If you are new to quilting or even if you have been quilting for awhile, sourcing fabric is a constant need. Check out my 5 Places to Buy Fabric for your Quilt Projects and get quilting.

5 Places to Buy Fabric for your Quilt Projects

Fabric Stores

A photo of a lady in a charcoal gray top browsing fabric in a fabric store.

Here in Canada we have general fabric stores like Fabricland. In the U.S., JoAnn’s Fabrics is equivalent. They are stores which sell fabrics for many types of projects. They sell quilting cotton fabrics, but these fabrics are not the same quality as the fabrics you find in quilt shops. While they may come with a cheaper price tag, that cheaper quality might catch up with you in the longevity of your quilt. If you are making a project that won’t be washed, like a wall hanging, you will be fine. However, if you are making a bed quilt, the fabric quality will be a problem after many washings.

Quilt Stores

Multi coloured fabric bolts on store shelf

The fabrics you find in quilt stores are high quality, 100% cotton quilting fabrics. They are manufactured with a higher thread count which is why you pay a higher price for them. The higher thread count is similar to the thread count in bed sheets.

In my opinion, these are the best fabrics to construct quilts with, especially quilts that will be washed a lot, like bed quilts. You can always wait for sales or buy remnants if the higher price point is out of your range.

Online Quilt Stores

If you do not have a local quilt store, or you want to shop another store’s stock, purchasing from an online quilt store is a great option. However, if you are like me, and you like to touch the fabric, obviously this isn’t possible.

Also, the potential for a colour to appear differently on your screen than in real life is possible. Earlier this year, I needed to purchase pink fabric since I don’t have much of a stash of pink. Two of the four fabrics I purchased, which I thought were pink, were in fact lilac or lavender in colour. Always something to consider when dealing with screen colours versus in real life colours.

Thrift Stores

Picture of the outside of a store with a sign that says Thrift Store

Many people shop for fabric at thrift stores, either in the form of yardage which you can sometimes find or garments that you can take apart and re-purpose. This is an inexpensive way to purchase fabric. However, the inherent problem with this idea is not being able to find what you are looking for when you need it. If you want to build a project around the fabric, rather than around the pattern, this is a great option which will save you money.

Marketplace and Other Online Selling Options

A laptop keyboard with the return key made blue with the word Marketplace

Last, but not least, you could check out Facebook Marketplace or other online selling forums like Kijiji here in Canada or Craigslist in the U.S. Like thrift stores, you are limited by the fabric you can find which may not be exactly what you are looking for.

My Final Thoughts

These are my 5 Places to Buy Fabric for your Quilt Projects. I hope this helped you come up with ideas on how to stretch your fabric-buying dollars. Although many people see it as a negative, having a fabric stash is a great thing. It is always better to shop your stash than look for more fabric. Ask me how I know this.

Get Your Freebie!

I have written a quick, one page guide called The Top 5 Tools Every Beginner Quilter Needs. I know it is daunting when you get started in quilting because there are so many tools and notions out there.

Click here to get my free guide and let me help you not end up with a drawer full of tools you will only use once, or even worse, never.

I hope you have found this helpful. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me here.

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Until Next Time.