Do you ever buy apparel fabric online?

[Evenstar]

I'm often tempted to buy fabric online, because there seems to be a decent selection and I can find many on sale, but I'm also hesitant, because I can't feel it or know if I'm seeing its true color on the screen. So is it a bad idea to buy fabric online or has anybody had good experiences doing this?

[jessielove]

I buy fabric online often, but only from sources that I trust or that I know others have had good experiences with. I've had mixed experiences ordering online. Sometimes I get a fabric and it turns out that I don't like how it feels or it's thicker or thinner than I had thought, or the color isn't quite what I expected. Usually I can make it work anyway and if not I can sell or trade it. I prefer to feel things before buying them, but some of my favorite prints aren't available locally. I've also had some great experiences buying online, with fabrics which were even more lush or prettier in person than they appeared online.

[Evenstar]

thanks for your input! Are there any online stores you would recommend?

[jessielove]

There are several which I like. Denver Fabrics {I haven't ordered from them since they changed ownership, though}, Fabric.com, Fabric Depot. I've not personally ordered from The Fabric Fairy, Crybaby's or Sewzanne's, but I've heard great things about them.

Don't be shy about emailing them to ask for swatches to be sent to you. I know Denver Fabrics used to sell swatches for like a penny each. It's a decent way of getting a chance to feel before buying.

ETA: the only negative experiences I can think of offhand were all from ordering from Wazoodle.com. I wouldn't recommend them, except for their PUL {diapering fabric}. I have several fabrics here that are just not at all what I expected from the pictures and descriptions and I don't like them. I've had them for over a year and haven't used them at all, because they're just not anything at all that I can use. I do like their PUL, but I would steer clear of any other fabrics from them personally unless I had a swatch and knew for sure what I was getting.

[Liquesce]

Do you ever have a use for linen? I looooove fabrics-store.com, because they'll send free swatches (totally free, not charging for shipping or anything) of as many of their fabrics as you like to see the color and get a feel for weight before buying. Their materials are almost all solid colored linens though ... they do have a few linen/cotton blends and a small handful of cotton prints.

[reeseccup]

If exact color match is a concern I order or ask for samples before buying. Most of the time I've never had issues of not quite matching the color to my screen though.