For Sale By Mail

Can't find the fabrics you desire locally? Broaden your search to include mail-order sources, and your most imaginative sewing dreams could come true.

"Vast" may be the best way to describe the fabric selection available to order by phone, fax, mail or e-mail. Virtually everything is offered--beaded laces, designer-quality wools and sumptuous silks, synthetic suedes, knits, natural fiber fabrics, heirloom-quality batistes, denims, high-performance outerwear fabrics, up-to-the-minute decorator fabrics, basic linings, interfacings, quilt battings and much, much more.

The Thrill Of The Hunt
Peruse advertisements in sewing publications to locate companies that offer fabrics through catalogs and swatch services, as well as fabric clubs that offer a regular swatch service for a membership fee (see "Fabric Clubs" for details).

"We sell all over the world," says Lorie Graff of Jehlor Fantasy Fabrics, a Seattle, Wash. retail store that offers more than 1,000 special occasion and costume fabrics in its mail-order catalog. Included in the catalog are swatches of some fabrics and photographs with detailed descriptions for others. "People are astonished when they receive our catalog," says Graff. "They see fabrics there, such as 'cracked ice' from France, that they've never seen before."

Hancock's of Paducah (not affiliated with the fabric store chain), a Kentucky fabric distributor and retail store, offers a broad range of name-brand decorator, bridal and quilting fabrics through its mail-order division and its Web site. "At any time we have 14,000 to 18,000 fabric bolts in stock. That's more than you'll find in any store, even in a large city," says Justin Hancock. He points out that you can select fabrics from the catalog's color photographs or on your computer screen; you also have the choice of purchasing a swatch set that includes samples of the photographed fabrics to help you decide. Another option is the "Monthly Print Sample Assortments" arrangement that automatically debits your credit card in payment for Hancock's shipping their newest fabric samples to you each month.

Raj Nadiadhara of Super Silk Inc., a mail-order-only fabric specialist based in Flushing, N.Y. says, "We have such a wide selection of pure silks that there are 60 colors of dupioni shantung alone and they come in four different textures,". To help you determine which fabrics meet your needs, this company sells swatch sets of each silk fabric type; also available for sale is a swatched, loose-leaf catalog containing samples of every fabric type and color the company carries.

Although mail-ordering fabrics--even deluxe silks and French imports--isn't a new idea, it may be the wave of the future. "For people sewing quality apparel, finding fabrics is a problem. To many of our customers, we're the only fabric shop they have," comments Debra Leonard of G Street Fabrics in Rockville, Md. This well-known retail store presents its mail-order fabrics in the form of "Portfolio," a subscription service that charges an annual fee for monthly mailings of about 70 seasonal swatches each. In addition to the swatches, each "Portfolio" includes pattern suggestions, fashion forecasts, sewing tips, buttons and trims.

Like many other mail-order fabric resources, G Street also offers a custom swatching option; after sending a detailed description of the fabric you're looking for and a one-time fee, you receive a set of appropriate fabric samples you can order. Both amateurs and pros take advantage of such personalized service, according to Leonard. "We just did a survey of our mail-order customers," says Leonard. "They're evenly split between custom dressmakers or tailors who sew for clients and sewing hobbyists who sew for quality, relaxation and enjoyment."

Considerations
While mail-order fabric shopping offers extensive selection and shop-at-home convenience advantages, you'll find buying fabric based on a small sample or a catalog photograph is a very different experience than browsing through aisles of bolts at a fabric store.

For example, you may find it's difficult to find inspiration, judge a print repeat's true nature or check a fabric's figure flattery quotient without having the fabric on hand to see, touch and test-drape.

"We're always working on our ability to represent fabric subtleties in print. It's a constant challenge," admits Hancock. "However, our customer service reps can give information about, say, whether a blue print fabric has a purple or a gray cast to it. And, we believe mail-order customers can have confidence in the name brands we carry. Hoffman of California fabric, for example, will be the same fabric anywhere you find it."

Graff, on the other hand, discourages customers from relying on a description over the phone. "We insist on sending a swatch," says Graff, who advises mail-order customers to allow ample time for a sample to be cut, sent and received, rather than attempt to place an order with no time to spare. "The fabric may seem to be exactly what you want--you may be looking for Wedgwood blue stretch lace and we may have stretch lace the manufacturer calls Wedgwood blue, but it may not be the same color you envision. Color, especially, is so subjective."

Leonard, too, is sensitive about the potential for mail-order misfits. "We try to allay the fear of purchasing the wrong fabric in two ways," she says. "One, we're careful to select "Portfolio" fabrics that are adequately represented by a small swatch. If a person wants to see a larger sample, we will send it. Two, we'll accept returns. We don't want anyone to be unhappy with their fabrics, so if you don't like it, you don't have to keep it."

Return policies vary among mail-order sources, and this is something you should discern before ordering; most reputable companies value a satisfied customer so highly that they'll give refunds, make exchanges or extend credit for unwanted fabric if you return it unused and in a timely manner. However, receiving a fabric package brings with it a built-in temptation, particularly if you enjoy collecting fabric--once you've opened the package you may prefer to keep the "surprise" fabric rather than take the trouble to return it to the sender.

"Some people are better at visualizing fabric from a description or swatch than others," observes Jan Smiley, whose mail-order business, Batiks, Etc., is based in her Fort Mill, S.C. home. The true character of the batiks she sells is particularly difficult to represent with a small sample because the dye colors typically vary across the fabric width. "Mail-order tends to work best for people who use a lot of fabric. If the fabric that arrives isn't quite the color they thought it would be, they know they can use it for something else," she says. Other potential drawbacks of ordering fabric by mail are the add-on costs. Catalogs and swatch set prices may or may not be refundable with your first order, the company may or may not offer a toll-free phone number for ordering, and the minimum required purchase amount may force you to acquire more fabric than you actually need. In any case, there are shipping charges to consider.

"It pays to shop around," advises Smiley. "Some companies compute the shipping by the yardage you purchase, while others assess shipping charges according to the total order price. Sometimes you can save money by tailoring your order to fit the shipping increments and buy a little more or less fabric--it all depends."

A final factor to consider is the waiting. Once you've chosen a fabric, you're probably anxious to start sewing, but a mail-order parcel takes several days or longer to arrive. Rush shipping for next-day delivery usually is an option, but costs more. Of course, it could be worth every extra penny when you finally find the fabric of your dreams.

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