HOWTO: Buy Fabric

[Above: Fabric purchased on one day in July, 2006]

Margo left a comment recently asking me how I bought fabric. I thought replying just "Like a drunken sailor on shore leave, if drunken sailors bought fabric" probably wasn't helpful, so I thought I would lay out some rules for buying fabric that have served me well over the last few decades.

1. You never have enough fabric. If you tell yourself "I have enough fabric," you jinx yourself and will immediately need more fabric (except now that you've angered the fabric gods, everything will be horribly polyester and $15/yard). You ALWAYS need more fabric.

2. If offered an opportunity to shop for fabric, take it. You never know when you're going to need more fabric (oh, wait -- yes you do know, and the answer is "all the time" -- remember rule one: "You always need more fabric"?). So take advantage of every opportunity to shop for fabric.

3. If it is $1/yard and not aggressively hideous, buy three yards. If it's $1/yard and acceptable, buy five yards. If it's $1/yard and, if the fabric were a man [or woman] you would agree to meet him [or her] for coffee (but not a dinner date) buy ten yards. Any liking over that requires a fifteen- to twenty-yard purchase.

4. The basic unit of fabric purchase is four yards of 45" or three of 60" wide. Any less than that and you won't be able to get a fullish skirt out of it. If it has a large repeat (the amount of space it takes to repeat the pattern) or is a border print, or has stripes, or really, anything out of the ordinary, buy five yards. Don't bother carrying yardage for specific patterns with you: if you do buy exactly enough for a particular pattern, you will then cut out one piece wrong and when you go back out to buy more it will be all gone.

5. If you really, really, really love it, buy it right then. Otherwise it will sell out in less than 24 hours. (The corollary to this rule is that fabric you hate will clot the tables and racks at the fabric store until the place goes out of business or burns to the ground.)

6. If the fabric is too expensive to buy at least two yards, or is less than 40" wide, you can still buy it, but only as an objet d'art. You will never make a garment out of it. As long as you accept this up front, you'll be fine. (I have a one-yard piece of Matisse-print "Jazz" silk that I just pick up and look at every once in a while. It was $10/yard when that was astronomically expensive for me.)

6a. If you regularly wear halter tops rule 6 does not apply to you. But you will be making a LOT of halter tops. (Note: conversion from non-halter-top-wearing to halter-top-wearing just to use up your stash is not recommended.)

7. The proper ratio of prints to solids in your fabric purchasing is 10:1. The rationale for this is that good prints are fleeting but solids are always available. In fact, you should never actually have any black fabric in your stash. That is because keeping black fabric in your stash means you won't have a reason to go to the fabric store when you need black fabric, which would contravene rule 2.

8. If you make theatrical costumes, or participate in historical reenactments, or have ever thought "Someday I am going to make the Kinsale Cloak" you may only buy velvet in 20-yard increments.

9. Always make time to buy fabric when traveling. Global Economy, Schmobal Economy. They got different stuff there, wherever "there" is. Pack an extra bag, if you have to.

10. If you think, while looking at fabric, "I'd have no place to wear this, even IF I made it into anything," close your eyes and envision yourself in tears of rage and disappointment, having been invited at the last minute [but with enough time to sew something] to JUST the perfect place to wear something made of that fabric. The most horrible thing in the world is regret: protect yourself from it by buying fabric. And besides, how dumb will you feel when you're freezing to death in the coming nuclear winter/ecological catastrophe, if you don't buy five yards of that wool now?

11. Fabric bought online doesn't "count" against any self-imposed quotas (quotas which violate rules 1 and 2 anyway). Fabric purchased on eBay DOUBLE doesn't count.

Further thoughts: if you have small children, raise them in the belief that the fabric store is the best place in the world to go, ahead of Disney and Chuck E. Cheese. Resort to bribery if necessary. (Also teach them the "one finger rule": they can touch ANYTHING in the store that adults are allowed to touch, if they do so with only one finger. [Check that the finger is clean!] First violation is a warning. Second violation, they must clasp their hands on top of their head for the remainder of the visit.)

Know to the minute how long it takes you to get to each fabric store in your area. This will allow you to plan quick anonymous stops between other errands.

It is better to go to the fabric store without a particular fabric in mind. When the buyer is ready, the true fabric will appear.

So Margo, I hope this helps you, but I'm afraid I cannot be held liable for the size of the stash that will come from following any of these rules. Obey at your own risk.

