowd in England justify charging such a mad price for delivery for a couple of meters of light fabric? I'd understand if it was for heavier fabrics. Lately, I found Threads of Green, Purcellsinch Business Park, Kilkenny which post fabric parcels to customers every day as well as allowing one to buy fabric online. I went to see the shop itself, and she'd every fabric from each one of the fabric families, ie, all the cottons, wools, etc, as well as a small crafts section. Was just checking out the shop for curiosity's sake, as I'll be needing the highest quality fabrics I can get if I'm planning to do further dressmaking courses. It's amazing the amount of places that don't sell dressmaking fabrics despite it becoming so popular in the last couple of years.

lovely lady

Hi Margaret, have you tried Annie's Haberdashery in Wexford town?

Margaret Greene

I have not heard of Annie's Haberdashery in Wexford town but I was told lately that Corry's is under new management perhaps that is the shop, I will try there. Thanks

wmpdd3

Try using parcel motel for the deliveries from the UK. Big savings to be made.

Margaret Greene

Thanks for that, will find out how it works.

lovely lady

I'm not from Wexford so not sure where Corry/s is/was but Annie's Haberdashery is up by the library.

Margaret Greene

Yes, thanks for that, I got an email from the shop and will go there at the weekend, they do not sell on line yet but intend to in the future.

abots

Totally agree, the only place I seem to be able to get fabric is online. It's very frustrating! I find Minerva Crafts and Fabric good but their postage is also really expensive.

Margaret Greene

Hi there, yes I did get some fabric from Minerva but the postage was more expensive than the fabric. I am going to Annie's Fabric shop in Wexford town this week and will let you know how I get on there, she doesn't do online yet but tells me she will be soon.

mrpetreli

I guess this thread (pardon the pun) is still relevant and informativeas its been viewed quite a lot.

There is a new fabric shop albeit online - thelittlecottonshack.com