Dress making fabric - where's good online?

[BeBraveAndBeKind]

I'm looking for something like lightweight wool for some winter wrap skirts. I can find loads of upholstery type fabric but nothing lighter.

Where's everyone buying their fabric these days?

Plush addict

Oooh there's some nice looking fabric there! Thank you 😊

I've had to ban myself from looking as I'm close enough to pick up any orders and they started recognising me when I showed up 😂

How thrifty are you feeling?

Upmarket:
merchantandmills.com/
drapersdaughter.com/
www.croftmill.co.uk/
www.clothatelier.com/
guthrie-ghani.co.uk/
www.clothhouse.com/collections/fabric

Thrifty:
lushfabric.com/
poundfabrics.co.uk/
www.fabricsgalore.co.uk/

Don't know:
www.abakhan.co.uk/
www.dragonflyfabrics.co.uk/
www.fabricgodmother.co.uk/
sewmesunshine.co.uk/
www.minerva.com/mp/1197599/cotton-canvas-fabric&variant=1161892
www.queencotton.co.uk/
www.shaukat.co.uk/
ohsewcrafty.co.uk/

@UnalliterativeGeorge 😂 I'm sure my postman gives me a similar look when he delivers my parcels from Wool Warehouse.

Thank you, that's a great list! I will work my way through it tomorrow. 😊

Sew me Sunshine
Guthrie & Ghani
Fabric Godmother
Like Sew Amazing
Sew Much Moor
Higgs and Higgs
Sew me Something
Sister Mintaka

Some of them may not have much wool in yet though - I know G&G are only just starting to get AW fabrics in.

Flamingo Fabrics

May I ask, where would one learn how to make dresses please? 🙏

Are you a complete beginner, or can you already use a sewing machine?

If the former, I'd find a local, in person, workshop aimed at beginners. They'll teach you all the basics.

If the latter, and you can use a machine but just not for clothes, Tilly and the Buttons have some good online tutorials and a lot of beginner friendly patterns.

Masons of Abingdon have an online store now. They are a great little fabric shop and worth a visit if you're anywhere nearby. www.masonsfabric.com/shop-10?page=2

F

Thanks all. 😊 Higgs and Higgs are local to me and it's fab! I'll check the rest out.

@ReviewingTheSituation I hadn't even thought about seasonal stock but I bet that's the reason I haven't found what I'm looking for.

Ooh! Following

@ThePumpkinPatch I started from scratch about 18 months ago. I watched a lot of YouTube videos and I bought one of the Tilly and the Buttons books and worked through the patterns. She tells you what to do step by step and there are lots of photos (and tutorials online). I started with some pyjama bottoms. I could barely see a button on before and now I’ve made several dresses so if I can do it, anyone can. I get a lot of my fabric from Minerva (easy to order samples) but also Sew Me Sunshine and Sister Mintaka.

My sewing machine fell over finally this month, I have a new one to unbox this week. Thanks for the links I'm excited to start this again this winter

I spent a couple of hours looking through the links an there's some lovely fabric there! I'll need to draw up a list. 😊

Not sure what your budget is but Fabworks are excellent for wool. I’ve used them a fair bit and it can be pricy but the quality is excellent. Also Huddersfield fine fabrics for tweed. I’ve just finished a pale lavender tweed skirt using their stuff

if cost is an issue you could have a look in charity shops for bigger sizes in ‘good’ material that you could alter?

I was also going to recommend Fabworks for wool - they release a new range every year iirc and it's beautiful quality. Plus they have quite a lot of wool stocked anyway.

Doughty's online.

I aspire to getting my own fabric printed at Spoonflower...

Abakhan are great - a friend of mine used to work there.

thenewcrafthouse.com/

I like these as you can get some unusual fabrics. All deadstock fabrics from the fashion industry.

Thanks all.

My mum has used New Craft House and recommended it - I'd forgotten that!

I hadn't thought of looking for one to be altered in charity shops. I'm an 18 so I generally don't have much luck with skirts but I'll take a look.

I've used Doughty in the past but only for cottons so I'll take another look there. I went into Abakhan in Chester and it was amazing but I didn't realise they were online too until it was mentioned above.

Lots to look at!