Fabric for clothes

[willdivorcesoon]

Hi,

I've just started making clothes for my little girl and was wondering where people get their fabrics on to make it cost effective? Ideally I'd like to sell at craft fairs or to friends eventually but can only do that if I can get fabric reasonably cheaply.
Any recommendations?

If you're near North Wales or Manchester, go to Abakhan, fabrics there are cheap as chips, especially if you're not too picky about exact colour or design.

I'm nowhere close but I just checked and they deliver and if I order in bulk it will work out cheaper than I've been paying with the delivery charge factored in.

Thanks

Glad you like it, me and my friends would live there given half a chance. I took my friend the other week, as she didn't think it could possibly be as good or as cheap as I made out.
It's like a sweet shop for crafters! The only thing stopping me going back is lack of space to store the huge amounts of tat incredibly useful fabrics and trimmings I inevitably buy there.

Oh sew crafty is online and a good price too. They are on ebay, but the postage works out better through their website. Quick delivery too. For ribbon, zips etc, try ribbonmoon. Buttons are cheapest on ebay- try I love beads, they come from China and you have to wait a few weeks, but you can buy a 100 In an assortment of colours that will do for most projects.

Check out the Sewing Directory website - they have lots of fabric suppliers listed for different areas. Ebay is also good for people selling off unused stashes of fabric - us crafty types tend to impulse buy nice looking fabric then end up with far too much to ever use without becoming a one person factory!

I used to live near an Abakhan and I love them too! Now I order from them online as I'm too far to visit one. If there is something you like the look of but don't know if it is quite right you can order a small swatch from them to test it out. Some ebay sellers do this too if you ask nicely. Usually only the ones who sell lots of fabric professionally rather than people who are just auctioning off their hoards though.

HERE

put your sunshades on before opening the link as its probably the worst website you'll ever see, but they sell some lovely fabrics at very good prices & usually have loads of great prints for kids too - thankfully we have a shop - just C&Ping the link is setting off migraine

Thanks so much!

Is it just me or is buying fabric incredibly addictive?! I'm only on my 3rd garment but have definitely got the bug! Not sure my bank balance is going to be healthy after my shopping spree.

rockinhippy just looked at the website!! Oh my.... they need a web designer. .. whats with the moving hands?!

I've bought from fabric from croft mill before, its always been lovely fabric, but need to have a reasonable order size to justify the P&P. They also send out samples which is useful. There's a link for them on the Sewing directory website which SuddenlySqueamish has already posted.

Abakhan fabrics looks like a fantastic website, think I might be putting in a order soon...

I have found Fabrics Galore in Battersea SW London to be brilliant and very reasonable. Also there is a fair at the NEC www.ichf.co.uk/sewingforpleasure/ where you could shop for fabrics and find suppliers.

Www.cheapfabrics.co.uk