Comments

[Schweighopper]

Yes! When I travel, I routinely abuse hotel phone books by ripping out the yellow page of Fabric Store listings. I could be sensible and look up stores before I go. What fun would that be? (I do jam the page back in the book before I leave) I have a book for knitters that consistsly solely of yarn stores addresses listed by state. Why couldn't we have a fabric book of the same ilk?!My shopping fantasy involves a trip through Asia buying unlimited amounts of fabric. Some day...some day.

[Anonymous]

Excellent rules!

[Adrienne]

Tee hee! Too funny! LOL

[twollin]

Erin - I'm with you, though my corrolary to your buying fabric while traveling is that if you have to travel for work (trade shows, sales, meetings, etc.), whatever limit you impose on yourself (like, I won't spend more than $xx at a time in a fabric store) goes completely out the window as a trip to the fabric store triples as stress-relief, exercise, and entertainment. And, no matter WHERE you are, if it is not a chain fabric store, they will have things that you will never be able to get at home. I had not figured out the 5-yard rule, but will definitely staple it to my forehead from now on. One simple rule - it should make fabric buying so much easier!!

[Isabelle]

Great rules. I am tempted to print them out and pin them in our kitchen. Would make a great pendant to the 1957 "Good Wife Guide" my Seb thought fit to put there.

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity, how old is your oldest fabric?

[Erin]

Do you mean "how long have I had it" or "how old is it in elapsed time?" I've been sewing since I was twelve, but I think the oldest stuff I bought personally dates from college. I've also been given fabric from other people's stashes, including my husband's grandmother, and some of that fabric is probably older than I am.

[Nora]

I love the Ebay rule, especially; I think any older fabric bought on Ebay, or at a yard sale, or thrift store) counts as recycling, and we probably ought to get some kind of tax credit for it. Ditto using old sheets, or even cutting up ugly clothes that don't fit. (I'm also still convinced that there ought to be a way to recycle cotton fabric scraps on a large scale, into paper or batting or SOMETHING. I hate to throw them away, and some scraps are just too small to save for the quilt I might theoretically make someday.) And as regards bringing little kids, my Mom used to do graphic design (back in the days of Lettraset rub-off letters and non-repro blue pencil) and I loved nothing better than to go to the art supply store with her. Why should fabric stores be any less fun?

[sewinggirlfromtheothersideoftheworld]

Ah wonderful. I too beleive the Occasional Totally Frivolous Fabric purchase is good for the soul.

[JuliaR]

Regarding rule 6: "I have a one-yard piece of Matisse-print "Jazz" silk that I just pick up and look at every once in a while."Think about stretching it on canvas stretchers (you can get them at art supply stores) and hanging it like a painting in your sewing space.And for rule 9:"Always make time to buy fabric when traveling. Pack an extra bag, if you have to."I have yet to do what I am about to propose so it is still a theory for me, but I plan to ship fabric home by FedEx when I find interesting fabric while travelling to exotic places.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE YOUR BLOG! i live by these rules :)

[lorraine]

Though tongue-in-cheek, this list has a lot of valuable tips! I'm printing it out in 5-point type so it fits credit-card-like in my wallet. It'll be the perfect justification as I'm standing in line at the cutting table with thoughts of doubt and financial regret.

[Brenda]

Rule 11 also applies to Rule 9. Fabric bought while travelling is technically not fabric, but a souvenir.Those are some great little souvenirs you picked up in London!

[Anonymous]

Okay, I just have to say that I love you for posting that. I mean really, who ever has enough fabric and a list of rules like that can only guarantee unending happiness. Thanks for perking up an otherwise dreary and blah morning.Patricia

[kenandbelly]

I'm de-lurking to say that this is my favorite post--and you have some great ones! I completely agree about ebay purchases of any sort. And will definitely remember your kids rule for when my newborn gets as excited about going to fabric and craft stores as I do.

[Anonymous]

I didn't know there were rules but I'd been following them anyway. Rule 3A. An ugly fabric at $1 a yard in a natural fiber can be dyed or painted. One must purchase all that is available since results can be unpredictable. Fabric bought for this purpose counts as triple since you're recycling a mistake, saving major yardage from landfills, and manufacturing beautiful fabric that no one else has. High contrast ugly florals in linen or rayon are perfect candidates for discharge dyeing and bleach is cheap. Erin, thanks for relieving the guilt!!!

