Apartment Therapy is one of those blogs I skim a lot. Some pretty pictures here and there, but posts I find actually useful are fairly rare. I rent my apartment, but it seems many of the readers and writers of AT may rent, but can treat the property like they own (painting, light construction), which I cannot.
However, this is why I love New Year’s – roundups galore. Like a well organized browsing session, roundups help me find more information more efficiently.
Case in point – Best Fabric Shops: Online
While I prefer shopping for fabric (and yarn and clothing) in person due to my tactile nature, this is a post I will be bookmarking for future reference.
To comment on each site after a brief browse:
- Amy Butler Design – annoyingly designed site and I couldn’t find where to buy fabric online – only pre made items like bags and bedding.
- Retro Depot – exactly as the name suggests (includes Amy Butler designs). Very little that blew up my skirt, though, so to speak. Many designs just come across as kitschy – might be good for quilters looking for something different, though.
- Purl Soho – More of what I like, but the thumbnails are very small, making it harder to browse effectively.
- Fabric Guru – Now this is more like it! Huge variety, even though the site isn’t the prettiest thing to look at.
I’m a sucker for damask prints.
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FinnStyle – again, the site design leaves something to be desired, but big, bold prints abound and are oh so lovely:
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Nearsea Naturals – I’m not stickler for the organic/naturals movement (though if that’s what you like in terms of design, so be it), but the benefit of buying large quantities of fabric by the roll, or getting pre-cut fabric discounts is appealing.
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Fabric.com – (note AT’s link via their Marketplace is wrong) Very much like an online JoAnn’s to me. Lots of fabric, not a lot that calls to me. They also have other supplies such as yarns and needles for knitting.
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Lewis & Sheron Textile Co. Online – Nice and easy to browse. But really – why is it most fabric sites look like those pages that come up when you mis-type the address to a popular webpage like Facebook or Google?
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FiltzFelt – Though on the expensive side, the site is well designed and easy to maneuver and the products are simple and easy to find. The benefit of dealing in one type of fabric (and a few products made from that fabric).
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Repeat Fabrics – suffers from the same site design issues as Amy Butler, but the designs are more compelling – though it doesn’t seem like you can order them online. Oh well.
The other item of note is most of the sites seem to sell fabrics good for decor, quilting, or non-wearable items. Aside from Fabric.com, I may still need to visit my local fabric shop for any clothing I’m looking to make in the future.
I wish everyone a wonderful and creative 2010! Happy New Year and Happy 10’s!
The Renaissance Woman 