5 Best Online Fabric Stores

I'm a big fan of pattern and color in my home, and love to take on simple sewing projects but driving around to every fabric store near me to buy fabric the I need is time consuming and doesn't guarantee I'll find what I'm looking for to bring my home decor plan to life.

Years ago I realized I can buy fabric online and it's been the easiest way to find the exact fabric I need for the project I'm taking on. - And since fabric websites don't close, I can order fabric online long after the brick and mortar stores have closed for the day.

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Why You Should Buy Fabric Online

Buying fabric online can save you a ton of time.

With the list of online fabric stores I'm going to share with you here today, you will be able to search quickly for the exact color and pattern you're looking for without having to drive from one store to another. Then it arrives at your doorstep.

There's no waiting in line to get your fabric cut and in my experience the fabric I've bought online comes with a really clean cut edge which saves me time when I start my sewing project.

I also love that I can pin fabrics to a secret Pinterest board when I'm mixing patterns, and drag them around on the board to find my favorite color and pattern combo before I buy.

Where To Buy Fabric Online

Best online fabric store: Amazon Fabrics (formerly Fabric.com)

Fabric.com was acquired by Amazon in 2008 and was my number one choice and my go-to online fabric store for years. Amazon recently closed Fabric.com and moved their online fabrics directly onto Amazon Fabrics but still offer so many of the awesome benefits of buying fabrics by the yard online.

• Most orders ship free and fast (especially for Prime members.)
• Amazon Fabrics one of the best fabric stores online because you'll find fabrics for any type of sewing project, but I especially love their home decor fabrics.
  • I've used their home decor fabrics on projects like:
    • my slip covered ottoman
    • my reupholstered dining chairs
    • the bench seat cushion on the built-ins in my front room
    • on the bench seat in my daughter's room
    • a ton of zippered pillow covers and envelope pillow covers
    • my son's DIY duvet cover.
• The site is easy to search. You can search by type of fabric based on what you're using it for, by color, by style or pattern.

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West Elm For Upholstery Fabric Online

This is one very few people know about but it's true, you can buy fabric online by the yard from West Elm and take advantage of their beautiful upholstery fabrics for a piece of furniture you're updating!

I discovered this awhile back when I made over this vintage chair.

• Good selection of quality upholstery fabrics online in textures and colors that are timeless.
• Some of their printed upholstery fabrics are also available which would be perfect for DIY decorative pillows!

Spoonflower.com For Unique Printed Fabric

Be careful with this one. It can be addicting! - Consider yourself warned.

Spoonflower is the most unique fabric shop online because the printed fabrics are designed by individual textile designers, not big brand names. - It's pretty much a collection of art in fabric form.

• You can search by color or by theme which is really fun. Back when I was doing my little boy's nursery I would search themes like "typography" or "bicycles" and got so many fun ideas for his bedroom.
• You can search their online fabric by prints that are part of your home decor style such as trellis, floral, or geometric.
• Prices on Spoonflower are a bit higher than the other fabric resources I've listed here, but you can't find them anywhere else, so you're paying for the uniqueness and supporting some uber talented artists.

You may remember the DIY duvet cover I made for the Grand kid's room over at my mom's house? That duvet cover was a huge hit and I got so many questions about the teal watercolor chevron fabric that I got from Spoonflower.

Joann.com for quilting fabric online

Most of us know about Joann stores and if you're into any type of crafting or sewing probably frequently shop there, but did you know you can order fabric online and pick it up in store?

There's nothing better than NOT dragging my 2 crazy kiddos to the fabric store and NOT waiting in line behind 20 quilters each having 20 different fabrics cut right? - Nothing against quilters, they're just getting their creative on too.

• Joann.com has a great selection of all types of fabric including my favorite, home decor fabrics.
• Coupons are easy to find.
• You can quickly narrow your search by color, pattern, use, and designer.
• When you shop for fabric online at Joann.com you can see if the fabric you need is available in the location near you so you can go pick it up.

Etsy for online fabrics

Etsy is a great place to find online fabric by the yard, especially if the fabric you're searching for has been discontinued. Often times remnants are sold on Etsy when you can no longer find them in a store and are often just enough fabric for a toss pillow.

• All types of fabrics sold including discontinued fabrics.
• Also an awesome place to buy zippers for your next zippered pillow cover.

How To Buy fabric online

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1 | Know what colors you're looking for before you search

It's easy to get lost in these fabric shops online so going in with at least one way to narrow your search is key. You'll most likely have a project in mind but keeping to your home color palette and searching by color will get you to the perfect fabric much faster.

2 | Use the scale guide to determine the correct scale of the pattern

It's important to use different size patterns (scale) when you're mixing fabric patterns to create interest.

When you find an online fabric you like, click on it and most of the  best fabric stores online have an image of the fabric with a scale guide so you can determine the scale of the print.

For example, you can see here the triangle shapes on this fabric repeat about every 4 inches.

This makes it a larger scale pattern and would look great paired with a small scale pattern. Varying the scale and type of pattern you use is how you mix fabric patterns like a pro.

3 | Know your measurements before you order fabric online

Sometimes you can buy fabric online for cheap prices! Buying fabric online can save you time but if you over buy you won't be saving money. Most online fabric stores allow you to buy by the ½ yard which is great for small projects.