[La BellaDonna]

Nora, there is a poster over at Fashion-Incubator who does indeed make paper from recycled fabric. If you are so motivated, you can go and search under "paper," for a while; I can't go right now, or I'd give you his/her name.Heh. I can get a skirt with a 10-foot hem out of 2-1/2 yards of 45" fabric. For some reason, that does not keep me from buying fabrics in 10-yard, 20-yard, or "all of it" increments. I buy like a drunken sailor on shore leave, who's going to be going back on active duty (sometimes against the Armada, sometimes during the War of 1812).I have fabric still uncut that I bought when I was 10 - although I did recently use some lace I bought at that time. I also keep all reasonably-sized scraps (3x3 inches, or smaller if it's really excellent fabric), which is how I was able to renovate and recycle a 17th century gown into an 18th century gown overnight (mind you, the dress, and its scraps, were 10 years old at the time). And having yards and yards and YARDS* of black fabric doesn't stop me from buying fabric! It doesn't even stop me from buying black fabric. (And I really mean yards and yards and YARDS - well into the hundreds of yards, I expect - and yes, that's just the black fabric.) One of the corollaries (coronaries!) I have encountered is, No matter how much fabric you have, nor what you plan to do with it, you will not have the right fabric/enough fabric for whatever it is you plan to do right now, and you will therefore have to go buy more fabric.And I buy trim the same way I buy fabric, which is horrifying, because although occasionally in life, one encounters linen at $1.00 a yard (yes, I did, and I bought all I could find, too - and now I'm faced with trying to find cheaper fabric to make my toiles for the linen!), one very seldom finds trim for fantastically low prices; ditto really good buttons. Jane Austen paid nearly as much for the buttons as she did for having her pelisse made up - and nothing's changed since then! (Yes, buttons can be had more cheaply, but very seldom the buttons I want.)It's worse than having a parrot or a Galapagos tortoise as a pet; I have to think, who's going to want all those yards and yards after I die? I don't want them being garage-saled or Ebayed! They need to go where they'll be loved!That is, unless I get to take them with me.

[Anonymous]

"When the buyer is ready, the true fabric will appear."You made me laugh out loud.

[Jen]

This is an *awesome* post. My mother-in-law, who has been teaching me to sew (thank the Lord for IM on the Mac next to the Singer), will probably LOVE it, which means she and I will have even more reason to hit the Cinci fabric shops when Hubby and I visit. And we're going on a trip ourselves, soon...hmmm....it's a good thing I bought that final piece of my luggage collection when I caught it on sale, eh? Such a great post, Erin. I wish I knew more seamstresses personally so I could send it to them, too!

[Novumva]

>feel when you're freezing to death >in the coming nuclear >winter/ecological catastrophe, if >you don't buy five yards of that >wool now?And don't forget, fabric stored against the outside walls of your house adds a lot of insulation value to them!

[bani]

I'm in stitches here, and also in awe at the Truth of the Rules. I wish I could live by them, but economy and space have me leading a heretical lifestyle. *sob* One day I shall rejoin the true cult.

[bonnie-ann black]

these rules also apply to art supplies, which can include fabric... especially if you make art dolls or figures. scraps of fabric can be incorporated into collages and paintings and quilts... fabric is lovely stuff. great rules!

[Anonymous]

I am so amazingly jealous of all sewers who live in the USA, stuck here in the UK it is too difficult to get hold of cheap fabric, except of course very basic block colour cotton/poly.Go into a store and at least 95% of stuff is at least 10 a meter, so thats just under $20 a yard! I am buying all my stuff from the wonders of ebay.com, and I am sure whilst it's a great deal to me I am still being ripped off!

[Susan]

9. Always make time to buy fabric when traveling. I bought a ton of silk when I was in Singapore 15 years ago. It's still sitting in my stash, but at least it's there, and I won't have to shell out the $1,000+ to fly to Singapore when I have something I need to sew with that fabric.I'm fortunate - I have 2 fabric stores (almost next door to each other), about 1 mile from home - Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt, and Fishman Fabrics on Des Plaines at Roosevelt. Woo Hoo. Living in the loop has its advantages sometime!

[lucitebox]

This is great! I was giggling from the drunken sailor bit.What a useful (and funny) set of rules. I will definitely be re-fashioning these rules to apply to buying vintage clothing. I think I can extrapolate and make them equally as applicable to my own addiction. Carrying it a bit further, I'd apply similar rules to the purchase of sushi and ice cream. Holly